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Hard-touring outfit the Julian Temple Band bring bluesy-rock-grunge-country to Queenstown.
The accomplished Dunedin band has three albums under its belt but something of a new line-up for the latest New Zealand tour.
San Francisco-born Temple and long-term drummer Paul McLennan-Kissell are joined by new bassist Paul McMillan and violinist Alex Vaatstra.
The independent band has a hard-earned reputation as a rocking live act – touring the US, Australia and NZ on and off for more than a decade.
Temple: “It’s great fun but pretty full-on being an independent.
“We do like to tour a lot – that’s how we feel we should go about it – we’re a touring band.
“Dunedin is soaked in music. It has this strange thing about it. Amazing talent comes out of this city but it’s never known about. Nobody really takes much notice.
“It’s pretty hard to do it from here – you have to get on the road.”
Temple, 30, has lived in Dunedin for more than 13 years, releasing three albums as the band – In Sea (2006), Quiet Earth (2009) and Balance Escapes (2010).
Balance Escapes saw the band’s style darken with heavier guitar and trademark raspy vocals.
“We just wanted to go into a bit more rock ‘n’ roll,” Temple says. “I wanted to use the electric guitar and it did get a bit darker I ’spose. We all came from the days of Nirvana and stuff so we wanted to get back into a bit of grunge.
“It’s changed yet again really because we have a whole new line-up. Alex is amazing and has brought a whole new thing out of the music that I’d never really imagined was there.”
Temple also releases and tours solo, with Nowhere Fast his latest offering in October 2011 through Oscillosonic Records.
“I’m kind of a porch songwriter – I just sit on my porch and come up with little ideas.
“I take things to the band – usually with quite a structure already and then I just let them let loose and write their own parts.
“It’s great fun pulling in different musicians when touring. We play with Matt Langley quite a bit who’s a celebrated country/folk songsmith.
“And in Aussie, I’ve got a blues slide guitarist and a guy who plays a Cajon, a Peruvian box instrument you sit on and play.”
Julian Temple Band at Red Rock, Queenstown tomorrow night. Free admission.
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