Jodie: Thank you Ed, from Mount Defiance, for agreeing to do an interview with Ragged Press. I’ll start off with probably the most ordinary question, what’s the origin of the name?
Ed: We recorded our first set of songs in Wye River, The Great Ocean Road. Will, who plays bass, has a house up there. We knew we wanted it to be an Australian reference, we didn’t know exactly what we wanted it to be, and it’s around the corner from the Mount Defiance lookout. We were driving home after recording those songs, and we saw it and thought, it sounds as good as any.
Jodie: That’s probably why it kept coming up on my Google search of you guys!
Ed: We occasionally get tagged on Instagram by people who have just done a hike. I think there’s a Mount Defiance in the States somewhere as well. We get tagged in all these people’s celebratory, “I just finished a hike,” photos. I’ll always comment on it being like, “Hey, great job. Looks good!”
Jodie: You refer to your song-writing process as spinning a musical yarn. Can you tell me a little bit about some of your processes?
Ed: I think ‘process’ seems too fancy a word for it. Because I’ll write the lyrics and the basic structure, and then take it to the rest of the band, and they’ll really give it legs. So the song that I write on my own doesn’t end up sounding too much like the song that the band makes of it. So, it’s less of a process and more swings and roundabouts. Sometimes I’ll write three songs in a month, and then I’ll go a couple of months without writing. So, ‘process’ seems super fancy for what it is because it just happens when it happens.
Jodie: What inspires you?
Ed: This is a hard thing to answer, and maybe it’s a shitty answer – but, we live in West Melbourne – I use a lot of locations in my song-writing. I just try to make them as honest as possible. 90% of the songs are things that have happened to me personally, and a lot of them are first person. I know that’s not everybody’s jam. You know, I try to recall things that maybe at the time didn’t seem super interesting or super relevant, and to try and make a story out of them, or to make something significant out of them – it’s kind of like a bit of a challenge that I undertake sometimes. You know? To make a story out of something that someone who was involved in the story, could then hear in a song, and going, “That’s kind of cool, that this passing moment is now captured.”
Jodie: That’s really cool, yeah. They can listen back and go, “Oh, I remember that.” Then it’s something for them as well, like a photographed moment for them.
Ed: Yeah. Unless it’s something they hated, and then it’s awkward. But it’s my way, it’s like a journal essentially. That’s the most simple way of putting it.
Jodie: That’s really great. I was watching your video clip with the beer that you’re passing around. I thought, that’s a great marathon. It’s very creative clip, I like it a lot.
Ed: We’re pretty happy with how that one turned out, truth be told. It was fun to make. We were very lucky to have Tom, who made that video. He’s a good friend of ours, and he works with visual media. He just absolutely knocked it out of the park. Because we just said to him, “The song is called Teamwork. The idea is passing a beer around.” And he’s like, “Yep, sweet” then just ran with it, and wrote the whole story, and did it all. So, we got pretty lucky.
Jodie: It was such a good relay, and I like that there was just so many different demographics of people.
Ed: Yeah, well my mum’s in it. One of my friends, both his grandparents are it. My dog’s in it. It has a fair bit going in.
Jodie: I liked it a lot, it was very clever. It’s like an extended Vine.
Ed: Thank you.
Jodie: So, you released your EP Yankee Flat last year. What else do you guys have going on at the moment?
Ed: In November we recorded our first album, which is very exciting for us. I’ve never made an album in any band I’ve been in, so that’s exciting. That’s all sonically done, it’s being mixed and mastered – it’s sitting on my laptop. So, we’ve just got to tick a few more boxes before we let it out, which is good. It’s one of those things where we’ve been sitting on these songs for so long, that we would just love it to be out tomorrow. But, there’s a few little processes we’ve got to go through, but yeah, it is done. It’s sitting there, it’s nine tracks, and we’re very happy with it.
Jodie: That’s good. So, once you’ve got your few boxes ticked, you’ll go on tour?
Ed: Yeah. We’re playing in Adelaide at Uncle Mum’s show with Squid Fishing in April. We’re really happy to have been asked to come across and play some shows. I’m thinking we’ll probably try and add a few more tour dates around that, it just kind of makes sense. You know, if we’re jumping in the car and going across the state, we may as well try and play a few more spots.
Jodie: When you travel around, what’s one of the things that you ideally like to take with you?
Ed: Oh, gee. That’s a good bloody question. You know, I don’t know if, aside from the van itself, I’ve taken anything and been like, “Oh, I can’t live without this.” The first time we toured, we forgot to take a drum kit – well we didn’t forget to take a drum kit – we were told that there would be drum kits at the three shows we were playing, and there were for two of them. But, for the third show, it was a bit of scramble to get a kit on the night. It was a bit stressful. So, then the next time, we absolutely took a drum kit. Despite again being told that we didn’t need to. So, I guess a drum kit. As stupid as that sounds, there’s no way we’ll go without that again.
Jodie: Sounds like a necessity.
Ed: Absolutely no-one wants to hear us acoustic.
Jodie: Is there anyone that you guys love playing with, when you’re out and about?
Ed: Yeah, we played a few shows with Self Talk, who are also from Melbourne. We loved playing with that crew. I think they’re bloody excellent. Yeah, so we played a venue, we played a few shows with those guys. I’m actually wearing their t-shirt at work today, so there you go.
Jodie: And what do you guys like to do, rehearsal wise?
