On-again-off-again proto-indie legends Small World Experience released their modern classic Side Projects 18-years ago. They've returned with "Party Pooper", the first single from their upcoming album Soft Knocks that is due early next year on Tenth Court.The song sees the group fuse Australian guitar pop with songwriter Pat Ridgewell's effortlessly affecting lyrics to arrive at a neat little dose of DIY pop.Accompanied by an equally charming video that plays something like the outtakes from your estranged uncles home videos, "Party Pooper" marks a welcomed extension to the three-piece's signature blend of understated guitar pop.While a lot may have changed in the last 20 years, the same doesn't necessarily apply for SWE songwriter Pat Ridgewell. "Apart from being older, I probably haven't changed a whole lot since then", Pat told us over email this week. "I'm not a dad, I don't have a career (in the music industry or elsewhere) or a mortgage. I'm a bit less socially awkward and a lot less stoned."Realigning with the definitive lineup of Ian Wadley (Bird Blobs, Minimum Chips), and Julian Patterson (Minimum Chips), SWE will be hitting the road later this year to celebrate the release of Soft Knocks as well as the reissue of 1994's Shelf Life and 1991's Too Far Gone To Sell It.You can listen to "Party Pooper" and read a brief chat we had with Pat below.Noisey: It's been almost 20 years since Side Projects. What's changed since then and what hasn't?
Pat Ridgewell: In the mid-90s most people didn't use the internet or have mobile phones. We did have digital music and it was the heyday of CDs. I never liked them and was happy to see their demise, the jewel case has got to be one of the biggest music industry fails ever. Bands haven't changed all that much. The mixes of influences are different but the format is mostly the same. The ratio of interesting/uninteresting bands has stayed pretty much the same for me. I don't go out much but venues seem just the same too (though not many of the very same ones) except for the drink prices and the smoke.Has age and experience at all affected the way you approach making records?
Not really. Our new stuff was recorded on computer instead of 4-track like the earlier albums, using more and better microphones, and mixed by John Lee instead of myself and Ian. All because of circumstances, rather than us making decisions about those things. Ian and I, in some ways, we're drifters, so we don't often have money to throw at things. So we're used to making the most out of what's on hand, or we were. I've learned that when recording, the best takes are when the focus is off the fact that it's being recorded. In the past this has often meant keeping rough takes and guide tracks. A flawed recording with a great feel or something spontaneous that's hard (& a corny idea) to try and repeat is better than a stultified though technically better take. But everyone knows this. It's not always easy to just leave things be and not do it over when there's no deadline and you're not on the clock for $.With Ian and Julian being assumedly busy with other projects, was it difficult to get them back into the fold?
Not at all, they were keen. They love it!How important was it that you returned to this original line-up?
Important? That's a good question, I hadn't thought about it like that. It was easy that's for sure, it would be challenging if they weren't on board, especially Ian. I live two hours outside of Brisbane so working it out with new people would be hard to arrange. It's highly unlikely there's anyone suitable here in Scrubby Creek. With Ian and Julian we can get it together without much rehearsing. It's one thing to have older songs in the setlist, but having to rehearse them much or go over bits with new players would be so tedious. The bass in SWE isn't good for picking up on the fly, there are lines and riffs. And there's the feel of the band overall, our sound. I'm not inclined to go changin' it. It's not even fully fleshed out live, it's not like we've done hundreds of gigs. Ian's drumming is a big part of it even though it's guitar-driven really. And it could be a big ask expecting another drummer to fit right into the accustomed style._Soft Knocks is due early next year on Tenth Court. _
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Pat Ridgewell: In the mid-90s most people didn't use the internet or have mobile phones. We did have digital music and it was the heyday of CDs. I never liked them and was happy to see their demise, the jewel case has got to be one of the biggest music industry fails ever. Bands haven't changed all that much. The mixes of influences are different but the format is mostly the same. The ratio of interesting/uninteresting bands has stayed pretty much the same for me. I don't go out much but venues seem just the same too (though not many of the very same ones) except for the drink prices and the smoke.
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Not really. Our new stuff was recorded on computer instead of 4-track like the earlier albums, using more and better microphones, and mixed by John Lee instead of myself and Ian. All because of circumstances, rather than us making decisions about those things. Ian and I, in some ways, we're drifters, so we don't often have money to throw at things. So we're used to making the most out of what's on hand, or we were. I've learned that when recording, the best takes are when the focus is off the fact that it's being recorded. In the past this has often meant keeping rough takes and guide tracks. A flawed recording with a great feel or something spontaneous that's hard (& a corny idea) to try and repeat is better than a stultified though technically better take. But everyone knows this. It's not always easy to just leave things be and not do it over when there's no deadline and you're not on the clock for $.With Ian and Julian being assumedly busy with other projects, was it difficult to get them back into the fold?
Not at all, they were keen. They love it!How important was it that you returned to this original line-up?
Important? That's a good question, I hadn't thought about it like that. It was easy that's for sure, it would be challenging if they weren't on board, especially Ian. I live two hours outside of Brisbane so working it out with new people would be hard to arrange. It's highly unlikely there's anyone suitable here in Scrubby Creek. With Ian and Julian we can get it together without much rehearsing. It's one thing to have older songs in the setlist, but having to rehearse them much or go over bits with new players would be so tedious. The bass in SWE isn't good for picking up on the fly, there are lines and riffs. And there's the feel of the band overall, our sound. I'm not inclined to go changin' it. It's not even fully fleshed out live, it's not like we've done hundreds of gigs. Ian's drumming is a big part of it even though it's guitar-driven really. And it could be a big ask expecting another drummer to fit right into the accustomed style._Soft Knocks is due early next year on Tenth Court. _