You’d be forgiven for not knowing that Brissy indie rock legends The Grates have released a brand new album titled Dream Team. It was only last month that the band (singer Patience Hodgson, guitarist John Patterson, and drummer Ritchie Daniell) announced they were releasing a new album, a new record label (called Death Valley) and for John and Patience a baby!
“We felt the only way to really get the best album release for us and our fans was by doing it
ourselves. Running a business for the last few years gave us the confidence to do this, while
also introducing us to many amazing people and creating the right conditions for organic
collaborations. The greatest love story being that we originally hired Ritchie Daniels, our now
drummer, as a barista.” Explains Patience.
Recorded in just six days, Dream Team was produced by garage god Owen Penglis (front man to Straight Arrows and experienced producer for the likes of Royal Headache, Frowning Clouds and Palms).
Dream Team is out today, and to celebrate Patience has given us a track by track run down onthe record. Check it out.
Call Me
“We’ve always wanted to write a song that had a Cars’eque’ vibe about it, and this song is as close as we’ve ever come. We tried to keep it restrained, but couldn’t hold out on the ending (we love a big ending). It felt like album opener material because it has elements in it that represent lots of different songs on the album.”
Holiday Home
“I think we wrote the 10% inspiration for this song after listening to ‘Rats’ by Ed Schrader’s Music Beat. One of our mutual friends had also been talking about herself, her body as a holiday home for her BF (even though he says she causes all of his stress LOL). I remembered that conversation with her as the melody started to leave my mouth. That’s what you’re hearing today.”
7-Eleven
“John and Ritchie were down stairs in the band room when they came up with the music to this song. I was upstairs when the lyrics started coming and I was kinda surprised by my brand references… but there’s just something so suburban about the song, something that seem so Australian, almost Go Betweensy. If you’re from Brisbane, guess which Nightowl I’m talking about”
Dirty Hands
“I love this song. The opening line I stole from James Tidswell’s wife, who was going all the way to the airport to say goodbye to James, even though she wasn’t flying, when Violent Soho & The Grates lived in Brooklyn. I just thought it was such a huge show of love, I’m not sure I’ve ever done that for anyone. The middle line ‘we’re a slothful nation’ I stole from Paul Keating.”
It Won’t Hurt Anymore
“This was the last song we wrote for the album, about a week before recording. John says it’s his finest moment in songwriting. Emotionally it reminds me of Brian Deck, who produced our first album, and his band Red Red Meat. I know John said something like ‘Write more descriptive lyrics, they remind me of Sparklehorse’. Now we have the chorus you are hearing.”
Wild One
“I did love a wild one. I loved Nikki from Those Darlins, who wrote a song called Wild One and this is my tribute to her. She fun, she drive me a crazy.”
I’m Staying
“This song came together so easily I’m having trouble thinking of what to say about it. The boys were jamming, and I was inspired by two characters from a TV series I’d just spent the morning watching. I love how Ritchie was plays the drum part with a Maraca, cos it blurs the lines of the beat, which adds a sense of tired romance.”
Friends With Scum
“Just an angry day in the band room turned into a fun, thrashy day in the band room thanks to this song.”
What’s Wrong With You
“We wrote this at the same time as I’m Staying. This was really fun to record. Owen set me up with a good microphone and I got to let all the drama flow out.”
I Wish I Was Alone
“This is probably the only song I’ve ever directly written about John and my relationship. We were in the band room one day having a blow up and I jumped on the drums and started singing this song at him while crying! Ha! It ended up turing out so happy.”
Back To Back
“This is a song of regret, trying to work our who’s wrong in a fight, or if there really is a ‘wrong’ at all. Sometimes both parties have added so much to the mess that there’s no point in even trying to figure out who’s to blame. That’s what I think of with this song. There’s an anger and vulnerability to it…a taking responsibility but also a vow of retribution. The way drums and guitars swell at the end… just seemed like the perfect song to end the record on.”
Dream Team is out now via Death Valley/ Create Control
