Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - yeah, you read that band name correctly.
Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Psychdelic Porn Crumpets are definitely in good company. The city’s got an impressive track record for birthing some of Australia’s finest (Tame Impala, Birds of Tokyo, Pond, Methyl Ethel), and the Porn Crumpets are without a doubt holding their own.
With a sound as unique as the name, the four piece rock band is rising fast, grabbing slots at festivals like Summersonic, Groovin the Moo, Splendour in the Grass and Desert Daze, all while having just taken off on their biggest global tour to date. They’re promoting their third album - And Now for the Watchamacallit - released a few months back, in May. The album’s a testament to the progression and refinement of their psychedelic-space rock sound, but overall it just feels like pure, magical fun. We sat down with the band for a quick catch up amidst all the insanity in their lives right now, and everything coming up over the rest of the year!
So where in the world are you guys now?
We're about a week into our biggest tour so far, specifically in Fort Collins, Colorado!
Alright, look, I have to ask. The name. Where the hell did it come from?
I don't really understand where anything creative in this band comes from; it's hard to pinpoint the exact reason why something floats into your brain but I guess you could blame the general context, which was Jack's fascination with the Boosh. Our previous little project was called Ultra Mega Fauna, so it would seem we like the three word combo and consonance.
Can you give me a little bit of background on how you all came together?
Jack and I played in various bands years before he sent me some demos of some of his new music (we still play some of these same songs live!). It was at a point when we were both starved of playing live gigs so we put together a band very quickly to get it all rolling. Jack recruited his mate Rish, and I brought Gary in on bass. We recently got our multi-instrumentalist mate Chris Young to fill in the gaps live for the denser songs.
Everything’s exploding for you guys at the moment — signing with the management of Arctic Monkeys, having that slot at Splendour and soon Desert Daze, and taking off on a global tour … What’s going through your mind right about now?
We're very fortunate to have gotten to a point where we can be working with such a great team, and to be doing this full time. All these opportunities feel like a dream and we're just embracing the moment and enjoying the travel.
Super excited to see you guys at Desert Daze! Who are you most excited to play alongside?
Dude! Everyone! We would have to list the entire festival lineup. We're going to be hanging out all weekend, frothing to watch all the music live that we've been listening to religiously.
“When I was setting up my drumset, I had two fellows
shining a torch from different angles making sure I could see
everything I was doing. That never happens!”
What do you think has been the most amazing moment of the band’s career so far? If you had to pin it down to one spectacular memory.
Playing Summersonic in Japan was the best moment for me. Everything about that festival was a dream — the crowds, the venue, organization, catering... To give you an idea: when I was setting up my drumset, I had two fellows shining a torch from different angles making sure I could see everything I was doing. That never happens!
So, one of your singles off the new album, “Bill’s Mandolin” — what’s the background behind that song and the music video?
Whilst we were on the road in the UK, Jack's family gave him some sort of heirloom oud/mandolin. It's a great instrument but Jack had that attached to him without a case for the entire month. It's been through some close calls, like when it was behind my head in the van when the brakes were slammed suddenly. We got our mate Oli Jones to make the video for the track after he did our “Kick Ons” video — he is such a creative guy and very easy to work with; absolute genius!
“During our first two albums, we were really still
discovering our process of writing and recording.”
Your songs tend to be so layered and complex — what’s the process in writing and crafting them? Is the process you go through ever the same for any two songs? Or does it vary each time?
The songs are usually written as they are recorded, which allows us to do a lot of crafting and layering. Jack will usually bring some ideas to us to jam on and then he takes it back home and works out some sort of structure. We then all collaborate on the layers after that 'scratch track' is finished.
Growing up, what song, album, and/or artist was immeasurably important to you, and why?
I can't speak for all of us but if I had to, I think [I’d say] Radiohead has influenced us all immeasurably, no matter which direction our music heads.
How do you think the new album compares to your previous releases? Did your mindset change throughout?
I think during our first two albums, we were really discovering our process of writing and recording. In this third album, I can hear a step up in studio production, and the songs are more concise. The themes and feelings of the album are also a bit more fun and seem to parallel our lives now that we are touring so much.
Where do you think you’d be if you weren’t making music?
Probably on a building site, honestly!