EVEN
LONG TIME GONE
by Robert Dunstan

It’s been a long, long time between drinks for Melbourne-based indie pop trio Even (guitarist and vocalist Ashley Naylor, bass player Wally Meanie and drummer Matt Cotter). But the band’s latest musical offering, a dozen-song self-titled affair mixed by Wayne Connolly, has now seen release and the threesome are touring it around the country before taking off to London to perform at All Tomorrow’s Parties. We speak over the telephone to Ashley Naylor, who has recently been playing with guitar with Paul Kelly’s band, and begin by suggesting that the new album has been a long time coming.
Indeed, when I interviewed bass player Wally Meanie a couple of years ago about Even’s involvement on the Hoodoo Gurus’ tribute album Stoneage Cameos, Wal had said that a new Even album was imminent.
“I don’t know how he’s done it, but Ash has pulled some great songs out of his arse for our next album,” the band’s bass player had excitedly announced at the time.
I also recall the band performing some of the new songs when they played The Famous Spiegeltent at the beginning of 2006 and again when they supported UK ensemble Belle & Sebastian at Thebarton Theatre later that same year. The band also released the song Rainbows as a seven-inch vinyl single well over a year ago.
“Yeah, so it’s about time the album was out,” Ash laughs. “Some of the songs actually date back to 2004 or so. We’ve been trucking some of them out for a few years although there are a few songs on the album we hadn’t played live.”
I’d imagine that the album’s delay may have due to the fact that Ash has spent the last year or so playing in Paul Kelly’s band.
“Well the album was pretty much done before all that kicked in,” Ash reveals. “But then, due to my touring commitments with Paul, it was decided to hold off on the release. But we have a clear run now. The thing with Paul has come to an end for the time being with the release of the Stolen Apples DVD we did up in Queensland. So I’ll be playing with Even for the rest of this year.
“And it’s been quite a thrill playing with Paul. What can I say apart from that I’m hoping to do it again. But if it does happen, that will be in 2008 at the very earliest.”
Even will soon head off to the UK to take part in All Tomorrow’s Parties.
“We haven’t been to the UK since 2002 [with Dallas Crane] so we’re looking forward to that,” Ash enthuses. “It’s actually very exciting. So we’re taking part in the All Tomorrow’s Parties line-up with Sebadoah and Meat Puppets and will be highlighting the new album as we’ve got a release for it over in the UK which is great.”
Even have been involved in few tribute albums over the years and also contributed a soaring version of Masters Apprentices’ Living In A Child’s Dream to the 2CD set Tomorrow Is Today. The trio were also asked to take part in Beautiful Escape, a soon to be released recording that pays homage to US band The Posies. Has that all come about due to Even playing shows with that band’s guitarist Ken Stringfellow?
“I now can’t recall the exact chain of events,” Ash admits. “I do remember the label [Burning Sky] somehow getting in contact with us but don’t know if that was because of Ken or not. It’s a pretty small US label but it’s a triple CD and there’s lots of small US and some Australian indie bands involved who, like Even, all have a bit of a niche market.
“So we recorded a couple of Posies’ songs including Solar Sister which was a very hard one to do. All we could do was give it our best shot but I think we’ve done a pretty good version.”
Wayne Connolly, the nation’s leading producer of indie pop, mixed Even’s new album.
“And I think we’re getting back to what we were doing at the start and that’s doing a whole batch of songs in the one studio over the course of a week and coming out with a finished album. We didn’t fart around too much.”
Guest players on the album include pianist Bruce Haymes (“Bruce is the man if you can’t get Ian McLagen,” Ash laughs in reference to the noted UK piano player who guested on Even’s last studio album.) as well as Paul Thomas [Weddings Parties Anything] who contributed pedal steel to the unashamed country song The Fool Who Made You Sad.
“That was fantastic and a pure joy to watch Paul come in and do his thing on the pedal steel.”
Have you ever attempted to play pedal steel guitar?
“That’s a great question and the answer is no,” Ash says with a chuckle. “It’s one of those things – it’s a bit like the saxophone and one best left to the experts. A pedal steel, to me, is bit like a musical knitting machine and I wouldn’t know where to begin.
“But we would have been short-changing ourselves to have left the country song off the album. The songs on the album all compliment each other and The Fool Who Made You Sad works well in the live set. In that regard, I think the new album is one of the strongest ones we’ve ever done.”
Even were the band of choice as opening act whenever infamous US outfit The Dandy Warhols toured Australia. The Warhols’ guitar player Peter Holmström also guests on Even’s latest offering.
“I guess we’ve accumulated a lot of friends over the years, as you do, and Pete is such an awesome guy that he was keen to donate some guitar drones that he recorded back at home,” Ash announces as we round up the interview. “They serve as a great segue-way between the final two songs [Keep On Burning and The Pinnacle] on the album.”
Even will launch their latest album at Jive on Sat May 3 with help from The Exploders and The Trafalgars. Even’s self-titled album is out now via Rubber Records.