Those familar with the Adelaide music scene would have no doubt come across Squeaker , The Squeaker sound is best described as polished alternative pop, a combination of a live rock band and synthesized textures. We quizzed them on recent happenings, on the future and who they would like to share the stage with in Adelaide some time.
What do you believe to be the most defining characteristic of the band?
I think the most defining characteristic of Squeaker is our sound and song hooks – I struggle to name a band that we sound like and I think our songs are very distinguishable from one another. I know this is what they all say, but I stand by this very strongly and make every effort to ensure that we don’t sound like the clone of another band. Most of our musical influences are bands that created their own sound palette, and in this day and age where there’s a serious lack of innovation it becomes increasingly important. There are a lot of comparisons that have been made along the way, but it tends to be on a song to song basis because our style isn’t defined by one particular genre. Georgii has a powerful rock voice but has a very clean tone, and Rodge’s guitar sound is one of a kind with his choice of guitar, rig and effects (some mistaken for synth sounds). When you mix these things with the electro element I think it’s a combination that is easily recognised as Squeaker.
What are the plans for the band for 2011?
We recently launched our Fly Baby Fly EP in Adelaide at The Promethean which was a huge night, so we are now looking to push this to radio around the country, play some interstate shows and aim for some support opportunities. We‘re in the process of setting up our online merchandise store, and we’ve also got quite a swag of new songs so we plan to put together a follow-up EP this year. Then there’s the video footage and multitrack recording that we recorded at our launch that I’d like to put together either as a DVD or simply fresh You Tube footage of the band. As always it’s simply going to be a case of how much time we have to get through as much of this as possible, and for my own personal sanity I hope it will be a very productive year.
What has been the best experience for the band?
We’ve had a lot of good times over the years, but to be honest it has been our most recent show at The Promethean. We went to a lot of effort to create something special that night and the feedback has been that of all the local rock shows people have been to in recent years our launch was among the best. We organised lighting, we constructed a show rather than simply banging out a set of songs like the standard Friday/Saturday night gig. We even thought about the playlist of songs during the band change-overs to maintain an atmosphere. We created an event and raised the bar in that respect. I personally have grown so tired of busting my chops for my music only to have ourselves and our fans let down by poor sound gear, lack of presentation with lighting etc in many venues in Adelaide, and to see it all come together on April 15th was a proud moment. There’ll be no turning back from this standard for Squeaker if we have anything to do with it. Sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand to ensure your art and your fans are treated with the respect they deserve.
What is your Favourite venue to play in Adelaide?
There’s a few venues for different reasons. The Promethean is an obvious choice, it’s a classy venue designed and equipped for live music. The Wheatsheaf is just as good in that respect. The Grace Emily is great for it’s atmosphere and the Crown & Anchor is among our favourites too. It’s hard to narrow down, I think it boils down to a venue that has music lovers in it!
Are there any other Adelaide acts that you are keen to share a bill with?
Absolutely, how long have you got?! Adelaide is full of great bands that we admire and fortunately we have played with many of them, most recently Hawkai and Your Motive For. As for bands we haven’t played with yet, we’d like to hook up with bands that are similar in style but that’s a little hard here. The Kill Girls would be good, The Touch, they have some good things happening and I think we could comfortably fit into a bill with them. Angelik is another that we tried to organise a show with ages ago but the diaries didn’t align. We‘re planning a massive show later this year all going well with Imogen Brave, The Irresponsibles and The Oscillators which will be a hoot as we haven’t gigged together for ages – I reckon that’ll be a very fun and late night!
Check out the new single You’re A Star – available to download at www.reverbnation.com/squeaker.
Watch the video for their latest EP!
