Perth psych-rockers Sprinter warm up for epic album launch party Jogger Fest

Following the release of their debut self-titled album last week, local four piece Sprinter are warming up for Jogger Fest, a mini festival featuring some of Perth’s best indie-pop, punk, garage, psych and alt-rock bands at Rosemount Hotel on Saturday, December 2. ANTHONY JACKSON caught up with singer/guitarist Jon Stapleton and guitarist Gus McKenzie to talk about the writing and recording marathon and how they reached the finish line.

Congratulations on the release of your cracking debut album just last week. This week, Desert Trooper is my favourite track. How has the reaction been to the album so far?

GUS: We’ve had so many lovely messages and conversations about the album! It’s been really nice to have lots of supportive friends and fans who are as excited about it as we are.

It’s also been really thrilling to hear what everyone’s favourite track or two from the album was. It seems like everyone has a different song or moment that resonates with them, which is really encouraging.

JON: It’s definitely a different feeling to releasing a single or an EP!

You did the DIY thing and recorded the album yourselves between Rosemount’s Four5Nine and your own homes. From what I understand, the beds were laid down in the pub, and then you worked on it from there. Can you tell us about that process?

GUS: We got ourselves together in the room at Four5Nine about four or five separate times and had to completely set up the studio each time. We got pretty quick at it by the end, for sure!

We tried to take as much from those sessions as possible, but the most crucial part was definitely getting the drums finished, so they got the most attention in terms of tones and mic choices at the time.

We took a lot of bass and guitar stuff from those sessions too, but we also allowed ourselves to go back over them and re-record some of it under a bit less time pressure. Adding synths and backing vocals was definitely a highlight for me. We always have the best time with those finishing touches!

JON: All the vocals and overdubs were done in our own studios, as was the mixing. Doing it that way just gave the songs more time to marinate really. A lot of the energy came from the initial live recordings and compiling them together to sculpt a really good performance.

At the same time, though, the freedom to record at home on our own schedule allowed us to add all the icing on top, and we also ended up rewriting and changing a few sections to really bring the best out of the songs.

You have extensive experience in recording and production. How did you apply your knowledge to your own project? Would you have done it any other way?

JON: I wouldn’t say extensive! (laughs) We definitely learned a lot of things along the way. I don’t think we’d really change anything—there were compromises we made, but most were either due to budget or scheduling. I ended up putting my bed up against my wall and turning my room into a full-on studio by the end of the album process. I was lucky enough to be able to stay at my girlfriend’s place during that period. If I had my time again, maybe I would have done that sooner!

GUS: I’ve been a live sound engineer for many years, and it was a new challenge for me to incorporate that experience into the recording process. Lachie and Mads have also spent plenty of time in pro studios over the years and picked up skills from some very talented people.

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What is the Sprinter songwriting process? How do you first come up with an idea and then take it through to completion?

JON: Songs can come in a variety of different ways. Someone will usually bring in a riff, or sometimes a full song. Whichever it is, we usually spend a good amount of time jamming through the tune, allowing different ideas to come forth and trying to work out what the song needs. We try not to be scared of songs changing or being flipped on their heads. A lot of our favourite songs we’ve written completely changed during the writing process!

I’ve heard you all used to play in a few different bands, so how did the Sprinter line-up come about?

JON: I used to play in Wooly Mammoth a couple of years ago, and Madi played in another great band called Dulcie. Sprinter emerged from a friendship between myself, Gus and Madi, and luckily we also got along really well with Madi’s brother, Lachie, who is a really great bassist/guitarist and was the final piece of the puzzle!

The Sprinter sound is very guitar-driven and rooted in psych rock. How would you describe your sound, and what music has influenced the evolution of your style?

GUS: We’ve always loved that guitar-y psych rock stuff, and after spending time in different musical areas over the years, we realised how much fun we were missing out on and embraced the riffage!

We’re massive fans of local legends Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and Pond, as well as international bands like Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Djo, and Osees. Growing up on these bands and all discovering them at formative times led to a lot of shared tonal and musical vocabulary.

The official album launch ‘Jogger Fest’ is at the Rosemount on Saturday, December 2, coming full circle from the album’s initial creation at Four5Nine. Does the Rosemount hold special significance for Sprinter?

GUS: With all of us spending time at uni just down the road from the Rosie, it was our communal space as friends and musicians for a long time.

When the opportunity arose to spend a few days in the venue recording music, we knew it would end up being a bit of a spiritual experience, and it really was. Shoutout to all the Rosie staff who’ve looked after us for so long!

Jogger Fest sounds epic; who else is joining you on the night?

JON: Looking forward to it! We’ve got Late 90s, King Blue, Homebrand, Psychotic Reactions, and Solar Juice on the bill.

How have you been preparing for the launch? Can we expect any special surprises?

JON: We’re just trying to find the time to rehearse amongst crazy end-of-year schedules, really! We’ve been pretty keen to hear a couple more of the sonic palettes we added in the recording process make their way into the live realm. So we’ve got some tricks up our sleeve at the show to make that happen.

What’s next for Sprinter? Any plans for taking the album over east?

JON: We’re really hoping to get over to the east coast for some shows next year! We’d also love to press the album to vinyl. Those are our biggest goals for now, but onwards and upwards, we say!