The Devastations

Melbourne's The Devastations have packed a lot into their three years together. They've recorded two albums of graceful rock-noir under their own moniker, as well as providing the music for soundtracks and solo front-people alike. They've rubbed shoulders with the likes of Cat Power, The Dirty 3, Einsturzende Neubauten and The Tindersticks, and have been heralded by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as, "The best thing Ive heard all year". They've also just returned from an extended stay in Eastern Europe, where they caught up with Mess & Noise among the gilded parapets of King Ludwig's grand but unfinished Neuschwanstein Castle. Okay, so it was The Empress. Whatever.

Conrad: So you've been living in Germany for the last 2 years?

M+N: Ha. You're stealing all my questions.

Conrad: I was just going to say I'm trying to pre-empt you.

M+N: Berlin aye?

Conrad: Nick Cave?

M+N: Yeah I thought I could hear Berlin on the record. It's like I was just reading about the Cat Empire going to Cuba to record their album. It still sounds like it was done on Pro Tools.

Conrad: Yeah I'd never heard them until a couple of weeks ago. But I could imagine them if you know what I mean. So I didn't really need to hear them. Then we were driving home from Adelaide a couple of weeks ago and their song came on the radio and it was one day I'll learn how to drive or get my licence or something and its all half sung half rapped in just the most repellent kind of voice. Oh Christ I was amazed. Nothing had prepared me for it.

M+N: I suppose that's one thing about being away. What changes here in your absence. I mean a band like The Cat Empire have been massive here in the last few years. Has finding out what's been popular while you've been away been encouraging?

Conrad: Look, I wouldn't say its been particularly encouraging. It's been bands like Pete Murray and yes The Cat Empire, so no. I think it appeals to the lowest common denominator really. Theres always a giant market here for that meat and potatoes, I'm an everyman bullshit. They're the kind of things that are really only ever going to work in Australia I think. If youre catering to only a small few then I suppose it's not really going to work out.

M+N: It was great having not played here for a while to then see your Melbourne album launch sell out.

Conrad: I was really pleased with that gig. I always get really nervous before any show but that one I was particularly. It's an album launch and you think, "Well what if no one comes", y'know? But yes I was really quite encouraged, especially since we haven't played since we got back.

M+N: And was it similar interstate?

Conrad: Yeah the shows went really, really well.

M+N: Do you think its because you were away, that cultural cringe thing? Of people going, "Well they must be ok now they've been accepted by some other part of the world".

Conrad: Look I'd like to think that wasn't true but I dunno. Who knows what other people are thinking. I would prefer to think it was more about our album being out but who knows, you can't ever really second guess why people are coming.

RELOCATING OVERSEAS

M+N: Is Berlin good?

Conrad: Yeah I like it. It's very cheap. I mean you can have a reasonable quality of life there. We knew good people there.

M+N: People have told me theres something sort of Melbourne about it?

Conrad: That's kind of true but really it's nothing like Melbourne at all. I suppose that was the first place in Europe that we arrived and thought, "We could quite easily live here". After we moved someone had passed our first record on to someone at Munster records in Madrid. Who basically are kind of a punk rock label and I thought, "Why would you want us?" you know? They do really good re-issues and stuff but don't really put out anything new. So they ended up releasing our album and they were good. So that opportunity came up and we rented a little place and it was fun. We just lived out of each other's pockets, but at the same time we still lived pretty well. But I mean I've done a heap of interviews lately where the journalist really wants to make out you're slumming it and sleeping on peoples floors and I mean that there is a tiny bit of that but...

M+N: They're wanting you to fulfill that tradition of Australian bands that move.

Conrad: Yeah. Of course there is a bit of that but we survived off touring and we could pay our rent and we usually had enough food to eat. That's not to say that we havent done our share of sleeping on floors but then every band does it.

M+N: It sounds romantic but really its nothing different from what you do here.

Conrad: That's exactly right. Most journalists really want you to perpetuate that myth of like, "The hungry artist" y'know? and it's just sort of bullshit.

M+N: Is it a hard decision to make? To move?

Conrad: It is fucking hard you know, everyones got lives and relationships and work and its hard to commit to going overseas for an indefinite amount of time and you might fail dismally. But really it wasn't for me at all. It was something I really wanted and I didn't have anything keeping me in Melbourne, and I think at the time all of us felt that way to a certain extent. But yes since then Tom our guitar player got married in February or March just after we got back and he's about to have a baby, so yeah I'd like to think I could go back over and do it again. I mean, what else are you gonna do?

M+N: That's it. But trying to get everyones planets to align does that mean you wonder whether you can go again?

Conrad: Well I'm probably going to move over to Berlin again early next year so if that happens well just have to exist bi-continentally and Tom can come over for tours. So it'll make rehearsing interesting.

M+N: By phone. Through the PA.

Conrad: Here Tom, have a listen to this

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