We Have The Internet And Planes

Photo by Sean Fennessy

There’s a commonly held belief that Tasmania is a barren landscape. That it’s devoid of culture, suitable only for heathen farmhands and sibling fornicators. Hobart’s

Native Cats

play straight forward trance-inducing pop that pretty much shatters this horseshit once and for all. Peter and Julian graciously told me a little about themselves, and did so with wit and vigor unmatched by any city slicking barista or high-fallutin’ book learning jerkoff.

Vice: Why a two piece? Couldn’t find anymore people into decent music in Tasmania?

Julian:

The small line-up is necessary because we don’t drive. Fuck lugging a drum kit around. If it can’t fit in a briefcase it can bugger off. We have no idea how to really make “electronic music”. Laziness is the motivator.

Peter:

It was our original intention to record an album and recruit later. Glad that didn’t happen, too much to organise.

So you guys jam econo?

Julian:

Totally!

Peter, Julian says you have a flourishing stand-up comedy career on the horizon.

Peter:

I started doing standup about a year ago. I love going back and forth between music and comedy. They have such different writing approaches—I get burned out on one, I just go back to the other.

Julian:

I have to stress a “no-laughs” policy with the Cats. It’s all business.

So you never blend the two?

Peter:

God no! I did a set last week about a record review calling me “autistic”. That’s the most the two have ever crossed over.

What gets you more women?

Julian:

Comedy! Music ain’t the pussy magnet it used to be.

How do you guys react to boring taunts about Tasmania? You know, like “Adelaide is proof that Tasmanians can swim” and such.

Julian:

Ah, I think it’s just people from the big place picking on the little place, it’s age old. Australia vs. NZ, Mainland vs. Tassie. It’s all nonsense. I’m glad you haven’t brought up “ISOLATION” yet.

What’s your response to cop-outs like that?

Julian:

I like to explain to people that we have broadband internet and aeroplanes. It’s such bullshit, people are always asking us “when are you moving to Melbourne?” I’d like to prove to people that you can achieve success without moving to Melbourne, Sydney, New York or LA.

So you don’t think living in Tasmania is compromising your success in terms of a wider audience?

Julian:

Not at all. We know plenty of Tasmanian metal bands on labels like Southern Lord and Nuclear Blast. You don’t see all those great old NZ bands moving to LA just because they receive a modicum of success.

Peter:

The exciting part about playing around here is meeting people who have only just rea-lised that Hobart bands can be worth a damn. Kids that only see Triple J bands at the Republic. Then someone drags them to the Brisbane Hotel for a local show and they have to rethink their Tasmanian inferiority complex.

So, you want to put Tassie on the map musically and shatter this cousin-fucker thing?

Julian:

Not in a big “

here we are!!

” type of way. By just chipping away, trying to write great songs and great records.

Peter:

The “

here we are!!

” types usually take the form of a Facebook group trying to get a Tasmanian singer to #1 on the charts “

just to prove it can be done!!!!

”

JOHN SHARKEY III

The Native Cats have a full length album available from Consumer Productions and a new single available from White Denim Records. They have a forthcoming full length due out on Siltbreeze Records in their future. www.myspace.com/thenativecats