Interview with August River Band: ‘The violin is very emotive and what sets us apart’

Brisbane-based, genre-fusing five-piece August River Band released their debut EP ‘Media’ earlier this month, chronicling stories of love, regret, and dismay at the state of the current media.

The band comprises Eev Ferreira (vocals), Gerard Kerr (drums), Gareth Mews (violin), Josh Kameus (double bass/bass) and Domonic Ward (acoustic guitar). Ferreira and Kerr are old friends, Ward and Mews went to school together and they met the others on the local music scene. Ferreira jokes of their name that ‘It was the first one we could agree on – after 15,000 names, it doesn’t matter anymore! Me and Lilly were born in August and we mention rivers in our songs.’

Hearing August River Band for the first time, you could be forgiven for thinking that Roy Orbison was back from the dead, fronting an unplugged Faith No More show with Stuart Copeland on drums. They create cinematic, dark tales full of imagery, with metal riffs played on acoustic guitars, soaring and swooning classical violin layers underpinned by heavy dub rock bass lines, harmonies and a heavy dose of poetic romance. Tightly arranged odd time signatures dissolve into soaring choruses which push the boundaries of genres, thanks to the wild and beautifully juxtaposed chemistry between the self-proclaimed tortured singer-songwriter, the classically trained violinist and the hard-hitting rock ‘n’ roll drummer.

‘Reflecting on your pride as a youth and realising its emptiness, sexual expression only reaches its peak when you are stripped of this youthful pride’

In March, they released their mesmerising single ‘Beautiful Hill’ from their six-track EP, a strings-infused ballad with poetically sensual lyrics underpinned by Ferreira’s beautiful, haunting voice. It’s a song about both pleasing your partner sexually yet being co-dependent on them. As the band puts it: ‘The chorus explores the emotions approaching sexual expression as an older person dealing with your own frailty and waning passions. Reflecting on your pride as a youth and realising its emptiness, sexual expression only reaches its peak when you are stripped of this youthful pride and this process brings so much learning.’

For Ferreira, who is South African, ‘a lot of the ideas have melded over time’: ‘I come with a song and ideas into this room (their practice room) and they bring their ideas to it. I don’t remember how the idea for ‘Beautiful Hill’ started but it was just a chorus for a long time.’ Mews jumps in: ‘I was pretty adamant we needed it to be bigger (laughs). It reminded me of ‘Iris’ by Goo Goo Dolls, I wanted it to be highly layered. We added violins and cellos and thickened it out.’

As the bridge goes: “Now in this room, my true desire, to be a god and set you on fire. I am this small. I am this small. I give my all, but not all.”

Ferreira says that he finds it easier to write something like “Media’ than ‘Beautiful Hill’: ‘A song like ‘Media’ is an assault on the world.’ It is, in the best possible way, with artwork depicting a burning newspaper and gives us an inkling as what’s to come: ‘I love it,’ Kerr said. ‘It’s emotive, it’s a mishmash. ‘Media’ is catchy and thought-provoking, a bit Duran Duran and 80’s (laughs). There are two major themes that Eev write about: relationships – the good, bad, ugly – and beauty and lessons learned. The influence of the media on us today, sometimes we think it controls us but actually we control it by what we read, it doesn’t dictate to us.’

As such ‘Media’, turns your expectations on their head; it’s heavier than ‘Beautiful Hill’, with a Split Enz/Midnight Oil feel: ‘I wanted to write a letter to the media to say: “You can determine the world we live in but in reality we create that world”,’ Ferreira said. ‘A lot of our songs have been a bit of experimentation, I was tired of playing the same chords over and over (laughs) and it evolved into what it is now. I’ve always wanted to simulate a party but sometimes chords and rhythms like that can make someone uncomfortable!’ Mews agrees: ‘The 7/8 time signature gives you a lilting sound,’ he said.

As the track kicks off: “And it’s all at the tip of my tongue. Who will I love? Will I drop bombs. Media hear me pray. The world is as you say. Media hear me pray. The world is as you say.”

