Something with Numbers Giveaways!
10 October 2006
JOIN UP TO SbA's E-NEWSLETTER TO WIN SWN GIVEAWAYS!!!
Something With Numbers Prize Packs include:
Major (x1)
- 1x Signed Blockmounted Something With Numbers Poster
- 1x Signed CD copy of ‘Perfect Distraction’ album
- 1x CD single copy of ‘Apple Of The Eye’
- 1x Something With Numbers t-shirt
Minor (x10)
- 1x Something With Numbers t-shirt
- 1x CD copy of ‘Perfect Distraction’ album
SWN Band Bio
In an age of overnight success and next big things (insert here any number of acts whose career has lasted as long as the length of their first album), it's easy to forget how bands used to get things done. Once upon a time band's got their personnel settled, rehearsed in a dingy studio, hit the road and played hundreds of live shows, released their own independent EPs and albums before moving on to headlining shows and the inevitable call from the major record companies. It is the story of some of Australia's greatest acts, from AC/DC and INXS through to The Living End and Powderfinger.
It is also the story of Something With Numbers.
Rising out of the booming Central Coast punk scene in 2001 and signing to indie upstart Below Par Records, Something With Numbers have grown from a branded "emo punk" band to a full-blown rock and roll powerhouse. They have watched as bands from their hometown were chewed up and spat out of the fickle Australian music industry, some garnering success whilst others fell by the wayside.
However, none of this has deterred Something With Numbers from what they originally set out to achieve. The band has always chosen to focus on their own music as opposed to other influences and trends around them. So much so that earlier this year, after the band had written the music for the follow-up to their 2003 full-length debut Ettiquette, vocalist and eccentric front man Jake Grigg decided to stop listening to music altogether whilst he prepared to write the lyrics. Choosing instead to stick old vinyl album covers up around his lounge room for his creative inspiration, Jake would then spend every waking hour recording ideas onto his 4-track recorder - ideas he was hesitant about showing to the rest of the band for fear that the reaction would be that these new songs might be a little too "different".
Jake obviously got it completely wrong - the band were totally re-energised by his ideas, and spent the next six months fusing together what was to become their much anticipated sophomore record, Perfect Distraction.
Recorded in Sydney and produced by Phillip McKellar (silverchair, Grinspoon), Perfect Distraction is a much more musical record for Something With Numbers. While Etiquette was as heavy as it was melodic, Perfect Distraction is an expansion on the ideas the band had whilst making Etiquette but not the experience needed to turn those ideas into reality.
In simple words, Perfect Distraction is a pop record at heart. The eleven songs that make it up are as diverse as they are unique. Songs like "Spent" and "Bang Bang Bang" are the perfect progression from Etiquette, sounding almost like distant cousins of most of the songs on the debut. While others, like "Zombie", drive through with the sparsest of basslines until the chorus kicks in and brings the whole band with it. Lead single "Apple Of The Eye" is a dancier number that comes from a completely different headspace to anything Something With Numbers have done before, yet it's performed with an honesty that captures their true essence. A record of vast scope with epic peaks and minimalist valleys, it isn't until you get to "Goodbye Mickey Finn" that the band really shows their real creative depth. It's arguably the band's masterpiece. Starting off with the quietest of acoustic guitars and a raspy vocal, it slowly builds up through the use of a lone cello and violin, finally crescendoing with the band kicking in to a full rock epic complete with string quartet. It's the type of song that would even make Billy Corgan green with envy.
The recording of Perfect Distraction was split between three different studios, with an American tour squeezed in for added pressure. More by good luck than bad management, Something With Numbers were invited to tour the US for three weeks with The Matches and MC Lars, and, as any young band would, they jumped at the chance and were soon flying high above the Pacific Ocean towards their very first US visit. Driving across America in a over cramped tour van making barely enough money to pay for petrol to get to the next town drew the band closer together and made them all realise that this was all that they wanted to do with their lives.
With a new desire and focus, Something With Numbers returned to Australia to complete the recordings with McKellar, knowing that everything they had been working towards for four years was finally falling into place.
For most artists the sophomore album is an anxiety-filled excursion of self-doubt and creative frustration. For Something With Numbers, however, it was not like that at all. This is a band that has been together four years are still all in their early twenties; a band that has performed with hordes of international acts including Good Charlotte, Millencolin, The Ataris, and shared festival bills with White Stripes, The Used, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jurassic Five, Linkin Park and Killswitch Engage, a band that has sold just over 10,000 records in Australia already; and a band that has toured this vast land more times than you have comments on your MySpace page. It's all they want to do.
Music for Something With Numbers is the perfect distraction.
Something With Numbers are:
Jake Grigg – Vocals
Lachlan Scott – Guitar
Gravy – Guitar
Scott Chapman – Bass
Dave Macbeth – Drums/Percussion
'Apple Of The Eye (Lay Me Down)'
Track Listing
1. Apple Of The Eye
2. Bring Up The Curtain
3. Cotton Wool
4. Blind Moon
SINGLE / APPLE OF THE EYE / IN STORE NOW!
ALBUM / PERFECT DISTRACTION / IN STORE OCTOBER 7
Central Coast band, Something With Numbers are set to jump in the Tarago again at the end of October for a headline tour, to support the release of their new album Perfect Distraction - out through Below Par/Virgin on October 7.
The band will kick-start the “Perfect Distraction Tour” in NSW on October 26 and head to QLD, VIC, WA, SA and TAS throughout November. The tour is kindly presented by Triple J and MySpace.
In early October they will also be supporting the much talked about US outfit Panic! At The Disco on their sold out East Coast Australian tour.
Something With Number’s first single ‘Apple Of The Eye (Lay Me Down)’ taken from Perfect Distraction is currently ruling the airwaves and was the #1 Most Requested video on Channel [V] (In store now!).
PERFECT DISTRACTION TOUR DATES:
All shows are over 18’s unless highlighted below as all ages
All tickets will go on sale Friday September 22nd
All tickets can be purchased through http://somethingwithnumbers.oztix.com.au
Thursday October 26 Key Largo, Terrigal NSW
Friday October 27 Annandale Hotel, Sydney NSW
Saturday October 28 (arvo) Annandale Hotel, Sydney NSW **all ages
Thursday November 2 Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave VIC
Friday November 3 East Brunswick, Melbourne VIC
Saturday November 4 Enigma Bar, Adelaide SA **all ages
Thursday November 9 Great Northern, Byron Bay NSW
Friday November 10 The Globe, Brisbane QLD
Saturday November 11 Sol Bar, Coolum QLD
Sunday November 12 The Chophouse, Gold Coast QLD
Wednesday November 15 The Foundry, Cannington WA
Thursday November 16 Prince Of Wales, Bunbury WA
Friday November 17 Players Bar, Mandurah WA
Saturday November 18 (arvo) Leederville HQ, Leederville WA**all ages
Saturday November 18 Rosemount Hotel, Perth WA
Sunday November 19 Mojos, Fremantle WA
Thursday November 23 Republic Bar, Hobart TAS
Friday November 24 Siroccos Nightclub, Burnie TAS
Saturday November 25 James Hotel, Launceston TAS
JOIN UP TO SbA's E-NEWSLETTER TO WIN SWN GIVEAWAYS!!!
