After years rocking out on Aussie pub stages, Skarlet Blue have turned a corner. The Melbourne four-piece are showing off a new, more melodic sound with the release of their debut EP Shades of Grey. I recently caught up with the band’s bassist Ryan Di Cecco to chat about the CD, their upcoming Aussie tour, and that brand new sound.
Many people may not have heard of your music yet. How would you describe your sound?
Our new sound combines elements of rock, electro, dance, ambiance and is quite textured. We have explored how we can really exploit having a keyboard in the band and the different effects and sounds it can produce. The goal is to create something a little bit different that is accessible for all listeners that doesn’t overuse the effects or become monotonous. The lyric content is sincere and definitely based on life experiences shared by each member. We have focused on telling a story and dealing with themes that everyone can take something away from.
You’ve just released your debut EP Simple Shades of Grey, yet you’ve been touring for the last three years. Why did this release take so long?
I think it took this long because we hadn’t quite found our sound yet that gelled with us as musicians and songwriters writing comfortably. We needed those three years of touring and life experiences to help shape our sound and assist us in evolving as a not just a band but as human beings. We had some great opportunities along the way and played for some amazing influential industry people, but were always ‘9’ out 10 but never a 10. In hindsight they were exactly right.
You’re going to tour up and down the East Coast to support the EP. What can fans expect from your live set?
The fans can expect good quality music. The songs are not all one pace or one particular style; they range from melodic ballads to electro dance to quirky pop songs. In saying this, each track still maintains the Skarlet Blue essence and sound, while still being uniquely different from each other.
What do you love about playing live?
Playing live is the time we get to actually get to see the audiences’ reaction first hand during particular moments that we have spent time creating. Because everyone is facing you, their expressions tell one million words. If they buy our CD that’s great, but to see first hand people dancing, singing, laughing or intensely listening, is something we really get a buzz out of.
