Sydney four-piece Phantastic Ferniture have one of the most intriguing stories I’ve come across. The band had booked their first gig three months before they’d even written a song. Billed as “The Phantastic Ferniture Christmas Extravaganza First and Last Gig!”, the show was meant to be a whacky one off. But you know what they say, you can’t keep a good band down. And these guys are pretty fucking good. If for some reason you haven’t come across these alt-rock larrikins then their new single Gap Year is just as any good place to start.
One of the best bands to come out of Sydney in the last year, Phantastic Ferniture amp up the fun, house party rock vibes with their latest Gap Year.
The band came to prominence with the releases of their single Fuckin’ and Rollin, a bass heavy beast of a track that coupled cruisy guitars and sultry lady vocals. Man we sure do love those lady vocals. With a shit tonne of radio support from the J’s, FBi and 2SER, the band managed to jump on some tours with other killer acts like Methyl Ethel and Bin Juice. Thinking about it now, it’s kind of funny that their first gig consisted of two tracks (one of them they played twice) and a Mariah Carey cover.
It’s that loose, fun nature that shines through on Gap Year and makes Phantastic Ferniture such a great band to soak in. They’re not a smooth soul band or a crooning blues guitarist – the band’s vibe is akin to wallowing in a warm bath; relaxed, refreshing and just a tad sexy. That chill nature is something the band make a point of maintaing while still developing themselves as a better band, as drummer Ryan Brennan explains; “We still like to keep things very relaxed with the band. Playing a lot of shows over the last few months has meant we have had to step up our game with practice and fine tuning the live show“.
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Unlike Fuckin’ and Rollin, which sneaks up on the listener thanks to that cheeky bass line, Gap Year makes its presence known immediately with dominating choppy guitars. Vocalist Julia Jacklin is in fine form, her croon echoes out seductively. Like a siren she draws you into her waters with that entrancing vocal before kicking thing up a few notches in the final third of the piece.
Self-recorded and having Brennan serve as producer (which he does professionally too) lends the track that raw, intimate feel that is quickly becoming a staple of Phantastic Ferniture. With a quality mix from Tim Carr (Matt Corby/ Urthboy) and a mastered in New York by Brian Lucey (Chet Faker / The Black Keys) we get a track that’s well rounded and is ridiculously fun to listen to.
