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 After the release of a double album just months ago, you might think that moody indie rock four-piece BLUEBOTTLE KISS have fulfilled their songwriting quota for a little while. Not so, according to guitarist BEN GROUNDS, who on the release of a tour for their new EP of album leftovers, reveals a few band secrets to SIMON TOPPER.
Proving his mid-‘90s alternative survivor band Bluebottle Kiss are masters of both quality and quantity, guitarist Ben Grounds is here to talk up their tour promoting the new Slight Return & Out Seeds EP, consisting of the title track, a single from last year’s double-disc Doubt Seeds, the band’s sixth album, and seven other songs from those recording sessions that were cut for length reasons. Keeping to the EP’s format, Grounds kindly agrees to now reveal to you six facts that you probably never knew about Bluebottle Kiss, and one that you probably did. SIX FACTS YOU NEVER EVEN SUSPECTED ABOUT BLUEBOTTLE KISS: 1. The songwriting monopoly of Bluebottle Kiss singer and previously sole writer Jamie Hutchings has come to an end, thanks to Grounds picking up a pen. “The two songs of mine on this latest album were the first songs Bluebottle’s recorded that Jamie hasn’t written, apart from covers. It’s pretty much been him the whole way, which everyone’s fine with because we all love his songwriting so much, but with the current lineup I think he’s more happy than ever to let go of the reigns a little bit. I just push the boundaries until Jamie says stop.” 2. Grounds estimates his band have driven around Australia playing “probably around 30 times, maybe more”, but he can see Brisbane developing each time he comes back. “Every time we’re up there, there seems to be a new venue that we haven’t played or heard about or has reopened. We’re playing The Globe this time around, and we haven’t played there before.” 3. The Bluebottle Kiss drummer, Jared Harrison, has a bad back, which can put shows in jeopardy when it plays up like it is at the moment. Grounds admits that there is an unofficial backup percussion plan. “A couple of weeks ago we did this kind of corporate show, and Jared couldn’t play it ‘cos he plays with Peabody as well, so we got Jamie’s brother, who’s a pretty good drummer, to fill in.” 4. The four Bluebottle boys are obviously big music fans, but in the tour van lately there have been some CDs getting more play than others. “The Drones’ new record has been getting a flogging, Gala Mill. Tom Waits’s new triple album too. I’ve been listening to the first two CDs a lot, not so much the third one. I guess I’ll just get into that later. With Tom Waits’ stuff, I’ve always felt it’s really tied to a specific mood, so having a whole album of that is really cool, whether it’s his sad ballady stuff or the raw blues stuff.” 5. After this national tour, there’s the possibly of a live album. “We’re finishing this run of shows with a couple of nights at the Annandale in Sydney, and we’re going to record those, possibly for a release some time in the future. Live recordings are difficult things.” 6. The sanity of Bluebottle Kiss is under review from those on the inside of the band. “Thinking about it now, I reckon you’d be mad to do a live album at all. But you’d be mad to do a double album too, so we’re not claiming to be sane.” TOKEN FACT YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNEW: Bluebottle Kiss are playing The Globe on Fri March 23, and The Chophouse (Surfers Paradise) on Sat March 24. Slight Return & Out Seeds is out now through Shock.
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