The Spoils return to New Zealand this month with White Swan Black Swan.Their music sounds like its borne out of a dark saloon, the type Dirty Harry might frequent. Its cool but dark like Nick Cave or Tom Waits and wouldn’t go amiss in Ennio Moricone’s back catalogue. They return to tour with WSBS around some of Aotearoa’s smaller towns, which is totally appropriate. Tim Last-name-withheld asked Sean Simmons (vocals, guitar, etc.) some mighty fine questions.
tks: You use an interesting array of instruments and your music contains such eclectic elements, how does it all come together to create the Spoils music?
ss: Usually Bron or I will have written the song and then we play it to the band. Sometimes we’ll have set ideas as to what arrangements or instrumentation is required. Other times, ideas won’t be so formed so the band then will play the song over and over in various forms interchanging instruments until we agree on the appropriate arrangements and instrumentation. We’re lucky that each member is quite capable on a number of instruments. This allows us to explore plenty of possibilities.
tks: How did you initially realise that you have a collective aspiration to create such a exceptional sound together?
ss: Melbourne’s music community is so tight and incestuous that you are exposed to so many musicians from different genres. Along the way you’re bound to find other like minds. I’ve been to other states in Australia and they’ll have a really strong hip-hop or punk scene but Melbourne’s got it all.
tks: How do the band handle multi-tasking with so many different instruments when playing live?
ss: For the most part The Spoils rhythm section is drums, bass and guitar with our piano player occasionally jumping on the accordion. It’s Bronwyn and Matt whose role as lead instrumentalists makes them utility players in that they swap between violin, accordion, glockenspiel, clarinet, saxophone and other found objects. Occasionally a song may not require guitar and need something like a saw or vibraphone instead of drums in which case the rhythm section will alter slightly to suit the song. We’re often jealous of Matt and Bron as they usually get to play the fun stuff.
tks: The use of a musical saw is quite rare. What inspired Sean to use the musical saw as an instrument?
ss: We’re always interested in new or unfamiliar sounds. My interest in the musical saw came about from a friend who had made one out of a common house-hold saw. When he played it , it sang like nothing I’d ever heard before. I had heard the saw on recordings prior, but couldn’t believe that this came out of a $20 hardware item designed for cutting wood. It really had an other-worldly quality to it. I love the way the player almost has to pluck notes out of the air. Inspired by this I decided that I would make a musical saw for Bron’s next birthday. It seemed obvious since she already used a bow for the violin. Anyhow, once I had made it, I struck it with a bow and was blown away again by that sound. It was then that I decided I’d keep it for myself. Until she reads this, Bron has never known that the saw could actually have been hers.
tks: It’s exciting news that your coming to New Zealand, you’ve already toured here once. What are you most excited about when revisiting our shores?
ss: We’re extremely excited about seeing the colour green again. We’ve had a terrible drought for some years now with much of our landscape turning an unattractive browny-yellow. Apart from that we are looking forward to the places we didn’t get to last time. White Swan Black Swan have promised us that there will be many great views and countryside to be seen. We had such a great time in the cities too last time so we’re glad to return to them as well. We’re also keen to see if New Zealand’s Anzac Biscuits are up to Australian standard.
tks: On this tour you’ll get a fantastic tour of some of New Zealand’s smaller towns, have White Swan Black Swan advised you of how to survive some of the smaller villages along the way?
ss: White Swan Black Swan are obviously with-holding this invaluable information from us.. To be quite honest this is the first I’ve heard of it. If things get hairy at least I’ll have my saw.
tks: What can we expect from the upcoming album and will you be showcasing it on the upcoming tour?
ss: The upcoming album will be a slight departure from the last one with less of a nod towards the circus. A range of new instruments will feature on this one including the saw and a drone box I picked up in India. We’ll be playing quite a few of these in New Zealand however some of the songs don’t work as well as a duo so we’ll have to leave some of these at home.
tks: The Spoils music has an almost cinematic feel to it. If the Spoils music could be the music soundtrack for any movie of all time, which movie would it be?
ss: I would like to think Star Wars. It was always a child-hood fantasy of mine to be involved in that movie some-how. When the new sagas were filmed in Australia a few years back my dream was realised when I got to play a storm-trooper. I’m sure the other members would say something cool like La Strada by Fellini or Blue Velvet but I’d prefer Star Wars. Empire Strikes Back to be exact. The only sequel in history to be better than the original. Maybe you guys could use me for a hobbit?
