Sure we’ve heard about you before, but we think it’s time for Tone Deaf to get to know you a little better. Slip in to something comfortable while we put on some music, pour us a couple of drinks and turn the lights down low.
Who are you and what do you do in your act?
Neige Koppes. I’m the singer and bass player in Rain Party.
‘Fess up. What records have you stolen from your parent’s record collection and why?
Lucky for me, my father has one of the biggest record collections I’ve ever seen. A lot of his collection was given to him by a friend at triple J, when they got rid of all their vinyl. So I’ve stolen many great records off him, including bands like Joy Division, The Pixies and Psychedelic Furs.
What’s on heavy rotation on your iPod right now?
I really love this band from LA called Darker My Love. I was introduced to them by a friend in New York, and I’ve been obsessed with their music ever since. In fact we named our band after one of their songs.
‘Home taping is killing the music business’ was the catch-cry of the record industry in the 1970’s, but it managed to survive until now. What do you think is the difference between mates taping copies of friend’s records back in the 80s and 90s and file sharing now?
It’s a lot easier and quicker to steal music digitally. I could easily go to a friends house and download all their music off their computer. If I was copying them to tape, I imagine it would take a lot longer to do. Also it’s so easy to download songs for free online. So I guess it’s up to the consumer whether they choose to pay for music or not. It’s pretty obvious that records sales have dropped dramatically over the last few years, and record labels are definitely suffering because of this. I doubt it will ‘kill’ the music business, since people will always want to listen to live music too and I think there has been a rise in the sales of concert tickets. So basically the music industry is in the middle of a big change right now and we’re stuck in the middle of it. I think CDs will eventually be used as a promotional tool, and bands will mainly make money from their live performances, merchandise and songwriting royalties.
You must answer this question honestly or we steal your rider. What was the first gig you went to? Where was it and what was the venue?
The Church was the first band I saw live. My mum took us on tour with them when I was a baby, so that my dad could spend time with his family when he was touring. I can’t really remember the name of the first venue I saw them play at, since I was so little.
What’s your favourite site to download music from and do you ever pay for it? Can we find any of you release there?
I usually buy music off Itunes, Bandcamp is good too. We will be releasing something later this year, which will be available on Itunes.
What artist made you want to pick up an instrument and/or sing?
I remember being really into Madonna when I was a kid. As I got older I found myself indulging in grunge bands like Sonic Youth, Nirvana and Hole. Now I’m more influenced by artists such as PJ Harvey and bands like BRMC, Black Angels and Darker my Love.
Have you ever been arrested?
No but I’ve gotten away with a few things that I probably should have been arrested for.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
I like to have a couple of drinks before the show.
What’s been your most outrageous rider request?
Two bottles of french champagne, which we drank before the show. I can’t really remember what happened next…
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with? Tell us why?
I’d love to work with Nick Cave, he’s an amazing songwriter and he writes great lyrics.
Right, let’s get really intimate. Tell us what releases you have that we can listen to with the lights down low, or even better, where can we see you play in person next?
You can catch us this Sunday 22nd May at The Tote for Syn FM ‘Free Kick’ competition to win the chance to play at Melbourne’s Community Cup band finals. We go onstage at 7pm. We will be releasing an EP later this year.
