The Sundance Kids are a band on the brink, earning rave reviews for their shows with End of Fashion and Evermore and preparing to release their debut album Fall Into Place in August. Bass guitarist Jeremy Wright took some time out from the tour to chat to me about the band’s wild ride.
You’re on the road with End of Fashion and Evermore at the moment. Are you excited about the shows?
Yeah, definitely. These are two amazing bands and we’re excited to share the stage with them every night! We’ve been cooped up in the rehearsal studio for months so we’re excited to be getting out and on the road!
What can music fans expect from your set?
We put a lot of ourselves into our performance. It’s pretty dynamic. Our main aim is to connect with people. And a little bit of crowd participation.
How do you win over people who may have come to your shows to see the other bands on the bill?
We like to hang out after shows and meet as many people as we can. So make sure you come and say hi!
This tour is massive. Where are you looking forward to visiting?
This week we’re looking forward to visiting the Big Pineapple. Actually, we’re keen to be anywhere that’s not flooded! The last two days of driving have been hectic, dodging flooded roads, missing bridges and fallen trees. But that just shows our dedication to the rock and roll cause!
How do you keep yourself sane on those big road trips?
Life on the road may sound crazy and stressful, but it’s actually kind of relaxing sitting in a van, doing nothing! As long as you remind yourself of that, you stay sane. Watching DVDs, various digital versions of soccer, reading, listening to music, writing songs, eating bad take away food, and taking the occasional deliberate wrong turn.
What do you love most about performing live?
Music for us is a personal expression of our emotion. So performing it live in front of a crowd is our means to convey it. Putting all the philosophical stuff aside, nothing beats playing loud music for a room of people who love it!
You’ve drawn comparisons to British artists like Keane and Coldplay. How would you describe your sound?
It’s so flattering to get comparisons like that. Those are two amazing bands. I guess they might be helpful reference points for our sound. We aim to write songs that you can sing along to easily and at the same time have depth and meaning.
Your debut album Fall Into Place is due for release in August. What can you tell me about the album?
Fall Into Place is an album we’re really proud of. It was an ambitious project. We’ve got string ensembles and choirs and stuff, but everything we tried just “fell into place” so it’s very satisfying. We think you’ll like it. Ash [Gale] likes to think it’s an album that you can listen to while sleeping or driving. But preferably not both at the same time.
What artists are you listening to at the moment?
Bat For Lashes is amazing, old Ryan Adams albums, Doves, the Tallest Man On Earth, anything that pops up on the iPod.
Do you have a message for all your fans?
We will see you soon!
Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia