Fifth Flight

Psych-shoegaze trio Flyying Colours are heading down the Hume Highway to play their first interstate gigs in NSW. After confirming that he isn't driving, Brodie J Brümmer explains they will soon release a four-track EP to follow their well-received single Wavygravy. Though the single is their only studio recording so far, when it's suggested Flyying Colours are predominantly a live band, Brümmer counters, “Not at all. It's just quite a time consuming thing and we're all perfectionists. If we're going to do a recording, you know, it's like building a house for the songs to live in forever – you wanna make sure you do a really good job and that you do it the right way, and also in a way that [you're] happy with. I think we are definitely quite a strong recording band as well; it's just a matter of spending the time in the studio.”

Flyying Colours' hazy sound is often likened to shoegaze pioneers My Bloody Valentine, and Brümmer is neither reluctant nor eager to distinguish the band from that particular comparison. “I can see why people would make that specific link to our music, particularly Wavygravy does lend itself to that kind of guitar sound. But, like, there's a shoegaze element – and a Britpop '90s element is very strong within our music... We're kinda like an instrumental pop group, which is a fundamental thing about shoegaze. But we all listen to everything from the '90s, like, we are all massive Nirvana fans and grunge fans and Sonic Youth fans.”

Flyying Colours are a hard-working band who perform frequently whenever possible. They've completed weekly residencies at the Espy and Cherry Bar so far this year, but Brümmer reckons that “more so than the residencies, I just prefer supporting really great bands – and of course putting on our own really big shows.” The band have played with several local outfits that Brümmer loves, and he singles out Warmth Crashes In, ESC, The Quivers and Baptism Of Uzi in particular. “We all love doing what we do, and you kind of make friends with the people around you making similar music, so we all just kind of play at one another's shows, we go to one another's shows – we all just love to play live. Everyone's making music at the same time and we're all doing it together, and the stronger the scene is in Melbourne the better. The more great bands that are playing, the more we'll get noticed.”

Joined by other local garage and psych bands, Flyying Colours will be performing at the Fifth Floor Secret Warehouse Party this weekend. “I'm really excited about it,” he says. “I don't know too much about it, I think it's all a bit of a secret. I think it's gonna be like some kind of psychedelic circus, with lots of people doing lots of different things, which I like because it seems like there are a lot of people collaborating. I just think it's going to be one big party with a lot of creative things going down; it should be heap of fun.”

The line-up will include local favourites The Murlocs, and Strangers From Now On (a highlight for Brümmer), as well as visual artists and projections. “I think it's just about having fun and celebrating all these awesome people that we have around in Melbourne. There's so many great bands, so many great artists – so it's great to celebrate that.”