Q&A: meet Creature Fear, a band we can’t wait to see live
Melbourne band Creature Fear have dropped a hypnotic new track in Big Summer Eyes that boasts a modern approach to indie rock music. Big Summer Eyes feels like this super stripped back track that introduces you to this beautiful sense of vulnerability from the group. The song grows in stature and delivers the perfect new track you’ve been looking to add to your road trip playlist.
What we love most about these dudes and dudettes is their ability to own originality while drawing on old school techniques and methods. Creature Fear don’t like to box themselves in to just one sound or style of music. Defying confinement they draw on a Garage rock vibe with 50’s and 60’s influences while each adding their own personal flair to their sound. Can confirm, huge mood.
We caught up with the group to chat about their new track, late night snacks and who’s the funniest in the band.
Check out all the feels below:
Heya guys! Can you tell me a little bit about how Creature Fear came to be?
Cam: Jacqui and I met at uni on an orientation day after moving to Melbourne from Warrnambool and Wagga respectively, and we left the orientation early and went to a local music shop and played each other some songs. I think we decided to start a band there and then.
Larni: I went to Jacqui and Cam's first acoustic gig at the Espy when we were at uni together. I absolutely loved the songs and became a fangirl of the OG band and went to multiple Creature gigs. When they broke up for a while, I thought it was such a shame!! Then I landed in a uni group ensemble with Cam, and we got to know each other better and started jamming things. When Cam told me he wanted to start the band again and asked me to join (Gus wasn't available), I was stoked!!
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
Larni: Omg, I just call it Cammy music now. It's so diverse; there's no formula or genre confinement. Jacqui and Cam's vocals are so distinct and unique and contribute to the bands signature sound. The rest of us add our own influence and musical style as well.
Cam: I'd describe our sound as very diverse, my biggest inspiration is classic 60s rock and roll music, but I'm not sure our sound always reflects that.
Jason: This is always a hard one because we cover so many genres and sounds. Big Summer Eyes is a testament to that. I always default to Garage Rock with lots of 50's and 60's influences (Beatles and The Rolling Stones). That is a sort of a generalisation because we do a lot more than just that.
Big Summer Eyes is a mood X10 it's so soft and vulnerable, can you tell me about how it was created?
Cam: It's a song I wrote that came out of nowhere after getting frustrated that some other ideas I was working on weren't shaping into anything good. All the melodies came at the same time for the verses and chorus and coda thing which is rare, usually, I sort of scratch away at each part of the song over a few days or weeks to make sure there aren't any better ideas out there, but this one just felt complete and right.
What's it like having to make band decisions, is there one final decision overlord or is it always a group consensus?
Larni: Hmm we sort of just discuss things until we reach a resolution or agreement I guess??
Cam: Larni is lying, she is the band overlord.
What's your favourite thing about performing live, and where was your favourite performance?
Jason: My favourite part of performing live is being able to just let go of everything and transform into my performing state. I consider myself quite the introvert and can come off as shy, however when I get on stage, I am a totally different person. I have even been told that I come off as "cocky" sometimes, all in good fun hey? We've been lucky enough to play some AMAZING shows in recent times. I consider our performances at St. Kilda Fest and Beyond the Valley to be quite special. However, I think our Baby Love Me single launch was probably our best gig to date.
Larni: Hmm I'd say just the energy and clear conversion it makes to people who are new to us! It always just gives instant gratification for us insecure artists whenever we feel doubtful about ourselves. When you see people turning up and dancing, it's really the most reassuring thing! Honestly, nothing compares to a live show, you know it's a good one when you come off stage buzzing with the dopamine rush and can't go to sleep when you get home cos you're still all hyped up! My favourite performance would have to be I think the Yah Yahs Baby Love Me launch. That was a good time.
Tell me about this animation for Little Fishes!! Surely that wasn't a quick process?
Jason: Well thanks to COVID we weren't exactly able to shoot music videos for the singles we released earlier this year. I had the idea to do an animated video for our first single of the year, Barely Alive. I remember even sharing the Take on Me – a-ha video to the guys as inspiration. Unfortunately, that didn't go through, but then with Little Fishes I persisted in my idea again, and somehow Amy Pollock and our band mate Cam were able to create the masterpiece that is the Little Fishes video.
Cam: Amy and I got it done in a week, it was when all the COVID numbers were exploding in Melbourne, so it was a welcome distraction. Neither of us had ever done anything like it before, so it was a lot of trial and error. It took 50-60 hours. We didn't know what to do with ourselves when it was over.
It's late, you've been jamming and writing for hours, you're starting to get hungry, what're we ordering?
Larni: Umm lately my go-to would be Pad Thai or Veggie Bar Mi Goreng noodles.
Cam: Larni doesn't let us order when we practice, she does not allow breaks.
You each get one vote for the funniest band member, who is it and why?
Larni: Jack Stephens. He is the band clown. He is like the archetype of the ideal boyfriend. Whenever he's with someone's parents, he always bonds so well with them by constantly making jokes and charming them. Cam is funny too, but in a weird awkward, explicit, cringe way.
What's on the horizon for you guys, what can we expect in 2021?
Larni: I think given the huge disruption we've all had this year, we're just taking things one step at a time. We've got one gig confirmed, which is the first step and feels so significant after such a long break! We're so keen to get back on the gigging circuit again.
Cam: We have our debut EP coming out, which is very exciting! Hopefully, lots of shows and maybe get into the studio again at the end of the year if we're lucky, we have a lot of new material we are very excited about.
Omg @Larni let them eat! Sustenance is essential to live and therefore hence creating some killer new jams. But in all seriousness food or not these guys are creating a huge vibe and from what we’ve heard, they turn up and deliver a killer live performance.
Check out their new track below or head to our I’m, So Indie You 🌞 playlist to hear more smooth songs like this one.
By Samuel Seedsman.