INTERVIEW: The Bumblebeez
- Posted on June 24, 2008 10:57 AM
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Interview By Katie Spain
Chris Bumble Bee chats to us about Australia, lawn mowing, throwing cats and the best Bumble Bee song to make love to - if you’re interested of course.
Since they were discovered in 2002 by Aussie radio station Triple J, The Bumblebeez have seen a handful of members come and go, but have come a long way in the process.
What’s your first musical memory?
I guess probably when I first got a guitar when I was about five. I heard music on the radio and I was just playing the guitar and I realised you could turn it up or down.
Tell me about your home town back in Oz, you’re from New South Wales aren’t you?
Yeah, it’s on the south coast. It’s like an hour from Camberra.
I guess you don’t get to go home that much these days? Every time I go out, or look at what’s on during the week, you guys are all over the place in London.
Yeah, we haven’t been back for about two months, which is fine. It’s a small country town so when I go back I don’t think anything has changed.
So what do you think of London and the UK music wise?
Yeah it’s good, I think the thing I most like about London is the ease; you can go to Moscow, or go to Italy, or wherever - you can be everywhere.
You just came back from Russia didn’t you?
Yeah, we went to Russia a few days ago, then we went to Berlin and Stockholm. We do five shows in four days, in four different countries, which is really cool.
It sounds pretty full on, how do you keep yourselves amused? Is there a Bumblebeez tour bus over here?
No not really, I think we’re all pretty easy we just get on with it.
Now Triple J unearthed you guys back in 2002, what has the ride been like since then? Coming from a small country town and eventually ending up over here. What’s that been like?
It’s been a definite rollercoaster I think, from signing to Geffen Records and getting used to being in America, and then getting dumped and going to another record label. So it’s definitely been a rollercoaster of mixed emotions and feelings.
Yeah I also noticed you’ve got a lot of past members, is being a Bumble Bee a tough order?
No, I don’t think it’s been about being tough, I think it’s because we’re more of an art band I guess. It’s not like a rock band that’s just going to sit in a garage and jam songs out. Everyone’s still part of it, it’s not like there’s been any fighting, I guess we just get bigger and bigger. Hopefully in the end we’ll do a fifty piece orchestra or something.
I think that by listening to your album, that’s definitely something that’s reflected in your music. Listening to all the different sounds, it’s like a journey, from a listener’s point of view. Are your parent’s or Grandparent’s fans?
Yeah definitely, our father’s Italian so I guess it’s good to have that European side and they’re all just happy with what we do.
So what’s the best thing about your job?
It’s what I’ve always wanted to do, just to make music and art. I knew from an early age that all I wanted to do was art and music and that’s all I’ve ever really done.
I think you can pick that up in your promo picture, there’s some pretty crazy stuff going on in there. Whose cat was that you were throwing around the place?
That was my cat.
It’s probably not sad to see the back of you. Have you done any crap jobs in your time, before you were able to follow the musical path?
No, I had two jobs, one job was mowing lawns, but one day I walked really far up the back of the garden, left the lawnmower on and went to sleep. So I got fired the next day. The other job was what I really wanted to be doing, and for some reason, I just told my family that I wanted to be a pirate, but I didn’t get that job so that’s been my only experience.
It definitely sounds like you were meant for the creative path. Of the sixteen tracks on your new album, which one is the best to perform live from your point of view?
Probably Doctor Love, Rio, just ones that people know I think.
For the people out there who are interested, which song do you think is the best one to make love to? Or I guess rampant bumbling is probably a better phrase….
Well, I guess it depends on what kind of love you want to make, if you want to make crazy love, then Crazytime, but if you want it romantic, I guess Mygirl really. Or just play the whole album and keep going…
Yes, then you could find which one works best. Was the album a long time in the making?
It was because we recorded quite a lot and then there were a lot of problems with record labels and things, but when we finally wiped everything clean it was quite quick.
The festival season is coming up, I just got back from Download myself last night, can we expect to see you guys in the festival circuit this year?
No, we’ve just done all of our stuff now, and then we have to go and do America. At this stage I don’t think we’ll be there.
When are you heading to America?
Probably September.
Ok, and what about Australia, will you be focusing more heavily on Europe now?
No, we go back to Australia at the end of the month. I produce stuff as well so I’ve got a few bands back there that I’ve got to do. Then we’ll have a break and then go to the states.
What’s the most memorable gig you’ve been to as an audience member?
I saw the Vines once and they completely smashed the stage up so that was quite memorable, it was two years ago.
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