Rinehearts
Perth Power poppers Rinehearts are back with their latest
release, the excellent LP Full Bloom. Full of amazing pop songs, it is a great
mixed bag of lollies, with a assortment of some loud stuff and some softer more
caring tunes. Produced by Dom Mariani, the recording is top notch, with some of
the most beautiful backing vocals put to tape. Instruments such as keyboard
come and go, and it really is a master collaboration between a great producer
and a band in full flight.
We spoke with Singer songwriter Benny J Ward about the new
record, as well as his solo recording and working with Dom.
Benny: the band I spent most of my 20s in was more power pop/rock
n roll, with a pinch of punk. When they finished up, I wanted to do some faster
stuff. But its also got to do with other people’s tastes as well. If I’m prudently
starting the ideas, maybe they generate from a certain field, but it all comes
together from other people as well. The Rinehearts thing, Mitch who plays bass,
and Russ who plays drums, there into all sorts of different stuff, Mitch is
really into power pop and Russ like everything, he’s really got a broad
spectrum of taste.
Munster: on top of Leeches and Rinehearts you have your solo
stuff, and if you’re going to do a different band/project you don’t want to do
something same same you want to do something different.
Benny: totally. How that came about was Wally from Cheersquad,
who has put out Rinehearts and Leeches, he happened to be in Perth looking
after a band, and he came to my home studio, and I showed him a few things, and
he asked me what are you going to do with all this? So, the solo stuff came
from pure impatience (laughs), not being able to wait for all the other people
I work with to have time to work at a pace I work at, which is pretty fast, and
a little unfair at times on other people. So, I started writing stuff to learn
how to better record and experiment with sounds, and some cool little songs
came out of it. It came from there, I put the first single out five months ago,
I’ve always got lots of ideas, so there coming thick and fast, and it’s a happy
little accident I guess that’s kicking off.
Munster: with what you said before about everyone having their
own personal taste, its very much a collaboration, not here’s the chords and
lyrics, on your way?
Benny: no not at all. and that’s the beauty of doing the solo
thing because you do that for yourself, this is how I hear it and how it is. As
a songwriter, that’s cool, to be able to do, but I don’t think that’s as good,
and enjoyable as that feeling of collaboration. If I come up with an idea,
that’s 40% done, I like to come up with something that’s enough of an idea that
someone understands what you’re trying to get at, without doing their part for
them, and being a song writing dictator. Because I think it’s awesome when you
do that, when you flesh out an idea and then you hear someone else’s idea, and
it becomes a really collaborative thing, that has evolved from everybody’s ideas,
and to have that is very satisfactory, and a cool way to hang out and connect.
Munster: What was it like working with Dom Mariani?
Benny: amazing. It’s been nearly two years now; I think since
we first started talking about working together. Long story short, I’ve known
him for a little while, and obviously been a big fan of his, and really respect
his song writing and playing, and him as a person. When he asked us to work
with him, I’d only worked with one other producer, that was a while ago. I
didn’t have the scope to let the door be open for someone to mould what you’re working
on. Now with a few years under my belt, I thought this is going to be awesome, so
I learned to let my guard down, and not be like I know how it should go, as
that defeats the purpose of the exercise.it was a cool experience, as far as
working with him, it was very through. We had the ideas in demo form. Then I’d
go to his house, we’d have coffee and talk, talk how to reshape, and rebuild,
then we redeemed then he came to our rehearsal space, and pointed the finger at
us individually maybe play less then more on some tracks. then the songs became
ready to record. The biggest thing for me was the harmonies and the extra
guitar parts. Before the record we started as a three piece, in the studios, I
really like the Byrd’s, Teenage Fanclub, and Tom Petty when he does harmony’s
and there really important with this kind of music. So, we really worked on the
2 and 3 part harmonies. It really changed the direction of the band and if not
from him we wouldn’t have allowed to stray to far from what we can achieve live.
We ended up getting another member, Aiden whose joined the band, and before we
had Nicky and Olga from Lonesome Dove, and my wife and Ross’s wife. They filled
in for a while. Because the LP can’t be replicated live as we’re not a three
piece that cool, its just a new thing. Working with Dom allowed all those
things to happen.
Munster: Given his work with the Stems it seemed like working
with you guys was a natural fit.
Benny: I guess as far as the 60s influence of the Stems , and
his knowledge in the area, and the stories he told, just hanging out and the
knowledge and shearing of the ideas we all became friends through that process,
as it was a long process. probably longer than we would have liked but that’s
me being impatient. We had to move studios. The engineer moved premises, so we
had to jump to another studio. Was longer than we would have liked but these
things take shape and can’t force it.
Munster: I like how the keyboard comes and goes and some tracks
there is no keyboard, and the harmonies are amazing, did Dom have a role on how
those arrangements come about?
