Music is such an integral part of a fashion parade, however so
often its importance in adding flavor to a show is disregarded. For
our 140 Hearts WA Creatives parade we wanted to embrace all aspects
of the WA arts arena and in another exclusive, are excited to
announce that two of Perth's most experienced bands will be
launching their as-yet-un-released tracks at the show.
Our live DJ, Will Slade of Triple J's unearthed band, Bastian's
Happy Flight will play tracks by The Witches and End of Fashion off
their upcoming new albums along with other WA artists including The
Voltaire Twins, Sugar Army and The Canyons.
THE WITCHES
The Witches are a new ensemble composed of two members from one
of Perth's popular pop/rock acts, the Panda Band, their new track
will launch at the event and will mark the official debut of their
sure-to-be a hit single, 'I Thought I Saw A Ghost,' from their
upcoming self titled album. 140 sat down with lead vocalist, Chris
Callan for an exclusive interview on their involvement with the 140
Hearts WA Creatives fashion parade.
Name: Chris Callan
Band Name: The Witches
Band Members: Christopher Callan, Scott Howard,
Jon Fernandes, Karl Hiller
Hometown: Perth
Established: March 2011
Sounds Like: Modest Mouse meets Twin Peaks,
Crowded House on steroids.
Influences: Super Furry Animals, Pink Floyd,
Steely Dan.
Q&A
with The Witches
140: Are you excited to be launching your
as-yet-un-released track 'I
Thought I Saw A Ghost' at the 140 Hearts WA Creatives
Fashion Parade as
part of Perth Fashion Festival?
We are stoked, it is always great when the arts combine to make
something special together. When you make music you never really
know where its going to end up unless you are writing the theme
song to a James Bond film…then you know it is going to end up on
James bond film. To start off on the catwalk is a great start for
The Witches.
140: What was the inspiration behind the
song?
Ha, it is lyrically a very simple song, everyone has had a
moment in their life where they have caught their shadow and
thought it was a ghost. My moment was running late one night by
myself, it is amazing how fast you can run when you think some
scary assed ghost is on your tail.
140: How did you come up with the band name, The
Witches?
We were all sitting around coming up with ideas and someone
suggested The Witches, everyone said no so we thought it would be a
good idea. Bad publicity is good publicity so bad band name is a
good band name right?
140: Did you realise when creating the song that it
would work well for the
runway?
Considering I was running when I came up with the idea I will
have to say no, 140 better be hooking the models up with some
running shoes and the catwalk will want to be at least 4ks.
140: What do the other band members think of this
experience?
Everyone is really excited to be launching the song in a way
that is different to what we are used to, we are used to seeing
each other bobbing along to the song in the rehearsal room, I think
watching the models bobbing along to it on the catwalk will be a
much prettier site.
140: What is the name of your upcoming album and when is
it due for
release?
It will be a self titled release 'The Witches'. We plan to have
it out in the summer time next year.
140: Tell me a few of your favourite
things…
Running, hacking into peoples face book accounts and commenting
on their friends photos, hanging out on the stoop and eating Thai
food.
140: Do you like fashion? What does fashion mean to
you?
I do like fashion, I think it identifies who you are and how you
like to be seen. I find it funny how the people that say they are
not into fashion are usually putting so much effort into not being
fashionable that they stand out more than the people who are.
140: You are also in The Panda Band, what was it like
being styled by
140's Stylist Marcia Ball for your Spill music video also
due for release
soon?
It was an interesting experience, Marcia is very imaginative,
she can see what will work for you from just a picture, we got in a
bit of trouble for some things that were a big no no in the
industry, I remember wearing white socks with black jeans and she
pulled out these skin colored socks from her handbag to cover up my
mistake, it kinda scared me for what other back up plans she had
hidden in that handbag.
140: The 140 fashion parade is named '140 Hearts WA
Creatives', how is
this music collaboration with the show supporting The
Witches?
It's obviously exposing our music to a whole new scene, it's
interesting how hard it is to be a band in this day and age, it is
these collaborations that give a breath of fresh air to what is a
very hard career path. I think the future of music will be more of
these sorts of collaborations.
140: What do you love most about the WA music
industry?
The WA music industry has always been so strong, we are
recognized all around the country for having some of the best bands
in Australia, with that sort of competition as a WA musician it is
no wonder why we keep creating such amazing bands.
END OF FASHION
End of Fashion are an incredibly popular WA band who's music has
gained fans world wide and brought fame and accolades to its
members for their catchy tunes and top 40 successes. They have
received rave reviews over the years from some of the music
industries toughest critics and will go down in WA music history
for breaking into the mainstream with songs, 'O Yeah' and 'The
Game'. 140 was lucky enough to catch up with lead singer, guitarist
and (to many who will admit it) heartthrob extraordinaire, Justin
Burford from End of Fashion.
Name: Justin Burford
Band Name: End of Fashion
Band Members: Justin Burford,
Rodney Aravena, Simon Fasolo
Hometown: Perth
Established: Early naughties, roughly
Sounds Like: Our influences
Influences: Anything that grabs our attention
Q&A with End of
Fashion
140: End of Fashion are such an established WA band, why
did you agree to let us use your un-released song 'Legs Grow
Long?'
The band has taken a fresh direction on this upcoming record and
we feel an event like 140 is a perfect forum to showcase this new
sound. It's always really exciting for us to align ourselves with
these kinds of cultural events. Perth has a rich creative
atmosphere with so many talented people in a wide variety of
fields, so naturally we are always enthusiastic to get involved in
celebrating and participating in anything that enriches or expands
the arts community. The pleasure is all ours.
140: When can fans expect to get their hands on the upcoming album
'Holiday Trip of A Lifetime?'
