Playing warm and well structured music, Sweetbriar are a local band full of lyrical and melodic hooks that keep your ears smiling. Regulars at Junction 7, they always get plenty of support from the crowd. A band not afraid to sing about their feelings and the subtle emotional journeys we all go through, I left the gig feeling I should give someone a hug. I caught up with George the frontman after the gig..
How did it go tonight?
We’ve played there so many times now it feels pretty natural. Now we’re trying to get together a set that can become battle-hardened. You can put more into a gig when you’re not trying to remember your parts and the words...
Who’s Sweetbriar then?
William ‘will’ Reid – bass guitar, vocals, Seb Tighe – drums, vocals, James ‘jimmy jazz’ Johnston – keys – born 16 days after Lennon was shot, George ‘gog’ Napthine – vocals, guitar. We’re either cousins or school friends. We all write the songs and we all sing.
Have you got any music out at the moment?
We’ve recorded a demo recently called The Best Revenge produced by Pete Fletcher and James Vyner. We’re working on getting an album recorded.
Any gigs lined up?
We’re doing an acoustic show on 7th October at Bunker’s Hill.
How would you describe yourselves?
It's sometimes easier to define yourselves by what you're not... we don't like the whole angular, skinny jeans, silly haircut stuff. Every single band at the moment seems to be compared to joy division when in fact there's no comparison. I suppose I'm a bit wary of things that are epic as well. I think if you listen to stuff by the Beatles or the Pixies or the Shins, you'll hear songs that really take you through something but that are only 2 and a half minutes long. And it's because they've cut away everything that's not needed. That's what we're doing at the moment - giving our songs a workout. Working out where the flab is so we can hack it all off. We want toned good-looking songs that can run for a long time without getting tired.
What’s your favourite tea?
Now your asking, my sister worked in a tea emporium in Sydney and she used to send me 'buddhas tears'. They were little balls of green tea, laced with jasmine blossom. As my palate grew more refined I got down to using just one of these tiny tears in each cup I drank. Then I moved onto the most sophisticated of all teas - white tea. But all day now I drink normal tea and instant coffee.
Blimey, I'll put the kettle on then...
Sweetbriar played at Junktion 7 on the 21st September.
pics by Al Greer.
How did it go tonight?
We’ve played there so many times now it feels pretty natural. Now we’re trying to get together a set that can become battle-hardened. You can put more into a gig when you’re not trying to remember your parts and the words...
Who’s Sweetbriar then?
William ‘will’ Reid – bass guitar, vocals, Seb Tighe – drums, vocals, James ‘jimmy jazz’ Johnston – keys – born 16 days after Lennon was shot, George ‘gog’ Napthine – vocals, guitar. We’re either cousins or school friends. We all write the songs and we all sing.
Have you got any music out at the moment?
We’ve recorded a demo recently called The Best Revenge produced by Pete Fletcher and James Vyner. We’re working on getting an album recorded.
Any gigs lined up?
We’re doing an acoustic show on 7th October at Bunker’s Hill.
How would you describe yourselves?
It's sometimes easier to define yourselves by what you're not... we don't like the whole angular, skinny jeans, silly haircut stuff. Every single band at the moment seems to be compared to joy division when in fact there's no comparison. I suppose I'm a bit wary of things that are epic as well. I think if you listen to stuff by the Beatles or the Pixies or the Shins, you'll hear songs that really take you through something but that are only 2 and a half minutes long. And it's because they've cut away everything that's not needed. That's what we're doing at the moment - giving our songs a workout. Working out where the flab is so we can hack it all off. We want toned good-looking songs that can run for a long time without getting tired.
What’s your favourite tea?
Now your asking, my sister worked in a tea emporium in Sydney and she used to send me 'buddhas tears'. They were little balls of green tea, laced with jasmine blossom. As my palate grew more refined I got down to using just one of these tiny tears in each cup I drank. Then I moved onto the most sophisticated of all teas - white tea. But all day now I drink normal tea and instant coffee.
Blimey, I'll put the kettle on then...
Sweetbriar played at Junktion 7 on the 21st September.
pics by Al Greer.
