SUN THEORY By Khiara Elliott
“Anthony used to have a studio but for this album we recorded it all at Glyn’s place up in the country,” Rich says.
Sun Theory, formerly known as Cow, is the latest collaborative project brought to you by five of Adelaide’s most passionate and seasoned musicians.
“Glyn’s son plays drums as well so it was nice to have him involved,” he adds.
It’s that time of the year again when thoughts turn to the illuminating smell of new vinyl as, come Saturday 18 April, it will once again be Record Store Day.
Rich then went on to mention that it was very much an easy and relaxed recording process.
And, as someone who grew up listening to vinyl during the heady ’60s and the even headier ’70s, it’s a day I welcome with
“The drive up to the recording studio was great. It allowed us to sort of escape and get into a really good head space before recording,” he says
Along the way I have also learnt to use all the correct technical terms such as it’s a needle and not a stylus and that the plural of vinyl is vinyls and that it’s a record player and not a turntable. Or have I got these around the wrong way and I’m going backwards and hearing John Lennon sing, “Will Paul come back as Superman?”
The five-piece features Anthony Scott on electric guitar and backing vocals, Glyn Lehmannn on keyboard and altonium, Michael Boundy on bass, Sam Carpenter on drums and Rich Coldwell on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. In the lead up to their April 24th release of new album, Fine Dust, BSide caught up with Rich to have a chat about the evolution of the band, their new musical direction and the process of creating the latest album. Up until 2011, Sun Theory performed under the stage name Cow. Each member of Sun Theory had been involved in the music scene for a number of years, being a part of numerous other bands, before Cow was born. “I was playing in a band called Linus with another friend of mine,” Rich says. “But he started to sort of go off in another direction, and I had Cow sort of as a side project.’ Sun Theory has previously affirmed that a change in musical direction was the driving force behind steering away from any names that involved barnyard animals. “We all kind of sat down and talked about where we wanted the band to go, and did the whole ‘pull a name out of a hat thing’,” Rich laughs.
“Glyn bakes too so there would always be snacks and cookies and stuff. It was like taking a drive up to nana’s house!” Rich laughs. Amongst one of their favourite Adelaide venues, it seemed only fitting that the Sun Theory boys held their upcoming album launch at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Thebarton. “We’ve played at the Grace Emily Hotel and recently at this pub in the country called The Bridgewater. There’s definitely something about a nice Sunday arvo, drinking beer and playing music, but we all love rocking out on a Saturday night as well. That’s what makes the Wheaty such a perfect venue.” In anticipation of their album launch, BSide asked Rich if Sun Theory had any major plans in the works, even perhaps a tour. “I think we’re all going to sit down and figure out what comes next,” he says “We’ve been playing together for nine years and we’re all parents at all different stages now, you know?
“We felt that Sun Theory was a very apt name, given the changes and evolution that the band was undertaking.”
“So we’ll have to sit down and figure out our next move,” he concludes.
Rich noted that the same nature of redesign and remodelling applied to the songwriting process as well.
Sun Theory are holding their Fine Dust album launch on Friday 24 April at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, 39 George St, Thebarton. It’s a free entry event from 9pm.
“It’s still always a process of evolution,” he says. “Some songs still have that country feel but you never know what they’re going to end up sounding like. I could write something that turns out completely different after sitting down with the boys. It’s a real collaborative effort.” Rich stated that he believes it is the wealth of experience each band member brings with them as the reason they are able to work so well together.
There’s more information via Sun Theory’s Facebook page at www. facebook.com/suntheory
Record Store Day
Speaking of The Beatles, as I so obviously was just then in that last, hastily written paragraph (see above paragraph directly above this paragraph you are currently engaged with), one of the first LP records I ever owned was a copy of aforementioned English pop band’s 1966 album, Revolver. It had been sent to me from sunny England by my grandmother for Christmas of that year following its release (to much response and vague concern about the completely non-colour cover which actually went on to win a Grammy for Best Album Cover) earlier in October. Anyway, as a young 11-year-old lad with an interest only in Elvis Presley records at the time, I am not sure what happened to my English vinyl pressing of Revolver which, in today’s market would be worth a mint if it were still in mint condition. From hazy memory, I think the rigours of my Christmas present travelling from England to Australia back in 1966 via surface mail had damaged its cover.
1964 film Roustabout and it’s highly likely I would have snaffled it during a trip into the city on the bus that would have included a visit to the Myer Record Bar where, when I had once again saved up enough pocket money, I would later revisit to buy such Elvis soundtracks as Blue Hawaii, Spinout, Harum Scarum and other such ’60s nonsense on LP records made of vinyl. I no longer have any of these apart from Roustabout but am glad I have kept hold of it as years later I was to find out, probably via the wonders of the internet, that the Ferris Wheel featured in the film and also on the front cover now resides down at Semaphore. Elvis and his co-star at the time – I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Barbara Stanwyck although I do believe she also featured in the film – had sat in carriage number two as he sang the lovely song It’s A Wonderful World. So, every time I am down Semaphore way, I always take a deep long look at the Ferris Wheel and see if I can spot carriage number two. Anyway, where were we if we are not spinning around Oh, yes, Record Store Day. Last Record Store Day I went to Mr V Music down at Semaphore – might have been before or after my visit to the Ferris Wheel – and purchased a 180gm vinyl copy of The Black Sorrows’ Certified Blue. So I am excited to announce that The Black Sorrows will release no less and no more than two vinyl albums for the current Record Store Day.
Maybe I swapped it with a school chum for something or other even though said album had a lovely tune on it called Doctor Robert buried away somewhere in the middle of side two. But I know something happened to it as, years later when I finally discovered some of the many wonders of the music put onto vinyl by The Beatles, I realised I did not have it in my ever-growing vinyl collection any more and had to venture out and procure another copy. And that would have been the Australian pressing I still have in my possession. Speaking of Elvis, as we just were a while back, one of the first records I bought of his would have been the soundtrack to his
They are what the band’s leader, Joseph Vincent Camilleri (pictured), calls Dead Man’s Records, as they both feature songs originally recorded by artists who are no longer here to celebrate the day in question.
“We’ve all been doing this for years and some of us have had the opportunity to play alongside bands like Hunters & Collectors and Midnight Oil, and a few of us have opened for INXS too,” Rich says. “Everybody just listens to each other. They can tell me, ‘No, you’re not playing guitar on this song’ and I sort of just go ‘okay!’’ he laughs. “Nobody tries to outdo the other and I think that comes with age and experience. Sometimes we arm wrestle about who’s going to play which show but that’s about it.” The country roots of Sun Theory’s music could have been attributed to the location of their recording studio, as Rich went on to discuss that the album was recorded at keyboard and altonium player Glyn Lehmann’s studio at his house in the Adelaide countryside.
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