Perth is a unique breeding ground for emerging bands, according to Split Seconds front man Sean Pollard.
Isolation coupled with the city’s tiny number of venues mean that up and coming bands have the opportunity to fine-tune their sound before gaining national exposure.
“You’re hidden away so you have a chance to play bad gigs and get better on stage,” Pollard said, commenting on the unusual elements that comprise the landscape of Perth’s live music scene.
Returning home to Perth after a year of travel, with an artillery of new song material, Pollard, a member of local outfit New Rules for Boats, decided to strike out on his own, recording EP Split Seconds and putting together a new band. “I had this whole set of new songs that I had to do something with,” he said.
Putting together a six-man-band to play his material live was an easy process for Pollard; “Perth’s pretty small,” he acknowledged. “So when dudes are good at something you see them around.”
The scale of the Perth music scene means that local musicians often play in several bands at once, creating a great web of individuals and bands, leading to a friendly yet determined rivalry. “It drives competiveness; it just makes everyone get better,” Pollard said.
“It’s good because you know everyone, and once you start becoming good, everyone notices straightaway, whereas over east I think bands can get lost sometimes.”
Split Seconds were certainly noticed on the Perth scene this summer, playing major WA festivals Southbound, Big Day Out and St. Jerome’s Laneway and landing support slots for Tim Minchin and indie music legend Sufjan Stevens.“Yeah, it was a good summer,” Pollard said.
Gaining the attention of Perth punters is one thing but attaining national recognition is something with which local bands have had to battle, with nation-wide tours being out of reach for many; word of mouth, social media and radio remain as the avenues available to Perth bands trying to gain a foothold in the wider industry.
Fortunately for Split Seconds, the Australia’s national youth radio broadcaster Triple J has gotten aboard with the single Bed Down on high rotation at the station.
The band came to the attention of the Triple J’s music director Richard Kingsmill with their performance at last year’s One Movement for Music festival. “It was just luck really,” Pollard said. “Richard Kingsmill just happened to be at the pub at the time, and he liked what he saw I guess.”
Triple J is a massively influential force in Australian music, enveloping major media formats radio, print, television and online. “To build a fan base beyond Perth is really hard,” Pollard admitted. “Triple J really helps to speed things up.”
The band recently launched their EP Split Seconds at the Amplifier Bar and though they have plans to tour over east later this year, for the time being they are committed to staying based in Perth; "everything's here," Pollard said.
