INTERVIEW: Absolute Boys

ABSOLUTE BOYS are a Melbourne three piece who have recently built a name for themselves creating catchy-as-shit bass and drum heavy pop songs. We had a chat with Will from ABSOLUTE BOYS about SUGAR MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL, CAMP A LOW HUM and their boycott against studio recording.

Who are you most looking forward to playing with at SUGAR MOUNTAIN?

J. MAUS. Who else is playing?

tUnE yArDs, SHABAZZ PALACES…

Yep they’re gonna be good. I am actually most excited to see JOHAN MAUS because Russell (a friend) saw MAUS in America and he said he was a bit like, intense. He’s a bit of a nut apparently. I think it’s going to be a bit “performancey”. It’ll be cool to see any of those bands on that big theater stage. It’ll be a bit of a spectacle you know? We’re not on the big stage but it’s cool to see how people deal with being on the big stage.

Where are you guys playing?

We’re playing at a theatre upstairs but that’s cool as well because it’s tiered seating. People are going to be sitting down. It’ll be the more chilled stage. People can come and have a break from standing in the crowd.

You’re also playing another festival this summer – CAMP A LOW HUM in Wellington. What’s that festival all about?

Not announcing who’s playing until you get there. So its like good vibes over specific experiences I think. Just general good vibes.

So it’s not about big names pulling people?

Yeah its about going because its going to be fun rather than weighing up – “that dudes playing is it worth $200 or…” you know what I mean? It’s not turning it in to a bargaining process with your wallet. You’re just going because you wanna have fun.

We’re also playing SUN ARAW supports in Auckland and Wellington as well but we’re going to be using a drum machine because Kino (drummer) can’t come for the shows or the festival. It was cool when we played with the drum machine last time. We played fucked up under-water remixes of ourselves.

Actually, your recording of 'Haze', the new track from your upcoming album, kinda sounds like it’s underwater. Have you been recording this album in the same fashion as 'Haze'?

Haze we recorded ourselves. Dennis (guitarist) recorded drums and bass, when they (Dennis and Kino) recorded guitar I recorded vocals. I recorded some of the vocals on a USB headset – like Madonna vibes. It was tragic. That’s what gives it that breathiness to the vocals. Then I toyed with the vocals and Dennis mixed it all together and Ivan from GHOUL gave it a polish and mastering the other day.

We’re not doing the rest of the record like that. I think that song suited that style because it’s so overly produced. The other tracks are a bit more natural sounding. They’ll still be toyed with, like heaps, but not quite to that extent.

Are you going to be recording the rest in a studio?

Nah, we’re done with studios. They’re too expensive and we don’t like doing takes in front of each other. We’re not concerned with the performance of the take any more. We just want to get it on tape and then fuck with it.

Dennis records his guitar at home then he emails it to me and I put vocals to it. He might just mention in the email “I’m really happy with this one, it took me like 44 takes”. If he was doing 44 takes in a studio I’d be crying! It’s painful to watch people try and perfect their own shit when you don’t care about it. But at the same time, he has to do that to feel good about it and so he can do what he likes because he’s in his own time, he’s at home and we’re not paying for it. We’re not waiting for him to finish his takes to go and get something to eat.

Listen to HAZE

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