The William Street Strikers are on the up with their debut album set to launch soon and an extensive Aussie tour lined up to promote it. I caught up with the band’s lead singer Andrew Matters before the madness begins to talk about the new release, the upcoming tour, and that quirky name.
Your band’s got a really interesting name. How did that come about?
We got our name for a few reasons. Firstly, we just wanted a name that would last the test of time and not date. We also wanted a name that could mean something or nothing, the reason being so we could release a number of albums under its banner and grow artistically without the name impeding that process by meaning something too genre specific. Then we also wanted a name with a bit of grunt and “urban decay cool” to it, which I think the name has. And finally, two of us live on William Street and we thought “OK, we live on William Street, we jam in the shed, so the William Street … ummmnnnn hey strikers!? Yeah , right on! Let’s go with that. I’d like to say we’re left wing socialists with an egalitarian ethos championing the rights of the down trodden but not just yet.
How would you describe your music for the uninitiated?
Our music is essentially designed to work in a live setting, to deal with the Australian pub punter who, in our experience, has a short attention span and demands to be entertained. So we are straight to the point without much excess. We road test our songs in this arena and if we go out and play a song and people jump up and down and clap then it makes the cut.
You’ve just finished recording your debut album. What can you tell me about it?
Our album has been a watershed moment for us. We have been working towards it for three years, and with hindsight it seems like in logical steps but in reality it came about because of someone else’s faith in us and their willingness to fund it. Having not to worry about financing it ourselves allowed us to really focus on the art of making music, as trite as that sounds it is a truism I think, to just worry about the essence of what music is all about.
You released two EPs before this, so how did it feel to finally get to work on an album?
After two EPs it is great to be able to really stretch out and do a full length album and it really allowed us to show the full spectrum of what we do.
How do you feel you’ve grown as a band since those early recordings?
I think as a band we’ve grown immensely since our early recordings, both in a live setting and in the studio. I think this is basically due to experience and the natural chemistry that comes from time playing together.
What’s life like on the William Street Strikers tour bus?
The tour bus for us is both heaven and hell. Anybody who spends a prolonged period of time in a confined space with four egos is bound to experience the gamut of humanity. The general consensus amongst us is that we all tend to like the scenery, the greasy petrol station food and the feeling of being on holiday and having no responsibility. We get on pretty well so if we do get pissed at each other it doesn’t last long and we deal with it.
Time in the studio and time on the radio are the two sides of the music industry. Do you have a favourite part of the creative process?
I believe you’ve just made a music video too. What was it like to work with another creative medium and get in front of the cameras?
Making a video was a really difficult and challenging process for us. We did one and sent it to our manager and he went, ” That’s sooooo crap, start again” and I was like “OK, that’s what you’re supposed to do, stop us making fools of ourselves.” So we went back to the drawing board and did a better job on the next one. I have to say, it’s not a medium I’m comfortable with, and to see my head on a massive screen on Rage made me cry out ” Sepia tone it, make it grainier, jeebus cripes why did I let this through.” I mean it’s one thing to see it on a computer screen. Next time I’m going to have a “no close up rule.”
What else is on the horizon for the band?
For us now we are about to begin a long slog of gigging all over the place, really getting out and playing all over the country, small towns, the cities and everywhere in between. We don’t think that there really is a better way to connect with people and promote our band and album than to let people see it live. So we’ll pick the singles, make another clip and then just get right in to it with our normal workman like manner. We can’t wait.
The William Street Strikers will play the following shows next month with many more to be announced.
17 June 2011 – The Metro, Adelaide
16 July 2011 – The Jetty Bar, Glenelg
24 September 2011 – The Exeter Hotel, Adelaide
Image used with permission from Andrew Matters
I saw this band support Trial Kennedy and was glad that I dragged my ass down early because I dont usually worry about support bands. Great show,good songs good vibe, a real uncontrived straight to the point band.kudos