Avant-pop 5-piece Dear Plastic have recently released their new track Buck Up And Pay The Reaper the second single from their upcoming debut album The Thieves are Babes, due for release in May 2014.
After a very successful 2013 releasing their first single Everything’s Coming Up Roses to a packed out crowd at the Grace Darling Hotel and receiving international acclaim, the band will be kick-starting their 2014 with the launch of Buck Up And Pay The Reaper at Ding Dong this Friday 28th March.
We chatted with Scarlette and Danny from the band about recording the album Trip-hop, and the undeniable talents of Scott Walker.

Your album titled The Thieves are Babes is due for release soon; can you fill us in on the process behind the creation of the album?
Scarlette: It’s been pretty slow – we recorded a lot of the material a year ago, and then I took forever to get the vocals done because I’m annoying like that. I don’t like recording.
Danny:  It has been a long process, but none of that time has been wasted. A lot of the songs evolved over the time we had to sit on the original recordings. One track was recorded entirely at Josh’s home studio after the main tracking was done at Head Gap.

If you could list 5 things that inspired the creation of ‘The Thieves are Babes’ what would they be?
Scarlette: It’s different for each song, and sometimes there is no inspiration, it just sloughs out. The amazing stuff I learned during my science degree inspired me a great deal, so here are five sciency things that were the buds of songs: adaptive evolution, telomerase, string theory, zebrafish, and space travel.
Danny: Milk dreams, Eraserhead, thai food (combine with milk dreams), homing pigeons, politics.

Five members in a band could be quite a bit to juggle. Can you tell us a little about the songwriting process? Is it democratic or does someone usually lead the way?
Scarlette: Individually we’re all musical fascists, so as a group we have to be fairly democratic to avoid violent uprisings and annexing of Danny’s Southern naval base. Generally, we write our own parts. With five people it can be tricky to settle on music that we’re all satisfied with, but always get there in the end.

If you could only listen to three records for the rest of your life, what would they be and why?
Scarlette: For me it’s Scott 4, Astral Weeks and Medulla. All three get better and better the more you listen to them.
Danny: Tilt – Scott Walker, because Scarlette took Scott 4, and because it’s a better album anyway. What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye. A bit typical, but it really is very good. The Mouse & The Mask – Dangerdoom, for variety.

Can you tell us a little about the new music video you’ve been working on?
Scarlette: It’s Danny’s brainchild, and it’s suitably weird. It’s like a mini David Lynch film, complete with mechanical sculptures and violence.
Danny: Our last film clip for ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’ was very conceptual and aesthetic-driven, so I thought it would be good to contrast that with something that’s a bit more simple and relatable. The new clip basically documents a day in the life of the band. It just happened to be a very emotional day for everyone involved. Leigh Young, the mastermind behind the ‘Roses’ clip, is helping us out again

Your launching the single ‘Buck Up and pay the Reaper’ this Friday at Ding Dong, have you played there before? What are some of you favourite local venues?
Scarlette: We’ve played at Ding Dong once before. They have an amazing new PA so we’re stoked to be playing there again. We’ve also really enjoyed playing at The Toff and The Evelyn, my mum’s house, and were very sad to say goodbye to The Empress last year.

What would be the ideal setting for listening to ‘Buck Up and pay the Reaper’?
Scarlette: Over a lovely cup of tea, as you contemplate what a terrible person you are.
Danny: I’d just say more generally, with a drink or a hot meal. In a houseboat.

You guys have a very interesting trip-hop sound, how would you explain trip-hop to those unfamiliar with the term?
Scarlette: Why thanks! It generally implies a mix of hip-hop beats and down-tempo electronica, often with female singers, but it’s one of those genres that blend easily into others. It was big in the UK during the 90s. We didn’t set out to create trip-hop specifically, and I think we’re less mellow than most trip-hop acts—especially in the vocals!—but we’re in the ballpark.

Can you tell us about a few local acts you’re loving at the moment?
Scarlette: We completely love BJ Morriszonkle. He is a genius and everyone has to go and listen to his stuff on Bandcamp immediately.

What’s next for Dear Plastic?
Scarlette: We have at least one more video in the works after Buck Up And Pay The Reaper, and we’re already working on material for the next album – I can’t wait to start playing some new music.
Danny: I’m gonna take a break and have some kids.

Dear Plastic Single Launch

Friday March 28th – Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne
With special guests Mayfair Kytes and Oh Pep!
Tickets here

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