ALBUM REVIEW: Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE
GOOD LAIKA
Words by Lucy Wyatt

Will the waves of beautiful music ever calm in Wellington? Listening to Good Laika’s debut album the answer has to be not likely. Heads I Win, Tails You Lose is a melancholy masterpiece. The warmth and honesty of these tracks are delivered like an old friend taking their seat next to you in your local, cozy drinking hole on a blustery Saturday afternoon. Their soulful, folky and heartfelt sound is fluid throughout the album. Fires, Keep Burning has a thoroughly laid back and mellow vibe, strumming along with a beautiful softness. The pace changes with Advertisement For A Pacemaker, the build up is deliberately moderated, not going too far, but fast enough for a good dance. Short, and remarkably sweet, Pretty Little Girl Of Mine mischievously rock and rolls along, vocals really ranging here with a sunny vibe, playing along together with the cheeky bass. The twinkle in this five-piece band’s eye took five years to capture, but why rush such a timeless and compelling sound.

INTERVIEW: Robin Hinkley

Good Laika have just released their debut album, Heads I Win, Tails You Lose. Singer Robin Hinkley talks to Charlette Hannah the day before their album release.

Charlette Hannah: You’re releasing your debut album this week – how does it feel to have reached that milestone?

Robin Hinkley: We’re not quite there yet. It’s Thursday, and we haven’t quite made it to Thursday yet. I’m really excited about it. We were talking about how we felt it was our birthday or wedding or something. We’ve been working towards it for such a long time. It’s been really busy, that’s all I can say about it. It doesn’t seem quite real yet.

CH: Who did you work with on the recording and production?

RH: We recorded it at Nick McGowan’s studio in Island Bay, Island Bay Studio’s. We went into the studio to record a song for a video, because someone offered to make a video for us, but we had no recordings for it. So we set the whole thing up so we could record it, and we tried recording three songs, but we thought we’re going into a studio, might as well record an album. That felt really cool, it felt cool not planning it in-depth before we went into the studio. We spent about two to three days actually recording. We all played together, quite a live kind of feel. So yeah, he did a good job of it, the mixing of it, and we had it mastered by Mike Gibson at Trident Studio’s.

CH: Good Laika have been together for a number of years now, why has it taken this long to put out your first release?

RH: Good question. I think part of the reason is that we’ve all been doing other things. I’m a teacher, Matthew’s a teacher of music, so is Ricky, Ricky’s had his other musical projects like the Boomshack band, Nic Marshall’s just one of the busiest people I’ve ever met, and Jason Fa’afoi is always out of town. So it’s been quite hard for us to find the time to get together. Also, at the beginning, when we first got together, which was probably about 5 years ago, embarrassingly, we kind of lacked a bit of impetus, we didn’t quite gel, I think. The thing that kind of kicked us into action, started something new for us, was when we made a trip to Waitare beach, and we spent a weekend playing and drinking wine by the beach, and it was just a magical time for us.

CH: How did the band come together, how did you all find each other?

RH: It was Ricky, the drummer, who really started things. I didn’t really know him very well, played a bit of indoor soccer with him, and he had seen my other band play a couple of times, and he was keen to do some songs and music with me. So he approached me and said do you want to do some music, I’ve got some other friends who’d be keen to do music with. Jason was the next person he approached, as he’d worked with Jason on What Now in Christchurch. So we played together. I think Jason knew Nic Marshall, and it just kind of grew from there. But yeah, it was Ricky who started it all, and he wanted to get more into songwriting as well, which drummers are not usually inclined to do.

CH: Who writes the songs in the band? Is it a communal effort?

RH: It’s quite a shared thing, yeah. On this album Jason’s written a couple of songs and I’ve worked with Ricky on a couple and written some of my own. So it all kind of evolved. And even if one of us brings a song which is complete, we usually draft it together, which keeps us all interested I guess.

CH: So where does the album name, Heads I Win, Tails You Lose come from?

