BRITISH INDIA

NOWHERE BOYS
   They’ve just notched up their third Triple J Album Of The Week in the space of four years, but don’t expect Melbourne’s young rascals British India to begin acting like prima donnas just yet. While recording their latest album Avalanche in Melbourne’s Sing Sing Studios, the quartet found themselves sharing fridge space with Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas when he trekked to the Cremorne studio to belt out an INXS cover for the stalwarts’ new project.

    “Things are getting strange now and this is the kind of shit you have to put up with when you’re recording in expensive studios,” British India’s erudite frontman Declan Melia spits. “Rob was only doing the vocal for one song, but of course it takes him a few days to do that. There were other bands around the studio as well, but he was the one you’d notice because of his entourage and suddenly there was all this nice food in the fridge when there wasn’t before.

    “I avoided him,” Melia continues. “I didn’t want his mediocrity rubbing off on me. In my experience successful Americans like that are used to having people kissing their arse and are unaware when you’re making fun of them. The interesting thing about Rob was that one of his requirements was having a running car at all times outside the studio whenever he was there. He’s a fabulous songwriter but no friend of the environment. Maybe he’s losing his shit, hey?”

    Thankfully British India are yet to turn soft like their studio pal. Avalanche is another passionate assault from these four ordinary suburban lads with steadfast resolve. There’s no London genes or New York jeans when it comes to British India, just an honest half hour of their raw rock. The album was recorded early in the year after the band took a break from touring.

    “We’d planned to have January off, but we kinda spend our time off writing music anyway. I went to China as my sister lives over there, so I backpacked on what they call in the tour books ‘The Archaeological Trail’. It was pretty crazy and when you do a trip like that off the beaten track it can’t be encapsulated by just saying it was great – sometimes it was good, sometimes it was straight-up scary, so it’s good to travel like that. China really feels like it’s at a point of flux.”

    Melia backpacked to the Shaanxi province, where archaeologists have preserved the first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Army. The 8000 life-sized clay soldiers were buried with the leader upon his death.

    “The Terracotta Army is really jaw-dropping. It’s such a fascinating concept I expected to be underwhelmed, but the army stretches further than the eye can see into the distance and it’s absolutely amazing. It was only discovered quite recently too – it was discovered in the ‘80s by peasants digging a well. The peasant who discovered it was actually there when I was there. The government’s given him a cushy job in exchange for bringing millions of dollars in tourism to the area. He sits there signing books and I was like, ‘Oh my God! That’s him! That’s the peasant who discovered this! We have to get a book signed!’ Then of course around the corner was another peasant signing books as well. You’d be hard-pressed not to meet the peasant who discovered the site…”

    No empty poet poser, Melia is unafraid to lyrically confess to his failings. British India’s last Governor Hindmarsh gig saw the frontman performing with his hoodie pulled tight around his face, with Melia admitting that some nights he’s not as ‘on’ as others.

    “Yeah, that’s true man. There are nights when I’m more confident on the mic and I can talk to the audience better, but then there are other nights when I’m tongue-tied and embarrassed. I’d hate for my nerves and my reluctance to fully present myself would impede on someone’s enjoyment, but I think Australians are pretty good at spotting a fake. I wouldn’t want to put on any airs and say, ‘Come on! Let’s rock’n’roll!’ When you’re on a festival stage it’s sometimes easy to have that kind of pomp and bravado, which can be kind of cool, but when you’re not feeling it’s better to just play the songs rather than try and fight it.”  

    A former member of Stevie Wright’s band in the 1980s, British India manager and producer Glenn Goldsmith has witnessed rock pitfalls such as narcotics abuse and fly-by-night promoters. Melia says Goldsmith offers his charges first-hand lessons in avoiding these pitfalls.

    “Yeah, he does. There are still times when every member has had to have a bit of a reality check when it comes to curbing their substance use and lifestyle. Glenn is the go-to man for that I guess, but he’s also helped us avoid a lot of the sharks who inevitably come when they smell success. I also put that down to our own common sense and I don’t want to give Glenn too much praise, but he has kept us mindful of the traps that other bands fall into.”

    Melia plays down the band’s excesses and assures that any hasn’t affected their output.

    “I wouldn’t want your readers to think we’ve lost the plot, but I challenge any young person to be put into this environment and not do things to excess. There’s never been any interventions and British India certainly have big egos when it comes to certain things, but no one has the ego to say ‘it’s not me – it’s you guys who are wrong’. When you’re offending people with your behaviour you curtail it fairly quickly.”

    The fact Avalanche doesn’t include any 12-minute piano epics indicates British India haven’t got to the crazy Axl Rose stage just yet.

    “Not just yet, but there’s always album four.”

British India play the Governor Hindmarsh on Fri Jun 25 and Sat Jun 26. Avalanche is out now through Shock.

Words: Scott Mclennan

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