Melbourne’s Eagle And The Worm are playing this Friday’s Before Last Night thang with Sydney’s We Say Bamboulee and Brisbane’s Ball Park Music. It promises to be a tri-state indie pop love-fest so get on your boat shoes and slide on down to The Gaelic. Before you do that check out the chat we had with Eagle And The Worm’s Jarrad Brown – a man who has fantasies about South American golf courses…

INTERVIEW:

Do any of you have any pre-gig rituals? I spend about 1 hour trying to set up my rig. I have too many leads and stuff happening. I’m trying to scale it down actually. After I do that, I make sure I have the right balance of water, beer and other drinks (according to availability) and take them to the stage. Then I go through some internal brain turmoil asking myself questions like “do you like music?”, “what is this show about?” etc…I don’t pre-plan crowd banter, which makes for a good way to keep everyone on their toes. Then BAM *jazz hands* hit the lights.

What do you personally bring to the sound of your band? I sing and I play guitar. I play the “loosest” parts in the rhythm section…because that’s what I’m good at – the “loose thing”. I’d rather sing well live and ride a tightrope with my guitar playing than the other way round.

In 12 months time, what do you hope to have achieved musically? I hope we have an album out and I hope I’m conducting interviews like these from the deck of a luxury yacht moored off the coast of Costa Rica, sipping on piña coladas and asking my minder to get me a fresh damp towel to drape across my forehead while I whine that the golf courses in San Salvador are not as enjoyable to play as the courses in Panama…

If you could curate Last Night, who would be your dream line-up? Frank Sinatra, James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, The Band, Dean Martin as host.

The last song you wrote, what is it about? I never really know until they are finished. But lately they have been about outsider type rogues, fringe dwellers.

Recording/Touring – if you had to choose one which would it be? Maybe recording. I like the idea of being a 78 year old dirt bag still busting around the home studio scene. No one tells you what to do when you’re 78 busting around your home studio. No one.

Which Australian artist/band is setting the standard at the moment? The standard of live music is pretty strong. In Melbourne I can go out any night and see a pretty sweet show for free/under $10…so many good bands and artists out there. It’s always good when you look around. Whenever I make the effort to scope out what other people are doing it’s always exciting.