Pitch Perfect

It's a hybrid that has existed since day one, you know? The MC5 used to cover James Brown songs and there was a whole British invasion based on playing R&B too, so it's been around for a long time,” so explains The Perfections' main man Fabian Pisani on the combination of soul, R&B and rock'n'roll. He's right too. Ever since (and even before) a young Lennon and McCartney fell in love with the tunes blasting from across the pond and shoehorned the sound into the mainstream, the marriage has been a blissful union. A new formula it may not be, but this Melbourne-based six-piece have spent the last two years perfecting their own unique take on this classic genre fusion.

Forming as a result of Pisani's obsession with northern soul, the various members of The Perfections came together from a wide range of scenes and genres. “Everyone has played all sorts of stuff,” he says. “Shane [French, drums] played in some folk bands and played some rock music back in the day. The two horn players [Matt Bird and Ben Street] had done some pretty diverse stuff – funk, reggae and Afrobeat. Primarily the rhythm section is that of a rock band. We're not trained or anything like that.”

From this connection of influences, ideas were exchanged and patience was exercised. Very much the leading light, Pisani began collaborating with singer Christina Arnold on songs and structures, leading to the covers and originals that make up The Perfections' formidable live show (the line-up is completed by bassist Voytek Lapinski. “I had an idea that I wanted the band to play Northern soul R&B with a strong rock'n'roll sense about it, rather than a smooth studio produced thing,” Pisani details. “After that it was about finding some mates that were prepared to give it a go. I pulled together a whole bunch of obscure records that I liked and we started learning to play those. I don't think we really played a gig for about a year – so it took a really long time to hone the sound. We really wanted to retain that energy level involved in rock'n'roll.”

When the time came to record their debut self-titled EP, a no-frills approach was key for Pisani and his band. In fact, it seems the recording itself was something of a necessary evil for The Perfections – a document of their rollicking live show more than a complicated studio statement. “Primarily we just formed as a live band to play gigs but it was getting to the point where it was embarrassing that we didn't have a record out,” he laughs. “A lot of people would be asking about it so we just really picked a few songs and recorded them. We tracked everything live as we don't really want to mess with the feel too much. As a recording it's a lot cleaner and a lot more harmonic than a live show, but it's a nice document. You can put it on and play it to your aunty or your grandmother and it's cool.”

Timing is everything in music and, as a soul-influenced band, The Perfections couldn't have chosen a better time to emerge into the Melbourne scene. Bands such as Saskwatch and The Cactus Channel are paving the way for an emerging soul culture in the city. “Everyone is very different and doing different things. We've got this rock'n'roll thing, the others have this element of funk – maybe more modern-sounding soul. There's about a million micro genres of rock out there and people will very easily find distinctions there but there's only maybe a dozen of us playing soul and each band is so different. I think it's great. I love soul music so I think it's fantastic.”

The Perfections will be playing the following dates:

 Saturday 15 December - The Grace Darling, Melbourne VIC