Andrew Wortes of Tempus Sun
Hi Andrew and thanks for taking the time out to speak with us here at Musicology. Firstly, congratulations on your new single Owls.
Hi, thank you! I’m glad to be here.
It is a long and winding track that snowballs in energy and intensity. Was this the concept right from the get go or as the track was being fleshed out, it lent itself towards an epic built up?
Yeah, from the start we had two Major sections, the smooth undulating guitar pattern that delivered you into a sense of calmness and the avalanche of upbeat percussive chords to bring the track home. Finding out how all the little pieces fit together was the fun part.
Being a 6 piece, how does the collective creative process work for Tempus Sun?
Grant, Rya, Ed and I usually write in pairs. Working In pairs gives us variety in harmonic and melodic creativity. Afterwards we will arrange those ideas and take it to a full band setting. It can be challenging but working through that you always get the best outcome because you’ve given every idea the time to flourish.
What was happening in your lives at the time of writing and recording that contributed to the direction and style of music you are putting out?
We were all studying at the Australian Institute of Music when writing the EP. The exposure to so many different genres and styles gave us a unique blend of sounds to work with. Coming from all different parts of Australia and different musical backgrounds really lends to a diverse blend of ideas. For me personally moving to Melbourne at the start of 2016 gave me the inspiration to write, learn and expand my musical horizons.
The accompanying video clip is a sleek one and was directed by Edwin Tedjokusumo of Eskimo Joe fame. What did Edwin bring to the table that really shines through in this video?
Edwin has unique style of filming. His ability to envision the message behind the song and embed that into the aesthetic of the film captured the essence of the music. Edwin and his teams went above and beyond to deliver a visually stunning clip.
Having picked up Melbourne Music Bank award last year, did that provide the impetus to put out more material and to push yourselves just that little bit further?
Definitely. It really gave us something to strive for and we wanted to put our best work forward so everyone in the band gave 110% to deliver songs that we could be proud of. And after recording at Studios in the City with Tom Larkin, we couldn’t be happier with the result.
You will be performing at The Toff in Town later this month for your single launch. What can punters expect to hear at one of your shows?
We all love performing so we always try and put on the best show possible. You’ll probably hear something like this: A captivating blend of soulful harmonies mixed with rich and diverse keys layer. This is fused with warm acoustic guitar and a big electric guitar sound. All on top of solid bass and drums. If you’d like to hear for yourself come to Toff in Town on the 30th of June.
What does the rest of 2017 have install for you guys?
We will keep doing what always do, writing and gigging. After the single launch we have a tour of the East coast which will take us to Brisbane and Sydney and finish down in Melbourne on the 1st of September at the Evelyn Hotel.
