The Fix Ups surely have a busy schedule. After touring the U.S, they settled down in a makeshift studio in Templestowe and got to work on their self-titled debut album. This isn’t how most bands work, but The Fix Ups aren’t just any ordinary band. A self-proclaimed antidote to boring dancefloors everywhere, read what Marlene from The Fix Ups has to say about the recording process, touring across 13 cities, and their inspirations. After that, watch the video to their haunting synth ballad ‘Breathe’ below!
“Some people thought we were mad to tour the US without a CD to promote. We were a duo at the time, keen for musical adventures and a challenge. So we wrote a set-list of songs and played 18 shows in 13 cities driving over 12,000kms around the country. The tour really moulded our songwriting. Playing with local bands inspired our sound to be eclectic and fun. Music really thrives in America. When we got back in November 2017 we felt like we needed to get that experience down on record.
As pre-production we domo’ed all our songs then shared them with engineer Patrick Walker and drummer Ash Meaghre. Nikos grandparents were away so we had a great opportunity to record in their farmhouse in Templestowe. We transported all the recording gear from Patrick’s home studio to the farmhouse, which was a huge undertaking.
However, there was a time restriction of 2 days for recording and 1 day for editing 10 songs! We recorded the drums and bass live with myself, Marlene singing guide and playing keys then overdubbed everything else after. This really tested our stamina as musicians to get things right, prioritize and also have fun. Our vision was to have a layered lush sounding dance rock record, something that lives in the now, with reference to the past and injections of our own personal flavor. Anything up and dancy was where we were getting to with our sound during the recording. A few of the slower folkier songs didn’t make it on the album apart from “Breathe” and “War Affection.” There is so much in finding the sound that works. Much of the synth work on the album was thought up after the US tour when we started pre-production.
To get that up-tempo dance thing happening it’s all about getting the bass and drums working together and getting the groove really funky to start with. Then we can get weird with my eccentric lyrical style and layer up the sound with guitar and synths to make it lush and pleasing to the listener.
We just wanted to make people feel good.
If it feels good to us, it might feel good to whoever is listening too.”
Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 13th at the Gasometer Hotel in Melbourne for their album launch. Accompanied by Dayelle and The Substance, Glass Diamond.
