Blowers

 

Blowers

I first saw Blowers a few years back at a gig I was co promoting. They were the stand out band of the day. An all star line up featuring members of bands such as Kit Convict and the Terrible Two, Plastic Section, Motel Love, and Juliette Seizure. Straight up rough as guts punk with lots of humour in it. No polish and smoothness, just rough as it is, and the tunes are all the better for it. The bands debut LP is straight up one take, if we mess up fuck it, move on rock n roll, in the spirt of Memphis icons such as the Oblivions and Jay Reatard. Singer/songwriter Kit joined me on the phone for a natter. 

Munster: a few years back me and Mickster from Off the Hip put on a gig at the old bar called Born out of Times, and Mick had you guys on first, was that one of your first gigs?

Kit: God I can’t even remember to be honest. We did a few gigs in 2019, then lockdown hit. We came out of that, and we felt like a new band to be honest. We were just coming out at the end of 2019, doing a bunch of supports. We played with Stiff Richards, the Cavemen, and Sore Points from Canada. So we had a bunch of momentum, and then all this shit happened. We didn’t play a gig in 2020, we’re pretty much the laziest band in Melbourne (laughs). We’re like yeah we’ll book something. I think we booked a gig and that was for the weekend after lockdown. So we were stuck with our hands tied.

Munster: i must admit I didn’t know who you guys were at the time but was excited when yous took the stage as I knew you from Kit Convict, Andy I knew from Motel Love and Cakefight, and Pip I’ve seen in too many band to name.

Kit: and there’s also Shannon from Juliette Seizure. Pretty much we’ve all been mates for years and seen each other’s bands. I had a few songs come together towards the end of Kit Convict, that weren’t’ really for Kit Convict, more in the style of the Reatards. I was really driven to do something different, turn on its head and do a real punk band. It was born out of conversations with the four of us. Like wouldn’t it be great to do a band where we can blast it out, and do a piss take at the same time, just a bit of fun. And so that’s where the sound comes out, we really don’t give a fuck, our lyrics show that, and the sound of the record, we leave a lot to be desired. We just wanted to put some shit out. And what makes this band enjoyable is we had no aspirations and I think that’s why its come off so well. Some bands try and perfect a sound but we went the opposite way (laughs). I think for all of us its fun when there’s no pressure. The next gig is a whatever, like hey you wanna do this or not? It’s a different way to do it. We’ve all been in bands where there’s been some kind of pressure on us, and I think that’s the reason why we’re still walking around together. We’re all in the same boat so let’s have some fun and play some punk.

Munster: you mention you have that Reatards low fi sound down pat, and I like that style but for that’ style to work the songs need to stand out, and you guys have the songs and style to pull that off

Kit: yeah, Loki at Spooky, he said that to me a few times, that’s the reason people like that stuff. Low fi sound is good but you need the songs, of course you need the songs. Specking as the main songwriter I’m not gonna be the one to say yes we have the songs but for someone like Loki to say that is a massive complement. At first I thought people just like the sound, but if people like the songs and feel there’s a hook to it then that’s great. Maybe it’s a cross over into pop punk or whatever. I guess at the end of the day if you listen to a song and it gets stuck in your head, not a bad thing.

Munster: my favourite songs are the funny ones, such as I’m too old for this shit.

Kit: yeah it’s pretty relatable isn’t it? I just had a kid when I wrote that song. It is a bit like I can’t be fucked with the bullshit (laughs). It’s a line that we all say and a bit of a waste of a man, as well as the in joke, this is my autobiographical song. You can take those lyrics and have some fun. Again goes back to not giving a shit and the lyrics reflect that.

Munster: how did you guys become involved with Loki and Spooky Records?

Kit: Pip has a long standing relationship with Loki. We also had been picked up by Chaputa in Portugal. I sent the LP to a few labels that I like over in the states. We actually had some interest, but it was kind of a timing thing, of which label could get the ball rolling. Basically Pip was speaking to Loki and he mentioned we’re working with this label in Portugal, Loki asked if he could hear it, and jumped on it.  This was like dead in the middle of lockdown and this band is more active than ever. So its funny how it all came together, we had a bunch of rough recordings with no thought of an LP, so we recorded on a zoom recorder and our phones. I have a four track in my garage so I used that for overdubs, just to see if it came out alright. I guess it did. I’d like to think the Memphis scene does that, bands like the Reatards, and it’s good to stick with that. I see stuff that bands record in studios and I think you poor arseholes, that sounds shit. When they say let’s do it again, we’re a band that only does one take. If its shit, so be it that’s the take.

