Episode 19 - The Predators
Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a great rock n roll band? How and why do they stay together? How do they keep the magic alive? And where does all that great music come from?
Todays guests are Ian Haug and Steve Bishop, two thirds of Brisbane band The Predators - who with John Collins - were the three founding members of drum roll… one rock group called Powderfinger.
In this chat recorded just prior to their debut album EVERYBODY LOVES release in 2021 - we dig into their early days in the flourishing Brisbane music scene in the late 80s and 90 also known as BUMS - you’ll understand that later… they talk about Powderfingers formation and the early days of gigging before discussing what makes a band tick, what kind of animal predator I would be and what brought them back together to make music as the The Predators today.
Before we get to it don’t forget to follow us wherever you get your podcasts - or subscribe to the show on Youtube. You can follow me @bradleymccawoffficial everywhere you get socials and why not share this episode with a friend. Yeah that sounds lovely… I bet they’ll love it.
We kick off Ian and Steve talking about the early days of Powderfinger and my receiving what I thought was the coolest press release in our shows history.
Hosted by Bradley McCaw
Sound design by Matt Erskine & Cross Point Solutions
Assistant Engineering by Gilang Candraditya
Theme composed by James Ryan
THE PREDATORS:
The debut album release from indie rock luminaries The Predators looms closer, as the trio are bringing out their latest single, "Taking Fire", on October 8.
"Taking Fire" is another unfalteringly fine-tuned indie track as it's predecessor, "Lead the Way", and will have you wanting to dance just as bad. The maraca goes for miles.
Predators' guitarist Ian Haug explained how writing "Taking Fire" was a natural development, "We wrote this song as a dirty stoner rock song, but it ended up getting more melodic along the way. We’re still hoping that this song ends up on the jukebox at our favourite bar 'Benders' in San Francisco."
As with the rest of the record Everybody Loves, due out a week later on October 15, "Taking Fire" was a labour of love born from guitarist Ian Haug's own Airlock Studios,where the trio recorded earlier this year.
Lyricist and drummer, Steve Bishop, found joy in co-creating the body of art as a whole, "It was a very therapeutic and cathartic experience for me making this music in the midst of COVID lockdowns, with people I admire and relate to on a primal musical level on material we had been trying to record for a number of years.
"To steal off JC, 'Some people have a ski lodge in the Swiss Alps or a fishing hut off Bermuda to seek solace in, The Predators had Airlock studios' where we could feel comfortable to bare our souls and put it down on data file (tape is more romantic, but too old school).
The tracks cover a range of topics, from hairy nights out ("Taking Fire") to yearning for parental love ("When I Was Young") and a love for the ocean ("The Sea"). They reflect the bond and subsequent dynamic that the three have built over the years of playing together.
The Predators is formed by the three founding members of Powderfinger, with Haug on guitar, John Collins on bass, and Bishop on drums and vocals.
During a Powderfinger hiatus in 2004, the original three regrouped and wrote and recorded an EP and started to do gigs. Since then they've played annual shows, but it's taken them 16 years to produce the debut record that they’ve always wished to create. The wait has been worth it.