Voices from the past
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday August 14, 2009
Hear the complete works of the Audreys on vinyl, writes Bruce Elder. There was a time, when CDs were still in their infancy, when record snobs insisted vinyl albums, with all their scratches and surface noises, were warmer and more honest.Now, the Audreys, that sublime and snappy alt-country group out of Adelaide, have decided to turn back the clock and release their entire back catalogue (they have only released two albums Between Last Night & Us and When The Flood Comes) on vinyl. To celebrate their back to the future approach to recording, they are travelling the country, playing the songs, selling the new-old vinyl versions of their albums and, wait for it, being supported by a DJ who plays only vinyl.Why vinyl? What a silly question! The Audreys' delightfully lovely lead singer, Taasha Coates, looks in disbelief and, with an absolutely straight face, says: We love vinyl. We wanted to have our own records on vinyl. We talked about it and our manager said he'd talk to the label and see if it was something they were interested in doing. It took a little while to get off the ground but it got going.Taasha is not only an enthusiast. Her passion for vinyl verges on healthy fanaticism. Ask if the vinyl versions of the Audreys albums will have a little hiss at the beginning and she replies: And a little 'click click click' at the end. I hope so. My first records were vinyl. My first record, I think, was Michael Jackson's Thriller.Cover art used to be a real art form because it was so big. Now it is so small. We can't wait to get our artwork. The cover had to be rejigged. It had to be all laid out again for vinyl.So are the Audreys eccentrics or is there a groundswell, a new love affair, starting for vinyl? Coates is convinced she is not out of the mainstream, arguing, If you go into record stores like me, their vinyl section is getting bigger and bigger and it's creeping into the CD section.Then she points out that not only does she not own an iPod but, I have never bought anything on iTunes. I like actually having the album. It is something to play with. I love buying new records on vinyl. I buy second-hand vinyl as well."So, if you want to enjoy the secret joys of vinyl, then follow the Audreys down their vinyl path and they will take you to their new-old wonderland. And what about CDs?I think there's a place for both vinyl and digital," Coates says. "I wonder if in 10 years we will still be making CDs. I'd love to see vinyl and digital. Most bands in our genre release on vinyl and with the vinyl you get a free digital download. That's what we'll do with our next album.THE AUDREYSThursday, 8pm, The Basement, Circular Quay, 9251 2797, $38.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald