“My funniest memory is from South By Southwest in Texas during 2005,” recounts John Watson of Eleven Management. “Kisschasy was playing a small bar so even though it was really late at night it was jam packed.”
“I got very excited when I saw a legendary elder statesman of the American record biz in the crowd. We’ll let him remain nameless rather than embarrass him but this guy is/was a genuine legend who signed some of the most iconic musicians of the 20th century.”
“There he was right in front of the tiny stage getting bumped around by all the drunk and rowdy punters. The band was playing great and this guy could singlehandedly make them stars in America so I was holding my breath to see his reaction.”
“And then… he fell asleep. Slowly but surely. Standing up. Holding a drink which clearly wasn’t his first drink of the night. He had 120dB of dynamic rock music blasting right in his face and he was surrounded by people who were jumping up and down excitedly to the band but there he was… eyes shut. SOUND ASLEEP.”
“And here’s the clincher: when the band finished their set a few minutes later he suddenly ‘came to’. He wobbled over to me and said earnestly, ‘They’re the greatest band I’ve ever heard – I really wanted to sign them!'”
“Unfortunately his enthusiasm didn’t last much beyond the following day but for a minute there Kisschasy was literally the band of his dreams.” The sentiment was echoed by many in Australia when the band first dropped ‘Do-Do’s & Whoa-Oh’s’.
Being presented with a Gold Record.
The first cut to be taken from the band’s debut album, United Paper People, made them the new favourite band for high-schoolers around the country, but there was always more to the band than a catchy pop rock single.
In fact, it’s the band’s devotion to making quality, compelling music that saw them announce their dissolution earlier this year. According to frontman Darren Cordeux, the band simply aren’t on the same page musically anymore.
“The honest truth is that as we grew older our music tastes evolved in different directions and none of the new stuff we worked on had the same focus and energy as the music we’d already released,” Cordeux tells Tone Deaf.
“If it were up to me, new Kisschasy would sound more like Teenage Fanclub but that probably wouldn’t be what the other guys would want to play. That’s why so many bands have their ‘golden era’ where everything clicks and the members are all on the same page.”
As far as Cordeux is concerned, the band’s “whole career has been a golden era so why tarnish it?” and without a satisfying new record in his hands every few years, Cordeux simply doesn’t see the point in carrying on.
“Touring is fun but my favourite aspect of being in a band has always been the creative process. Collaborating with other artists is a way for me to perpetuate that process and also experiment with a bunch of different genres.”
Family photo at the ARIAs.
And what will the other members be doing after the band’s farewell tour? “Joel is running a successful nursery business on the Mornington Peninsula. Karl and Sean, along with running successful building businesses, have also had a daughter and a son respectively.”
“I’m focusing on writing music for other artists. Music is still the main driving force for each of us and you’ll undoubtedly be hearing from us is some way, shape or form in the future.”
“For me, [the highlight] has always been hearing the final mix of each record in the studio and thinking ‘I can’t believe we just created this out of thin air.’” Though he admits, “the whole thing [is] one big highlight”.
Jai Al-Attas of Below Par has his own memories of the band’s final mix process. “I actually remember being in Seattle and John Watson had told us that the band needed to have 3 B-Sides ready for the ‘Do Do’s and Woah-oh’s’ single,” he recounts.
“So we’re in Seattle and Darren gave me this CD with the 3 B-sides on it, of which I had never heard before, the first song was this track called ‘Resolution Wednesday’ and it blew me away instantly.”
Hanging at SXSW.
“I was actually kind of bummed because I said ‘Why is this a B-Side? This should be on the record!.’ I lost that battle and the track remained a B-Side but it did become a fan favourite that the band continues to play live.”
“The beauty of the story though is that Darren was constantly outdoing himself with his song writing and you knew that every time he had written a great song, he always had something better that was coming next.”
With no bad blood between members, no in-fights or stolen girlfriends or prolonged legal battles, what will Kisschasy’s frontman remember most fondly?
“I’m going to miss the comfort and security that comes with playing with three of your best mates who experienced so many life changing moments together.”
“We started out as kids rehearsing in a loft and became a successful band that toured the world. No matter what we do as individuals in the future, we’ll always have that shared history.”
So, any parting words for fans? “Thanks for being cool enough to love an uncool band like us. We will miss you.”
Kisschasy National Tour Dates
Thursday, 15th October 2015
The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Tickets: Bigtix
Friday, 16th October 2015
Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley
Tickets: Bigtix
Saturday, 17th October 2015
The Metro, Sydney
Tickets: The Metro
Saturday, 24th October 2015
Pelly Bar, Frankston
Tickets: Moshtix
Friday, 30th October 2015
The Triffid, Brisbane
Tickets: Oztix
Saturday, 31st October 2015
Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
Tickets: Oztix