Benny: yes. It was all done in stages, we muti tracked the instruments
once we had the bones of the songs, without vocals you could hear where parts
needed fleshing out or when an idea you had on a previous song would fit. Once
the vocals went on you found the holes in the songs, as there quite full,
everything serves a purpose. So, we did a lot of 12 sting, and keyboards and piano,
and that was Bob from Dom’s band. Ross had the idea of a kind of trash Velvet
Underground thing, trying to do demos of that, and Dom say we’ll get Bob in and
when we got it back it was so good. all those parts serve a purpose.
Munster: I take it doing power pop like Rinehearts is easier of
voice as opposed to Leeches?
Benny: yeah. I still love doing it, it’s a different beast. That’s
all excitement and urgency, which feels amazing. I have two different parts of
my brain and they need to be working at the same time in different ways. I love
it all, from the soft n sappy poppy stuff to the trash punk stuff. Everything
in between is awesome. There are no rules, and as I get a bit older, I stop giving
a shit about all that stuff.
Munster: I was reading an old interview you did round the time
of Rinehearts first EP, was that true you recorded that EP in Ross’s loungeroom?
Benny: yes, in his house in Roleystone. Our long-time friend
Al, who did our first recordings and a lot of Leeches stuff as well. he has a mobile
recording rig, he came to Ross’s house, we moved some couches around for balling,
did it live and all together, then did the vocals later. That was withing six
months of us being a band and recording where we were at and I’m glad to did
that. I like hearing the progression of a band, the ups and downs, and the
recording quality. This LP is so far removed from that, but it doesn’t mean to
say people are going to like it more. Someone will say I love the garage stuff
more, this suck, others will say I only like the new stuff, its more basic and sonically
pleasing. But that’s cool to let the progression happen.
Munster: Falling Down and Could You Would You, some of the more
slower tracks are the tracks I really enjoyed the most on this record.
Benny: Cool. So obviously a fan of songs and song writing and
all that sort of stuff. I agree, I have my favourites and I don’t, but Falling
Down particularly when I started writing it, I like to think its more like a Crowded
House song. I started writing it on an acoustic guitar, and the melody and
chords are so nice, and everything on top of it is great. Could You Would You, that’s
one of the harder ones to play there’s so many parts to it. for people who
don’t pick songs apart may not pay too much attention but there’s a lot going
on.
Munster: Is Delilah based on a real lady?
Benny: (laughs) No. its fictional, its more about a feeling,
its funny you say that, I’ve been with my wife since I was 18. Maybe it was subliminally
changing the name without knowing it. However my friend owns a bus called Delilah
maybe that’s where the name comes from.
Munster: Is that your wife Nicky on backing vocals on this
record?
Benny: yes, Nicky and Ross’s wife Olga that’s them. That was
pre written but they came in with myself and Dom and we did the backing vocals in
a day. Was good timing we had done a few gigs, they where nice enough to play
live. We had done some decent size gigs and they were kind enough to help us.
They play in a band Lonesome Dove, their busy and logistically with family
stuff and with the two bands it got tricky; hence Aiden join the band, but
that’s them on the record.
Munster: it was announced the other day you’re coming to
Victoria, something crazy live five shows in four days?
Benny: yes
Munster: are you doing
the loop, playing NSW as well?
Benny: not this time. I got a lot of friends in Melbourne, I
lived there for six or seven years. Last time I was in Melbourne was opening
for Even’s 25 anniversary tour which was in 2019. It’s the end of the year, we
have a few things happening, so in the new year we’ll do a more extensive tour
next year. There’s a lot to fit in, and another one came through, Toshi from
Mach Pelican has booked us for a gig, called Rock against Work. So might be six
shows now. Then one when we get back down south, then the LP launch, then see
what happens.
Munster: you mentioned before how everyone’s tastes make up the
sound of the band, but with song writing, is it a group effort or do you do the
lyrics?
Benny: I guess initially that 40% I was talking about, that’s
me, without sounding like a self-centred jerk, and then I won’t take it any
further as they have great ideas. Ross has started writing songs recently. We
wrote a verse and a chorus together. He wrote a lot of the guitar stuff on Full
Bloom. Delilah he’s into weird chords. I learned a lot from him. Mostly me and
Ross would kick it off, but Mitch is great at arranging. I don’t want to be like
this is how the songs goes, that’s why I do the solo stuff. I get the
selfishness out with that.
Munster: Specking of the solo stuff you got another single
coming out, how many have you done with Benny J Ward? Will you do a compilation
of the singles and do it as an LP?
Benny: the new single comes out in two weeks and will be single
number five. Five singles in five months. I was hesitant to do an LP but I will,
but not right now. I think I’m on my way without it knowing it was happening. Friends
of mine from Perth, Matt and Dillion asked if they could help me out live and I
was up for that. Really fun and really garage, a bit like Jon Spencer but more
punk and garage vibe. That’s evolving without me pushing to hard. I have
another five songs to write but I’m getting there.
Full Bloom out now via Cheersquad Records
Rinehearts Victoria tour:
- Oct 26Melbourne, VIC
- Oct 27
- Shootkickers (early show)
- Oct 27Ballarat, VIC
- Oct 28The Gem Bar (afternoon)Collingwood, VIC
- Oct 28Melbourne, VIC
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