Ed: It’s pretty sporadic at the moment. Will, who plays bass, is living up at the house in Wye River, that we recorded the first EP at. So, he’s kind of buggered off for a month or two. So, it’s been pretty lacklustre on the musical front for a bit. That’s actually one of the reasons that we’re taking a bit of time with this record, making sure that we do everything right. We get pretty dedicated when we have something coming up though, we’ll play a couple of times a week.
Jodie: How would you say your band has evolved since you first started playing together?
Ed: Oh, hugely, I think. When we went to record that first EP, we were vaguely going up to record my solo EP. Because the boys in the band are my three best friends, so I asked them to come up and be the backing band for this EP. Then, kind of by the time we left, we decided that we were a band. So, I think it’s really different, this record that’s about to come out, compared to that first EP. The first EP does kind of sound like a bunch of people playing my songs, whereas I think we truly sound like a band now, especially on these songs that haven’t come out. I feel much more like 25% of the band, than I probably did two or three years ago when I was just saying, “Here’s a song, learn your part, let’s record, here we go.” So, it’s definitely evolved in that sense. They are much more gifted musically than I am, and so they can kind of take songs to places that I wouldn’t have taken them. I don’t know if maybe they wouldn’t have suggested that a few years ago, when it felt more like my thing. Or, we just didn’t have that connection. I absolutely feel like a band now, and I absolutely feel like I sound like 25% of it. So, I think it’s evolved in that sense.
Jodie: That’s awesome. So, what would you say would be the song that you resonate most with?
Ed: Well, one that’s out – we love playing Shapes, which is the one that Will and Luke start with.
There’s something really nice about, like the two of them starting on bass on drums. Sean and I, the two guys that sing and play guitar, we just kind of take a back seat for that 30 seconds or so. I really like that, it feels like, I mean, we have a whole bunch of songs where we all start together, but it’s nice that they’re starting that one, and playing that one alone.
Jodie: What would be one of the biggest challenges to being in a band, would you say?
Ed: Logistics, for sure. It’s hard to organise four people. It’s hard to organise myself, let alone three other people. It’s like trying to herd cats. It’s bloody difficult when nobody has anything on. So, as soon as someone has other commitments, it’s just a goddamn nightmare.
Jodie: Yep, like trying to get kids out of a house.
Ed: Yeah, pretty much. Also, all the music gear is really heavy, that’s a real pain in the arse. And stairs. Oh god the stairs. That’s the hardest part about being in the band.
Jodie: Yeah. That’s why the more famous you are, you get a roadie.
Ed: Yeah, holy shit that’s the dream. I think that’ll always be the dream. Not for any fiscal reasons or fame reasons, but just to have someone carry the amp. Holy shit.
Jodie: That’s probably the only reason why you’d want to get famous, really. That and fans.
Ed: Constant designated driver, constant amp lifter. Sweet mother of pearl, sounds like the dream.
Jodie: So, yeah, what other questions do I have? I was going to ask, what would be the ultimate direction of the band? But I would say now, probably getting a roadie?
Ed: Nah. I don’t know. One of the things that we have in our corner, is longevity. We’re such good friends, and we all really enjoy playing music, and playing music with one another, that I don’t think we’re going to stop playing for any reason. So, we’re not in a rush to hit any particular targets. We don’t have a to-do list on the wall, of career goals. We’re just going to keep making music, and keep playing music, for as long as we possibly can. As far as this thing takes us. I think, while there’s not necessarily a certain goal, there’s nothing stopping us from rolling on for a while.
Jodie: Yep. Do you have any advice for people wanting to start their own bands?
Ed: Just do it, absolutely do it. I was talking to somebody that I work with at a party on Saturday night, and he’s like, “I want to start band, but what do you do?” I’m like, “I don’t know, you just do it.” There’s no set way to do it. But, I think it’s the best thing that anyone can do with their time, I think it should be almost a rite of passage to start a band, and go and play power chords all together.
Jodie: OK, last question – If you had to describe your band in food form, what would it be and why?
Ed: I’m going to say a burrito, that’s because I love burritos. I love being in this band. You get your different types. There are spicy burritos, vegetarian, meat. We play slow, we play fast. I’m not saying those two things are directly related to burritos necessarily, but there’s a framework. It’s like a sandwich. You say your favourite food is a sandwich and it’s open to interpretation, because you can put whatever you want in it. We’ve got a lot of slow songs, we’ve got a lot of fast songs. We’ve got talking songs, and yelling songs. I feel like there’s some variety there, I’m thinking burrito over sandwich because of my own personal taste.
Jodie: Burritos are pretty awesome.
Ed: Burritos rule. If you’ve got five bucks in your bank account, you can still eat burritos at home for a week. Which I do, I’m not proud of that, but I do it.
Jodie: You’d be really hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t like a burrito, and you’re right, you could make burritos and then eat the leftovers for days.
Ed: Oh, could you ever. You absolutely could.
Jodie: So, thank you so much, Ed, for your time. It’s been awesome to talk to you. Looking forward to your new album.
Ed: In two shakes of a lambs tail! We don’t know exactly when, so I just keep saying that it’s coming out soon.
Check out Mount Defiance in Adelaide in April with Squid Fishing and more, and in Melbourne at FolkaMania 2018.
Interview by Jodie Lyons
Pictures by Emily Newbold
Ragged Press 
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