Above: Bedouin Soundclash, Photo By Nic Bishop Photography
Eon and Sekou of Bedouin Soundclash take time to speak to Miss Drew ahead of their performance at St Kilda’s Prince Hotel this last Thursday. They spoke about Jesus, the bands latest record and Milo bars…
“Street Soul.” If he could, that’s what Eon would brand the genre that Bedouin Soundclash currently falls into. Interviewers, reviewers and fans a like have been trying to classify the bands genre for years, bickering amongst themselves like dishevelled, screeching cats. Fellow band member, Sekou, nodded in agreement, “I could live with that.” He repeated twice, with a thoughtful tilt to his head. And so it would be that in the first five minutes that I talk with Eon and Sekou - two thirds of Canadian, Bedouin Soundclash, (BS) I would solve one of the biggest controversies surrounding the band’s existence.
The band have recently toured this sunburnt country of ours ahead of releasing their latest record Light the horizon. Bassist - Eon and guitarist and lead singer - Jay, have been to Australia twice already, but for newest member, Sekou, the bands drummer, it is all just a little too much. “You guys have the two step flush thing with your toilets here. We don’t have that. That’s brilliant.” He heartily laughed. “I love being here. I keep hearing about how dedicated the Australian audiences are to having a good time. In Canada, the audiences are what we call, ‘stoosh,’ they wait for you to entertain them.” He demonstrated by crossing his arms across his chest, feigning ‘sullen,’ in jest.
Light the Horizon, which will be released in Australia later this year, is the bands forth record, but first to be recorded “live off the floor,” rather than in pieces (tracking.) “You talk about thinking and feeling. When you’re tracking, you’re thinking, “Arrrgh! lets go back!” But there are mistakes on that record; I know I’ve made mistakes. But they’re not mistakes because the feeling of that moment was so strong that were like, “we’re putting that on!”
With no die-hard motto, honesty is something that that the band regards highly. Notable from the moment I shook the warm hands of the chatty pair.
“We want to be honest because at the end of the day, that is what the band is known for. Its what we are comfortable representing, its not like us to fake.” Said Sekou who replaced the bands former drummer Pat Pengelly, after difficulties within the band some time before the record.
Eon followed on, “When we first started, things happened really quickly. We began to grow really fast and our first real opportunity to sit down and look at what was going on with us was about two years ago. That’s when we decided to change it and having experienced that event, I know it’s something that we are going to do more regularly, because you can avoid a lot of issues going forward if you reflect.” He said. It is this honesty and reflection that has Light the Horizon, being hailed as the best work of BS so far, and the band looking the happiest they have been in a long time.
BS are not ones to air their dirty laundry, but before I rounded off the interview I tried my hardest to get the dirt and answer some of the oldest touring questions know to man. The first being, who of the band snores the loudest? “Jay is up there, but I think its Sekou.” Volunteered Eon.
“Oh me. It’s just gotta be.” Chimed Sekou, before also confessing, “I will say this. I will share anything… but I have a woman’s addiction to chocolate. I’m not playing,” He said, as I giggled. “It’s brutal, I will tell people when I am sharing stuff… ‘anything you need from me, money, cloths, food you got it, but this (chocolate) right here, this is mine.’” He laboured trying to convey the seriousness of his addiction, as Eon laughed louder along with me. The boys’ favourite chocolate in Australia, that they don’t have at home is the Milo Bar, which they tried two days before the Melbourne show.
“I was telling Jay about Milo and he was just laughing about the whole idea of it as a powdered drink, because he wasn’t familiar with it. Then first time I go into seven eleven, I was like WHAT? I used to take scoop fulls of the powder when mum wasn’t looking and just eat it.” Eon said as they both laugh. “And it’s like sticking to your teeth.” Eon points to his teeth, as the pair have a moment.
And if the pair could meet anyone in history, who would it be? “Probably Jesus.” Said Eon as Sekou erupts in laughter. “I’d like to see what that guy was really all about. We could go to the beach and play volley-ball and stuff. He seemed to have his finger on the pulse of life at the time and I’d like to know how he did that.”
I mention that he could also get a great pair of sandals. “Exactly. I’m sure he wore havaianas though.” He replied wittily.
As finished up the interview with Eon and Sekou from Bedouin Soundclash, each shook my hand once again, smiled at me warmly and thanked me for my time, seeming to have genuinely enjoyed the interview. We once more had a laugh over the ‘ambience’ of the interview location, which was out the back of the band room, where bar’s men were clanking empty bottles and opening doors. Then they pointed me in the direction back to the concert room, where I would see them perform one hour later.
Stay posted for full interview recording and also review of the gig.
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