More Than Words

In the months leading up to the recent release of The Drones' sixth album I Sea Seaweed fans and pundits were caught in a rather novel predicament, both knowing essentially what to expect from the ever-reliable outfit but also somewhat in the dark as to where this new record might take them. Five years had passed since its predecessor, the critically-acclaimed Havilah, had hit the shelves and a lot had happened in the intervening period – frontman and creative lynchpin Gareth Liddiard had embarked on a successful solo campaign far more restrained than his usual band output, and drummer Mike Noga had also continued his burgeoning forays into the singer-songwriter realm. 

We'd also been gifted The Drones' A Thousand Mistakes live DVD, which alongside hours of typically incendiary live performances included a stripped-back component called the Fairfield Warehouse Session (which also scored a vinyl release), that found them revisiting some of the band's quieter moments and giving them an eclectic twist, notably abetted to great effect by touring keyboardist Steve Hesketh. Would this quieter aesthetic – itself so powerful – be reflected in the new Drones material or would it be a return to the much-loved noise behemoth of old? 

The answer is, as Grandpa Simpson once so wisely espoused, a little from column (a) and a little from column (b). I Sea Seaweed is an intense beast that wholly reflects the powerhouse nature of the early Drones output but tinged with a more reflective edge, in places reminiscent of Liddiard's Strange Tourist album but always wholly a Drones affair. Hesketh has stepped up to a full-time position and plays a major role throughout the record without noticeably changing the band's vibe, and overall it's up there with the strongest work of The Drones' venerated career. 

“I don't know,” Noga ponders when quizzed on whether their recent extra-curricular activities impacted on the new album. “Gaz writes the stuff obviously, and I know that during the break he was listening to lots of different music. There was lots of classical music and stuff like that, and he was trying to work out a way to fit in classical scales and scales from music from all around the world – not just your normal western civilisation A minor, G stuff. He was trying to work all of that into it and go for some classical arrangements – I know that influenced him quite a bit, and I reckon that he did quite a good job actually.

“If you listen to some parts of I Sea Seaweed, there's definitely some classical sounding stuff on there, especially the piano parts. Some people have told me that they reckon it sounds like Strange Tourist but with a band, but I don't know if I necessarily agree with that. I can hear it in some of the lyrics and stuff, definitely, but I can also certainly see the influences on him of what he's been listening to, and I think that he did a good job of slotting that into a 'rock band format'.”

Noga wholeheartedly agrees that the role that recording newcomer Hesketh played on I Sea Seaweed is integral to the album's sound, and that he's far surpassed his previous position of touring sidekick.

“He's a genius, and he's all over the record,” he revels. “In some ways it's his record – I reckon he's a huge feature. There's always that danger of bringing something like that in and it just sounding like you've just plopped some piano on top – 'Oh yeah, they've got a piano player in and just tried to use him as much as possible' – but I reckon what he's done on the record sounds like it's meant to be there, it just slots in perfectly. It sounds like he's part of the band and has been for a long time. I'm so happy for him and so happy with what he did – I reckon his parts are awesome, there's some amazing stuff on there. He's pretty much a member of the band so to speak now, certainly for this album and all the touring cycle and I'm sure for the next one too. He's become pretty indispensible. And he's such a lovely dude to hang around with too, which always helps.”

And although Liddiard is obviously responsible for bringing the songs to the band as well as being the band's live focal point, this time around he played an even greater role in the album's genesis, particularly its excellent sonics.

“Gaz tracked it all himself, so Burke [Reid – engineer] wasn't there for the actual recording,” Noga recalls. “He needs a medal of commendation – he was flat out trying to write the songs, mic everything up, run the fucking computer and then think about his own parts and his own lyrics. The poor guy probably almost had a mental breakdown, but he said, 'I know what to do' and he's really good at getting sounds and stuff. He tracked it all and Burke flew back from Canada to mix it for us. [Reid] did make it sound incredible as per usual, and he did encourage us to re-record a few things, which we bitched and moaned about but he was ultimately proved to be right. He's got a great ear and you've got to trust him – he made it all sound great.”

Noga has proved to be a dab hand as a lyricist himself during his recent solo forays – particularly on 2011's outstanding The Balladeer Hunter – and while he believes that Liddiard's dense narratives throughout I Sea Seaweed are typically powerful, they're not the sole crux of the album's undisputed excellence.

“They're my favourite I think that we've ever done,” he admits of the album's lyrical component. “There's a lot of words in there – so many words! He always astounds me, he just seems to be able to do it again and again. The lyrics on this album are incredible – there's some hilarious lines in there, some heartbreaking stuff too. It's Gaz, but it's Gaz coming from a slightly different angle, and I really, really like it. One aspect that people don't really mention that much though is how with say Jimi Hendrix everyone talks about how amazing his guitar playing is, but no one ever talks about his voice and his words – they're absolutely beautiful, but no one ever mentions it. With Gaz it's kinda like the opposite – people talk 

about his words heaps, but for me with this record the melodies and the music are absolutely beautiful, at times incredible. It's acknowledged a bit, but when I listen back to the album I just think, 'Man, these melodies are absolutely beautiful and really different – quirky but quite hummable at the same time'. So the words are great, but he's done an amazing job with the music as well.”

The Drones will be playing the following dates:

Thursday 11 April - Spotted Cow, Toowoomba QLD
Friday 12 April - The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD
Saturday 13 April - Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns QLD
Friday 19 April - Astor Theatre, Perth WA
Saturday 20 April - The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide SA
Friday 26 April - The Forum Theatre, Melbourne VIC
Saturday 27 April - Concert Hall, Opera House, Sydney NSW