“The album was written and recorded in Marrickville, which is obviously now gentrified but used to be pretty seedy so Crime in Australia just made sense”
Sydney’s noise rock duo Party Dozen are back with a brand new album, Crime In Australia, and a lead single, The Big Man Upstairs.
The album, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed The Real Work, was written and recorded entirely in their Marrickville studio, a neighborhood that’s seen its share of transformation, from a bit rough around the edges to full-on gentrified. As Kirsty Tickle, the band’s saxophonist, explains, the album’s title Crime In Australia just felt right.
In this interview, Kirsty chats about the inspiration behind the album, the creative process behind Party Dozen’s music, and what fans can expect from Crime In In Australia. recorded in their Marrickville stomping grounds, expect a surprisingly softer side with a dose of punky shoegaze vibes and, of course, plenty of sax!
Watch The Big Man Upstairs’ music video, and check out our interview below:
Happy: What are you up to today?
Today is an art and video making day for Jono, and a work day for me. I teach saxophone to kids as my day job, so I’ll be experiencing a lot of honking.
Happy: “Crime In Australia” – a bold title. What’s the story behind it?
Party Dozen: When we started writing the record, we didn’t really have a theme in mind.
But as it progressed we realised we were sort of writing a soundtrack to an old Australian crime film.
The album was written and recorded in Marrickville, which is obviously now gentrified but used to be pretty seedy so Crime in Australia just made sense.
Happy: Taking a step back from the album title, “Crime In Australia,” what kind of overall mood or feeling were you hoping to create with this record?
Party Dozen: As with all our records, we aim for variety. We don’t want to be one trick ponies, so we try to get a pretty eclectic bunch of loops together.
On Crime in Australia we wanted faster tracks, but we also wanted to create music that feels emotional, maybe a little bit nostalgic too.
Happy: From writing to mastering, “Crime In Australia” is a true DIY masterpiece. What’s the creative process like for Party Dozen?
Party Dozen: We tend to always work the same way. Loop sessions come first, then when we have a good vibe going we jam it out.
This record we used Jon’s first drum kit that was strewn all over Sydney.
He reunited all the pieces and we used it on the entire album.
After we had an idea of how everything would sound, we recorded it fairly quickly and Jon mixed and mastered it!
Happy: What are your biggest influences for this album?
Party Dozen: Mostly we were influenced by Australian crime films like Two Hands, Wake in Fright, Mr Inbetween, The Cars that are Paris, Ghosts of the Civil Dead, Chopper, Snowtown, Bad Boy Bubby etc “Crime In Australia” drops on September 6th.
Happy: What can fans expect?
Party Dozen: Sax squeals and rockin’ drums.
Happy: “The Big Man Upstairs” tackles a political figure. We are a little curious about the other man upstairs? What do you think happens when you die?
Party Dozen: I can’t speak for Jon, but I’m an atheist. You die, you die. End scene. Fin.
Happy: You mentioned the limited edition on Bandcamp. Can you tell us a bit more about the artwork for the album in general?
Party Dozen: Yeah! The artwork features both of our faces, and we had the idea to make a lino print to recreate the album cover for a limited edition. Jono carved it and we’re printing these ones with our own two hands and hand numbering them. It looks sick!
Happy: Beyond the specific story of “The Big Man Upstairs,” are there recurring themes or ideas that tie the whole album together?
Party Dozen: We sort of tried to look at the entire crime realm. So there are songs with themes of justice, petty crime, really frightening criminals, car chases. All the fun shit!
Happy: Looking at your entire career so far, how do you feel Party Dozen has evolved as a band?
Party Dozen: We never thought we’d play outside of Blackwire Records when we started this band, so we’re pretty stoked with how everything’s going. We’re just constantly trying to experiment and explore and it’s so satisfying. I don’t think either of us have loved a music project more.
Happy: Lastly, what makes you happy?
Party Dozen: Party Dozen, duh!
Crime In Australia – Out Friday 6 September
Pre-save/pre-order here
1. Coup De Gronk
2. Wake In Might
3. Money & The Drugs
4. Les Crimes
5. The Big Man Upstairs
6. Judge Hammer
7. Bad News Department
8. The Righteous Front
9. Piss On Earth
10. Jon’s International Marketplace
