VICKI ANDERSON Talks to Iain Gordon of Fat Freddy's Drop About

8 Friday, February 8, 2013 THE PRESS, Christchurch f you know a good secret fishing spot in Canterbury and you’re OK about sharing it with Fat Freddy’s Drop I keyboardist Iain ‘‘Dobie Blaze’’ Gordon then he wants to hear from you. Speaking from the band’s studio, The Drop, the dedicated foodie says he has circled a number of prime seafood- gathering locations around New Zealand to check out, as the group makes its way around our nation’s wineries as part of the seventh annual Classic Hits Winery tour. The group is on the bill alongside new super girl group comprising Anika Moa, Boh Runga and Hollie Smith, The Adults, fronted by Shihad’s Jon Toogood and New Zealand’s Got Talent winner Clara van Wel. Gordon already has an oyster farm and a hot tip about a spot in Whangarei to get cockles but is looking for more tips. ‘‘I’d bloody love to get some fishing in. We have a day off around the Mud House show,’’ Gordon, who grew up in North Canterbury, says. ‘‘I’m always keen for anyone to take me and show me where the local delicacies reside.’’ It has been a good summer, he says. They’ve been working on their studio tans getting the new album Blackbird finished and are looking forward to spreading its songs across the country’s treetops on their one-month tour. The first single Silver and Gold is out now and could be described as the sound of an octopus pleasuring itself with Doctor VICKI ANDERSON talks to Iain Gordon of Fat Freddy’s Kiwis who brought their friends Who’s phonebox. to gigs was a huge part of our The album, initially due for Drop about new album Blackbird ahead of the popular success. release this month, is now ‘‘The whole tall poppy thing . expected to drop in June. group’s Canterbury show as part of the Classic I don’t know if it exists or not. ‘‘As they tend to with us, the A There are times when you feel album’s taking longer than Hits Winery Tour next weekend. like people don’t like you. We initially anticipated. You’ve got to have been cut down a lot by put the work in. You can never reviewers in the past. A bad put a timeline on it; you can review when it’s generated can estimate a timeline but you need fine that size crowd is just mean quite a lot, it can do a lot of space. Sometimes, going out of the nice.’’ damage to you. You just have to studio for a couple of hours and but we’re always conscious The band’s long- push on through and the reality is coming back in again and of keeping the live element, running jams, which that international success for us listening to a track with fresh the live feel and making sure retain an improvised is solid, which I think speaks for ears, you realise it is not working that’s retained.’’ feel but without losing itself.’’ or it might need a tweak.’’ The recording process sees drop context, have In November Blackbird, the band return back to live prompted disdain in ❏ The Classic Hits Winery Tour named after a song on the recording, but with a few new some quarters and were featuring Fat Freddy’s Drop, upcoming album, was previewed flavours, Gordon says. True Story was the highest selling responsible in part for the often AnikaBoh&Hollie, The Adults and with a show at the Sydney Opera ‘‘For this one we did set up album for an independent artist. shunned label, the ‘‘Wellington special guest Clara van Wel, New House. Described as an ‘‘animated and play the tunes live and The band has also notched up sound’’. Zealand’s Got Talent winner, at The and illustrated album preview’’ record them in the studio, and numerous music awards in the Yet some might say summer Mud House Winery and Cafe, the collaboration with street we’ve edited the live takes. The past 14 years for everything from shows outdoors are the perfect Saturday, February 16. Children artist Otis Frizzell – who has last album was a little more built best producer to album of the place to raise a glass and shake under 12 free with each adult ticket previously created album artwork in the studio than this one is and year, to people’s choice awards. It your body to their warm, mellow, holder. Gates open 5pm, show starts for the group – was part of there are a few stripped back has been invited to perform at chest-shaking beats. 5.30pm, ends 10pm. Tickets GRAPHIC 2012, an annual festival engineered songs on this album. internationally acclaimed Arguably at the top of their available from winerytour.co.nz. of comics, animation and ‘‘There are no radical changes. festivals including Glastonbury, game, when I ask Gordon if he illustration. It received rave We’re always developing as SONAR, Roskilde, Bestival, had ever felt the band was a reviews from Australian media. musicians and there is some WOMAD and many more. victim of tall poppy syndrome, he ★ ‘‘It was a great experience to be techno in there this time, more ‘‘Last year was a big year for laughs. WIN WIN able to slot into the opera house hardcore electronics, soul, reggae; us. Europe was a real develop- ‘‘We love New Zealand and we machine and be part of that for a the same flavour, it’s just us.’’ ment for us. Our popularity has love New Zealanders. It’s a GO has two double passes to couple of days.’’ Since emerging in Wellington grown and as time goes on it difficult one to answer, it depends give away to the Classic Hits Some of the songs on Blackbird in 1999, Fat Freddy’s Drop – seems to get bigger and bigger and what day you talk to me about Winery Tour at Mud House have been in the band’s live set dubbed by some as the ‘‘seven- we are heading further afield. It’s that. The support we’ve had from Winery and Cafe on February for as long as two years, while headed soul monster of the South nice to go to new territories. Aotearoa has always been 16. others were created in the studio. seas’’ – has carved a place for Going to a completely new city amazing and enabled us to To enter the draw, email ‘‘As always with us we go out, itself in New Zealand music and having intimate audiences at achieve the goals that we’ve vicki.anderson@fairfax play the songs and then we record history with its phat, dirty 1500-capacity venues is good, too. wanted to achieve – that’s both media.co.nz with ‘‘Drop me in them. Some of them are brand grooves and genre-leaping mash- That’s probably our favourite Kiwis within New Zealand and it’’ in the subject line before new that we haven’t played live, ups of jazz and funk. number, it’s better economically overseas. In the early days in the 5pm today. Winners will be that we’ve created in the studio, Their 2005 album Based On A to be playing to bigger crowds, but United Kingdom the support from notified..

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