Rebecca Callander of Rackett
2017 has been a whirlwind start for the experimental, pop-punk outfit Rackett, having completed a run of support shows for The Darkness as part of their Australian Tour, appearing at Secret Garden Festival, The Blurst of Times, Mountain Sounds Festival, Electric Lady as well as selling out their ‘Ready or Not’ single launch. Set for a run of tour dates this September, we chat with Rackett about their work to date and upcoming tour.
Hi Rebecca and thanks for taking the time out to speak with us at Musicology.
Firstly congratulations on the upcoming EP launch. We have been drip feed some fantastic tunes so far including Bats and Ready or Not! Failing somewhere between She Rex and FIDLAR, the high energy, take no prisoners approach is evident from the get go but was there a masterplan for style and direction Rackett wanted to take?
The aim of the game is entertainment. I don't know who Fidlar is, I'll check it out.
What subject matter and concepts do you address throughout the EP and how collaborative is the writing process between the four of you?
The songs on the EP have been recreated of a long and collaborative process. Our producer Dave, and the band helped to create the final style, for now. You've heard 'BATS', Ready or Not' and 'Prey', the ones you haven't are 'Mama don't like him', which is a love retaliation and 'Your Son', a song about a con man.
Your latest single Prey is a little more subdued but nonetheless impressive. Was there an initial desire to step back a little from the garage punk vibe or is Prey merely displaying another side of Rackett?
RACKETT create songs from many genre pools. Prey is a good song and we don't feel compelled to silver the same thing over and over, our fans will come to know as tans genre, like a time machine.
The video clip to Prey is a creative powerhouse and looks like it was a blast to make. How did the storyboard process evolve from concept to final cut?
It was all our director Mathilde Noquet. Our only brief to her was something along the lines of 'glorify the predator'.
There is a strong artistic and creative vision in all aspects of Rackett. Putting the music aside for a moment, do you feel that there is just as much importance to the visual and aesthetic elements of the band as there is on the music itself?
I spend a lot of my time in front of the screen, more than I’d like, so let’s wrap it up?
What were some of the greatest challenges you faced in putting out this EP and conversely what were some of the more fun surprises throughout the process?
Nothing too difficult to be frank, just gotta have the money, all those pillow cases to be ironed.
You are about to embark on a national tour and for those who have not had the pleasure of seeing you play live, your shows bristle with energy and crowd interaction. Going from punters in front of the stage to performers on stage, what +/- insights did you take away from watching other artists that went into defining your own sets?
My advice is, if you're listening to something and it's shit and you think you can do better, record it on your phone, write something of your own, play and record that, listen back, if it’s better than what you paid to see, start making music.
RACKETT TOUR DATES
FRI SEP 22 - YAH YAHS - MELBOURNE
SAT SEP 23 - THE CHIPPENDALE HOTEL - SYDNEY
Also touring nationally with KILLING HEIDI
FRI SEP 29 - RACEHORSE HOTEL - IPSWICH
SAT SEP 30 - NIGHT QUARTER - GOLD COAST
SUN OCT 1 - ANU ART SCHOOL BALL - CANBERRA
FRI OCT 6 - WAVES - WOLLONGONG
SAT OCT 7 - THE CAMBRIDGE HOTEL - NEWCASTLE
FRI OCT 20 - CHELSEA HEIGHTS HOTEL - CHELSEA HEIGHTS
SAT OCT 21 - VILLAGE GREEN HOTEL - MULGRAVE
SUN OCT 22 - BEER DELUXE - ALBURY
Grab your tickets here.
