In support of their fourth full length album Cope which came out earlier this year (via Caroline Australia), Atlanta based rockers Manchester Orchestra will be visiting Australia this November. Last in Australia in 2012, playing a run of East Coast dates, the guys will bring their passionately-driven, sophistically-executed brand of rock to Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Described by our reviewer as “a showcase for a band that has circled the sun more than a few times and has plenty to show for it,” Cope was self-produced alongside their long-time collaborating partner Dan Hannon, and mixed by John Agnello (Dinosaur, Jr., Kurt Vile, The Thermals, Sonic Youth) at Fluxivity Studios in Brooklyn. They recorded the entire record in the home studio they built themselves after six months spent gutting and refurbishing the old house they used to live in together. It’s the follow up to 2011’s critically acclaimed Simple Math.
In celebration of their visit to Australia we chatted with the band’s frontman Andy Hull about the five records that changed his life.
Nick Drake- Pink Moon
1972, Island Records
“This is probably a top 10 favourite album of all time. I found this record when I was in 10th grade. I was about 16-15 years old, and I just loved acoustic music, I was starting to figure that out. I was just starting to look for music online, which was beginning to be a place you could find new music. So I would look for band’s acoustic stuff.
But I’d never heard somebody de-tune a guitar so low and kind of create their own chords, there was nothing ‘by the book’ that he was doing on an acoustic guitar, so for me it was like ‘oh I don’t have to take lessons, I can just kind of create my own version of playing’. It’s 28 minutes and it’s just a beautiful piece of time”
Graddaddy – The Sophtware Slump / Sumday
2000/ 2003, V2 Records
“Grandaddy had two albums that went side to side: The Sophtware Slump (2000) and Sumday (2003). Both of those records kind of turned me on to kind of pop songs that there was something just a little demented about it them.
The songs were dressed up really pretty but they were sort of evil. I also kind of figured out singing softly was an effective key at times as well, and that guy [singer Jason Lytle] sang like he was in your brain really soft and that was a strong influence on me.”
Built To Spill – Keep It Like A Secret
1999, Up Redcords/ Warner
“Built To Spill’s music definitely influenced me, but it’s tough for me to narrow down what album by them. It’s probably Keep It Like A Secret that’s my favourite Built To Spill album.
That influenced me in a similar vein to Granddaddy’s pop songs but that guitar playing and the way they were bending notes and making it sound so loose but tight at the same time, that was a really big influence on me too.”
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2010, Roc-A-Fella/ Def Jam
“This was one that just didn’t leave the CD player in my car for like a year and a half, two years. When I’m walking around with my crying newborn baby I’m playing this album. My favourite track would have to be ‘Devil In A New Dress’ featuring Rick Ross, track 8.”
Neil Young – On The Beach
1974, Reprise Records
“It’s a very cool album, which you can tell has been made in one room. I was really starting to admire his guitar playing at that point [in his career], it’s so relaxed, and I like albums that sound like a documented thing.”
Australian Tour Dates
Wed 12th November | Hi Fi | Brisbane
Thus 13th November | Corner Hotel | Melbourne
Fri 14th November | Corner Hotel | Melbourne
Sat 15th November | Metro | Sydney