RH: It’s a phrase that stuck in my mind actually, and it seems to sum up one aspect of the album. It sounds kind of jovial and fairly happy and throwaway, but when you think about the meaning of it it’s got this sinister or melancholic undertone. It was quite hard working out what the album felt like, where it was coming from. ‘Cause parts of it seem warm and friendly and cosy, and other parts seems kind of a bit eerie.

CH: Have you played many gigs?

RH: No, that’s the thing, we’ve played probably about five times now, live. Our first gig was something with Blink, The Low Hum guy, he set up an acoustic, sort of stripped back live show with a few bands, so we played with that first. We recorded with a friend of Ricky’s, but we’ve left those recordings behind a bit. It’s only started happening in terms of live performances in the last few months really.

CH: Any plans for a tour?

RH: Yeah. Because we’re all working, we have to call going away for a few weekends in a row a tour. We’re going up to Auckland early next month and then the following weekend we’re going down to Christchurch and Dunedin.

CH: How has being a Wellington band shaped your sound and career?

RH: That’s a hard one to answer, because I’ve never been in an Auckland band or a Christchurch band or Dunedin band. The different bands that we’ve interacted with, the musicians we’ve bumped into have influenced us. Bands like The Phoenix Foundation have been very supportive of us, and Age Pryor as well. It does feel like there’s a bit of a community that have sort of helped us, and also influenced us musically as well.

CH: What’s in the future for Good Laika?

RH: Well. We’re gonna play a whole lot more I think. We’ve already started talking about what our next recording’s going to be. But we need to not jump too far ahead, we need to give this album it’s dues. We’d really like as many people to hear this as possible, because we think it’s worth hearing.

CH: Do you plan to go international?

RH: We’re trying to keep things organic. The whole intent behind our recordings was to have us all play together, having it all feel right, and anything that happens in terms of who hears our music and where we go as a band hopefully will happen in that same way so that it grows from something real, and we’re not going to try and throw ourselves out there without having grown locally first.

myspace.com/goodlaika

(Photo by Rosie Morgan)

REVIEW/INTERVIEW: Good Laika

GOOD LAIKA
THE MIGHTY MIGHTY
THURSDAY 30 AUGUST
Words and Photo's by Rosie Morgan

On Thursday night, I was fortunate enough to attend the over-crowded, and inspiring show for Good Laika's debut album release (Heads I Win, Tails You Lose) at the Mighty Mighty. Due to work restraints, I missed Age Pryor who started the show, but arrived just in time for Good Laika's set. The band all looked a little nervous, but were excited about the new stage the Mighty Mighty had put in, and firmly reinforced the fact that there would be no encores as they were all very tired, which is a shame really, because Good Laika are one of those bands you could sit and listen to for hours, and not get sick of.

I was very impressed with the music, the relaxed atmosphere, and the friendliness of the band welcomed you into the set, and invited you to get carried along into the Good Laika sound. One look at these guys, and you just know they deserve to be a success.

After the show, I interviewed Ricky Boyd (drums).

ON NZ Music vs International:

"Nz's definitely pushing boundaries. I mean, we've got the Mint Chicks, the Pheonix Foundation... its all happening. Our resources though are more 60's, 70's. We know {nz music} is there, but we're more like ostriches, keeping our heads underground and see what we like".

RB says they're more into soaking up "old history", that their music is ethics based, and that they play with emotion and feeling. They use it in their approach to each individual instrument. "Our past present and future are elemental", he says.

And it sure shows. Robin Hinkley's vocals are just one example of the way GL do this. He has a voice that carries far above the vocal melody, far above all the other intrumentation, that carries far. You just know he's singing from the heart, and as soppy as that sounds, I think the sure sign of a a good musician is the ability to express heart and soul and effect the audience. In Tooth and Nail, he sings "I know you're tired" repeatedly, and the audience were swaying, captivated. When you combine RH's voice in harmony with the backup vocals of Jason Faafoi, you have this effect maximized.

