Thousand Needles In Red National Tour
At first glance, Thousand Needles In Red resemble a familiar trope of the Australian music industry - the side-project. Formed in 2009 around the partnership of journeyman guitarist Tristan Bouillaut (most famously of Sydney rockers Kill The Capitol) and Vox Music Academy student, vocalist Clint Boge, (of Brisbane rockers The Butterfly Effect), the band's aggressive sound - coupled with members' pedigrees - saw them immediately positioned as a side-project of the more successful The Butterfly Effect.
"I don't feel anything about that kind of description," Bouillaut responds. "I don't think we're viewed that way, anymore at least, I don't know of anyone who is looking at us in that light. You know, we've sold out the Hi-Fi Bar in Melbourne, the Hi-Fi in Brisbane, the Metro in Sydney. Those aren't exactly small venues. I think that should really prove that Thousand Needles In Red is its own band and its own project. It's just lazy to highlight the similarities."
"Are there similarities? Well, of course there are similarities - it's the same bloody singer," the guitarist laughs. "If you take away the vocals and play the bands next to each other, they're completely different sounds. The Butterfly Effect are seat warmers and electric windows. We're just an old, low-rider V8. We concentrate on the heavier grooves, we hit it straight and that's just what we do. It's been around from the start but I'd like to think we've lost the tag by now."
To anyone paying close attention, however, it's been obvious from the outset that Thousand Needles In Red are more than a mere fling for Clint Boge between Butterfly Effect albums. The band's 2009 eponymous debut EP was recorded with American producer Jay Baumgardner in Los Angeles' NRG Studios - where the band recorded alongside Linkin Park and hung out with members of P.O.D. and System Of A Down.
And that work ethic is borne out in every facet of the band's conduct. Their recently released debut album Empires, for example, was produced and recorded almost entirely by the band (with lead single Into Eternity - produced by The Tea Party/Armada frontman Jeff Martin - the sole exception). Given the band's links to the US recording industry (and Boge's extensive connections within the Australian market), it's a commitment to independence bordering on the irrational.
Even in regards to the album's release, Thousand Needles In Red have taken the harder road - opting for an independent release rather than pursue label assistance. Again, it isn't a move a band in their position would ever be forced to take - but it's the kind of move that demonstrates their ongoing commitment to be judged on their own terms.
"Everything the band has done has been strategically planned. There are always three or four steps involved with each campaign," Bouillaut reveals of the band's approach. "You know, when we first started, the campaigns were to release a single and work on a tour. The next two campaigns after that were largely related to writing, recording and releasing the album. It's never on a whim. We're just lucky to have people on our side who are willing to help us accomplish each goal."
"The priority for us at the moment is releasing this album on a proper level - and doing that independently is really, really hard. You know, we're not just selling a record to our friends or even to our fans. Our priority is getting out, touring the album, playing a bunch of songs on the album, after that it's festival season - and we want to play the festivals and play them well. We don't want to play some forgotten slot in the morning. We want people to want us."
"We're really proud of this album. With our first EP, I think things were a lot harder because we had no sound to work with but, with this record, I feel we've really found our sound as a band and have something special to offer. The reception has been really great so far and we're just hoping to keep that all going."
Thousand Needles In Red play The Espy on Thursday 8th December & Ferntree Gully Hotel on Friday 9th December.
If you are impressed by Clint's voice, get professional singing lessons at Melbourne's Vox Music Academy at either the Brunswick, Dandenong or Bayswater studios.
