Melbourne-based four-piece band Primo! are Xanthe Waite, Violetta DelConte Race, Suzanne Walker and Amy Hill. As a quartet writing up-tempo, terse chorus and verse, Primo! make use of two guitars, bass, drums, sound effects and a group vocal sensibility to ornament their enquiries into deconstructed punk and indie rock. Their songs chime and charm, sounding at times bountiful, at others brittle, always buoyant with attention to detail.
See our exclusive interview with them below
Looking back, what were some of your earliest entries into music appreciation? And music production?
I remember using Garageband and thinking it was incredibly sophisticated….still using Garageband!
Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?
One of us will usually bring in an idea to start with, whether it’s a whole song or a riff, and we will collectively work on it in the rehearsal space. Everyone writes their own parts for what they want to play in any given song, and we have a lot of fun trying out different ideas before we arrive at a complete song.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
Reading, going to gigs, listening to music, conversations and prosecco.
As a musician, it becomes apparent that there is a huge difference between the art and the business. Is there anything about the music scene that you would personally change?
The music scene in Melbourne is pretty amazing and supportive. We have also been lucky enough to work with awesome labels who encourage us to do our thing – Upset the Rhythm and Anti Fade Records. If I was to change anything it would be aspects of the business side of things. From our experience working with people who share the same approach as you and are friends are important, focus on art!
Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?
All these elements are enjoyable in their own way, but the most fun part is making the music and coming up with ideas while getting to hang out too. We also have enjoyed the creative possibilities of recording and experimenting with sound e.g. dropping beans into a bowl, Velcro, a spray can and much more, which we may have included in our recordings…
What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?
We played a show in Krakow that was memorable all round. We were put up in a haunted apartment. We performed to an extremely polite audience who made not a peep throughout the whole gig and then in a very civilised manner, all clapped in unison at the end. Tres medieval. After the show, someone from the audience very nicely asked Suzanne if they could keep her drumsticks, she handed them over – even though they were her only pair on tour.
What’s on your current playlist?
We have been listening to… the new Eddy Current Suppression Ring record, Philip Cohran and some other jazz records, a lot of country music. The Primo Sogni test presses have been on rotation as well 🙂 TV playlist: been watching the Ken Burns doco from last year on Country music – recommended.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you in the near future?
Our second album “Sogni” will be released April 17th through Upset the Rhythm (UK) and Anti Fade Records (Australia)
Famous last words?
We’re not dead yet
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