Boys head back to Falls
DOWN a member but with a new album in the works, Boy & Bear’s so-called holiday has been anything but.
The rising folk rockers, who will play at Lorne’s Falls Festival this year, arrived home last month after touring Europe’s summer festival season, and almost immediately began working on a follow- up to their awardwinning debut record, Moonfire.
Then bassist Jake Tarasenko walked away to pursue other interests.
Killian Gavin, on vocals and guitar, said it was unfortunate but not unexpected.
‘‘ He had always spoken about not doing it for the long run, and it just sort of came to the point where it felt right for him,’’ he said.
Gavin said it was too soon to start looking for a replacement but that the band would choose carefully.
‘‘ Bringing someone in is really, really hard. We spend so much time together, sharing bedrooms for nine or 10 months a year, so we want to make sure we get along,’’ he said.
In the meantime, the band has headed ‘‘ out into the sticks’’ in NSW so they can work on their new album ‘‘ without p--- ing off the neighbours’’.
‘‘We’re aiming to make a record that sounds old,’’ Gavin said.
‘‘We’re looking to go a bit more ’70s pop . . . Fleetwood Mac. We want to make it about a band in a room playing a song . . . hopefully it turns out like we have envisaged.’’
He said the band had already worked on about eight songs, and hoped to write another eight or nine in time for a mid-2013 release.
Gavin said it was ‘‘nice to indulge in this headspace’’ after a hectic touring schedule for their first album, for which they won five ARIAs.
‘‘I’m definitely enjoying not doing shows, not because I don’t like doing them but be- cause it’s exciting to be writing new music again.’’
The band doesn’t have another gig scheduled until New Year’s Falls Festival, where they first appeared two years ago.
‘‘Last time we played at about 11am, so I figure we’ll be on a bit later than that this time,’’ said Gavin.
‘‘It’d be ideal just to write and record for six months, but when Falls comes around, I’ll be excited . . . it’s going to be really fun.’’