Interview: Crooked Colours get sweaty

Having recently released their debut EP, ‘In Your Bones’, Perth-based electro three-piece Crooked Colours are in the midst of a headline Australian tour. Damon Collum had a chat with them:

Triple j Unearthed described you as an ‘indie electro trio.’ How would you describe the music you write? People are always keen to place labels and pigeonhole styles, but do you see what you write having more flexibly than that?
You only need to see our live show to see how eclectic our music influences are. We range from hip-hop to indie electro to four-to-the-floor dance, although ‘In Your Bones’ has been described as spacious electro and we are pretty happy with that. We always feel like we have flexibility. We write what we like.

You’ve just come off tour with RÜFÜS. How was that as an experience? Also with Sydney local Hayden James and Odesza (who I just saw do a bill with Kele last week). What’s it like touring, and do you think there is an active scene out there supporting Australian artists?
The RÜFÜS tour was amazing! We were absolutely stoked to be on that tour with them. All of the guys are so easy to get along with and getting to meet Hayden was awesome. The fact that the whole RÜFÜS tour was sold-out shows that there really is a great fan scene in Australia still. I guess there has been trouble with selling tickets to festivals like Big Day Out and such, but these smaller shows are still going strong! Live music is still living.

I ask because this is a current affliction that Sydney has been dealing with, a death in live music, but is definitely starting to get its shit together. Melbournites have always been great supporters of live music, is there a good scene happening in Perth?
The Perth music scene definitely is not dead. Not sure how exceptionally thriving it is though. It’s tough with the small, spread-out population we have, but it’s going strong.

Other than class one narcotics, chicken kebabs and tomes of hentai, is there anything else that is a staple on tour, or how do you survive on the road? And is a chicken kebab still a hopeful reincarnation for you?
Sass! If we didn’t keep each other on our toes with a little sass every now and then we would start to get lethargic, so we like to give each other a little niggle every now and then.

Tell me about the new EP. Has this been a while coming? Your first record debuted in 2012, has much changed with your influences and what you’re playing now?
Well you wont be able to find that first EP anymore so we can safely say that our sound has changed. Trying to find our own sound while also incorporating elements of styles we like has been a fun challenge. A really good learning curve as well.

You’re playing at the aptly named ‘Goodgod Small Club’ in Sydney soon. Are there some other dates you’d like let us know about?
We are excited about the whole tour. This is our first string of headline shows so they are all on our radar. Tonight we have a show at the Shebeen in Melbourne which is sold-out, so that is a pretty incredible way to start off the tour and it will be great to play in front of a home crowd on the 12th of July at Amplifier.

This is my first ever interview. What’s your ‘not to harsh and warmly encouraging’ piece of advice for me?
You did done gone and done good kid. No, this was a refreshing interview. No questions about where our name came from or what is the most crooked colour. Twas good!

Is there a motto you live by?
Get sweaty.

If you’re in Aus you can catch Crooked colours on tour at the following venues. Tickets here:
SAT, 12 JULY // Amplifier // PERTH
THURS, 17 JULY // Transit Bar // CANBERRA
FRI, 18 JULY // Goodgod Small Club // SYDNEY
SAT, 19 JULY // Alhambra Lounge // BRISBANE
THURS, 24 JULY // Beach Hotel // BYRON BAY

UPDATE:  Brisbane producer cln has just produced an official remix for the latest Crooked Colours single, ‘Keep Your Mouth Flying.’ This is the third and final single to come from the “In Your Bones” EP, a track that cln has now seasoned with his own creative influence.  You can also hear its awesomeness on Soundcloud.

Interview by Damon Collum.