Melbourne duo Fabulous Diamonds have finally dropped their second LP, aptly titled Fabulous Diamonds II! As they tour the album around the country with a series of album launches, we had a quick chat with one half of the band, Nisa Venerosa.
First of all, congratulations on the new album Fabulous Diamonds II! You launched it in Melbourne on Monday – how did the gig shape up?
Hello. Yes we had our album launch in Melbourne on Saturday night, apart from having to start the show really early (because of venue) and some of my friends missing out, show went really well.
You’re touring the launch party around – you’ll be in Sydney later this week. I trust the show has gotten you excited for the rest of the tour?
Yeah I really like coming to Sydney because I grew up there, so playing is cool but most excited to see friends/family. Really looking forward to Perth and Hobart too.
If my impressions are correct, and do correct me if I’m wrong – in 2007, you released Seven Songs, which was based around your live show. Then in 08 you had your self-titled record? I hope that’s right. In terms of sound and skill, how have things changed for Fabulous Diamonds with the new record?
In 2007 we released our untitled 7 inch, in 2008 our first album, self-titled, and this year our second album Fabulous Diamonds II. Things naturally always change over time, especially considering that I’m a self-taught musician, so I guess over these three releases there may be some subtle changes to my drumming style and technique. I now use more parts of a drum kits than I originally did, so that’s definitely going to produce a different vibe.
Can you talk a bit about the recording process? Does the music for FD start in the live atmosphere and get transformed in the studio – or vice versa?
Our recording process is very straight-forward. We write our songs, then we record them as quickly as with can, spending as little as possible. Recording can be a very expensive/time consuming thing so the more efficiently we can do it the better. And of course with some room for vibes.
You worked with Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring on the new record I understand? Can you talk briefly about working with him?
Mikey is a cool guy, he was a friend of ours and we new he had the gear/knowledge/ goodness to come to my house and record us, and we could afford him, so we got Mikey. It was great, he let us do our thing.
Did his involvement with Fabulous Diamonds come before or after you performed on “Guts” (Brain Children)? What a great song by the way!
Guts was recorded before before our album ( I think?) Max and Mikey asked me to come sing on that song at Mikey’s house, so I did. It was all done in about 2 hours.
With each new album, a band grows stylistically, and often the way a live show is approached changes. Would this be the case for you? And if so, how so?
Yes and no, our albums change in terms of instrumentation, we no longer have a sax, I use more drums, etc but overall I think our albums have a very similar vibe. The songs may be longer on the new album, but it won’t necessarily stay in the long-song direction. In terms of live shows all you can really say is that one becomes more comfortable performing, so maybe that changes? But nothing intentionally.
Following on from your Selftitled record, you toured extensively around the world – where have you found the audiences to be the MOST receptive to your music?
Everywhere is different, people are receptive in different ways, of course Melbourne we get the most people at our shows and in terms of touring, when we go to Perth people seem to really be into it. Europe was cool too, the festival in Belgium seemed to really enjoy us.
Would you consider moving there?
Jarrod and I don’t really have any plans of moving anywhere, but maybe sometime we would like to relocate for a while. I would like to hang out in Portugal for a while. But in terms of bands moving overseas, no point for us, everything we need is here.
You played 26 shows in one month in America – touring with Times New Viking and Psychedelic Horseshit. To most local bands, this sounds like a ridiculous idea! But it’s just how they do things over there isn’t it? How’d you guys hold up?
It was really really fun but so so tiring. We were mostly driving, eating in the car and sleeping on floors. There first week was hard but I actually got used to it quite quickly. I found myself when we played a show in Mexico underneath the table sleeping whist a party was going on around me, it’s amazing where you can sleep when you’re super tired.
This may introduce the next question – who has been LEAST receptive to your music?
I guess we don’t really put ourselves in situations where we cold play in front of an audience who didn’t want to see us. Perhaps if we were to play festivals and things like that, but we choose to avoid that.
I noticed on your Myspace page you’ve linked to a negative review! Is that just for a bit of a laugh, or is it more a nod the fact that your sort of music isn’t for everyone – which in this day and age is a good thing?
That’s Jarrod’s thing. I find it irritating and ironic.
Since you guys started out, there have been plenty new bands (especially in Perth) tackling similar hypnotic, psychedelic electronic ground (and then some). Let’s face it, since the days of Velvet Underground, it’s been a never ending cycle! But my question is, who in your minds has been doing it the best in recent years – perhaps even to point that they’re influencing you!
I like Mental Powers from Perth and also Jarrod’s new band Interzone.
And finally, apart from the launch tour – what will the rest of 2010 bring for Fabulous Diamonds?
In October we head over to USA to do a tour, then we’ll come back and chill out and plan 2011.
Thanks for your time! Best of luck with the tour!
