"..a (pitch perfect produced) tale of teenage life.."
Collarbones
Aberrant-Adolescent Wi-Fi
Collarbones Bio:
Adelaide's Travis Cook and Sydney's Marcus Whale met on the Internet in 2007. Over the course of several years, and divided by 1150km, they pieced together a sound informed by geographical distance but basking in the warmth of digital proximity: the electronic hum, the LCD glow, the metallic sheen of laptop culture formed the unlikely basis for a sound that embraced its digital origins. This is music made with the Internet as much as music made with drum machines, vocoders and carefully distorted instrumentation. Since the release of Iconography the duo has spent more time (physically) together than usual, supporting and playing with a slew of international and local outfits. Collarbones explored their sound and the dynamics of physical closeness over the past year, supporting Neon Indian and Daedelus and touring with label mates Oscar + Martin as well as Ghoul, Donny Benet and The Paper Scissors. The duo were handpicked to play triple j Unearthed's Parklife slot, the inaugural Sugar Mountain Festival in Melbourne, and FBi's Sydney Sounds Like, all tightly curated affairs. Their live shows and the release of Iconography has seen them nominated for a Sydney Music, Art & Culture (SMAC) Award as well as an AIR Award (Australian Independent Record Labels Association).
Hello, how are you?
Travis: I just ate some imported Cookie Crisp cereal but we were out of milk so that was a disappointment. Life sucks.
Marcus: I just ate some almonds, they're tastier than usual.
What are you currently listening to?
Whats with the band name?
Travis: What's with the blog name?
Touche Travis. ;]
Whom or what are your biggest influences when it comes to sculpting your sound?
Travis: Someone's Darude fan site from 2001. Someone's Molly Ringwald fan site from 2002. Someone's Someone's Marissa Cooper fan site from 2003. Someone's Death Cab for Cutie fan site from 2004.
Marcus: Someone's Collarbones fan site from 2016 that looks like it's from 1998.
Care to tell us a little bit about your latest LP 'Die Young', theme, favorite tracks, etc.? Marcus: We spent a year dredging up teen angst and putting it into songs. It seems more real than our current, drab lives.
Travis: A lot of the album is trying to capture the feeling of being a teenager and everything feeling very amplified, every thing that goes wrong feeling like the end of the world. It's the beginning of a poppier direction for us I would say. "Hypothermia" is probably the track I feel I can relate to the most.
Any plans to tour the US for said release?
Travis: Always. I haven't been since 2010 and Marcus has never been. I for one have a bald eagle draped in an American flag on my mantlepiece.
Got any other projects we should know about?
Travis: Only my life which is an ongoing performance art project. Subscribe to me on YouTube for life coaching.
What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?
Travis: Heathers. If I was a funny guy I might say A Serbian Film.
Marcus: Mean Girls. A Cinderella Story. Freaky Friday.
You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Travis: I'd run into the forest listening to 'Colour Green' by Sibylle Baier and never return. Marcus: It's difficult to tell what I might like in the future but I suppose 'Saturday Night Wrist' by Deftones.
Are you living your dream?
Travis: Yes. Never say never. I've realised I'm stubborn when it comes to only ever doing what I want to do.
Marcus: It's been rather lovely to be able to play shows many weeks of the year.
Thanx Tom, Travis & Marcus!
Collarbones are currently playing a few live shows here and there and (hopefully/probably) prepping their next release...
