Meet four boys who grew up in and around Sydney, who now live in the Inner West and bring us some pretty damn entertaining music. They call themselves The Snowdroppers, a name derived from 1920’s slang for cocaine addicts. It’s this sort of nostalgia that they bring to the stage with their fresh (slight tongue and cheek) take on banjo focused 20s blues. They were a hit of the Bluefest, so while we were backstage we sat down with the quartet (Johnny Wishbone on banjo/vocals, Pauly K on guitar, London on bass and Cougar Jones on drums) to discuss all things Snowdroppers. And chatroulette.
So how did you guys meet and form the band?
Johnny: Lonely Hearts Ads *laughs*
Paul: The three of us actually met on Chatroulette.
London: I was jacking off, he (Paul) was jacking off, he (Johnny) was jacking off and he…. (points to Cougar)… he was watching.
J: Have you guys every actually seen Chatroulette?
L: I have. There is a lot of penis.
J: Someone was telling me the other day that it’s literally just people batting off.
L: It’s not the best way to meet people.
It’s great fun when you’re at a party with 30 people taunting them.
J: Oh that’d be mad!
It’s an experience. You will see a lot of penis. So shifting our direction abruptly, is this your first time to to Bluesfest?
P: It is, it is.
How are you finding the experience?
P: It’s been amazing, yeah. Fantastic.
J: We got to ride … they drive you around … you’ve got to understand, we’re talking four suburban white boys, who on a normal night, if we get spat on, we don’t get paid you know what I mean … so to come to gig like this where they drive you around in buggys, – golf carts where I can pretend to fire machine guns. *pretends to fire machine guys* – man, it’s amazing. I mean we were sitting here the other day, chatting to Doctor John and Matisyahu… it’s just an amazing experience. We have had fun is the answer to your question.
You’re a band who promotes ….
J: Free love…
Indeed, free love, and of course the blues – what attracted you to provide a take on this 1920s sound?
J: We like the blues. We’re a bit schizophrenic as a band. We all like the blues, and what I like about the blues is the similarities to punk music which I also like listening to. And that’s why I say we’re skitophrenic, because we also like rock and we like soul…
P: If anyone was sitting at home listening to us they’d be saying, hell know, they ain’t no 1920s blues band.
J: We’re just inspired by it. I’m sorry, I was interrupted by my guitarist, and no I’ve lost my train of thought. But that’s just something that we have to work on … together. We’ll talk about it later. *Provides death stare to Pauly*
Are there any particular artists you can point to for inspiring what you do on the stage? It’s a pretty high energy show…
J: Well the thing is, and this relates back to our last answer…
P: … oh where I interrupted you? Sorry! Well…
J: Come on guys quiet! Paul is talking! He must have a good answer…
P: A lot of Australian – anyone from Nick Cave, to even some of the older rock bands like Cold Chisel. We’re not ostensibly a blues band. So a lot of American stuff as well, the Chicago Blues scenes, and then people like the Kinks. We try to cover as many bases as possible.
J: That was a really good answer Paul! *applaudes and laughs*
So with the sorts of names you bring up here, it must be quite special to be a part of a lineup like the one we’ve got at Bluesfest this year.
J: Definitely.
Your name was taken from Sydney 1920’s slang for cocaine addicts – what were some of the other options that went through your mind?
P: There was Andy and the Fuck Ups.
Cougar: My personally favourite.
J: There was Pauly K and the Dirt Slurpers. That was quickly withdrawn.
P: Johnny Wishbone’s Mum Loves It.
J: But no… we didn’t do through any other names.
To someone who hadn’t had a chance to experience your show in the past, how would you describe, or perhaps even sell, your show?
J: Paul? … no? Ok…. A rambunctious ride through a post modern milleu of space age sci-fi Irish novels, sweeping epic, struggling to .. think … of …
P: Basically we play some songs and hope that people dance to it.
J: We strum and hope.
Perhaps that’s what the next album could be called: “Strummin, Pickin and Hopin”.
J: Yeah! I like it.
I know you have an EP – but has your LP come out yet?
J: We do have an album out now, called “Too Late To Pray” which is out now at all good music retailers… and on iTunes. The digital revolution! And it’s here… at the record store on site!
P: If you’re reading this and happen to be able to bend space and time then you can come back to Bluesfest and purchase a copy! We might even sign it!
And so what’s next for The Snowdroppers?
P: We’re playing with The Avett Brothers tomorrow night. We’re touring in April and May… I think the furthest we go up in Brisbane – then gradually making our way down to Geelong.
J: Playing some shows…
Playing some shows, strumming…
J: Pickin, and Hopin.
