The Sunday Reeds are a noise pop band from Melbourne. The name comes from patron of the arts Sunday Reed, a fellow Melbournite, who was prominent in the arts scene in the 1930s and 40s. Originally only two members, Romana Ashton and Drew Jones, they recently expanded with the addition of Jesse Lynch and Jane Sertori for a more extensive live sound. Their music is raw, loud and full of feedback. In 2009 their debut release Drowning in History was nothing short of a remarkable achievement, and with their EP Dark Rainbows from this year they showed that they won't be slowing down any time soon. Now with tour buzz and a second album looming, Blueboy and Popgirly interviewed Romana and Drew to see what's been happening lately and what is in store for the up and coming year.Your latest EP Dark Rainbows is wonderful, how have you found the response?
Romana: Thanks very much. Some people like it I suppose. We don't actually get that much feedback about it. It has got some good reviews and has been played on various radio stations in Australia and overseas.
Drew: Kramer (producer for Galaxie 500 etc), who mastered it said the songs were great.
Recently The Sunday Reeds expanded. Can you please tell us about the new band members?Romana: I used to play bass for the band but then decided to concentrate on being the front person more. We knew Jane (drums) and Jesse (bass) from another band called Pioneers of Good Science and asked if they'd do us a favour and play bass and drums for us. They provide a really tight rhythm section and they help us to fill out the live sounds.
You're doing a few shows at the moment on the east coast of Australia, how have they been going? Are your sights set on touring other states?
Romana: We've played a few shows in Melbourne recently and they've been great. We plan to go to Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane in the new year when we have our single launch for 'Kill This Party'.
You toured the UK a while back, what can you tell us about the experience, any memorable shows?
Romana: We went there I think in September last year for a few weeks and played just a handful of shows. It was great to meet the people from Squirrel Records in the flesh. We played in Leeds, London and Brighton. The best show we played there was the one in Brighton. The crowd was really supportive and everything felt really energetic on stage. I loved it. That particular show, we played with Still Corners and Candy Panic Attack and the show got NME gig of the week.
Are you working on new songs at the moment? Are they following the same grain as before or do the new members bring new aspects to the recording process?
Romana: Well, Drew and I always do the core work, we write the songs and record rough demos to know how we want things to sound. It's the same process it has always been. We have new songs and some older stuff that nobody has heard so we are reworking some of that too.
What have you been listening to lately? Do you have any favourite releases from 2011 so far?
Romana: To be honest I don't listen to much music now. I can't keep up with everything anyway. I hear bits and pieces here and there through other people's suggestions sometimes but I don't have a favourite release from 2011. Sometimes I just want to get the fuck away from music entirely.
Drew: I haven't heard anything recently that has made me go 'wow'.
What do you like to do when you are not playing or listening to music? Any hobbies?
Romana: I drink lavender tea and read a lot. I get angry for fun.
Drew: I usually just add names to my list of people to kill.
Is it difficult being an Australian noise pop band? On one hand, you are the best noise pop band in the country, but on the other you seem to possibly have a larger fan base abroad.
Drew: It is frustrating. When we played overseas the reception was great and people really seemed to enjoy the show. People still enjoy the show here but the enthusiasm is not as intense. People seem to 'get it' more overseas. I've started throwing guitars and smashing guitars sometimes at the end of shows out of pure frustration.Romana: What he said. Even though there's the internet and everything we are still geographically isolated in Australia and it does make a difference.
What's next for The Sunday Reeds?
Romana: We will have a new single out in the new year called 'Kill This Party' on vinyl and for download. We plan to visit New Zealand for some shows too hopefully. We'd love to get back overseas again but it might be a little while before that happens. And, lots of sex.
Here's the new video clip for 'Shiver up my Vein'
From the Dark Rainbows EP.
Go on over to the official website of The Sunday Reeds and download special acoustic tracks for FREE!
The Sunday Reeds websiteSquirrel Records
