If you’re a fan of lo-fi slacker pop, boy have we got the band for you…
Melbourne outfit Jade Imagine are preparing to release their laid-back debut EP What The Fuck Was I Thinking on Milk Records this Friday, 28th April, and have blessed Music Feeds with the premiere of the whole. damn. thing.
Fronted by Jade McInally (who cut her teen in her electro project Tantrums in 2004), the group are now ready to roll on their first bunch of six tracks, after something of a realisation from their frontwoman.
“I’m a songwriter, and it took me so long to realise that,” McInally says. “I need to be writing, because that’s how I feel good.”
Recorded over six months in McInally’s bedroom and at the home of Courtney Barnett’s drummer Dave Mudie, What The Fuck Was I Thinking is packing toe-tapping beach vibes stemming from influences like The Church, T-Rex, Fleetwood Mac, The Triffids and The Go-Betweens.
“In my mind, all of my songs are about missing the coast and wanting to go surfing everyday, even if they’re not actually about that,” McInally says.
McInally’s fluid backing band currently features Liam ‘Snowy’ Halliwell (The Ocean Party, Ciggie Witch) on bass, producer/guitarist Tim Harvey (Emma Louise, Real Feelings) and Jen Sholakis (East Brunswick All Girls Choir, Jen Cloher) on drums.
You can stream What The Fuck Was I Thinking in full, below, alongside McInally’s track-by-track run-through of the EP. You can pre-order the EP (including a milky-white vinyl version) right here, and catch Jade Imagine’s upcoming tour dates down below the track-by-track.
Listen: Jade Imagine – ‘What The Fuck Was I Thinking’ EP
‘Stay Awake’
An ode to insomnia; I bought a dusty pink nylon string acoustic from a friend for twenty bucks and this is the first song I wrote on it. Stay Awake was recorded with Dave Mudie (Courtney Barnett’s drummer) at his old house in Thornbury. We used the piano at Courtney’s place and Dave came up with that earworm of a melody.
‘You & I’
An ode to giving yourself a reality check; we recorded the drums for You & I with Jen Sholakis and Tim Harvey in my bedroom. We had a makeshift control room happening which was the hallway. We borrowed microphones from a number of friends including Lisa Mitchell. I think it came out pretty polished, considering it was a home recording (onya Tim)!
‘God Is A Crown’
An ode to the documentary ‘Dig’; I wrote this one the morning after watching it at my kitchen table. I recorded the vocals in one take – that’s the first take, in the final version.
‘Esteem’
An ode to being independent; my mate Fabian Hunter recorded the bass on this one. He has his own band called Coastbusters. You should check them out hey. I really love jamming the end of this song at our shows. I hope you like listening.
‘Walkin’ Around’
An ode to the healing benefits of just going for a big walk; I wrote this one when i came back to Melbourne after a trip back home (I’m from the Sunshine Coast). At the time, I was borrowing my friend Dan Kelly’s baritone Danelectro. I was really missing the coast and it was the middle of a melbourne winter, so i used to get myself out of the house and just go for big walks. Makes you feel better. It’s a pretty literal song, I guess…but you can read into it however you wish…
‘Tell Her She’s Dreamin’
An ode to all those who work shitty jobs; This one came to me when I was working a really depressing hospitality job, getting slammed on a really busy Sunday morning brunch rush… Don’t let The Man get you down. We lushed it out with Tim Harvey’s Juno synth ~ there’s about 20 tracks of that synth alone.
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Jade Imagine will play a series of EP launch shows in April and May. Catch all the tour details, below.
Jade Imagine ‘What The Fuck Was I Thinking’ Tour
Friday, 28th April
Polyester Records, Melbourne
Free In-Store Show
Saturday, 6th May
Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Supporting Cash Savage And The Last Drinks
Tickets: Corner Hotel
Friday, 12th May
The Tote, Melbourne
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Tickets: Oztix
Friday, 19th May
The Gaso, Melbourne
Tickets: Oztix
Thursday, 25th May
The End, Brisbane
Free Entry
Saturday, 27th May
Golden Age Cinema, Sydney
Free Entry
