Interviews
Jae Laffer
The Panics

Q. There is alot of interest in Perth bands and
Perth music at the moment, do you think there
is a particular Perth sound and is it very different
from bands from the Eastern States or even the
UK?

There is certainly some great stuff coming out at the moment, not sure if Perth has a sound but we certainly don't pay too much attention to what is happening in the east coast. Great music always comes from the smaller underdog cities, places that make you work harder just because you are in the middle of nowhere.

Q. The Panics sound seems different from the perceived Perth idie rock/pop sound.  Is there a reason for the difference and where do you derive your music from?

Once again we just don't pay much attention to what goes on around us. We take influence from everywhere, and we certainly wouldn't want to sound like we were part of a group of bands that all sounded similar.

Q. What bands have had the greatest influence on you and who are your favourite bands at the moment both from Perth and from elsewhere?

In the past The Stones, Beatles, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, could go on forever. These days we listen to, actually not sure what the boys have been listening to, and i just listen to everything.

Q. You have been over to the UK recently recording your debut album.  Has it helped being somewhere different to record and was the process very different from what you are used to with your two EP's? Would the album have turned out differently if it was with a local record company?

Getting out of Perth was great for us, it feels more real with the perspective you get from working on the other side of the world. I don't know how we would be different with a local label, maybe the same, but probably not. I can't imagine our situation being any different.

Q. Has your album turned out differently than your previous releases?  Have you tried to keep the sound similar to that of your EP's or have you tried a different approach to the new songs?

We didn't try to do anything on purpose except make the songs sound complete and more like an album than a bunch of unrelated songs. It's not too different to our EP sound, you will have to judge for yourself.

Q. Did you play any gigs in the UK and if so did the audiences seem any different than the local audiences? Is the music scene in the UK promising?

The shows we played and saw didn't seem too different to here, but we weren't around long enough to get a real view. We played to industry people so they're hard to judge, and the bands certainly seem very serious. The market is bigger and there's a million bands trying to get a deal, so the competition is tough I wouls imagine.

Q. Have you had any extra pressure put on you by being signed to a high profile record label?  If so has it helped or been a distraction to the recording process?

The pressure we put on ourselves is greater than any other. We ignore the outside world and just get on with the job.

Q. What is your favourite live music venue in Perth?  Do you prefer small pub shows with a small audience or bigger shows with lots of people cheering you on?

We love a big crowd if it's going well. Metro city is fun to play,  but give me the Hydey any day.

Interview by Justin

For more information visit The Panics official site.