Amanda Roff spends Monday to Friday in country Victoria surrounded by sheep and books. She says that the quiet isolation helps with her PhD studies in English literature.But most weekends Roff says “screw quiet isolation” as she heads back to Melbourne to catch up with friends, play gigs as a member of the band Harmony and to jam with her new musical project Time For Dreams.A duet that also features Tom Carlyon from Standish/Carlyon and the Devastations, Time for Dreams specialise in atmospheric pop. Their bio describes their sound as "escapist, protean pop, and smoky, shimmery soundtracks for nightclubs of the mind."Amanda tells me that it’s “sonic humidity.”With an appearance at Hobart’s Dark Mofo as well as more shows in Melbourne over the coming months it looks like Amanda will be spending more time in the big smoke.Listen to "My Operator" the first track from their debut album below and read a quick chat we had with Amanda.Noisey: I like how you describe you music as sonic humidity.
Amanda Roff: The sonic humidity vibe came from wanting to make music that sounded the way Blade Runner looks, or In The Mood For Love or Miami Vice. Night music- heavily textured, dense, steamy, romantic… neon lights, calligraphy, smoke, bells, clouds… we write often with a bar or nightclub in mind- one that we have entirely imagined or made up, maybe it's in Hong Kong, maybe dystopian future L.A.Is "My Operator" a good indicator of the rest of the stuff you are writing. You are not really some death metal duo sneaking this song under the radar?
Mate if I was in death metal duo I would not be sneaking it under the radar, I'd be slaying your fuckin head off! This song is a pretty solid indicator. It's probably the most 'song-like' of our songs in terms of structure, we do tend to get into jams/zones that are less structured than this but the sounds are pretty true to form.Has country life been good for you musically? Are you more motivated when you are back in the city and vice versa when you are back in the country after a big weekend?
There is nothing like a close personal encounter with regional Australia to really make you appreciate Melbourne. I am so motivated to jam and play and see music and just absorb when I am here, not to mention sink piss, eat city food, drink coffee and just ignore the rats I see, rather than having round them up, shear them, milk them etc. The country is good for isolation, and isolation is good for dreaming and writing, at least for me. It's also very cheap.As you get older does love creep into your music more or less?
Ha! Love creeps. I like how you are implying that love is something you try to keep out, like a weed or a serial killer. Love creeps in. I've always been more comfortable writing abstractly. But the creeping tendrils are there. The stranger creeping in and around… nothin you can really do about that at any age.
June 19 – Hobart at Dark Mofo
July 2 – Melbourne at the Gasometer with Lucy Cliché and Assad
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Amanda Roff: The sonic humidity vibe came from wanting to make music that sounded the way Blade Runner looks, or In The Mood For Love or Miami Vice. Night music- heavily textured, dense, steamy, romantic… neon lights, calligraphy, smoke, bells, clouds… we write often with a bar or nightclub in mind- one that we have entirely imagined or made up, maybe it's in Hong Kong, maybe dystopian future L.A.Is "My Operator" a good indicator of the rest of the stuff you are writing. You are not really some death metal duo sneaking this song under the radar?
Mate if I was in death metal duo I would not be sneaking it under the radar, I'd be slaying your fuckin head off! This song is a pretty solid indicator. It's probably the most 'song-like' of our songs in terms of structure, we do tend to get into jams/zones that are less structured than this but the sounds are pretty true to form.Has country life been good for you musically? Are you more motivated when you are back in the city and vice versa when you are back in the country after a big weekend?
There is nothing like a close personal encounter with regional Australia to really make you appreciate Melbourne. I am so motivated to jam and play and see music and just absorb when I am here, not to mention sink piss, eat city food, drink coffee and just ignore the rats I see, rather than having round them up, shear them, milk them etc. The country is good for isolation, and isolation is good for dreaming and writing, at least for me. It's also very cheap.As you get older does love creep into your music more or less?
Ha! Love creeps. I like how you are implying that love is something you try to keep out, like a weed or a serial killer. Love creeps in. I've always been more comfortable writing abstractly. But the creeping tendrils are there. The stranger creeping in and around… nothin you can really do about that at any age.
Catch Time For Dreams:
June 19 – Hobart at Dark Mofo
July 2 – Melbourne at the Gasometer with Lucy Cliché and Assad