Richard In Your Mind

"We’ll go fishing after finishing. I don’t get to go fishing enough because I live so far away and they go really early. But I’ll figure it out. Because I like fishing too; I get jealous sometimes when I hear about them going fishing.” Richard Cartwright and bandmate Conrad Richters chuckle.

The pair are sitting down with The Music to talk about releasing their latest “least chill” record, Ponderosa, and its east coast launch tour. “I just missed a call from Pat [Torres, drums] and hopefully we’re getting Richard In Your Mind king-size rolling papers made,” says Cartwight. “That better happen. I think it will happen.”

Arriving separately, Cartwright and Richters hug each other tight before sitting down on the couch. When Richters is trying to describe the album writing process as ‘piecemeal’ he says “piecemail’: “We’re both peace males!” Cartwright declares. The conversation is at times derailed by stories of nicking electric organs off the street and writing heavy metal albums in the Blue Mountains; and often Cartwright starts singing guitar parts to illustrate his point, or excitedly telling Richters about a new track he’s working on.

You could say they’re pretty good friends: for confirmation, just check out the kitsch ‘80s sitcom homage film clip for their single Hammered, as produced by part-time RIYM member Brent Griffin aka Spod. As well as Torres, Cartwright and Richters, it features their two new bandmates: Richie Cuthbert on guitar and Joe Muller on bass. Guitarist Jordy Lane left the group to “take time out from music”. Richters explains: “He’s still one of our best friends though. Him and Pat go fishing all the time and stuff. So Jordy’s now a fisherman. We’re not even making this up. He’s actually replaced music with fishing.”

"We’re not even making this up. He’s actually replaced music with fishing.”

Richard In Your Mind recorded Ponderosa in the Blue Mountains; not in the middle of nowhere, but somewhere with crap reception and waterfalls within walking distance. But because the Mountains environment produced that metal album as well, they don’t think the setting’s why the record sounds the way it does. “Maybe it’s too quiet,” Cartwight suggests.

“A few people have said [the album]’s chill,” says Richters. “And I thought we’d finally released a kind of exciting upbeat record with some chill moments on it, but maybe it’s just more of the same. I like it though, it’s my favourite, I think it’s the best thing we’ve done.”

Richters admits that they weren’t “trying to be perfect”. Instead the record’s a collection of “pretty crazy songs” they love. At the end of our interview, Cartwright and Richters hug us goodbye and wander off down the street.