Loony Tunes

If Loon Lake's music sounds familiar, it's because it probably is. Nescafe, Holden and Parks Victoria have all picked up the band's music and used it in their recent advertising campaigns. It's a perfect fit. The music is catchy without being irritating. It's young and vibrant and contains a certain Australian-ness to the sound. “I know of a few people who have found out about us because of the commercials,” says bass player Tim Lowe. “It definitely helps. The wider the audience you get to, the better.”

Capitalising on their newfound fan base, earlier this month the band released their second EP, slowly revealing it to the world one song at a time. “We did it over six weeks and gave away a track a week for free on our website,” says Lowe. “We worked with a producer called Tony Buchen. That was really good for us because it was the first time we'd worked with a producer. Just to have someone else's input and someone to push us really progressed the sounds on the EP.”

A band of brothers plus two close friends, Lowe wouldn't be condemned for feeling pushed and on the outer. On the contrary however, he believes being in a quintet, with three of those relatives, creates a dynamic that's both fulfilling and challenging, especially in the studio. “I think it works really well. No one holds any grudges and you can tell someone it sucks and they'll just get over it. We're all good mates so it's easy.”

Their openness has worked. Their EP, titled Thirty Three, is full of pop gems, with what could easily be six stand-alone singles. Lowe says that wasn't necessarily the intention. “The way Sam writes is that the melody and hooks are pretty poppy and radio friendly. It wasn't a conscious decision to make them all sound like singles but I guess it just turned out that way.”

Formed little more than three years ago, it's no surprise their songs were instantly picked up by radio. Taking out triple j's BIGSOUND competition, an initiative from Unearthed, their prize included an industry showcase gig in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. For a garage band, it was a huge step forward and steamrolled their opportunities. “We'd been jamming for a couple of months and decided to do a few demos, so we put them up on the website. Then triple j contacted us to say we had won the competition.” Such opportunities included playing at the Big Day Out, Groovin' The Moo, Pyramid Rock festival and supporting the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Cage The Elephant and Jebediah. “We learnt a fair bit by playing with Kaiser Chiefs and it really opened our eyes to how professional everything is. It was great to play those massive venues and gain some confidence playing big stages.”

Though their sound is certainly friendly for radio ears, their style has often been referred to as 'slacker-pop'. Lowe doesn't seem phased, viewing it as a compliment more than an insult. “We're pretty relaxed, laid-back guys,” he says. “We make music because we like it. We don't have many goals or anything like that; we do it because we want to have fun.” Along with 'slacker-pop' the band's style incorporates elements of surf, a sound far removed from their hometown of Wangaratta in country Victoria. “The other three guys, Dan, Sam and Simon all surf so they head down to the coast most weekends. We always love going to the beach in the summer, so I guess that comes out through the music.”

The band will launch Thirty Three this month with a national tour, with many of the shows already sold out. Suitably laid back, Lowe doesn't feel the pressure of playing capacity venues. “It's more exciting. It's relieving knowing people are going to show up.”