Quick & Dirty - The Bowers
By: Stephanie Le
February 26, 2010 – Melbourne, Australia
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, The Bowers' tight, sublime sound mixes vintage guitar-pop and indie, giving their music depth and rawness. SoundProof recently had the opportunity to sit down with The Bowers guitarist Phil Gionfriddo and get the down low on on the band, and Melbourne's live music scene:
The Bowers (formerly The Bowerbirds) came together when, in 2004, Gionfriddo went searching for a singer to start something new as the band he was currently in didn't quite share his work ethic. He wanted a frontman who couldn't hide behind his instrument on stage and found that right presence in Liam Linley, whom he discovered singing at a Wednesday night rock disco in the inner suburbs of Melbourne. Together they spent the next two years writing songs until Paul Maybury—then lead guitarist of Rocket Science—heard the demo and decided he wanted to play bass and dragged Rocket Science drummer Kit Warhurst along for the ride.
"These guys were my heroes and they wanted to play with me, I was and still am incredibly chuffed."
Since playing their first gig in 2006, The Bowers had a change of bassists (Spencer Dyson joined in 2009), they've been playing around the traps, and have done quite a lot of recording. Now, with three 7" inches and their album Her Night under their belt, they are well on their way to having a major presence on the scene.
When it comes to Australia, Melbourne has always been the live music capital. With thousands of gigs covering every genre, local music lovers have never been without, though recently there has been much talk regarding the health of the scene due to the closure of prominent venues. This phenomenon seems to be in accordance with the new liquor licensing laws which make it increasingly difficult for venues to make a profit. But Gionfriddo has a positive take on the whole situation:
"The live scene in Melbourne right now is beserk, there are so many bands—good ones—and heaps of venues. For those people reading this that have never been to Melbourne, we have three amazing community radio stations that play almost exclusively independent or small label artists: PBS FM, RRR FM and 3CR, and they have a massive listenership. Consequently loads of people go to shows to hear different kinds of music, seven nights a week."
Gionfriddo believes that rather than taking the new laws lying down, bands and fans have developed their own brand of political activism. "‘The Tote—our most loved and probably most famous venue—closed a few weeks ago, due to debts surrounding fighting strict liquor licensing laws that make it impossible for small venues to run profitably. It has caused a huge stir within the music community in Melbourne. There is a Victoria State election later this year and the Tote, like most other live venues, are situated in marginal seats held by the government, so now it's a legitimate political issue. There will be a rally to Parliament House on Feb 23. Hopefully 10,000 people will march," he points out, following it up with another positive: "I should add that Sydney is starting to take off again too,"
The election is the only thing on the horizon for The Bowers. Having finished the demos for their second LP, they're set to start recording in May with producer, Robbie Adams. They also have a European tour set for September/October. Gionfriddo says it'll be really loud.
You can stream The Bowers' full album on their MySpace page.
Video: "Town" by The Bowers
