Sporting one of the best names you could ever hope to hang your reputation on, Snakadaktal have been building momentum over the past year or so and are set to embark on their first headline tour in December in support of their self-titled EP. Crafting subtle slices of contemporary indie pop, these four lads from Melbourne have been getting lots of love from triple j, the band taking out triple j Unearthed High. We caught up with bassist Jarrah to discuss the band’s upcoming tour, their EP, as well as their self-professed love of full moon dream parties.
MF: First up, and I should point out that I hate asking questions about band names, but Snakadaktal, pretty rad, moment of stoned inspiration perhaps?
J: This story doesn’t have much to do with stoned teenagers; it was simply one of the many mystical animals Sean (vocals, guitar, synths) and his good friend Dom came up with in year 10 while day dreaming in math class. He doesn’t need anything to enhance his imagination!
MF: We actually share a common interest, playing at tropical full moon dream parties, however your music seems a little bit calm for one of those; is that more of a DJ set type of thing? What sort of tracks do you, or would you, spin at such a party?
J: I wouldn’t say I have any idea what songs we would play, probably something upbeat with a lot of bass of course, that always gets your legs moving. I think we wish we were that kind of band, we probably couldn’t quite pull it off though haha.
MF: So you’re about to head off on a headline tour; any full moon dream parties lined up?
J: Yes we are. I don’t think there is going to be a full moon, but who knows, we might get lucky.
MF: Seriously though, tell me about the tour. I know it’s your first headline tour, but is it your first time heading out as a band or are you road-hardened tour warriors?
J: This is our first major tour, but we have flown to Sydney and Brisbane earlier on this year thanks to our friends triple J. We are yet to experience the full hardships and excitement of touring, but we are very excited and eager to find it all out.
MF: You’re touring in support of your new EP. Can you tell me about it: what it sounds like; how you made it?
J: This tour is launching our newly released self-titled debut EP. I guess it may sound like a handful of songs written by some kids who weren’t quite cool enough to go and party. It was recorded by us in bedrooms and released through I OH YOU.
MF: How does the writing process work in the band? Is there a main songwriter or do you all pitch in ideas?
J: Well, usually someone just comes in with an idea and we work on it and hopefully it will develop into something fun and worthwhile. We are quick to dismiss ideas, so it’s usually first impressions that count. Other ways songs come around is just by jamming together for ages and picking out the good bits!
MF: You’ve not been playing very long; are you guys still at all nervous about playing live or are those days long gone?
J: We have been performing for a little under 2 years years now, but I guess we are all still quite new to the whole idea. We do sometimes get nervous, but that’s a good thing for us as it proves we are pushing ourselves onto new things.
MF: This year has been a big one for you guys; how are you coping? Are you doing music full time now or are you still working/studying?
J: It has been an exciting and tiring adventure and a great distraction from our studies. We plan to hopefully spend most of next year playing music and getting some part-time work on the side.
MF: Being a band isn’t easy these days. How do you guys make ends meet and still keep up with shows, rehearsing and recording?
J: Music is a hard field to be in, where nothing can be promised, though we have been very lucky thus far. We all love playing in Snakadaktal, so the band usually gets priority over other things. We are always excited to play live shows, and recording is a great experience too.
MF: It still being such early days, do you have any idea where you want to take your music and your sound? Where do you guys see yourselves in 5 years time?
J: I think it’s the dream of a lot of bands to travel around the world and become an international band. We will have to see what happens. All I know is that I would love to still be playing music in 5 years; that would be enough.
