Dune (14/03/2013)
With debut EP ‘Oh Innocence’ released today and a string of shows in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, and London scheduled to coincide, I’m not sure how Dune creator Jade MacRae has found the time to talk to me. Contrary to my expectation of a riotously busy lead-up, however, Jade appears to be in the twilight zone between creation and release, and subsequently itching to get her work out there.
The mini-tour, kicking off in Adelaide and ending in Melbourne on the 23rd, will be the first time MacRae has taken this new project on the road, but perhaps the key date for the first half of this year is the March 14 release of the EP’s second single, the title track Oh Innocence. I’m intrigued to know what it is about this song that stood out from the others. “When I started this project, Oh Innocence was the first song where I thought, yeah, this feels right, it’s gonna come together.”
Notwithstanding the catchiness of the chorus and its undeniable flow, the song conveys a pretty powerful sentiment through its lyrics and wandering structure. It suggests a certain longing for the past and the organic, unjaded vision of youth. Jade elaborates, “I think as you grow older you can become a bit cynical and the world really hardens you…there is this sense of yearning to be young again and to see the music industry and musical dreams through innocent eyes…that song is about wondering if we ever get back to that ability to see things from a fresh standpoint”
Asked to compare the songs which feature on Oh Innocence to the even newer material in Dune’s live set, the response is refreshingly honest, “With the newer songs, I might just be in a better mood! They are slightly more optimistic and a little more energetic, the EP I feel is a little bit darker in its overall mood”
There is indeed a dark element to the EP, but what is most striking is the interplay between the eclectic mix of influences and the unique moods and styles characteristic of Dune. I ask Jade how she sees the difference between influences and sound-a-likes, and who, if anyone, may have left a defining imprint on the sound of Oh Innocence. “My taste in music is quite varied, I mean I grew up listening to old soul and jazz music, so I suppose as a singer that’s where my vocal style has evolved from. In terms of song writing, certain elements were significantly influenced by the fact that I’m a pretty avid fan of David Bowie, although I sound nothing like David Bowie!
With regard to the textural qualities of the music, it seems a sound palate can often come down to accessibility, rather than a purposeful search for the ‘right’ sound. “I think sometimes you go after a sound and find the instruments to make that sound, and other times the sound is created out of what you have to work with. Thankfully, I found myself with access to some pretty great instruments courtesy of my Dad, who held on to some awesome gear from the 70’s and 80’s…so a lot of the sound came simply from what I had access to.”
With a creative mind and an expansive arsenal of vintage synthesizers, it is a wonder the songs all share the impressive quality of not being overdone. Nothing is overplayed - an aspect of the writing process which, it seems, was no accident. “It was quite challenging in the writing and recording process…we built our own studio, we had to fund everything ourselves and once I had that space to work in and the time available to just keep recording and keep producing it was hard to know when to stop and not go too far. Particularly with vocals, I was conscious of not being too in-your-face, I tried to get the key messages across without belting you over the head with them.
With an east-coast tour the focus throughout March, the next stop for Dune is The Great Escape festival in Brighton, UK, with a string of shows in London providing added opportunity for some foreign fans to join the wave of local music-lovers slowly and surely bombarding Dune’s social media pages. Despite the chance to tour internationally, and the swell of consistently growing local support, this is a serious project that is not getting ahead of itself. “It’s very early days for Dune, I’m hopeful that it will continue to grow”.
Oh Innocence is available on iTunes from 14/3.
Xavier O’Malley
The mini-tour, kicking off in Adelaide and ending in Melbourne on the 23rd, will be the first time MacRae has taken this new project on the road, but perhaps the key date for the first half of this year is the March 14 release of the EP’s second single, the title track Oh Innocence. I’m intrigued to know what it is about this song that stood out from the others. “When I started this project, Oh Innocence was the first song where I thought, yeah, this feels right, it’s gonna come together.”
Notwithstanding the catchiness of the chorus and its undeniable flow, the song conveys a pretty powerful sentiment through its lyrics and wandering structure. It suggests a certain longing for the past and the organic, unjaded vision of youth. Jade elaborates, “I think as you grow older you can become a bit cynical and the world really hardens you…there is this sense of yearning to be young again and to see the music industry and musical dreams through innocent eyes…that song is about wondering if we ever get back to that ability to see things from a fresh standpoint”
Asked to compare the songs which feature on Oh Innocence to the even newer material in Dune’s live set, the response is refreshingly honest, “With the newer songs, I might just be in a better mood! They are slightly more optimistic and a little more energetic, the EP I feel is a little bit darker in its overall mood”
There is indeed a dark element to the EP, but what is most striking is the interplay between the eclectic mix of influences and the unique moods and styles characteristic of Dune. I ask Jade how she sees the difference between influences and sound-a-likes, and who, if anyone, may have left a defining imprint on the sound of Oh Innocence. “My taste in music is quite varied, I mean I grew up listening to old soul and jazz music, so I suppose as a singer that’s where my vocal style has evolved from. In terms of song writing, certain elements were significantly influenced by the fact that I’m a pretty avid fan of David Bowie, although I sound nothing like David Bowie!
With regard to the textural qualities of the music, it seems a sound palate can often come down to accessibility, rather than a purposeful search for the ‘right’ sound. “I think sometimes you go after a sound and find the instruments to make that sound, and other times the sound is created out of what you have to work with. Thankfully, I found myself with access to some pretty great instruments courtesy of my Dad, who held on to some awesome gear from the 70’s and 80’s…so a lot of the sound came simply from what I had access to.”
With a creative mind and an expansive arsenal of vintage synthesizers, it is a wonder the songs all share the impressive quality of not being overdone. Nothing is overplayed - an aspect of the writing process which, it seems, was no accident. “It was quite challenging in the writing and recording process…we built our own studio, we had to fund everything ourselves and once I had that space to work in and the time available to just keep recording and keep producing it was hard to know when to stop and not go too far. Particularly with vocals, I was conscious of not being too in-your-face, I tried to get the key messages across without belting you over the head with them.
With an east-coast tour the focus throughout March, the next stop for Dune is The Great Escape festival in Brighton, UK, with a string of shows in London providing added opportunity for some foreign fans to join the wave of local music-lovers slowly and surely bombarding Dune’s social media pages. Despite the chance to tour internationally, and the swell of consistently growing local support, this is a serious project that is not getting ahead of itself. “It’s very early days for Dune, I’m hopeful that it will continue to grow”.
Oh Innocence is available on iTunes from 14/3.
Xavier O’Malley