School-ed Of Rock

Although The Delta Riggs haven't been plying their wares for too long (they played their first show in 2010), they have certainly carved out an iconic path. Having sequestered themselves out into the countryside for a wild few months that brought about two EPs and some national acclaim, the band has seen the highs and lows of pouring blood, sweat and tears into the art of rock. Bassist Michael “Monty” Tramonte admits that the slow build-up of The Delta Riggs' fanbase has helped them to stay focused on the realities of being a musician whilst crystallising their future direction.

“It's been polarising,” Tramonte drawls laconically. “We have been a band for such a short time; we all grew up in Queensland so we started playing shows there, then to move it was like starting all over again. We seem like we've been a band for ages only because we know each other so well. We live in each other's pockets – we drive together to shows in Albury or to a residency show in Melbourne – it ties you together and yet tests the relationship. You do all that and then play a good show to no one, or to a whole bunch of people who quite clearly couldn't give a fuck if you were there or not, and then you'd go back to living together. It became this manic fun time but it could have fallen apart so easily. It's good to have had it so early and come out the other side though, because now it's built the foundations to the point that now with some of the band living in Melbourne, as soon as we get together to practice or play it's immediately locked in, it's second nature. It helped us tenfold to progress quickly; rather than be hurt or pissed off it all holds a great degree of sense.”

Debut record, Hex.Lover.Killer, comes after the one-two punch of the two Talupo Mountain Music EPs, recorded over two sessions out at Peats Ridge. The eye-catching moniker for their first foray into full-length album territory is something that Tramonte attests encompasses the themes and sounds that pervade the recordings.

“It's funny, because there is a lot of darkness throughout the album, but a lot of the songs are about love, in a weird kind of way. Elliott [Hammond – vocals/keys] came up with Hex.Lover.Killer one night, as we were all throwing out possible album titles, and that one truly struck. 'Hex Lover' sounds like 'ex-lover', and there are a lot of references to failed love, and the pun works well with what we are trying to get across with the music. Each word then symbolises a theme content-wise, as well as gives an insight to what it sounds like too. There is nothing too deep about us or the album; it's something that resonates with all of us.”

The process revolving around the recordings of the EPs involved as much myth and debauchery as it did producing music, yet it all informed the slightly unhinged undertone to the songs that proved to fortify The Delta Riggs. The approach to Hex.Lover.Killer wasn't an about-turn insofar as there was more clarity about where the band wanted to head.

“There wasn't any conscious effort to write in a particular way,” Tramonte attests. “We have always had a similar taste in music – there's the hip hop element like N*E*R*D, as well as vintage punk and 1970s old rock… there are so many influences anyway that it all informs itself. A few of those songs have been around for three or more years – since before the Talupo Mountain Music times – yet when the four of us came at them again this time they naturally fleshed out to what they are now. In that regard there is perpetual changes – we have the harder punk rock that saw out much of the EPs, then there is some soul creeping in there… Everything that we are influenced by and listen to, we cram into one album, and we are comfortable with that. It makes for a more interesting sound, and nothing dictates where we are going to head next.”

The band has going from strength to strength, which has also shown in the level of shows they have managed to pull together. Having scored support slots for the likes of Divine Fits, Primal Scream and The Jim Jones Revue has allowed The Delta Riggs to access a cross-section of discerning music lovers and systematically melt their faces off. The seemingly disparate shows have taught Tramonte and the boys a great deal about how to come together as a tour de force live performance.

“We had spent the best part of a year playing and touring up and around regional areas, to earn our stripes so to speak, and it feels like we are reaping the rewards of that. We had gotten so used to playing to no one that it really helped to galvanise us. We played to five people in Albury one time. We did so much of that shit and it didn't knock us out, although we don't really talk about those shows anymore. The cliché stood, the hard work was paying off. Triple j started pushing us more, and the EPs did fairly well, then we started being offered shows. The Primal Scream shows were fucking amazing. Just playing The Tivoli, The Enmore, The Palace in Melbourne, playing to an old British rock crowd that still fit well with us, and the Primal Scream guys were all lovely guys who just love playing music. Bobby Gillespie just floats around drinking coconut water, all dainty and fragile but also super friendly, a true legend. It helped to make sense of what we are trying to do as musicians.” 

The opposite to that was the Divine Fits support, which saw the swampy rock miscreants opening for two of the twenty-first century's premiere indie rock songsmiths, Britt Daniel and Dan Boeckner. Tramonte still found room to learn amongst the awestruck bouts of nerves.

“I have been a massive Spoon fan since forever, so it was certainly daunting,” Tramonte laughs. “That was amongst the Laneway Festival run, so there were times for us to breathe in between the sideshows. To play with Britt Daniel, I was so stoked. He was really nice, and the show at The Corner in Melbourne was one of our best. I think we can fit alongside anyone – some people say we're a blues band, other people think we are a hard rock'n'roll band. We have learnt to slot alongside anyone, without a true shape of what we are I guess, and that avoiding of pigeonholing is really important. Jim Jones and Divine Fits – you don't get much more polarising, yet we came out the other side pretty well intact I think.”

The Delta Riggs will be playing the following dates:

Thursday 11 April – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane 
Friday 12 April – Beach Hotel, Byron Bay 
Friday 19 April – Cats @ Rocket Bar, Adelaide 
Saturday 20 April – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne 
Friday 26 April – Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale 
Saturday 27 April – Goodgod Small Club, Sydney 
Sunday 28 April – Waves Nightclub, Wollongong