A Quick Chat With Staples

Meanjin alt-rocks, Staples, have unleashed their sophomore EP ‘Everything Will Be Okay’ packed with jangly guitars, vigorous post-punk basslines and soaring synths. Exploring the broad spectrum of human emotional experiences, you can take a deep breath in and listen to this EP knowing that you’ll be okay. We caught up with the band to get to know them a bit better!

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Can you tell us what this EP means to the band and what you want people to take away from it?

‘Everything Will Be Okay’ represents the collective evolution of the band over the 2 and a half years since we wrote these songs during the initial COVID lockdown. Having recorded the EP in early 2021, these songs still pretty perfectly capture the uncertainty and lack of direction we felt at the time, where we were physically isolated from one another, but also the joy we felt continuing on into the year as we came out of lockdown and began gigging again. Even now, these songs capture the residual ambiguity, but hopefulness within that, that we still feel in this new, post-COVID world, and we think listeners will feel a similar spectrum of high and low emotions, through the EP's melancholy, naivety and introspection.

What are some of the bands influences and why?

The Cure, Joy Division, Radiohead and The Smiths are definitely some of our most prominent influences. Their ability to craft songs in a palatable, but whole-heartedly unique and original method allows the intricacies of their music to clearly convey whatever emotion or story they desire.

What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?

Usually a member of the band will approach the group with an idea, which will then be fully fleshed out within rehearsals up to a standard we are all content with. After this process we'll then create a demo, for this to then be sent to our producer as a reference for us to work from while recording the songs as a band and developing them further in the studio.

What do you think makes a great song?

A holistic collective of elements stemming from the portrayal of an original idea, utilising unique instrumentation to create rich harmony with equal dissonance to build tension throughout the composition, to then allow an emotional output for the listener dependent on their individual interpretation of the song.

If the band could collaborate with any artist who would it be and why?

Radiohead. Absolutely. The craftsmanship of the band as a whole and their undeniable individuality musically is complemented perfectly by their visual artistic endeavours, and thus it would easily be an extremely fulfilling collaboration both aurally and visually.

When not working on music, what other creative outlets do you each have?

As expression is quite an important part of ourselves, Harry, Jason and Miki all dabble in the world of visual arts in some facet also. With Harry and Jason sharing an artistic endeavour within an old-school analog video glitch art, and Miki being a painter of her own artistry for many years.

What are some local bands we should check out?

First Beige

Great Sage

Soap

Locust Revival

Happy Valley

Kalopsia

Monet's Pond

Houseplant

Winter or summer and why?

Winter for sure. Nobody can be bothered to move or do anything in the sweltering Queensland heat and it is far easier to warm up with clothing and layering than it is to cool down in summer. Winter is also a more emotionally evocative season on a whole.

What else do you have planned for the year?

Following the release of our EP, we will play our launch show on Friday the 16th of December at Black Bear Lodge, celebrating the EP itself but also the whole year, with our friends and fans to send us off through a big party, and then onwards towards new sounds for Staples moving into the new year.

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