Allen and Maxwell discuss the performance of the young Melbourne musician who has gone onto become arguably Australia’s most popular indie artist in many years – since Tame Impala broke internationally.
“We can’t really claim we discovered her,” states the very mild Allen. Maxwell then jumps in with, “Speak for yourself! Did you hear what I said when I introduced her performance? I said ‘this girl is the future of music’ and she said ‘thanks Renae, it sounds like you’re doing a speech and my 21st’”, both Maxwell and Allen burst into laughter.
Moving on to 2014’s Record Store Day celebrations on Saturday April 19 and Record Paradise have a similarly confessional act to Barnett that tells Australian stories in an Australian voice in The Mighty Boys. However, Mighty Boys ‘confessions’ may be slightly more visceral such as the song Pick’en em up that features the line ‘I really hate St Kilda / But when I need to see you / That’s where I am going’ or the supremely intellectual chorus of the song Drinkin’: ‘Drinkin and drinkin’ and drinkin’ / Drinkin’ and drinkin’ and drinkin’ / drinkin and drinkin and drinkin / And fucking up your house.’
Allen delves into the dichotomy of trading Barnett for Mighty Boys, “Last year we went quite mellow ethereal folk with Fraser, Courtney, The Morning After Girls and Deb Conway with Willy Zigger. This year we have gone for a more full on sound with Mighty Boys, Sun God Replica, I A Man and Dollar Bar,” tells Allen.
“Last year we had a softer folk rock edge because we weren’t really sure how it would come together but this year we know we have been deliberately open to bands and deliberately choosing bands that we know will make it a real party!” Contends Maxwell.
Finally, Allen discusses that he and Maxwell know that the real ‘diggers’ don’t want amplified music of drinks spilt on them so: “We understand that record diggers just want to dig so for the first two hours it’s just for the diggers so no music or drinks then at 2pm the party starts!”
BY DAN WATT
Record Paradise is located at 15 Union St, Brunswick.
