London Still? Nah Mate, Australia! From humble beginnings in Broome, way back in 1992, The Waifs remain true to their roots and give back to their many followers and fans with the release of their next studio album ‘Ironbark’ to commemorate 25 years in the Australian music industry.
I had the privilege of stealing some time with Josh Cunningham earlier in the week to chat about the upcoming ‘AN EVENING WITH THE WAIFS
25th ANNIVERSARY AUSTRALIAN TOUR’ and what we can expect from the new album, ‘Ironbark’.
So Josh, 25 years of The Waifs!! How does that make you guys feel?
“In a word?” “Old.” “Twenty five years sounds like such a long time, but doing what we do has kept us all young in spirit and mind. We have been very fortunate to be able to live a lifestyle that fulfils and sustains us, whilst contributing something beautiful to the world. It’s not your typical occupation, so in a way we still feel as though we’re all 18-19 years old and like we’ve just met and starting out. Twenty five years is definitely a landmark that shows you are getting older.”
Your career over the twenty five years has seen you guys play countless gigs and festivals; collecting a plethora of awards and founding your own recording label, Jarrah Records. Not forgetting your support gig with the one and only Bob Dylan. How do you guys feel about your success over the years and where it has taken you?
“We’ve always felt from the early days that success came from just being able to do it. To be 25 years on and still able to be doing something we love and for it to sustain us is a real blessing. It sustains, in one way or another, the people who like the music as well. We’ve heard very humbling stories of people that have been touched and affected by what we do. There’s not a gig that goes by where you don’t talk to somebody and hear a particular story that touches or moves you. They’re all very special. One experience in particular, a couple of years ago now saw us on tour near Geelong. We were contacted by a gentleman, who had a wife battling cancer, and our music had been really significant to her, they had some small children who were already Waifs fans, they’d been indoctrinated from birth (chuckles). He had said to us that even though she was in recovery, things were still touch and go. Being that we were down that way, with a night off, we set up on their back deck and played to her family and friends. It was an incredible experience. What she had been through, the stories she had really moved and inspired us. It’s not something you can really put into words, it was amazing. That’s the kind of stuff it’s all about. It’s not just the joy of playing music; it’s sharing it with the people that listen, and the joy of sharing it with each other. It’s been twenty five years, we’re a family, we’re all special people to each other and we couldn’t imagine not doing it. All the other achievements are icing on the cake. To feel like you’re contributing something positive to the world- that is success to The Waifs.”
Tell us a little about the album. You guys recorded it at your place in the South East coast of NSW. All done in two weeks! A true testament to your abilities, tell us a little bit about why you chose that location and were there any challenges you guys faced in such a make shift setting?
“It was fantastic. I’d actually been pushing for this idea for a little while now and it was finally able to happen. Opposed to a studio, which can at times be high stress environment as the clock and dollars tick away. We were able to disengage from that aspect and be consumed by the beautiful Australian bush. I felt that if we could get into a really familiar environment, somewhere that was a bit lower key, we’d be able to reconnect with that rawness and an honesty that the bands always had from the early days. We were trying to get something that was distinctively Australian; a sense of space and the setting was conducive to that. To be able to include the sounds of the bush and native birds just ambiently in the background on the album gave us that rawness we love. It really worked. We all seem to have this sense that this has been our most positive recording experience and we’re really happy with what we were able to produce because of it. We feel it’s a real reflection of who we are and where we’re at.”
Embarking on their national tour which is set to kick off Thursday March 2 at the Perth Concert Hall, The Waifs will be playing a total of 25 shows across all major Australian cities- yes EVEN Tasmania! For tour dates and ticket prices, head to thewaifs.com to secure your ticket to what is set to be a truly moving and inspiring show. Set to play at Adelaide’s WOMADelaide (WOMAD) who, this year ALSO celebrates their 25th Anniversary, Josh had this to say.
“One thing that there will be is a LOT of joy. We don’t get the chance to get together and play all that much these days, given that everyone is older and have families, but whenever we do get together we make the most of it and really treasure those times.”
‘Ironbark’ is set to be released Friday March 3rd. But if you simply cannot wait that long, The Waifs are giving you the opportunity to download a free bonus song each week from January 10th so head to their website thewaifs.com for a taste tester. You can also pre-order your copy of ‘Ironbark’ from Thursday Feb 12th at a discounted price as a gesture of thanks.
You can hear the first downloadable bonus song here: “Song That Soothes” https://soundcloud.com/the-waifs-music/song-that-soothes
By Kathryn Yeend
https://www.womadelaide.com.au/
Go to thewaifs.com or facebook.com/thewaifs for all Tour dates
Sat March 11. Womadelaide, Adelaide. SA
Sun March 12. Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy. SA
Mon March 13. Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy. SA
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