Cogel excited me with the epic sound and visually thrilling video of the single “Felusine,” so I was thrilled to catch up with their drummer Edward Prescott. Read on to see what they had to say about their unique sound, their current launch shows, and that oh so cool clip.
Your music really seems to defy classification. For the uninitiated, how would you describe it?
I think the first part of that question is one of the biggest compliments a band could get. So thanks! It’s great that you feel we’ve got our own thing going on.
I would say our sound uses elements of rock, indie, pop and folk. I know that’s not very specific, but hey, let’s keep it broad!
You’re about to launch your EP Nowhere Near for hometown fans in Sydney [the show happened on November 2]. Are you looking forward to that show?
Of course! Haven’t played the Beresford before and it sounds like they treat bands really well there. It’s a free entry gig and the supports are great. Can’t wait.
You played your first EP launch show in Melbourne a couple of weekends ago. How did that go?
It was sweet. The Ding Dong Lounge is another room none of us had seen or played in before. Our set seemed to be well received.
You’re regulars on the Sydney gig circuit. What’s your favourite local place to play and why?
That’s a tough one. My personal faves are probably The Vanguard, Oxford Art Factory and FBi Social. Great PAs, engineers and vibes in those rooms.
I feel like the Sydney live scene is pretty strong and often gets an unfair rap – there’s a bunch of good smaller venues and pop-up bars that sometimes fly under the radar. And every closure seems to be offset by an opening.
The backyard gig initiatives that have cropped up over the last couple of years are fantastic too. We’ve got friends that run ‘The Gate’ and ‘The Smallest Gig’, which are both doing tremendously well.
I believe a Brisbane launch show is in the works too. When are you expecting to play there?
Hopefully in January. Yet to be confirmed.
I loved “Felusine.” Is it a good indication of what we can look forward to on the rest of the EP?
Thanks! It’s probably the most bombastic track on the EP, but I’d say it’s a good indication of our sound in terms of the dynamic range and the interplay between the violin and the vocal.
Having said that, we always try and approach every song as its own thing. There’s stuff on the EP that’s poppier, there’s stuff that’s vaguely tribal and there’s stuff that’s more atmospheric. Then there’s some stuff that sounds like Psy. Just kidding.
You were pretty creative in funding this EP through Pozible. I see a few people have pledged the amount that will see your guitarist Nick Langley completing their dares. What are some of the wacky stunts we’ll see on YouTube?
He’s only completed one dare so far – which was a ridiculous cover of “Call Me Maybe.”
Some of the other things he has to do are even more absurd. One involves him strapping bacon to his ankles and walking through a dog park. For another, he has to assume the role of Bane and film himself reenacting every scene from The Dark Knight Rises.
Let’s just say we should’ve charged people more for the dares!
The clip for “Felusine” was one of the most interesting I’ve seen all year. How involved were you in that creative process?
Thank you! It was very time consuming and labour intensive, but worth it in the end!
“Felusine” was directed by someone outside the band (the brilliant Tim Gibbs), but we were still very involved. The concept (the whole idea of projecting images onto a statue head) belongs to Nic, our singer. He’s very visual and is always pretty hands-on with our clips. Tim definitely took it to a whole new level though!
Doing interesting videos is really important to us; we feel it is virtually as important as the music. There are so many “band-playing-in-a-room” videos out there that we really don’t feel the need to produce one ourselves!
Where does the name Cogel come from?
Nic’s last name is Cogels, so we just dropped the ‘s’, even though Cogel is very much a band, not a solo project.
We wanted a name that didn’t already have a meaning, associated imagery or any kind of pre-existing connotations attached to it. By that I mean we didn’t want something like Smashing Pumpkins, The Shins or The White Stripes, as much as we love those bands.
We wanted something a bit more abstract and devoid of meaning, like Feist or Gotye. And Cogel fit the bill!
Do you have anything else in the pipeline?
Hopefully we’ll be aiming to get an album out next year. At the very least, it’ll be another EP.
Image source: Cogel website
8 November 2012 – The Great Northern, Byron Bay
INXS are undoubtedly one of Australia’s most enduring rock acts. They have created some of the world’s best pop rock anthems, and they sound just as tight as ever. Yet the parade of lead singers that have fronted the band in recent years has really let them down. Watching newbie Ciaran Gribbin prowl around the stage, I’m still not convinced they’ve got the mix right.
The night predictably took a turn for the better when Matchbox Twenty stepped out on stage. They opened with “Parade,” just as their new album North does, a reminder that they wouldn’t just rest on the hits of the past. However it wasn’t long before those familiar tunes came out to, to rapturous applause.
Matchbox Twenty did a great job of pleasing all their fans, with a set which drew from their entire back catalogue. I was thrilled to see them celebrating not just the singles but other strong album songs like More Than You Think You Are’s hidden track “So Sad So Lonely” and my latest favourite “Our Song.” The delicate “I Will” was gorgeous, and I couldn’t help wiping away tears as they performed “Push,” the first Matchbox song that touched me all those years ago. While I adore Rob Thomas, it was also exciting to see him stepping down from vocal duties for Kyle Cook’s shining moment, “The Way.” INXS returned for the final song, a cover of “Good Times,” an appropriate number considering the smiles on all the musicians’ faces.
This isn’t a night I can write about with any sense of impartiality. Seeing my favourite band is always something so special. I danced until my feet were sore, sang until my voice was hoarse, and marvelled at the magic that always comes when I spend time in the presence of this incredible band. Above all, their set was a set that made me feel. Rob Thomas has a way of making you forget that he’s sung many of these songs for more than a decade. He leaves his heart on the stage. His passion and charisma move you, and he’s only enhanced by his stellar band. And that is why I keep coming back. That is why Matchbox Twenty is my favourite band.
You’re currently on the road promoting your EP Fragile Heart. What can you tell me about it?
I can’t remember another international act gracing the Jazz in the Vines stage, but this British band fit right in. Despite hailing from the United Kingdom, the Dixie Ticklers had a real New Orleans vibe that took us back to the roots of jazz. With so many artists from this festival pushing the boundaries of exactly what jazz is, it was refreshing to see a band representing the genre so purely.
Grace Knight strayed from her pop roots and celebrated the standards featured on more recent releases. Like the fine wines we were consuming from the good folks at Tamburlaine, her voice only gets better with age. Her version of “I’m a Woman” was killer, and my inner child loving hearing her bust out her Eurogliders’ hit “Heaven (Must Be There).”
9 November 2012 – The Castle, Dandenong (All Ages)
You just scored the support slot for The Living End’s Perth shows. How does that feel?