Jason also has the same gorgeous, soulful quality to his voice that RH does, but with a little more of an Island Twist. During the Mighty Mighty set, he dedicated a song that he wrote (Coming Home) to his "island sister", who was getting teary as he sang it. This song was a gorgeous island/calypso/melodic tune, that fitted so nicely with the rest of the set, and again, there was much swaying along.

On Keeping off the Radar until now:

They've actually been together for around 4 years, but all of the members have been involved with solo projects, or other bands... for example OdESSA, Boomshack, TV Acting... to name the few obvious ones.

Ricky's' also been involved with drum lessons at various schools and jazz groups, so its a wonder how they even find the time to practice, let alone perform.

Its really only been the last year they're all been able to commit 100% - and, more impressively, only the last 2/3 months that they've recorded, promoted, and released thier Debut- Heads I Win, Tails You Lose, available in stores from 3rd September, if you weren't lucky enough to snatch up one at the show.

On their Overall Sound:

"I'd say... soulful. Its like the ethics of trying to get the best out of a song without being egotistical. So, ego-free. I suppose its truthful" - RB says, and I agree. Everything they play, everything they sing, they're in a moment, and they're reaching out to you.

Aside from the vocals, which embody the soulful element, you also have the talented Nic Marshall on the keys, carrying away the melody, giving it all a dreamy feel, and Matthew Armitage on bass, adding his own spin on calypso rhythm with unique bass lines that compliment all the other elements of the band.

With a band like this, sometimes its easy to forget drums and leave them out all together, but Ricky's skill as a drummer shows in that he can integrate various types of drumming into the band easily, that elevates the music to a new level.

What's on your iPod at the moment?

"Obviously we listen to a lot of Calypso music, thats a major influence". He also listens to TV on the Radio, Grizzly Bear, Air and Beck quite alot at the moment.

If you could tour with anyone, who would it be?

"I suppose I should keep it kiwi, but i'll say Air, Beck, or maybe Belle and Sebastian"

Whats your vision for the bands future?

A World Tour, of course! But a relaxed tour. "To enjoy each others company. I'd like to tour the world and keep that relaxed, friendly aspect.... we're an eclectic, slow band, so a slow tour would be best. We're all friends, so, whatever we do, we're going to have fun." And because of that aspect, he says its also one of those projects that they could leave for a year and return to, with no major issues.

This was shown in the Mighty Mighty show also. There was a lot of joking, a lot of laughing, and a lot of Robin telling the audience off for complimenting Matthew on his shirt, and not complimenting anyone else. "If you're going to compliment him, you have to be nice to the rest of us!!!". I hasten to say the show was "comfortable", but you felt welcomed, you felt at home with the music. Often it felt more like a home gig or (albeit amazingly brilliant) jam session. So it was a friendly relaxed atmosphere, and I think the band should be pleased with that.

Hopes for Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

"We're not trying to push it too far, we're trying to be ourselves", RB says. Promotion and business come 2nd. While of course they do want the album to be a success, he says "its like the first photo of a series yet to be finished".

This is the album of (hopefully!) many more, so its a snapshot of where Good Laika are at now. RB - "We're constantly moving forward and changing, so who knows when the next photo will be."

(Heads I Win, Tails You Lose is available in stores from Monday 3rd Sept. Hit the boys up on their myspace if you've never heard of them- you won't be dissappointed - I'm glad "Midnight" is up there!. myspace.com/goodlaika )

ED's note: Interview with Robin Hinkley posted next week.

COMING SOON

Hi Wellington Live Music lovers

I moved house recently and haven't been connected to the internet, so things have been a little quiet here lately. Sorry everyone! However, we'll be on track very soon, and will have...

An interview with Flip Grater, and an interview with Robin Hinkley from Good Laika, who are releasing their debut album tonight!

Reviews of Johnny Corker and Tim Beals.

Cheers
Charlette

PS. Stay tuned for news of the upcoming launch of the official www.wellingtonlivemusic.com!