‘I always ask Eev what a song means because it dictates the emotions and what we built the song around’

Equally lilting is ‘Such A Fool’ on the EP, opening with a gorgeous acoustic guitar line before strings sweep in. It’s a folky cinematic fusion with darker undertones that really highlights just how powerful and moving Ferreira’s voice is: ‘It was the first one we ever recorded but it didn’t have a home for five years,’ Kerr said. ‘We put it on Spotify to show how clever we are (laughs).’ Ferreira interjects: ‘Those lyrics are quite old. It’s about how we find our security in relationships. It’s a conversation with a woman, being frank and honest, me saying I shouldn’t be so cruel. Songs like this are absolutely based on my experiences, it’s cathartic.’ Mews looks at him: ‘We’re his psychologists!’ Kerr laughs: ‘Hey, we’ve all been in love.’ Their manager, Jon Copley, agrees: ‘We say all we can do is put love in the river and it’s up to our listeners to drink from it.’ Kerr agrees: ‘I always ask Eev what a song means because it dictates the emotions and what we built the song around. That way, you connect to the song.’

As the track goes: “I stand at the end of a road that’s tarnished with love. That’s why I say pack your bags and find your own sky above. You don’t need my words to make, to make you feel like a queen. You don’t need my words to make, to make you feel like you’ve been seen.”

Not many bands can cite influences as diverse as The Police, Paganini, Dave Matthews, Midnight Oil, Edward Elgar, Foo Fighters and Radiohead but that is what makes their sound so unique, as you can hear these influences scattered throughout the songs: ‘I was a classical violin kid going to folk festivals,’ Mews said. ‘But I always loved heavy metal (laughs) and electronic music. I went to uni to do classical music but changed my mind and did jazz instead. I love Elgar but I really love Paganini for the passion, the romantic and the darkness.’ Ferreira nods: ‘Some of our influences are Pearl Jam, Springsteen etc.’ Mews laughs: ‘I think you would get us to a metal festival!’ Ferreira agrees: ‘Gerard is very 80’s, Josh and Dom are early 2000’s but like a lot of the older music.’ Kameus jumps in: ‘I like late 90’s Nirvana, I think that comes over in my bass lines. And Duran Duran, I like them, too.’

However, their current configuration is something of a happy accident, according to Ferreira: ‘When I started this thing with the original violin, I wanted bass and violin but then Gerard invited himself to a jam (laughs), and now it’s acoustic guitar, violin and syncopated drums from Gerard!’ Kerr laughs: ‘The violin is very emotive and what sets us apart. People like to put us in the folk theme – which is fair and unfair – I think we’re a mixture of a whole heap of things but the violin is a dominant part of what we do. Josh is double bass/bass and Dom is a classically trained guitarist, who is a big fan of Australian acoustic guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel. Everyone plays their instruments left of centre. I don’t know if Australia gets us (laughs) but we’ll keep putting ourselves in front of people and hope they fall in love with us. We live in a world where people like to pigeonhole things, they feel safe. You can’t make someone love you (laughs) but hopefully the music will penetrate. We get a wonderful reception.’ Copley jumps in: ‘Their live show is what sets them apart, that’s when I fell in love with them.’

‘He’s got the most brilliant mind, also outside music’

If he could go for a drink with anyone, Kameus picks Ron Carter: ‘He’s a jazz double bass player who played with Miles Davies and on the hip hop album that changed the world (A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory album).’ Ward picks Brian May from Queen: ‘He’s got the most brilliant mind, also outside music. He’s so unique as a guitarist, he writes beautiful melodic arrangements. He writes guitar solos you can sing along to.’ Mews goes for Freddie Mercury or William Bevan, known as ‘Burial’, an electronic musician from South London. ‘It’s low-fi, garage stuff, for a club in the rain.’ Kerr is thinking: ‘That’s such a loaded question! One of my first concerts was Kiss. Sting, his body of work is amazing, in The Police and his solo career, he’s played with so many musicians.’ Ferreira goes for another legend: ‘Springsteen, he encapsulates the simplicity and kept his shit together through the fame and uncertainty. He’s obsessive about his lyrics, he’s very protective of them.’ Copley goes with Quincy Jones: ‘We used his guitars and amplifiers in Los Angeles with another client.’ Ferreira laughs: ‘That client is more famous and sexier than us!’

Their dream-line up is worthy of being an all-dayer: ‘Dave Matthews,’ said Ferreira. Mews agrees: ‘They’re the on steroids version of us! I’m a big fan, there’s a lot of influence from Dave Matthews, we really love them.’ Kameus is bringing all the noise with Foo Fighters and Duran Duran. Mews wants Pulp on the line-up. Ward goes with Gang of Youths: ‘They put on the biggest, most energetic rock show!’ Kameus puts Red Hot Chili Peppers in the mix: ‘They pull a big crowd!’ Ferreira looks at him: ‘Finally, we could be a support band for a big crowd!’

(Top photo from left to right: Josh, Dom, Gerard, Eev and Gareth. Photo credit: Fox and Bear.)