Interview with Driftwood Drones

When I first heard Driftwood Drones, I eargasmed all over the place, shooting shoegazer ectoplasm everywhere, they really are just that good. The dream pop quintet from Sydney are just about to release their long awaited EP, so I had a chat to lead singer and guitarist Sam Wilkinson.

Me: Sam, thanks for taking time out of your busy work schedule to have a chat.

Sam: You’re welcome Kane; my job is at the bottom of my priorities.

Me: What do you even do when you’re not gazing at your shoes?

Sam: I spend a lot of time with wine and people who inspire and excite me. Then at home late at night I study records and make loops of vocals and guitar noise. That’s the whole myth of the so called shoegaze genre. Most bands lumped into that tag usually spend alot of time looking down because they use a tonne of effects pedals to create lush and obscure guitar noise. People think they’re all bummed out when really they’re tap dancing between foot controlled sound effects to create the wall.

 Me: I saw a tap dancing bear on YouTube once; do you think he could join the Driftwood Drones?

Sam: I suppose, we could put him in front of lots of pedals and hope he can hit the right ones appropriately. What would we name him? 

Me: If I had a bear I’d name him Pilgor, but that’s just me. You’re pretty hairy though so having two bears in the band could be cause for PETA to get onto you… How’s recording the EP been going?

Sam: Well Rhys our drummer is also well rugged so maybe we could form another band the 3 of us, Pilgor and the Persians. Recording has been an exciting and slow experience. But the time spent on it has helped the songs come out of their shells so it’s been positive mostly, aside from a brief halt due to funding issues. The aim is to launch on the 25th of June.

Me: Good to hear. Is the next step producing a DIG! style documentary with “The Laurels”? You could do little Anton role plays!

Sam: Haha. That’s a crazy idea; I don’t really know those guys. But they seem to be on the forefront of any shoegaze happening in Sydney.

Me: That’s only because one little hipster told another little hipster at Oxford Art Factory that they were good and so on… Not that I’m trash talking or anything. Do you write your songs on acid?

Sam: Not really no, I don’t use psychedelics too often anymore. I had written from LSD experiences before but actually writing is pretty hard for me with a head full of kaleidoscopic junk.

Me: Please don’t go starting a straight edge shoegaze movement on me though, ‘cause I really like you guys.

Sam: Straight edge shoegazers haha. I think we’ll be fine.

Me: How’s your side project “The Fractal Reflection” going?

Sam: Quite well, I plan to release a DIY album later in the year. Hopefully I can find the right girl to do some vocals for me. In the last few weeks I’ve had more material for this project than Driftwood.

Me: If Lady Gaga came to you and offered up her vocals for The Fractal Reflection would you capitalize?

Sam: I’m not sure she’d be able to catch the vibe. But she could help with the rent I’m sure.

Me: You would be paparazzi swamped! When I first heard The Drones I’m pretty sure I fell deeply in love with you. Does that happen often?

Sam: I’d love to say yes, but it’s not often no. I need to meet some of your mates I guess.

Me: As soon as you have one teen girl fall in love with you the rest will follow. Tell me a weird story to do with the band. You know, like something that will go on your DIG! movie.

Sam: What if I object to a dig film?

Me: Then your story will go on untold and float about the ether. Which sort of suits a dream pop band I guess…

Sam: Well… Early on with this band we played a lot of shows locally with a band… Who shall remain unnamed. Anyway they asked us to support them at some faraway place we’d never heard of for 300 bucks so we thought that might cover petrol costs. Anyway we got there and they had cancelled without telling us, it was footy night and we were playing during the match. The night ended in our tambourine player punching some 40 year old footy fan in the face. Who then proceeded to apologise and buy us all a beer.

Me: Haha that’s amazing!

Sam: Yeah it was interesting; we got paid more for playing alone too

Me: I think we just discovered the most positive thing about football! Ok, any shout outs or thank you’s you want to send out so I can let you get back to work?

Sam: I am back at work, I just made 17 lattes; fuck. Horrible. Just thanks to The Prayer Circle, Justin Cetinich relating to recording the EP and the punters keeping this dying music business somehow afloat. Thanks Kane.

Me: Grind that coffee baby, grind that coffee.

Sam: Eeeep. I hope not to do this for much longer. I gotta call Centrelink.

check them out at http://www.myspace.com/driftwooddrones