Above, from left: Karl Rohloff, Pascal Righini, Arjuna Kohlstock and Sasha Righini. The Plastics are currently working on their second album, due for release early in 2012.
I hate being asked about what it’s like to be a rockstar,’ says Pascal Righini, lead singer and guitarist in The Plastics. ‘We aren’t rockstars. We’ve never been the trendiest or coolest guys around. We’re just four guys who really enjoy playing music together. There are no TVs through windows or cars in the pool. And our girlfriends will be glad to know that there aren’t any groupies either.’ Good guys till the end, The Plastics, and mad keen on making sure you have a good time. In fact, there’s little else Pascal, his brother Sasha on drums, bassist Karl Rohloff and guitarist Arjuna Kohlstock want from you. ‘We just want to make people dance and have fun, so they leave the shows tired and sweaty and happy and smiling.’ The Plastics have been dishing out the indie fun to more and more people and have built up a sizeable following, helped along by a warm reception for their debut album, Shark. Initially sounding a hell of a lot like the Arctic Monkeys, they’ve moved
past merely being a sum of their influences, winning new fans along the way. It’s hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm, especially at their live shows. This – along with catchy tunes and a solid sound – has seen them play some big stages this year, including Rocking the Daisies and Synergy. ‘Ja, it’s been a good year for us,’ says Pascal. ‘Synergy was one of the highlights. We weren’t at our tightest, but I think that the crowd could tell that we were having a good time. A lot of cool things have been happening for us in terms of our following and gig attendance. Most of all, we’ve really enjoyed playing and have found what we want to do with the next album. ‘We had this empty house in July and August where we brought all our equipment and set up the most amazing jam room, like, ever. We spent each day playing for six or seven hours. We’d dig in and do these expansive 45 minute jams. That helped us so much – the feel and the sound is coming together. At the beginning of the year we had no clue what
we wanted to do, but now we know where we’re going. It’s a good feeling. ‘Also, we’ve been hanging out a lot with other bands and that’s been helpful too. We’ve learnt a lot, made some good friends and are closer to knowing where we fit in. I think people see us a bunch of guys who are doing interesting things.’ One of the interesting things they’re doing at the moment is putting together their second album at Dreamspace Recording Studio in Woodstock. Details are tricky to extract from Pascal. ‘It’s hard to talk about it since there are so many ideas being thrown around. For me, I’m really into the idea of doing a long album. Like with interludes, instrumentals and some lengthier tracks; and not being restricted. I know that the world doesn’t listen to music the same way anymore and albums aren’t as viable as they once were, but we’re artists, not businessmen.’ What would I regret if the world was to end tomorrow? he says. ‘That we hadn’t finished the album.’ seventeen