Davey Craddock & The Spectacles launch a new single this Friday, March 21, at Clancy’s Fremantle with help from David Craft and The Wilds. BOB GORDON walks right in.
Davey Craddock & The Spectacles have been working hard in the studio of late and the time has come to sample some of their graft, in the lead-up to an album release later in the year.
There Will Be Light finds Craddock and co. in a reassuringly soulful mood, via a heartstring-torn reckoning that’ll either make your day or set the sun on a bad one.
“It’s basically a soul song but with Australian subject matter,” Craddock explains. “I think there’s a risk with acts like us that play music inspired by American roots traditions – country, folk, southern soul or whatever – to just ‘play dress ups’ and rehash boring clichés. Being some kind of period-correct museum act doesn’t really interest me at all, so I try and write local or contemporary stuff.
“It’s basically a song about monotony – be that a boring, dead-end job or living somewhere isolated – but finding some kind of release or kicks. The characters in the song are finding their own patch and celebrating it, even the really shit bits. I grew up in the country and a lot of my mates were keen to get out as fast as we could but now that we’re older you kind of reconsider all of that. The characters in the song don’t necessarily want to get out of where they are or what they’re doing, they’re celebrating the good bits.”
Interestingly, the accompanying track, 100 Days, looks out at the world from where we are, given recent events.
“100 Days was written late last year where there seem to be this really divisive and dramatic string of political debates and news events – asylum seeker stuff, environmental policy, same sex marriage, another shark attack in WA, etc.
“It just seemed to be a conflict-filled and tense time. It’s a very abstract song – and isn’t particularly political – but I was trying to communicate that anxious mood.”
When asked what these tracks evoke of the band’s forthcoming album, Craddock is also suitably forthcoming.
“One’s an uplifting soul song and one’s a big ol’ fuzzy racket that I wanted to sound a bit like Grinderman. So, if anything, it shows that the album will be diverse! I like albums that sound like a great jukebox on shuffle but still with a bit of a common thread.”
Craddock’s band has grown, over time, with some amazing musicians. They brought much to the table in a manner that has re-freshened his take on his own music.
“Having such incredible musicians with their own very unique styles in the band is an absolute buzz and has changed the way I write songs completely,” Craddock explains.
“Todd Pickett (Kill Devil Hills) was the first to join and aside from being a ridiculously classy drummer, he brings looseness and energy. I can be a bit of a square/white boy so he brings the rough and readiness. He’s also a great singer. Pete Stone and Todd are an inseparable team – I think while touring Australia with Abbe May they formed a groove umbilical chord – and Pete ‘s also a great sounding board on songwriting.
“Luke Dux (The Floors) has also changed our sound completely – I like the way he’ll play absolutely filthy, fuzz one moment and really beautiful, sweet, country pedal steel the next. It’s kind of disarming. Mo Wilson’s really new to the band and the launch will actually be our first show with him. I’m obsessed with honky-tonk and New Orleans piano – so having a piano and organ player in the band is a dream and seems to really work with a lot of the songs.”
