Today we meet, The Sunday Reeds out of Melbourne , Australia. You can pick up on the Jesus and Mary Chain vibe from the video, Kiss Me Kill Me , love that gnashing guitar sound a little on the Sonic Youth side . The Sunday Reeds remind me of the Bands from The CBGB’s days. Romana has that Blondie meets Nico meets Chrissie thing going on and just enough punk attitude to pull it off , not an easy feat, what a cool voice! Drew plays the guitar like Thurston, a weapon to release some rock ‘n’ roll energy while John lays down some solid drum beats, overall this is some super stuff. Spend some time , give The Sunday Reeds a listen and I’ll bet money, you will be telling your friends who dig kick ass music , all about them. I have enjoyed spending my morning listening to these songs, this is seriously some very impressive work….
Hi our name is The Sunday Reeds
People mainly say we sound like a blend of post-punk and ’90s alternative rock with a touch of ’60s rock ‘n’ roll.
We are Romana Ashton (vocals, bass), Drew Jones (guitar) and John Birrell (drums)
We are from Melbourne, Australia.
Who are some that have an influence on you
We’re influenced by a lot of different bands and artists including, but not limited to: Garbage, Marianne Faithfull, Hole, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Joy Division, The Gun Club, Nancy Sinatra, The Ramones, Link Wray, The Cramps, Lee Hazlewood, The Sonics, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Pixies, The Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop.
How old were all of you when you started to play and who plays what in the band
Romana: I was five years old when I started taking organ lessons and then I switched to the piano. By the time I was fifteen I had discovered guitar and started writing songs. I now play bass and sing in the band. I’m also the main songwriter.
Drew plays guitar in the band and recently John joined as our drummer. I’m not sure when Drew started playing guitar but I know that as a teenager he spent many hours playing it in his bedroom. I’m pretty sure his Mum taught him guitar when he was about 10 years old. Drew can also play bass and the piano.
John also started playing piano at a young age, I think. He can also play bass and guitar and sometimes the violin. So, we’re a bit of a multi-skilled bunch.
Can you tell us about the process you use, from writing the songs all the way through getting the songs out
Usually either I have written a song that the band then works on or Drew and I write together. One of us might have an idea, either a chord progression or a lyric or something and then we just bounce ideas off each other until it is done. We then record a demo by ourselves and if we like it enough we release it.
what are some of the challenges you face as musicians and how have you overcome those challenges
The fact that musicians/artists aren’t really respected is a big challenge. Everyone wants something for free and they don’t often realise the work that some of us put into our art. It’s expensive to buy music equipment, to rent rehearsal space, to record, to release and to tour. If you’re an independent artist, as we are, it often means you work a day job and fund all of it yourself. It is a difficult road to take and quite frequently there is a lot of self-doubt about the whole masochistic process. For every challenge that you think you’ve overcome, there’s another one right around the corner. It’s not for the faint of heart. There’s also the challenge of being in close proximity with band members when traveling or recording. We can bicker or fight a lot at times.
If you could pick any time to travel back to for music, where would you go and what year would it be?
I’m not really sure. I like different kinds of music from different times for different reasons. I don’t really like to see the past through rose-coloured glasses. I suppose going back maybe twenty years so there isn’t the internet and downloading might be useful.
Who are all of you currently listening to?
I can’t speak for the other two, but I haven’t been listening to much music lately. I tend to go through phases where I’ll listen to something a lot and then I won’t listen to anything for a good while. I like to read books and watch films and go to art galleries. A lot of music doesn’t really inspire me much. That probably sounds depressing, but it isn’t meant to be.
If you could open for any Band right now who would that be and why?
Um, that’s a hard question. I don’t really know. I’d like us to be the headliner. If we opened for any band that I admire I’d probably throw up due to nerves or pass out.
My youngest son is 13 and in a Band, what advice would you offer him?
Oh God….. I would say be prepared to work hard, to have a day job, to do a lot of it yourself. You need to stick to your guns and have a lot of self-discipline. It’s not glamorous and you need to do it for your own creative reasons. There will be a lot of set-backs and you need to roll with the punches, so to speak. At the end of the day you’ll do it because you’re compelled to.
Your thoughts on the state of rock ‘n’ roll in 2015?
It is shit for the most part. There isn’t much rock ‘n’ roll. Bands usually lack personality and have nothing to say. There are some good bands around but they aren’t getting the airplay or attention they deserve.
Our plans for 2015?
We’re currently working on a new single that we will release around August this year with a video for it as well. We’ll probably play some shows in Australia to promote it and then hopefully head over to Europe next year.
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