The Spiders Return

Out of all the bands that came to national prominence in the indie explosion of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Spiderbait were perhaps the most unlikely success story. For one they didn’t come from the fertile scenes brewing in both Sydney and Melbourne – their home was the tiny Riverina town of Finley. Second, and perhaps most importantly, their sound was utterly unique. Part-pop, part-punk with a healthy dose of electronica and hard rock to boot, the trio was the most original act of their age not named Primus. Usually acts that defy pigeonholing die a quick commercial death. But not Spiderbait, whose popularity grew with every release. Maher is quick to admit that although Spiderbait’s path wasn’t an easy one – isolation did help them develop their unique sound.

“As lazy as we can be sometimes we didn’t put out a self-titled record just because we couldn’t think up a name”

“Growing up where we did there was nothing in terms of a scene,” he explains. “We actually pre-date triple j so there wasn’t even that to keep us connected. All we actually had at the beginning was Rage. I remember watching clips from Midnight Oil, AC/DC, The Go-Betweens and The Smiths – a lot of indie stuff that wasn’t on mainstream radio in Australia. It wasn’t until we got to Melbourne and discovered bands like The Hard-Ons and The Meanies – this whole alternative punk rock scene. At least now country Australia has triple j and can be plugged into the different things going on in the big cities.

“But in a sense our isolation made us what we are. Because there was no triple j, for example, there was no emphasis on ‘We need to get played on this station.’ We had no aspirations beyond playing a few gigs because we simply didn’t think we were going to go anywhere. On top of this, as a country town band you are forced to hack together what you can to entertain yourself. In a way it was a really great place to be innovative. Elsewhere people think of themselves as a ‘New York kid’ or a ‘Fitzroy kid’ – wherever they may be they identify with what’s going on around them musically. Because we came from Finley, the back end of nowhere, we had a clean canvas to do whatever we wanted. When we finally ended up in a big city we just kept that attitude instead of trying to emulate other bands from the past. We figured if people like it they like it – and that was it.”

Late last year, Spiderbait returned from a long period of inactivity with a brand new LP simply titled Spiderbait; it was nothing short of a statement of intent.

“As lazy as we can be sometimes we didn’t put out a self-titled record just because we couldn’t think up a name,” laughs Maher. “I’ve got to say our producer François [Tetaz] had a lot to do with the decision to call the record Spiderbait. That name was always up there but when we asked François what he thought, he pointed out that the album was like a retrospective of the band – but in the form of all new material. And he was right – this is a record about our band and nothing says it better than the band’s name. We’ve been known in the past for all these long album and song titles but for this one, because it represented a creative rejuvenation for us, the simple title works really well. Musically, there’s no real bells or whistles here – it’s just about us and being honest about who we are.”

"This will sound a bit cheesy but the gig was really spiritual – with everyone singing along to every word."

As for their future plans Maher is somewhat cagey. Currently the band is selling out venues across the nation but they’re refusing to lay out a grand master plan. “We tend to live in the present these days more than thinking hard about the future. So beyond the upcoming tour we just don’t know – we’re trying to enjoy the moment.”

Maher himself is definitely enjoying the here and now. During the recent World Cup he took part in a unique Australian music experiment staged in Brazil.

“In the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 Powderfinger went over to play and had a fantastic time. Obviously they’re not together anymore and couldn’t do it again, but when the Aussie supporters club asked Darren [Middleton] whether something could be arranged he put together a supergroup that included ourselves, Davey [Lane] from You Am I and Mark [Wilson] from Jet. We put together a set of Australian classics and played for the fans over there. This will sound a bit cheesy but the gig was really spiritual – with everyone singing along to every word. It was an amazing experience – especially when we did a Masters Apprentices song called Because I Love You – and there was a tear in every eye in the house. It was beautiful.”