We've been working hard on this record for over two years now
getting everything just how we wanted it. It's our first
independent release so it's been a labour of love for us and a
chance to make a statement. We don't have an exact date yet, but
with the artwork and the final touches finally in place, it's
looking like we'll release it really soon. It's a fun summery
record so the aim is to get it out as the weather warms
up.
140: 140 is all about supporting WA Creatives, what do you think
is so great about the WA music industry?
It's no secret Perth has had a flourishing arts scene for many
many years. There's been articles and books and movies all asking
the same question. I think it's just a great place to live and
work. There's a strong sense of community there and people are
happy to bounce ideas off of each other all in the name of creating
stuff that will stand on par nationally and even internationally
while carving out our own sense of identity. The isolation works
for us in that capacity. Perth people are proud of our arts
heritage and because its so small and focused we have a shared
passion and belief in what we do. I think it's the unity that makes
us strong.
140: You have played to thousands of fans at countless festivals
over the years, graced the pages of multiple magazines and
performed on TV shows such as Rove Live, what is it like to be
loved for something you enjoy doing?
It's the greatest thing in the world. Any artist or performer's
dream is to be recognised and acknowledged that what you're putting
out there is ok. I dont think it's about the accolades as much as
it's about being appreciated for sharing what you love doing. We're
blessed for the experiences and opportunities we have had. That's
not to say it isnt hard work and it comes with certain sacrifices
and down sides, but I wouldnt want to do anything else.
140: What are a few of your favourite things…
I tend to love the little things. A good book. A nice meal. The
company of people I love. I've never made it any secret that I'm an
avid film fan with seriously geeky tendencies. I love performing
and I love creating. I'm really enjoying the opportunity I have now
to explore acting [currently working on a musical production in
Melbourne called 'Rock Of Ages'] and that's something I will
definitely continue to pursue. I have a penchant for a good cigar
every now and then. I just love life I guess.
140: Anyone who knows you and the band, knows you have
some serious style Justin, what do you like most about fashion and
how would you describe your style?
The irony of being in a band called 'End of Fashion' while
having something of an interest in fashion has never been lost on
me. It's kind of part of the joke so to speak. Fashion will never
end because the need for people to express themselves will never
end. Fashion is really just an extension of identity. There are
conformists and there are radicals and sometimes they're one and
the same. I dont know if I have a particular style. I'm drawn to
certain looks I guess but for me it's more about moods then trends.
It's just something else to have fun with and explore. I know what
I like and I trust my instincts, for better or worse.
140: We're planning on playing your song to end our fashion show
(pun intended), did you ever think the song could work well for
fashion runway?
First I want to say it's an honour having a song of ours being
chosen to close an event like this. It's pretty cool. Things like
that always spin me out because I remember when I wrote it which
was, like usual, in my bedroom. To think a tune I pen in my bedroom
ends up closing a fashion event tickles me. Funnily enough, I wrote
this song with the hope and intention that it would be used on a
fashion runway. There's a stoic rhythm to the song that made me
think of long legs strutting and all the glitter and fanfare of a
fashion show. It's something Ive always enjoyed as subject matter.
Our last record had a song called 'Exotca' that commented on the
glitterati. It definitely gives me a quiet sense of satisfaction
that 'Legs Grow Long' is being used for one. I can tick that
box.
140: Some of the lyrics of the song include the words 'covered in
style' - How important do you think it is to be covered in
style?
Style, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. It's completely
subjective. I think what that means is being comfortable in your
own skin. It's a means to and end. If you feel like dressing down,
do it. If you feel like being kooky, do it. If you want to feel
sexy or stylish, do it in a way that makes you feel like you. Too
many people use fashion as a form of competition I think. Or
intimidation or manipulation. It should just be about expression.
Finding characters that express different sides of your
personality. People are complex creatures. We shouldnt feel the
pressure to conform unless thats something that feeds our identity.
Do what you like. Develop your own style or follow a trend, it
shouldnt matter as long as it makes you feel good. Confidence is
the ultimate fashion statement.
140: What was the inspiration behind this song?
It's meant to be a kind of coming of age song. I like to write
from the perspective of characters a lot. Imagining a young girl
finding her feet and taking her place in the world. The fashion
world is competitive and can be brutal and harsh which has
parallels to everyday life in a way. I just imagined this girl
growing up feeling like an ugly duckling or a fish out of water and
then blossoming into something beautiful and realising her full
potential. Ive always felt like a bit of a misfit so a lot of my
songs tend to be about overcoming those obstacles and discovering
your true inner strength and beauty. I think I wrote it after
seeing 'The Black Swan' actually. It's not about that film per se
but it had an effect on me. I empathise with these characters I
create because they reflect different sides of myself and hopefully
other people find something in this song, or any of my songs that
they can relate too. I never write anything too literal though.
Ambiguity allows other people to project their own ideas onto the
songs. I just like creating little worlds and give people
impressions rather then tell strict narratives. I have my stories
and characters in these songs but it's far more fun for me to
imagine other people drawing their own conclusions or having their
own interpretations.
140: Our show is titled '140 Hearts WA Creatives,' why
do you think it is important for WA creatives to be heralded for
their efforts?
Perth is a really special place. It's an anomaly really. We are
so isolated yet there is an ever growing sophistication about the
place. Its size and isolation has kind of incubated it's own scene
of creatives who are given freedom to explore ideas largely
unhindered. This should be acknowledged and celebrated. Perth's
sense of identity is growing stronger and stronger every year as is
the quality of product that comes out of it. I think it's only a
matter of time before Perth is recognised as the creative city that
it is. Eventually, I'd like to think it can take it's place next to
the likes of Milan or Montreal or any other smaller but no less
important international creative and cultural hub on the world
stage. All it needs is encouragement, enthusiasm and support.
There's certainly no shortage in talent.
