feature article



Article published in the Nightlife section of the Illawarra Mercury, on Thursday, February 19, 1998.



"POWERPLANT have embarked on their second year and are kicking it off with their new EP Peppered with Pain - released for just seven weeks.

Pinpointing the exact sound of the CD is difficult for guitarist James Lopes.

"We play main-stream rock, I think," he said.

"It's hard to get an exact genre because we all have very different influences."

Laughing, he confessed: "I don't know how the hell we made it into the same band."

"We all listen to very different music."

"But in the final wash, it's just main-stream rock."

The response has been positive.

"Everyone I've spoken to who's heard us has found something they like." Lopes said.

Their songs are original, and only a few weeks ago did they start using covers.

"We use covers to establish a connection with the crowd and then we move into our own stuff."

When it comes to writing the songs, all the band members take an active role.

"We all have some sort of influence." Lopes said.

"I might come to a jam with something."

"Or Rob (Steffan) will come with something and its a free-for-all."

"We give each other a lot of credit for each song, and it works out really well."

With the EP going strongly, Powerplant is touring pretty hard to support it.

While touring can be exciting, Lopes also enjoys the experience of recording the songs.

"It was unreal. I loved every minute of it." he said.

"We went up to Sydney and did a day here and a day or so there."

"We wasted some time, but it was just a lot of fun."

"... (engineer-producer) Russell Pilling coached us and got the best out of us."

In terms of planning a specific tour, Powerplant is still up in the air.

"We're trying to expand into Sydney."

"It's hard with families and the rest of that, but you try and work around that because you want to keep a consistent public face."

While touring is important to Lopes, he would also like to get back into the studio.

"There are a few little whispers that we'd like to go back and maybe start on the album - we're writing some new material now."

"If we can get that ready in time, it will make it onto the album."

"So maybe in the next six months we'll get on it.""

Written by Shady Cosgrove.

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