This
down-home quality is all over Tim’s new album,
a crunching, country-tinged and deeply felt work
recorded with a brand new band, The Temperance Union,
made up of drummer Ian Kitney and bassist Stuart
Speed (both of whom played on Tim’s debut solo
release What Rhymes With Cars & Girls), and Melbourne
guitar maestro Shane O’Mara, who also took
on producing duties with Tim. But as with the first
solo album, Spit Polish is a detour for Tim Rogers,
and not a permanent home away from You Am I. He’s
already got his first band’s next album written
("I want the next record to really show Russell
off"), and is ready to book some studio time
for July, with a possible release in October. The
Spit Polish album and The Temperance Union just gave
Tim a chance to shake it up with some different people.
"They’re fun people
to play with," Tim says quietly, nursing a mineral
water and the remnants of a shattering hangover. "Yeah,
we were supposed to rehearse last night…but
the pub got in the way! They’re invigorating
people to play with. I really wanted this to be more
of a band album than the Twin Set record. I didn’t
want to get lazy and just put together a bunch of
chords and some wistful lyrics. I really wanted to
stretch it a bit, and play some rock’n’roll
with some other guys to see how it feels…and
it feels great! I really love these guys, and they’re
genius musicians."
The roots for the Spit Polish record
took hold in Spain, where Tim spends much of the
year with his Spanish wife and young daughter. "Before
I go on big plane flights, I always try to record
something in case I crash," Tim says seriously. "So
I did some recording with my brother-in-law over
there, and I wrote most of the album there, just
on this little hill in the country near where we
live. And I had an image of Stuart, Ian and Shane
playing them while I was writing the songs. I used
to grab a six-pack and sit up there and write. Sometimes
my daughter Ruby would come up there with me. I’d
just drink and write the afternoon away; I had a
real purple patch for writing songs while I was there.
I love it in Spain, and it’s a great thing
for a husband to see his wife deeply, truly happy.
My wife Rocio has a wonderful family, and it’s
great to see her with them. It’s great for
Ruby too. I really enjoy it over there. They sure
know how to cook an octopus over there too."
The track to Spit Polish then curled
its way back to Australia, where Tim soon hooked
up with Shane O’Mara, and recorded the album
in his home studio. "I sought him out after
hearing what he did with Lisa Miller’s record,
which is just beautiful," Tim says of the chanteuse’s
superb Version Originale album, on which he guested. "It
was great recording the Spit Polish record. We did
short days, and I get on really well with Shane.
I don’t really look out for guitarists, you
know? With Shane, it was just getting on really well
together, and thinking ‘Oh, you can really
play too!’ I think I really got it right this
time with the recording."
After You Am I parted ways with
their long time record label BMG, Tim has made the
new solo album a personal concern, only licensing
it to record company Festival Mushroom, and retaining
all control. "Yeah, it’s my record. I
paid for it, and I’m self-managed, which is
proving very difficult by the way, but it’s
just a lot of fun. My deal with Festival is really
good and really relaxed. They help out with the publicity
and things like that, and it’s just working
out really well. I really know where I’m at
with this deal."
Everything revolving around the
Spit Polish album comes with the personal touch.
Tim has spent hours stamping the labels on the 7" singles
on sale at the show, and the intricate artwork is
done by Aaron O’Donnell, who has a record label
with Temperance Union drummer Ian Kitney. It’s
real grass roots stuff, and it’s there in the
songs too, many of which are ripped direct from Rogers’ own
experiences. The album closeout is the raucous country
waltz "Fun Part One", which details Tim’s
experience with getting bailed up and criticised
on the street and even in Melbourne landmark The
Tote. "It’s all true," Tim laughs. "You
know, I’m a target. But I’ve got a pretty
good life…I just make it tough on myself. But
for every guy who calls me an arsehole, there are
three who’ll say ‘Hey, Berlin Chair was
great!’ I just put myself out there, and that’s
what I’ve done for the last fourteen years."
And being out there for fourteen
years has put Rogers in touch with some of the biggest
names in his musical universe. You Am I already supported
The Rolling Stones in Brisbane last year, and have
just locked up the opening slot for The Who in July.
Tim’s also been invited by Wayne Kramer himself
to sling on a guitar and join the revolutionary MC5
on their upcoming tour of Australia, as part of the
band’s current practice of picking up guest
guitarists around the world. "I really just
want to play the guitar," Tim says. "That
would be great. It’s kind of supposed to happen
around the same time as The Who, so hopefully we
can work something out."
But before that, there’s
the tour with The Temperance Union, and judging from
this show at The Basement – which is only their
third in front of a paying audience – it’s
going to be a wall-shaker. The songs sound tight,
passionate and heartfelt, and two wildly energetic
covers – The Stones’ "Live With
Me" and Led Zeppelin’s "Houses Of
The Holy", prefaced by Tim with "This is
what it sounds like when your drunk uncles get up
and play" – show a band dosed up with
a true sense of fun. With a wry smile, Tim Rogers
is ready to hit the road, and he’ll probably
be carrying his own guitars too.
"Hey, I still don’t
like flying, but I really like getting there."
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