Little Birdy interview

Latest release: Confetti
Label: Eleven Music

Sweet notes

They say home is where the heart is, and for Simon Leach guitarist for the little-heard-of-lately Little Birdy, that’s certainly true.

Nestled in the Yarra Valley in country Victoria, a quietly located rural homestead provides solace for this sometime-recluse while still allowing him to stay close to his family roots.

With his granddad and nana in close proximity so too his aunty and uncle near enough to be able to enjoy a home-cooked meal, the change of scenery was necessary for this over-toured musician who was also in need of recovery from an ended relationship - he’s happy here.

“I grew up here in Victoria and I moved to Perth and my mum, dad and my sisters sort of followed but my nan and granddad and my aunty and uncle live here so I get to hang out with the family I haven’t really seen for sort of 14 years.”

Not so surprisingly, band counterparts, front woman Katy Steele and drummer Matt Chequer followed suit and decided to pack up their base in Perth and now they call Melbourne home too.

The break from formal band duties and responsibilities was according to Simon par for the course in a band who had been touring for over six years.

“We kind of just needed it as all people do you need a holiday and it might seem like fun and everything but it’s really tiring especially for someone like me – touring just takes it out of me I’m a real home-body.”

The move to Victoria/Melbourne has however proven fruitful for songstress Steele providing fodder for a new era of song writing. What could have quite easily been her foray into solo performing quickly became a natural progression back into a performing - Little Birdy.

“Katy was thinking of doing a solo album in the time we were taking time off but we started hearing the songs and we just sort of said we’d like to keep that as Little Birdy and she was just like all for it,” says Simon.

“Me and Matty we do the musical side of the songs, we do the production and all that so she trusts with what we do, so we just decided to start working again,” he adds.

Their third album Confetti in store this month is a return to their original acoustic sound. A return it seems, to keeping it simple and not being influenced by the music fads of the day. Complete with a distinct country feel, a little bit of Burt Bacharach peppered by some Dusty Springfield overtones the songs are the culmination of experiences relevant to Katy’s life since last they were heard touring Hollywood. The time out, maturity and rejuvenation allowed through living independent lives is something Simon believes has given the band a renewed vitality and somewhat of a new-band feel again.

“I think it was good for Katy because with the first album a lot of those songs were sort of written from a bedroom and when we did Hollywood that was written from the road a lot, so this album has got that feel of us being a new band again.”

Rehearsals have begun for this their upcoming national tour and whilst preparing to tour again could perhaps prove daunting for Simon the self-confessed home-body he’s choosing to concentrate on the job at hand, learning the music and mastering the tracks the band have grown to love.

“'Into my arms', that is one of my favourites.”

“Just when we play it has a real vibe to it and a real sort of emotion, I also like Hair do as well – it doesn’t even sound like Old Joe Cocker but it just reminds me of it.”

The tour will see the band take in some previously undiscovered spots like Maitland for Groovin the Moo and further on in the year the well visited Byron Bay will this time give the band their first-time billing on the Splendour in the Grass line-up, but there is one place on the itinerary which makes touring worth while for Simon.

“Probably will be good to get back to Perth, so I can go see my family, my mum and dad and all that and my brothers and sisters um that’s about it really I’ve got friends everywhere in every city so it’s kind of like every city has got a bonus to it.”

Catch Little Birdy when they play a swag of dates through May. Check out www.littlebirdy.net for show and album info.
Alternatively, if you are wanting to get your Splendour on: don’t forget ticket sales for Splendour in the Grass featuring Little Birdy commence Thursday 14 May via www.splendourinthegrass.com or www.oztix.com.au

Ruth Bailey

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