Emerging from Melbourne’s thriving soul scene are the unmistakable sounds of six‐piece garage/soul outfit, The Perfections. Pinned as a “rock’n’roll band playing soul music”, their live shows are notoriously loose, with less polish and more grit, The Perfections create a raw energy onstage, fronted by the fiery vocals of lead singer Christina Arnold and backed by a wild and punchy horn and rhythm section. Having warmed up crowds in venues all across Melbourne and supporting the likes of Deep Street Soul, Transatlantics and King Salami and the Cumberland 3, The Perfections are proud to announce the release of their debut self-titled 10” EP.
Equal parts Northern Soul and Detroit Garage, the band formed in late 2009 with the aim of creating their own unique brand of garage/soul, sounds like Otis Redding and The Stooges got into a fist fight!
Their debut offering, a collection of six songs featuring three originals and three covers, has been pressed onto 10” black wax and is ready to launch at the Grace Darling on Saturday 15th December for what will be a raucous co‐headliner party with Major Tom and The Atoms, The Charlies and The7ups!
The Perfections debut and self-titled EP is now out, with who, where and how long did it take to record it?
Christina: We recorded the EP at HeadGap studios with Neil Thomason in May of this year, the whole thing was done and dusted in 3 days. We tracked everything live to tape the first day, did the vocals and bits a few horn bits on the second and mixed it on the third. Despite playing live quite a bit It was the first time the band was ever in a studio. Neil basically set everything up with ribbon mics got it sounding awesome and hit play! The 6 tracks were originally intended to be released as three 45’s but it was going to be a headache both time and money wise so we thought an EP would be best, the track listing is actually the same order that the sides would have been.
If you had to choose your favourite track off the album which one would it be and why?
Christina: Peaches – it is a pretty wild track and everyone loves a song about lesbian romance!! It’s also based on a true story. I think it pretty much defines our sound and is absolutely killer live.
What’s your earliest memory of performing and who inspired you to start?
Christina: Air guitaring to The Bangles ‘Hazy Shade of Winter’ on the stage at Primary School in Grade 1. My dad used to tape Rage every Friday and Saturday night and I’d get up early on weekends to watch the tapes back – all those Prince video clips really lit the fire!
You must answer this question honestly. What and where was the first gig you went to?
Christina: Ha!! The Tea Party at the Palais. Or if we wanna go way back, Dire Straits, when I was in mum’s tummy when she was pregnant with me.
‘Fess up. What records have you stolen from your parent’s record collection and why?
Christina: Yello ‘Oh Yeah’ and a Connie Francis box set!!! I also have an Elvis record from my Oma.
How would you describe the mood of your band and your music to someone who doesn’t know who The Perfections are?
Christina: Infectious, fun, ass-shakin’, panty-droppin’ riff hitting soul. Makes you wanna call home and tell your folks to pack up your room because you’re never coming home because you’re in a soul coma.
If you could curate your own festival, where would it be, who would be on the bill, how many people would you let in and what features would it have?
Christina: First, I would invent a time machine and bring back The MC5, The Kinks, The Small Faces, Betty Davis and Eddie Hazel and then invite along The Dirtbombs, JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound, Iggy and The Stooges, The Detroit Cobras, Jim Jones Revue and John Spencer Blues Explosion. It would have Fear and Loathing themed bars and a velvet padded party room. Lots of tiger prawns to eat and water slides. And only YOU would be invited!!!
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living artist from anywhere in the world would you most like to collaborate with?
I guess the coolest collaborations out there are the ones where people have a common take or aesthetic on things but a different approach, you end up with something different to what either person/group could do individually, but it makes total sense!! So I don’t know, maybe a really weird tripped out concept album with someone like The Melvins, that would be really cool or a psychedelic soul freakout remix album with MGMT and The Blues Explosion?. Seriously I could think of at least twenty awesome hybrids!!
What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?
Well, at the moment, It would most definatley be a party, you know that point where things start getting a little loose, the fine line between taking it up a notch and someone maybe getting hurt a bit of minor property damage, that sense of anticipation when someone walks out with a massive tray of shots, etc. That might change one day but at the moment its all about playing stompers and letting the good times roll!!!
Tell us why we shouldn’t miss your EP Launch at The Grace Darling in Melbourne on 15 December?
Because its going to be an insane party, because its Christmas, because its taken 2 years for us to release anything, because you can pick up your very own copy of the 10” vinyl only release for $15 and because we love you xxx
www.theperfections.bandcamp.com
