“It’s a completely different world now” Jebediah make long-awaited return with their sixth studio album OIKS
More than a decade after their last studio album, Perth rockers Jebediah have made their a long-awaited return with their sixth full-length LP, OIKS, out Friday, April 12. To celebrate the release, Jebediah have today announced a massive 22-date national album tour, hitting Freo.Social on Friday, July 12, and The Carine on Saturday, July 13, with special support from Magic Dirt and tickets on sale now. ALEIGHSHA GLEW caught up with vocalist-guitarist Kevin Mitchell to find out the story behind the record and what fans can look forward to when they bring it to the stage.
Congratulations on the release of your new album, OIKS! Given that it’s your first album in 13 years, how do you feel about getting it out there into the world?
I am relieved that it’s finally seen the light of day. We started making this record in 2018, so it’s been a labour of love. For a good two years, between 2020 and 2022, we couldn’t do anything at all because of COVID. Brett, the drummer, and my brother and I live in Victoria, so for a couple of years, we barely saw each other.
We couldn’t get into WA to keep recording, so coming out of COVID, we had to sort of pick up where we left off, and it was difficult. It was a real challenge just finishing it off, so I’m relieved and a little bewildered that it’s even happened.
What was it like collaborating with Vanessa and Chris to get their parts included in the recording and writing of the album?
We made the record the same way that we made all the other records. I guess the main thing that changed was the fact that we went into the studio with nothing and just decided we were going to write, you know, on the spot in the studio. That is the defining feature of this record from a creative point of view.
You have had a couple of reissues of albums for 20-year anniversaries. In terms of the release of this album, how does it compare to your last release 13 years ago?
Yeah, the last studio album was in 2011. I mean, the whole world has changed since then. It’s a very different place. Ten years makes a huge difference, especially as technology is accelerating everything so much.
When we did our last studio album, I don’t know if social media existed, or if it did, it was still very much in its infancy. There was no TikTok or Instagram. I sound very old saying this, but the musical landscape is completely different now. Very few people are buying records. There are no Australian records that are being sold or making the ARIA charts. When we played our last record, it wasn’t like that.
I suppose for a band like us, a big part of our audience has been with us for a very, very long time. I think people will come and see us play or buy our records, regardless of whether they’re being played on the radio or not. We’re very grateful for those who have been following us for a long time.
It’s hard for a band of our age. We’re all middle-aged now, and we live in a world where we’re in the music industry, where you’re just required to make content constantly and put everything up on social media. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. I don’t think that’ll be something that I’ll ever be particularly good at because it just hasn’t been a part of my life. My kids will be different because they’ve grown up with it. It’s a completely different world now than it was 10 years ago.
I saw that you were working with the filmmaker Aaron Cook on a feature documentary on Jebediah’s history. What’s that been like?
He’s been following us around for almost 10 years now. He’s also been collecting so much footage from our archives, and it’s quite extraordinary what he’s uncovered. I don’t know when that’s going to see the light of day. I don’t think it’s going to be this year. It’ll probably be next year, by the looks of it.
I don’t know what to expect, to be honest. It’s his baby, and we’ve sort of given ourselves to the project and given him full access. I have to say I’m a little bit nervous about watching it. There’s going to be a lot of very uncomfortable moments.
We didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. We didn’t think it through. Aaron started filming us for our anniversary stuff in 2015, and then he said, “Can I just keep filming more stuff and make a documentary?” By that stage, we were used to having him around; we agreed without thinking.
It was only really recently that it got to the point where it’s like, okay, I think it’s finished, where it suddenly dawned on all of us that this is going to be a real thing; it’s going to be a documentary on us, and it’s going to share all this private, intimate stuff.
I hear that you’ll be going on tour sometime this year. Do you know when and where the tour will be?
We’re going on tour all around Australia with good mates, Magic Dirt. We’re going to Tassie, up to North Queensland, WA, and, of course, all across the east coast. I think we’re getting up to Darwin. It’s an extensive tour and the first one that we’ve done of this nature since before COVID.
I think it’s starting in July and goes right through to September.
Where can fans go to purchase or stream your album?
Well, I would imagine most people would know more about this stuff than I would, but obviously, it’s on all streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify. There’s vinyl, so you could walk into a record store or buy a copy like in the old days.
Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but I still always find myself wanting to have that physical copy in my hand.
Yes, me too. I feel like these days vinyl has taken over from CD as being that physical copy of. People are listening to digital music so much now and streaming music so much now, but when you’ve got a record that you love, I think you purchase it, but you might not even play it.
Vinyl seems to be taking over from CDs and is a bit more expensive than CDs, so CDs are still good for those who are budget-conscious. In this cost of living crisis, we must remember to provide products for people of all budgets.