| The Paradise Motel | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Hobart, Australia |
| Genres | Dream pop, noir, experimental, acoustic, Orchestral |
| Years active | 1995–2000; 2008–present |
| Labels | Mushroom, Infectious, Stolen Recordings, Inertia Records, Left Over Life To Kill |
| Associated acts | Drugstore, Candy, Small Sips, Seaville, School of Emotional Engineering |
| Website | www.the-paradise-motel.com |
| Members | |
| Charles Bickford – guitar, organ Matthew Aulich – guitar, organ BJ Austin – organ, guitar Merida Sussex – vocals Esme MacDonald – bass Andy Hazel – drums Campbell Shaw – Violin |
|
| Past members | |
| Tim O'Shannassy – drums (1995–2000) Matt Bailey – bass (1995–2000) Damien Hill – drums (2008) |
|
The Paradise Motel are a critically and commercially successful independent Australian band from Hobart, Tasmania, first active from 1995–2000, who reformed in 2008.
Contents |
Guitarist and organist Charles Bickford, guitarist and arranger Matt Aulich and bassist Matthew Bailey formed the first incarnation of The Paradise Motel in Hobart, Tasmania in 1994. After playing one concert in the Kaos Cafe the band relocated to Melbourne in 1995.[1]
Once established they found singer Merida Sussex working in the St Kilda Public Library and attracted organist BJ Austin and drummer Tim O'Shannassy.[2] Their first concert was on Valentine's Day 1995 at the now defunct Carlton Moviehouse and began a penchant for performing at atypical venues,[3] shortly before signing to Bruce Milne's management company "The Shining Path".
After intense rehearsals and further gigging they were signed to Mushroom Records through whom they released the EP Left Over Life to Kill, its name taken from the autobiography of Dylan Thomas' widow Caitlin MacNamara.
Variously described as An assured and extremely vivid piece of music,[4] In 25 minutes they might very well change the way you listen to music, 9.5/10,[5] and Possibly the finest début EP by a band in Australian music history.[6] Left Over Life to Kill reached number 2 on the Australian Alternative Charts and became the third highest selling alternative release of 1996.[7]
This was soon followed by a remix EP, titled Some Deaths Take Forever, named from graffito on the wall of Brisbane venue The Zoo. It consisted of experimental remixes of tracks and outtakes from Left Over Life to Kill, an interpretation of The Triffids' song Raining Pleasure and was produced by the band themselves. 2,000 hand-numbered copies were produced and soon sold out.[8] These and many subsequent releases by The Paradise Motel were noted for their stylistic uniformity, reminiscent of Penguin Books' Penguin Classics series.
Early 1997 saw the release of The Paradise Motel's first full-length album, Still Life. Early editions featured and accompanying bonus disc Junk Mail which consisted of one 30-minute track of outtakes. The album was preceded by the single 'Bad Light', described as a perfect example of the band's self-described technique: "The violence and the silence"[9]
1998 saw the release of the single 'Heavy Weather' with an attendant filmclip. Both highlighted a new lush styling for the band as Mushroom and Infectious attempted to prime them for an overseas market.[10] Second album Flight Paths was released later in the year and indicated a denser production. Several singles and a national tour followed.
Keen to showcase the band to a possibly more receptive British audience (Melody Maker had already described the band as a deliciously unsettling proposition[11]), record label Mushroom/Infectious made them the first signing to their London-based branch. After touring Europe with Grandaddy, Sparklehorse and Mercury Rev to the US for the CMJ and North by Northwest Festivals, the band continued to play shows in England with acts such as The Divine Comedy, Smog and Drugstore, though recorded no new material and disbanded in early 2000Hennings, Emmy (February 2007). "'Almanac: A Retrospective with The Paradise Motel'". Mess+Noise..
Following disbandment, Aulich, Sussex, Austin and O'Shannassy remained in the UK - Aulich joined indie band Drugstore for a period before returning to Australia where he formed the band Small Sips with Matt Bailey and Karl Smith of Sodastream and Lee Memorial. Sussex released a solo album before forming Candy, she is involved with the running of the Stolen Recordings label. Mark Austin furthered his studies in architecture and married Gina Morris (ex-NME journalist and ex-stereolab member) in 2002, they have settled in Melbourne. Tim O'Shannassy completed a PhD in music and literature in London, and taught at a number of colleges in New York. Bickford lived in Melbourne for a period, before returning to the UK where he married Lauren Zoric in 2004. In 2005 he appeared as the resident expert and co-host on 'The Golden Lot', on a weekly ITV program he co-hosted with Carol Vordeman. Zoric and Bickford returned to Melbourne in 2007 with the band reuniting shortly afterward.
In January 2008 recording began on the band's third studio album 'I Still Hear Your Voice At Night', completed at the end of 2008. Thematically it was considered an extension of their earlier preoccupations; death, disappearances and the Australian wilderness. Longtime violinist and co-arranger Campbell Shaw became a full-time member of the band after recording, bass guitarist Esme MacDonald joined shortly before recording as did drummer Damien Hill. In December 2008 drummer Hill took his own life and the album was not released until 29 January 2011, the second birthday of his daughter. The band have set up a link for anyone interested in donating to the Jesuit Social Services 'Support After Suicide' program on their website. The link: https://secure.donman.net.au/client/JSS/jss.asp
Work on a fourth studio record, Australian Ghost Story began mid-2009, again produced by the band, this time with overdubs in London by Jason Breckenridge and mastering by Casey Rice. The album concerns the life and death of Azaria Chamberlain and was released on the 30th anniversary of her birth, 11 June 2010. A limited edition release on USB was made for a one-off performance in Melbourne. The album received positive reviews upon its release[12][13][14]
The Paradise Motel's instrumentation typically features two guitars (acoustic and electric), bass, drums, Hammond organ, pedal steel, and occasional accompaniment from a string quartet. Unlike many other Australian bands of the time the Paradise Motel were considered 'sonically adventurous' with their frequent deconstruction and reinterpretation of their own songs.[15] Their aesthetic was one of sparseness and melancholia, punctuated by bursts of manic loudness; or, as they once said in an interview, "the violence and the silence".[16] Their lyrical subject matter often veered towards the melancholy and macabre, which results in comparisons to Nick Cave, TV series Twin Peaks and Mazzy Star, as did Sussex's vocal style.[17] Much of the Paradise Motel's songwriting came from Charles Bickford, whilst Matt Aulich was responsible for the string and instrumental arrangements in most of their tracks.
The Paradise Motel's cover of The Cars' song Drive appears in the soundtrack to the film of He Died with a Felafel in His Hand. Their early song, "German Girl", also appears in the film.
Songs by the band have appeared on several compilation CDs attached to magazines such as NME, Melody Maker and Select.
Three songs by The Paradise Motel are played in the Australian television show Heartbreak High: "Bad Light", "Ashes" and "German Girl".