Partners In Sound

Thomas Calder released his debut EP, Bleeders – a completely solo endeavour – under the moniker The Trouble With Templeton in 2011. Last year however saw the permanent installation of a full band. Many artists might struggle with the obligation to release the creative reins after doing it solo for so long, but Calder believes it was something that needed to happen and admits, “We all have a good work ethic and a good understanding of each other. I think the one thing that makes us work so well is that we all have this huge respect for one another and what we do.  I definitely have a lot of respect for the other guys and I know I can't contribute what they do in terms of refurbishments, so I really cherish them for that.”

The band have been on what many would deem a whirlwind of success this year, having travelled overseas to take part in the annual SXSW Festival in Austin, picking up touring agents in Canada and the US along the way, and now coming home to the highly successful release of their debut album, Rookie.

“We had half finished the record before we went overseas,” Calder recalls, “and the trip gave us some space from the songs to be able to see what they needed differently. I think the experience [overseas] was mostly about building relationships; we got a lot closer and a lot better at being a band. There were times when it was terrible, like when we were at SXSW the stages and the sound could be awful,  but you just have to work with each other and make the best of a bad situation.”

While the band has changed dramatically in terms of structure, the same could be said for their sound, as demonstrated by the many experimental elements found in Rookie. “Experimentation is sort of part and parcel of the way we do things. I never want to be able to predict myself or remain in any one sort of type of music, one type of genre or one type of song structure. I think it's important to push yourself, find new ground and ultimately try and produce something new. It also had a lot to do with where I'm at as a person. When I was making Bleeders I felt like I had to get a whole lot of stuff out that was directly from me, and that was natural. Then I think because I had already exercised that muscle, it allowed me the freedom to explore other things for this album. The idea of exploring different perspectives is sort of where I'm at in my life at the moment. There's always an honesty about it though, a feeling that's at the heart of it that comes from me. It's just that in this record it came through in a much less literal way than Bleeders.”

With different perspectives and emotional journeys at the centre of Rookie, Calder found this style of songwriting actually helped him to reflect on himself. “It's like me trying to understand a feeling or something I may not have experienced, it's stepping into the shoes of someone else that might be older than me, or a different character – they might be at a completely different place in their life and I think it's interesting because I guess what you're looking for is some sort of insight to that. It helps you see where some people are coming from, and it helps you understand yourself sometimes. It's very liberating, very fun.”

Added to the team this time around was production mogul Matt Redlich (Emma Louise, Ball Park Music), who Calder believes was a blessing for the album. “I can be very controlling – not in a negative way, but I know what I want a lot of the time and I think Matt is the perfect person for us to have worked with. He pushed us to do a whole bunch of things that we'd never done before and I think we influenced each other – there's an equal respect, which is important. Obviously Matt is a lot more experienced than us in terms of studio production, but there was never any sense of hierarchy, or him feeling like he knew more than us; he was always willing to go in our direction. He's like another member of the band.”

With the album now released, Calder admits the band are excited to get out on the road in Australia again, and particularly keen to be a part of Brisbane's BigSound program. “For us, the biggest indication of interest is when we're playing and people come to the shows. There's a lot of support back here, and the fan base seems to be growing, which is great.”