Elemeno P are a band for all audiences - even those covered in Marmite. Frontman Dave Gibson talks to Laura McQuillan about the group's new album
KEY POINTS:
Elemeno P spent the last half of 2007 in hiding, recording their third album in a self-built home studio.
Singer Dave Gibson says the band's music-making process was completely different this time around, and believes the new record is their best so far.
"Our previous two records, we
had a producer. This record was self-produced. Our previous two records we did in full-on professional recording studios. This one we built a home studio.
"So we had no timeframe, no financial restraints.
"We could just be ourselves."
He says the band went into the studio with no songs, preferring to record them as they were written to capture "what it's like when you're first excited about something. We wanted to capture a more organic, live sounding exciting thing, which I think we did."
The record is one of New Zealand Music Month's biggest releases - a mature step-up from their previous albums, with the first single, Baby Come On, one of their catchiest to date.
Says Gibson: "It's our third album and I felt like we were in a place where we had nothing to prove. I didn't feel we had to write songs that fit into any specific thing or `Elemeno P should sound like this' and `this is what our fans expect'. We just had an attitude like `let's just write songs we wanna write and songs that we're happy with"'.
Gibson says a song like Baby Come On would probably have been considered too happy or upbeat to have been included on the previous album.
"We are what we are and we didn't feel that we had anything to prove so songs like those end up being on the record."
Gibson says Elemeno P's fanbase is diverse and includes everyone from schoolchildren to the middle-aged.
"There are certain bands that will have a gang as their fanbase, like Blindspott with West Aucklanders, but we really are a bit unusual. Our fans tend to be pretty cool, pretty well grounded."
While he's yet to have a run-in with a crazy fan, there have been many crotch-grabbing incidents - and one stagedive which left him covered in Marmite.
"[The crotch-grabbing] has happened quite a bit to be honest. It's unusual, I find it quite weird, I don't know what enjoyment a young lady would get out of it. But all kinds of weird things happen when you get out into the crowd.
"I stagedived one time into a crowd, right on top of two dudes covered completely in Marmite and I was wearing all white, I was wearing white jacket, white pants, white T-shirt.
"It was like, what are the chances? I'm wearing white, I jump into the crowd randomly and hit two guys covered in Marmite."
Despite their standing as one of New Zealand's most popular and well-recognised bands, Gibson says each member has a day job - all creative.
"We all do different things to pamper our incomes from music. Scotty (Pearson) runs a construction company, Justyn (Pilbrow) writes music for ads and Lani (Purkis) does quite a bit of production stuff.
Gibson himself runs band merchandise website closet.co.nz, selling merchandise for about 35 New Zealand bands and musicians including Bic Runga, Brooke Fraser and Scribe.
"So we all do little bits and pieces but they have to be things that are quite organic, that we have control over, where we can do what we want and nip off for a month when we need to."
Along with releasing the new album, Elemeno P are revving up for a nationwide tour and celebrating New Zealand Music Month. "Obviously for us, [Music Month] is good timing because our album's coming out. But I think what it means is a really good opportunity for media to spotlight some really great New Zealand talent."
Gibson says it's good to see the spotlight both on established and upcoming bands, and has his own thoughts about Music Month.
"I don't see a reason why New Zealand Music Month couldn't be pretty similar to the Comedy Festival where you go into town and you know there's all these different venues around, within walking distance.
"There's Shihad playing down there in a little intimate venue tonight, and there's blah blah blah up there and there's Mint Chicks down there.
"If that could happen in all the major centres I think people would be a lot less cynical. The problem is that these events are really hard to pull off and it's going to take somebody, some promoter or booking agent to take it on board and run the event."
But for now he's just concentrating on his own music and urges people to give it a chance.
"The album is really our best work by a mile. You just have to believe me. At least go and just listen to it in the music store. You don't even have to buy it. But just go and have a listen, and hopefully you'll agree with me."
LOWDOWN
Who: Elemeno P
On tour: June 19, Napier, Sideline Bar; June 20, Palmerston North, Bar Mode; June 21, Wellington, San Francisco Bathhouse; June 26, Whangarei, Ballroom Billiards; June 27, Auckland, Powerstation; June 28, Papakura, Stampede; July 3, Whakatane, Whakatane Hotel; July 4, Hamilton, Altitude; July 5, Tauranga, Brewers Bar; July 10, New Plymouth, Govett Brewster Art Gallery; July 11, Christchurch, The Civic; July 12, Dunedin, Sammy's.
On CD: New album Monday May 26