Tracer is a hard rock band hailing from Adelaide, South Australia comprising of Michael Brown (guitar and vocals), Andre Wise (drums) and Jett (bass).
Tracer has become synonymous in the UK and Europe as the three-piece rockers with the enormous sound. With a sound reminiscent of 90′s grunge/stoner rock mixed with the everlasting bravado of 70s classic rock, Tracer is a driving, sonic sledgehammer of massive guitars, clever hooks and raw uncompromising vocals.
In late 2012 Tracer recorded their second LP, El Pistolero (Mascot Recordings), in LA with world-renowned producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Silverchair, Cold Chisel). Released in XX 2013, El Pistolero, has become the breakthrough album for Tracer in Europe with rave reviews across the globe.
We caught up with Mike to chat about their new album and touring
You have a new record out titled El Pistolero, it sounds like it means something to do with Pistols in another language, what does it mean?
El Pistolero is Spanish for “The Gunman” and the idea behind it is based on the Robert Rodriguez movie Desperado. It came about when I was watching the film for the 100th time and I started noodling with an acoustic guitar and played along to the theme in the movie. I then started playing around with different flamenco guitar scales and when I “rockified” it I found that it could make some pretty interesting riffs. I’d always wanted t do an album inspired by a movie and once we decided to have the Desperado storyline running through this tex/mex inspired riffage, I knew we were onto something cool.
You worked with the legendary Kevin Shirley, what’s your most memorable moment from recording with him?
He was a really great guy to work with. He works incredibly fast, which was a surprise to us. We had most of the album recorded in six days! Kevin had a great sense of humour and was usually totally inappropriate, politically incorrect or just plain sick…which works perfectly with us! There was this twitter hash tag stuff up at the time to do with Susan Boyle’s album party. The hash tag was #susanalbumparty, which to the gutter minded can be read as Sus Anal Bum Party. So we’d just be catching our breath back after a killer take and all we would hear over the headphones was Kevin in his most distinguished voice saying “Mmmmm yes, Anal Bum Party”.
You made two EPs before the album, why did you decide to do the second EP instead of opting for a record?
Spaces In Between, the album before El Pistolero, was actually a full length album so I assume you mean L.A.? which is a seven-track EP. The reason we only recorded the seven-track is easy, it was cheaper! We funded all of the band’s expenses ourselves at the early point in our career. Even the first two tours of Europe were completely funded by doing cover band gigs and investing a crap load of our personal savings (which look horrendous at the moment). We knew that we had to have a product to take with us to Europe and we knew that we didn’t need a full length album so we got our best tracks together and took them into a local studio and recorded on a tight budget. We were lucky enough to find a great engineer who loved the band and put a great deal of time into the recording and that’s how L.A.? came to be.
You’ve done a few European tours, what have been your favourite cities, venues and festivals in Europe?
Most of the big cities have been great for us. London, Berlin, Paris, and Amsterdam have all been awesome and the biggest shows we’ve done but the shows that really stick out are some of the smaller ones. Sheffield in England has sold out every time we’ve played there and we make a habit of going to a local rock bar there after shows. The after parties we’ve had there have become a thing of legend! Also a town called Alkmaar in The Netherlands has always been like a home away from home for us. I guess the towns that mean the most are full of the people that helped us at the start when we were sleeping in our van and barely had a cent to our name. Without those people and those cities we couldn’t be doing what we do now.
What other European bands should we be listening to, that has not hit the Aussie airwaves as yet?
Oh shit, lots! I’ll try to reel some off…Triggerfinger, Royal Republic, Gojira, Headcharger, Fill Bloom, The Answer… There are a lot of great rock bands over there and the culture is wicked too. I think if Australia was closer to them we’d have a Euro invasion of killer rock bands.
You’re about to go on the road supporting The Angels, how are you all feeling about this? Do you have any new and special planned for these show?
It’ll be awesome! The Angels are legends in their own right and judging by the latest two shows we’ve done with them, their music is still as relevant as ever and they can still rock the hell out of a stage. Dave Gleeson is a wicked front man too! As a first tour in Australia, we really couldn’t have asked for a better tour. We like to keep things fresh every time we play, mostly so we don’t get sterile on stage. We try to keep a bit of improvisation in our shows and see where the music takes us. Plus we have a bunch of new songs from the new album to test on Aussie ears, so we’re looking forward to the reaction they get.
If you could curate your own festival, where would it be, who would be on the bill, how many people would you let in and what features would it have?
I’ve always wanted to do a generator party like I’ve read Kyuss did. Basically you find a patch of desert, get a generator and play until the sun comes up to whoever wants to be there. It’d be a pretty loose affair, no security, no rules on booze or whatever, just people doing what they want in the middle of the desert listening to cool music. Like a desert Woodstock!
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with?
I’d love to write a song with Tim Rogers. It’s weird, I was never a You Am I fan until recently and now it’s like a light has been switched on for me and I can hear the genius in the songs. I think we could write some killer songs together. I’ve also wanted to do a duet album with different girl and boy combinations. Almost like a modern day rock Grease, but with a dark Tarantino edge to it. I’d be keen to do a song Abbe May under that guise.
What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?
A Robert Rodriguez or Quentin Tarantino film. Hell yeah!
What does Tracer have on the cards for the rest of 2013 once you’ve finished The Angels tour?
We go on a 45 date tour with The Answer in Europe from the middle of October up till December. That will be the longest and most brutal tour we’ve ever done but we can’t wait to do it. We’re finally going to play in Italy and Austria, two places that keep eluding us in Europe. After that we’re trying to get some more shows in OZ before Christmas. Keep an eye out!
supporting The Angels
El Pistolero is out now!
Tracer Tour Dates With The Angels
Friday 19 July @ Souths Juniors
Saturday 20 July @Wenty Leagues
Friday 26 July @ Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL, Hurlstone Park NSW
Saturday 27 July @ Mounties, Mt Pritchard NSW
Saturday 3 August @ The Esplanade Hotel (Gershwin Room), St Kilda VIC
Friday 23 August @ Victoria Point Sharks Club, Victoria Point QLD
Saturday 24 August @ Racehorse Hotel, Marine Pde, Booval QLD
