Progressive, improvisational and insanely tight, Narla have solidified themselves as one of the most electrifying live acts around.
Picture a marriage between John Lee Hooker and the Black Angels and you’re in the ballpark. Though I can’t stress enough, this is a band that has to be seen to be believed.
Narla have a new album on the way and with all the hype surrounding them lately, it’s sure to be something very special.
Heavy blues riffs writhe and wrestle with each other. Wailing vocals howl in and out. Sydney three-piece Narla are not your average punters and they have the battle scars to prove it. With two guitarists and an otherworldly drummer, their sound and inventiveness is something wholly unique.
Prodigious drummer Clay Allen, also known for playing with Julia Jacklin on Crushing and worldwide, is a force to be reckoned with and has played no small part in moulding Narla into one of Sydney’s most formidable live acts.
After playing together six years, guitarist Nick Savvas says:
“We can trust each other on stage, there are a lot of extended jams and improvised sections which allows us to keep things interesting and push ourselves in every way. We are all involved in amazing side projects (Julia Jacklin, Charlie Gradon, Boydos) which allows us to expand our creativity and feed it back into Narla.”
Their latest single Am I Sane? is the first song from their debut album Till The Weather Changes, which was recorded in single takes. The first taste of this body of work is one freaky jam, constantly building over its seven minute duration.
Nick expands on the unique process they undertook when recording their album:
‘It was recorded as Sound Recording Studios in Victoria. It was truly an incredible experience as the studio has no computers or digital technology, it was totally 100% analogue.”
Having “telepathy” or an unspoken language is often a loosely slathered platitude in the music scene. In reality the notion of musical affinity is a rarity that takes years of practice and a deep understanding of the musicians involved.
With six years of live expression and over a decade of friendship between them, Narla are certainly honouring their claim of intrinsic connection.
