Local rock quartet BLINDCHASE are preparing to launch their Life Blood LP this week when they support Diana Anaid at The Hi-Fi. RAVE has a chat with songwriter and guitarist NATHAN WOODROW.

RAVE: How did you meet the rest of the band?

NATHAN WOODROW: BlindChase went through an interesting and lengthy formation that spanned over a year or so, and a number of gigs. We’d had about three other lead singers that didn’t work out before we met Levi [Hendy]. Gareth [David] and I had already been playing together a few years, and have a music production [business] together. Ben [Taylor] answered a notice board ‘drummer wanted’ ad we put up, so we met up for a jam and we were blown away with his talent and the musical synergy he offered, which really aligned with what we were wanting to do. Levi was a client of the production business, and an artist we were impressed with hence we’d signed to do an album under Tall Poppy Records, and after some initial pre-production work on his album, it was obvious that he really wanted to be in a band over going solo. His vocal and writing style worked for us so we offered him the gig by giving him three days to learn 60 songs for a show.

NW: After much discussion and debate we named it Life Blood – many assume there’s a cryptic message in it, however it attempts to paint a picture of four struggling ‘working class’ musicians that will do just about anything to play music as a means of survival. In fact none of us have a job to speak of and are all self employed or unemployed outside the band, thus heavily relying on playing shows for income. If you listen to the lyrics of Blood Sweat & Fretboards and Sometimes, that will become a little more obvious. We’ve had a goal of releasing an album produced and totally funded by us, and most of all on our own terms. We have been a working class band from our first gig till now, and have played more than 100 shows together since forming in early 2008, some in small pubs in the back blocks of Kingaroy or Maryborough, and others in some bigger city venues to larger crowds.

R: What are your greatest influences?

NW: Well that’s a great question cause each member has their own. Someone a while back described our music as Cold Chisel meets U2, however we’re influenced in some way by a range of artists like the Chilli Peppers, Victor Wooten, Jimmy Barnes, U2, Coldplay, Ian Moss, Crowded House, and other guys like that; I think we are definitely a band that likes to keeps things simple, as less can always be more.

R: You’re playing the launch with Diana Anaid at The Hi-Fi; how did you get that opportunity?

NW: We played support for Diana down the Gold Coast a few months back and hence got to know her then. She goes through the same agent that we do, so when the agent rang and offered us the support slot, I jumped at the chance. Diana’s music has influenced me over the years, I had just turned 18 when she released I Go Off, so it’s special to be playing with her for our album launch.

BLINDCHASE launch Life Blood at The Hi-Fi on Friday Oct 16, supporting Diana Anaid and playing alongside Grand Atlantic & The Dashhounds.

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