Ahead of I Am Giant’s Perth show at Amplifier on Thursday, August 7, bassist Paul Matthews speaks with AARON BRYANS about the New Zealand band’s second album, Science & Survival.
With a brutal edge and gripping rock riffs, I Am Giant made a statement with their 2011 debut album, The Horrifying Truth, and have continued the momentum with their sophomore release Science & Survival.
Recorded in France and London, alongside Melbourne mixing and New York mastering, the trio stuck to their guns and once again engaged the producing talent of Australian engineer, Forrester Saville. With bassist, Paul Matthews, incorporating his own production knowledge, the two were able to unite to solidify the LP.
“It was more like an experience of missed opportunity,” Matthews reveals. “We allocated eight weeks in the South of France and Forrester Saville was producing with us and we went overtime so we did another three months back in my studio in London.
“I’ve been producing for a long time but I also had Forrester to bounce ideas off, particularly when I was playing and he gave me a lot of feedback.”
“I’m excited about being able to finish an album that we are so happy with. We feel like we got it right… and it isn’t that easy to get it right. We plugged away and got an album that is a reflection of us.”
The band have been on a professional mission from the beginning to perfect their sound, not only taking in the lessons learnt from their prior bands but also spending endless hours rigorously auditioning over 150 singers and 120 guitarists to finalise the sound they were searching for.
“Really we just looked for a singer,” Matthews explains. “We just wanted someone whose voice we thought worked with the music we wanted to make, but we spent ages looking for a singer; over a year with 150 guys.”
With only two albums under their belt, the potential of the New Zealand natives seems endless, given the incredible rise of late by Kiwi artists on the international stage.
“There’s no denying the growth,” Matthews says. “It’s been inspired by people who are a lot younger than us, like Lorde. She’s 17 years-old, so she’s younger than most people! Her, The Naked & Famous and The Brutes have been a resurgence for Kiwi artists.”
