Getting to Know Jimmy Tait
Melbourne band Jimmy Tait are currently touring their latest album ‘Golden’ around Australia. We grabbed a few minutes with frontwoman Sara Retallick:
Jimmy Tait is… probably a really confusing name for what Jimmy Tait is; a 5-piece band lead by a lady. That lady is me, Sara Retallick. Jimmy Tait has been my main musical project for the last few years. I started out solo, then slowly added members.
Our latest album is… a lot of things. It was my main focus for about three years, now it’s out in the world and is something else. It’s a piece of music that we made at a particular time, and now that is all it is to me. I am proud of it, and I am happy with it. I will probably never listen to it again, as I am on to the next thing now. Musically it’s quiet and loud, light and dark, heavy and soft. Contrast and space were big influences for me with this album.
Our upcoming tour will be… exciting and scary. Exciting because it’s our first time playing to people in other places of Australia, and scary for that same reason. It will be tiring and frustrating, it will be a lot of work, it will be hard, and at times we will ask ourselves why we are doing it, but it will be fun and it will be worth it, and it will make us remember why we are doing it.
Melbourne is… beautiful right now. Autumn is my favourite time of year here; it comes alive. People change a bit, Melbournians thrive when the weather turns cold. We all go insane in the heat, no one knows what to do in Melbourne when it’s hot. So Autumn is like a great turning point in the year; a time for making things, and a time for breathing out and a time to get things done.
I spend too much time… I actually just looked at my calendar to answer this question. I think right now I spend too much time just doing stuff. I don’t get much free time, so I tend to schedule everything into a calendar. I wish I could say I spend too much time reading, or watching TV, or sleeping, or eating or socialising. But right now, I kinda spend too much time working, to be really honest and boring.
It might surprise people to learn that… It’s not surprising that I am a lover of dogs, but I thought that I would share a surprising fact that I recently discovered about some dogs in Moscow. Stray dogs in Moscow are learning how to use the subway. It’s amazing! There are 35,000 stray dogs living in Moscow, and they are adapting to the city life. Learning how to cross roads at green lights, and how manipulate people into giving them food. It’s really quite something.
If you’re in Australia, then you can catch Jimmy Tait at the following venues:
24/4 – Smith Alternative, CANBERRA
25/4 – Brighton Up Bar, SYDNEY
26/4 – Heritage Hotel, WOLLONGONG
3/5 – The Toff In Town, MELBOURNE
10/5 – South Side Tea Room, BRISBANE
11/5 – Powerhouse, BRISBANE
Interview by Bobby Townsend.
