interview: the holidays

The Holidays have had a great year, or a great few years. Two EPs and a highly acclaimed debut album have put them at the top of the heap of Australia’s indie music scene. Post Paradise was shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize and won the Red Bull Award for Best Debut Album. Coming off a national tour, and an upcoming trip to Texas for the SXSW festival, things are peachy for the Sydney band.

They’ve toured with favorites like The Wombats and Bluejuice, and co-headlined a tour with Yves Klein Blue (now disbanded), with glowing reviews about their high-energy shows. For a lot of indie bands, that usually is as good as it gets, let’s be honest. But they have so much more to look forward to.

I had the privilege to speak with drummer, Andrew Kerridge, about sharing beds and lives with his band mates, this year’s Laneway antics, as well as their Seven Million Mornings tour kicking off very soon.

You’ve done the festivals, the single tours, and now heading into an even bigger tour. How do you feel the bond as a band has developed?
It’s been a pretty good couple of years, sharing beds with these guys you really just get used to getting up and going, its great! Our confidence has increased so much, and it’s a big help now that we’ve moved onto bigger venues and bigger crowds.

How has that transition influenced the music?
Well we developed the album over 18 months; it was a lot of experimentation, really building a sound that’s unique and that we can be proud of.

What were the highs and lows of going from EPs, to festivals, to tours?
Not too many lows thankfully, we just sort of worked on changing and fine-tuning our sound from the EP to the album. It’s been great getting tours and support from everyone.

What’s the general feeling about the upcoming SXSW trip?
We’re all really excited! I haven’t been to the States since a Disneyworld trip when I was 10, and I’m pretty sure the guys haven’t been either, so going together as a band will be a great experience.

How’s everything going with the addition of percussionist, David Zucker on the touring circuit?
After a few shows we realised that the rhythm wasn’t as fine-tuned as it should be, so towards the end of our last tour we realised that a percussionist would be a great addition. We tried out a few guys, and he really fit in. It’s great having someone there at the back with me, just vibing together. It’s really improved our rhythm and it’s a whole lot more fun playing together.

You’ve met so many great bands, especially after playing Laneway, what was one of the standout moments from the tour?
Wow, it was so much fun. So many moments to choose from. Probably meeting Tim from Les Savy Fav and how during one of our shows, he powered through the crowd, got up on a rubbish bin and just screamed at the top of his lungs, then ran back, hopped on stage and gave Alex, our bass player a peck on the cheek. It was hilarious.

After meeting all these artists, have your influences changed at all?
With contemporary music it’s hard to say, but it isn’t a massive change really, just developed a bigger appreciation for other artists, and how much we can learn about music from them.

So is there a 5-year plan? Just rolling with it right now or any earth shattering plans you’re going to surprise people with?
A bit of both really, we’re still trying to show the world who we really are. We’ve started work on a second album, and it’s mostly about peeling away most of the layers and fine-tuning a simpler sound. A little bit more refined than our first album, we’re hoping. A lot of experimenting and discovering what sets us apart.

The Holidays’ Seven Million Mornings tour with Gold Fields kicks off at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney on April 2; click here for more information about the tour dates!