Fanfarlo
Civil Society is proud to announce the tour supports for the debut tour of London based collective Fanfarlo, on the back of their new album, Reservoir (Out June 18 on Warner). Supporting Fanfarlo will be Guineafowl and Wim in Sydney, and Alexander (Oh Mercy) and Dancing Heals in Melbourne.
The fact that the album’s inspiration lies largely in frontman Simon Balthazar’s somewhat obsessive fixation on reservoirs (yes, those man-made water bodies), perhaps goes some way to explaining the bands style, and writing process. Passion and obsession colliding with mind and matter form a recurrent theme for Fanfarlo. Aging instruments are brought back to life with a creaking aching beauty, echoed in the correspondingly curious collection of characters that comprise the band.
Cathy Lucas (violin, keyboard, vox), Justin Finch (bass), Amos Memon (drums) and Leon Beckenham (trumpet, keyboard) approach their respective instruments as a starting point, often supplementing them with an unexpected medley of experimental paraphernalia ¬¬ including saws, clarinets, cellos, mandolins, ukuleles, melodicas, hands clapping and feet stomping.
“I always try to write accessible lyrics that people will get and understand, but it always ends up impenetrable,” explains Balthazar, “then I attempt to write deep, serious and difficult music, and somehow it keeps coming out as pop.”
For Fanfarlo it is a nice problem to have. The wonderfully bewildering array of characters and scenes on Reservoir comes laden with memorable hooks. Recorded over a month and a half with Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) at his home studio in Connecticut, it is has been a formative process for the band.
“I always thought big with this band” muses Simon. “… it’s an amazing relief to be able to say, yes, this is what it should sound like.”
In support of the release of Reservoir, Fanfarlo will perform 2 solo shows in Sydney and Melbourne, in addition to their appearance at Splendour In The Grass 2010. Don’t miss the chance to see these impetuous artisans play their spirited vignettes for the first time in Australia.
Tour
Sydney
Monday 2 August
Gaelic Club
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Melbourne
Thursday 5 August
Northcote Social Club
Buy tickets
Also performing at Splendour in the Grass
Press
“Delicious melancholia”
David Bowie
“A carefully orchestrated treat.”
NME
“Evocative and poignant but ever-mindful of a pop edge that ensures an enduring accessibility.”
Music OMH
Media
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Releases
Reservoir
Out 18 June on Warner