The High Learys launch their new single, Clear My Mind, this Friday, October 3, at The Bakery with help from Custom Royal and Thee Gold Blooms. BOB GORDON checks in with vocalist/bassist, Jamie Turner.
The High Learys have just released a new single, Clear My Mind, their first recorded outing since 2013’s Here Come The High Learys album.
“It took our sound in a slightly different direction to Here Come the High Learys,” says vocalist/bassist, Jamie Turner, of the new single. “We experimented a lot more with different sounds and techniques when in the studio recording it in April. It was a great atmosphere during the two weeks it took to complete, the collaboration between us when writing the song was brilliant, with everyone having a part in the making, the way it was approached made it so much easier to finish.
“Shortly after we headed to Poons Head Studios in Fremantle to record and master both tracks with producer Rob Grant.
I’m A Fool For You is the b-side of this release, but by definition only. One wonders what thinking goes into choosing the song that ends up as the b-side of a single?
“Even though I’m A Fool For You is more upbeat than the a-side we all felt that Clear My Mind had more commercial potential,” Turner explains. “It’s always hard choosing between the two but for a lot of our favourite artists we enjoy the b-sides just as much as the ‘a’.”
With the release of a new single, comes news that the band are indeed heading towards work on another album.
“We’ll be looking at recording our next album at some point in 2015,” Turner says. “We’ve been working on quite a lot of new material that we’re really excited to record, we can’t wait to get back into the studio.”
The High Learys have strong retro leanings, which can sometimes be confused for mere nostalgia by some. Turner is unfussed.
“I guess we don’t mind if people think either way,” he says. “A lot of reviews that are written about us mention that we are bringing back the sounds of the ’60s, which isn’t hard to miss, as a lot of our main influences are artists from that time.”
Even so, many of the band’s stated influences go back to the American source, rather than the bands they’d often be compared to.
“America has some amazing music history that we as a band love,” Turner says. “Everything from the early delta blues players and the Harlem jazz scene in the ’30s, all the way to the doo-wop and rock’n’roll of the ’50s and the amount of amazing artists that emerged in the ’60s as well. We also take a massive influence from artists out of the UK around the same time and even some great Aussie bands too.”
Once Clear My Mind is launched at The Bakery on Friday, there’s still plenty left to do in 2014 – and onwards – for The High Learys.
“At the end of this year we’ll be heading to Europe to tour through Germany, Spain and the UK,” Turner says. “We’ll be getting home from that in January. From there, we’ll be getting ready to record our next album. Once the album is recorded we’ll be setting out on an Australian tour which we’ve been wanting to do for a while now.”
