Life's Looking Smoother Than Ever Over At 'Rocky's Diner'

Anyone who's followed the career of firebrand Aussie rocker Sarah McLeod, from the mighty Superjesus, through the sojourn with Screaming Bikini, duets with Jeff Martin from The Tea Party, dalliances with electronic music and the various iterations of her solo career, would have noticed that she loves to shake things up, step out into left field on a regular basis and keep things interesting. For herself and her audience.

And this is very much set to continue, with the release of her new solo rock record Rocky's Diner and subsequent tour, which she is doing strictly as a two-piece. She is taking a drummer out on the road with her, and doing everything else, guitar, bass, vocals, samples, herself. All at once. It's a big responsibility and will require much concentration on her part, and she admits to feeling a little toey about it all as the tour gets closer.

"I'm excited, and a bit nervous, because it's a whole different set-up and a whole different way of playing than I've ever done in my life before," she says, while walking her dog in a Sydney park. "I'm trying something totally new, and I know it works because I've done it in the rehearsal room and recorded a whole bunch of songs live in the studio, but we've never actually played it in front of anyone.

"So until the first gig's out of the way, I'm probably going to feel a little bit jumpy, but it's exciting because it's different, and that's what's making me scared! One gig in and I'll be like 'yeah, cool!'"

So how does it work, and does it take much solo practice on your part? "Oh my god yes!" McLeod says without hesitation, "and normally I hate practising by myself, but I must. The bottom two strings are playing the bass but I'm still able to play the rest of the guitar, play all the majors and minors and all the clean fiddly bits, but still hold down the bass. It's a bit of a handful. It's kinda got this '60s vibe to the songs, a '60s Motown feel, but it's delivered with this really heavy twist. It's really cool, but it's weird."

Ultimately, the enthusiasm for this coming album and tour is veritably flowing out of her. "I'm more excited to play this show than any other show I've put together, ever in my life. I just want people to come and see it, tell me what they think and experience it with me."

McLeod realises that the multi-faceted nature of her projects and musical direction may have been an issue for some over the 20-plus years of her career and, looking back, simply puts it down to a short attention span and a proneness to boredom.

"I think that there were things that I could have done better," she admits, "there were years that I lost with a sea of confusion, because I jump a lot between musical styles. I get bored really quickly. In hindsight, it's probably better to stick with one thing and just get really good at it, but I can't help myself. I go off on tangents and I waste years doing different kinds of things in different countries, just because I get itchy feet. My brain is constantly searching for musical fulfilment, so I kiss a lot of frogs, so to speak."

She feels confident that those days may be in the past now, however. "I think I'm through with that now, I think I'm back to focusing again, I'm good. I've got that all out of my system."

So much so that she already has one eye set on the next step for this new project. "I feel comfortable in where I can take the next record," she says, "I've already got the next record planned, I know exactly what it should sound like, I know what new influences are going to come in to take it to the next level. Whereas before I was just flying song by song. But now I've got a plan, and I feel it's easier to control me!" She laughs.

Fans will be ecstatic to learn that McLeod's original, and probably still best known musical project, is now firmly back in her medium to long-term plans alongside her newest incarnation. "The Superjesus are really feeling comfortable again for me now, and we've started writing some new songs. So there'll be a new Superjesus album, and I think I'm just going to stick with these two projects, and beware of the moon. And I'll be just fine!" McLeod laughs again.

So don't expect a new Superjesus album to drop tomorrow, but it is most definitely on its way. "Yeah, we're hoping to get it out by the end of next year."