Carving out rock since the early '90s, Custard have become one of Australia's finest bands. Having released four albums already, their fifth album, Loverama, is one of their greatest. Not only does it show off the talent that is Custard, but it also delivers 12 fine pop tunes, making it the Custard dream album. Matthew Strong talks to Opus
Opus: What is the worst show you have ever played?
Matthew: Oh that's easy. We did a gig in Cairns once at a place called SJs, and Paul our bass player, we were all quite drunk and Paul left the stage after about two songs 'cause he decided he'll quit. So the three of us had to go on, we played the rest of our set doing covers. The next day we had another gig in Cairns, and all these people called up the radio station and told everyone not to go because we were so crap. So that would be our worst one. But Paul, the next morning when he woke up, he decided he didn't want to quit after all. But the damage has already been done. I don't think we've been back to Cairns since.
Opus: What's playing on your stereo?
Matthew: What's playing on my stereo, I haven't been home for so long, I don't know. I've just got home finally. Gees, I don't know. I could have a look at my stereo right now and tell you.
Opus: Ok.
Matthew: Ok, hold on a sec. **leaves phone to look at stereo** Ok, Nancy Sinatra, the hit what is it, the Hit News, is in my stereo at the moment, so that must have been the last thing I listened to. I think it was for 'These Boots Were Made For Walking' because I always like that one.
Opus: If you were a kitchen appliance, what would you be?
Matthew: I would be a blender. Definitely a blender, so I could cut stuff up, mess stuff up.
Opus: Is the Bedford that stars in the film clip for your song 'Bedford' owned by one of Custard?
Matthew: It used to be owned by our lighting guy who has since departed us. But back then, yeah, that was the Bedford we used to tour around in.
Opus: Does he still have it?
Matthew: I don't know. He kind of ran off with some money years ago, and we haven't seen him for about four years. So I don't know, but I'd love to run into him again, just so I could say hello. It doesn't matter about the money now, I don't even think it was that much. But yeah it was weird. He toured with us for years and then I don't know what happened. He took some money or something and disappeared. When we would ring up his parents, they wouldn't let us talk to him, so he must feel guilty or something. I'd love to run into him one day. But I don't know if he still owns it, he probably got rid of it in case someone spots it.
Opus: Don't you think having a saxophonist in your band would raise your sex appeal?
Matthew: Oh, I hate saxophones. They always remind me of that, I watched the football one time and Tina Turner or Jimmy Barnes was singing and they had this big muscly guy with a ponytail playing the saxophone. Every time I think of a saxophone, that's what I think of. No, I hate saxophones.
Opus: What about an oboe?
Matthew: Maybe an oboe, I don't know. We've got a guy playing pedal steel guitar on out next tour, so I think that's pretty sexy. No saxophones though, they sound terrible and they're annoying. All brass instruments are annoying.
Opus: Tell us about the new album.
Matthew: It's got 12 songs, its called Loverama. It was made in Brisbane and Melbourne, made by a guy called Magoo.
Opus: How long did it take to record?
Matthew: It only took about a month. We did our last two records overseas and we did this one here, so it was a lot more hassle-free. It's not as uptight as all our other records.
Opus: Do we have better recording facilities here?
Matthew: Not necessarily. They're sort of the same everywhere in the world. It's just that we were a bit more relaxed here and we didn't have to live in the same hotel room for months and months like we did overseas.
Opus: So you weren't killing each other by the end of it?
Matthew: No we didn't hate each other so much.
Opus: If Custard didn't exist, what would you be doing?
Matthew: Not much, trying to get a band together. I don't know what we'd be doing. We've done this for so long, I think it's our 9th year together. I'd have to find a rich girlfriend I think and watch lots of midday movies.
Opus: What did your mum say when you told her you wanted to be a rock star?
Matthew: She wasn't too keen on the idea at first because I left school early, but now she loves it. My parents live in Kingaroy, which is a little country town in Queensland, so they are like local celebrities up there. When we play on 'Hey Hey Its Saturday' and all that, they go down to the local pub and all the locals watch it. They love it now, but they were a bit worried for a while.
Opus: Now that it's paying off?
Matthew: Yeah, now that they get to watch their son on TV, they think it's great. So my mum's always up taping Rage and everything. Quite weird.
Opus: What's your favourite Custard song?
Matthew: My favourite Custard song is a song called 'A Job In Rock n Roll' which was on our album called Wisenhiemer. It's all about being in a band and how what a stupid thing it is and what a lazy way to make a living, that's why I like it. It's a true story.
Opus: How did you come around to doing the Shonky Songs for Triple J (a series of covers of electric 'classics' in the history of rock)?
Matthew: I'm not quite sure. I think our manager rang up Triple J because they were thinking of a way to promote our album and they came up with the idea and we said 'yeah, sounds like a great idea'. People seem to like it. We have to go play at someone's house, whoever wins it.
Opus: Which one's your favourite?
Matthew: 'Hot Legs' by Rod Stewart, only 'cause I sung it.
Opus: How come you didn't do the National Anthem?
Matthew: Oh that would have been perfect. How come you didn't tell us to?
Opus: I didn't know you were doing the Shonky Songs.
Matthew: Oh that would have been so good. I'm going to write that down right now. That's great. The Australian Anthem, that's brilliant, that's gold. I wish we had done that. We just went to a studio one day and had to come up with all these songs and make them up by what we knew of them, so it was all done very quickly.
Opus: Where do you see yourself in five years time?
Matthew: Old, grey, poor. We'll be broken up, we'll be bitter, we'll hate bands, hate the world. Or we'll either be rich and famous, living in France. Either one of those options.
Opus: If you make it big in the USA will you stay here, or move there?
Matthew: No, I think we'll stay here. We've toured the states a few times and it's a terrible country. I'd much rather live here. I think we live in a great country.
Opus: How do you write your songs, lyrics first or music first?
Matthew: Always music first and David our singer always writes the lyrics to it, but yeah it's usually music first.
Opus: Do you answer your own fan mail?
Matthew: Am I suppose to be telling the truth, or lying?
Opus: Telling the truth of course.
Matthew: David, our singer's dad I think answers our fan mail.
Opus: Does he pretend to be you?
Matthew: I don't think so, I think he's honest about it. He runs our web site and I think that's what he does. He loves it. So most of the stuff comes through there and because three of us live in Sydney now, and our fan mail address is in Brisbane, Dave's dad answers a lot of it. Or sometimes he'll send it down if it's directed at one person. Just generally he answers it. He's got a pretty good idea though. We call him Cus-dad.
Opus: How come there are four members in Custard?
Matthew: Maybe because the Beatles had four members. On our next tour we're having six members in our band.
Opus: What are the other two members doing?
Matthew: One's going to play keyboard and the other one's going to play pedal steel guitar.
Opus: Who are they?
Matthew: A guy called Andrew Lancaster and a guy who used to play in a band called the Huxton Creepers called Paul Thomas, and he used to also play in Weddings Parties Anything too.
Opus: What's one thing you can't live without?
Matthew: One thing can't live without, cigarettes. I'm horribly addicted to cigarettes. Do you smoke?
Opus: Me? No. What's another thing?
Matthew: Probably my stereo, I guess. Or my dog, I couldn't live without my dog.
Opus: What's your dog's name?
Matthew: Bob and he's a ridgeback, and he's big and clumsy and knocks everything over with his tail.
Custard play at Fanny's on August the 7th and their new album Loverama is available now from all good record stores.
By Carolyn Farley. Originally written for Opus, Newcastle University's student magazine. Copyright June 1999.
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