Le quatuor australien Mitzi a accepté de répondre aux questions de Peace Blind. Si vous ne connaissez pas ce groupe, jetez un oeil à l’un des articles précédents en cliquant ici. La parole est maintenant au batteur du groupe, Cale Suesskow.
What does Mitzi mean for you ?
An opportunity to write music with people I respect and collaborate well with. We want to give listeners something that they can dance to and also spark an emotional reaction. It’s also an opportunity to travel and perform a lot too.
You’ve got eighties sounds going on, what are your influences ?
We are inspired by a lot of American disco and dance punk bands of the seventies and early eighties, bands like Chic, Talking Heads and ESG as well as current acts like Death Cab For Cutie…and how could we forget, LCD Soundsystem. We all draw form our own influences and experiences as musicians, although a fascination with electronic instruments from the 70’s and 80’s seems to be a consistent theme in our music.
I noticed the high quality of the sound of your EP, could you tell us about the recording process and how long it took you before getting the final result ?
We would start off with an idea for a song written on a computer which may include a basic vocal melody or a rhythm. We would rehearse as a band and work at finding a solid arrangement; lyrics and structure then record the live instruments and vocals in the studio. The sound effects and finishing touches could be added later in the home studio. The songs were mixed by Jono Ma (Lost Valentinos) in Ewan Pearsons Berlin studio then sent to Sydney for mastering. This process took a few months.
How and when did Mitzi start ?
Mitzi started in late 2009 from an urge to make live dance music with a real band rather than the typical DJ dance producer set. Dom and Jad had decided to start writing disco tunes anonymously using a woman’s name to disguise their identity (hence the name Mitzi) and soon after called upon Charlie and myself to contribute. Their cover was soon blown but we decided to stick with the name Mitzi.
How do you make music ? What’s your inspiration ?
Summer, winter, girls, the beach, history, good times, bad times, girls.
What kind of equipment do you use in the studio ?
We keep a very organic approach to recording. We record the drums, guitar, bass guitar and keys live (using either a grand piano or Fender Rhodes). We also use a lot of analog synth gear such as the Moog, Phrophet and a Symmonds drum module for those vintage electronic hand claps.
Do you have a rigid set or do you improvise ?
Our live set is fairly rigid in terms of the length of our songs, placement of triggered synths and structure although at the same time, improvised in the way that we can vary the use of dynamics and our use of effects depending on the vibe. It is still very much based on feeling, something only a live band can do.
What can people who haven’t experienced Mitzi live before expect from you ?
Expect to dance! Our live set is a little more banging than the songs off the record. We mix the tracks up with a few electro/disco house numbers that we haven’t recorded. We also incorporate the use of effects to give the set a bit more energy.
What’s next for the band ?
Try and play as many shows as possible and tour the ep. I would love to tour overseas at some stage too. We’ve also started sketching ideas for new songs.
What is the first album you ever purchased ?
Blink 182, Dude Ranch.
One secret ?
I did this interview at my mum’s and she told me I once had a tick on my privates.
Two wishes ?
Don’t go bald; own a nice home in the hills with a studio so I can work.
Three bands you think are crushing it right now ?
The Swiss, they are one of the tightest most powerful bands i’ve ever seen live. Tame Impala and the new Grinderman albums are super cool.
Is there anything you want to say to all your fans out there ?
Thank you, hopefully we will be playing shows for you all soon.