Muster: I take it recording was pretty laze fare?

Kit: absolutely, there was definitely more than one track that was one take only, then move on to the next. Someone would say I got this riff, I say ok, and I put some lyrics over it and then they just happen to have a ring to it. So there were a few songs on this LP, that when we came out of lockdown we had to work out how to play the songs again (laughs)

Munster: was it a case of I got a riff, I got some words, lets figure out the rest when the bands all together?

Kit: we did it on a Zoom recorder, that was invented before the zoom call, kind of what a lawyer would use to talk into. We would plug it into the rehearsal room we were using into the little portal sound board and recoded off the live mics. Just over dub the vocals when we needed and that was it.

Munster: as we’ve mentioned you guys had a bit of momentum going then lockdown hit, you’ve said you guys are lazy, but how frustrating has that been?

Kit: you know I think it’s a bit take what you can get. I think of it more like we wouldn’t have been picked up had lockdown not happened, you know labels must have been desperate if they picked us up (laughs).I guess that’s a bit self-deprecating. Music in a way is going back to punk a lot. If you listen to Chaputa there’s a lot of garage on that label and we’re one of the more punk bands on that label. People right now want to grab the anger and we have that in spades. And I think it’s an easy pick when its something old school you can relate to. Every band has its right time and place, we’ve captured it and picked up a lot of radio play and reviews and it’s a really nice feel. I don’t know what it means for us in terms of a  band, but for all of us who have played in bands for years and years, it’s a good feeling and I’m enjoying it.

Munster: well that’s what rock n roll should be, having fun, and everything else second?

Kit: I think so, and it almost feels like Jesus why I didn’t do this with every other band, having no expectation. When you’re seeing a band you can tell if it’s a real thing or a put on, if it’s too showy, and that’s not us. As soon as we start trying to do something we’re not, this band will be done. And that’s what I like about it, if it’s not fun, and we’re not having a good time, fuck it, its over. You know if it feels like business we’ll walk away. This band is all, blow it out the other end you know (laughs). Hence the name. Honestly the name was kind of a piss take, sometimes when you say it it’s like its ok we got a female drummer. (Laughs). I don’t want to offend anyone. And she happens to be an awesome drummer who helps all the songs. When bands say it’s 25-25-25-25% split, it really is here. It’s like everyone’s opinions is counted, let’s take this ride and see what happens

Munster: some songs go for a minute and a half, some go for three and a half minutes, is it a case of keep going til you feel that’s enough?

Kit: pretty much again we’re lazy. If it needs a solo, fine, maybe that makes the song seem louder. Because a lot of these songs have only been played once or twice there wasn’t that much thinking. I think that reflects some of the songs. We even have a 10 second exert on the record and we put it on there as we thought it sounds equally as shit as everything else, I think that works (laughs)

Munster: We’ve mentioned the Reatards several times, one of my all time favourite bands and Jay is a hero of mine, what impact did he have on you?

Kit: I love the Reatards, love that old school sound. To be honest I probably got into them more after this LP was recorded. People kept comparing us to the Reatards so I went back to that. One of my early bands, someone said we sound like the Saints, and again after we broke up I really got into the Saints (laughs). I’ve always loved the Memphis scene, I went to Goner Fest and played there with Kit Convict. Those two Reatards LPs in my opinion are two of the best punk records ever. You can really lose the edge when you spend too much time on production, its good to not spend too much time on that and get into it. I feel the Reatards were very much about that. Also bands like the Gories, they recorded very minimally, and Dead Moon as well. That whole we’ll do it ourselves it will be fine attitude suits me. If we ever overly thought about it or have over the top production it wouldn’t be us.

Munster: is your other band Kit Convict still a thing?

Kit: nah I’d say that’s dead in the water, it ran its course. And also my song writing has tilted more towards punk. I don’t know if it’s an age thing getting older and angrier, but that’s where I ended up. Blowers for me is the only music I’m thinking of right now, will see what happens.

Munster: as a rock n roll dad, what pisses you off enough that you feel the need to write a song about that issue?

Kit: I have no idea where these songs come from. I think the humour, like I have no time for people’s bullshit. When I got out, I want a beer, I want to see a show, and go home. These songs come from some anger boiling inside, that said I’ve never been a personal songwriter, I’d rather spit out a good line and see what comes from it. Take the piss, make everyone laugh, that’s what we’re about.