Wellington Music: The Eighth Note/New E.P - Halycon Drift
Eight quick questions with Pōneke band, Halcyon Drift.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about your music:
We started as Halcyon Drift way back in 1989 and with a hiatus from 1995 to 2008, have been writing and performing our own music for 35 years. In the that time we’ve been joined by and lost a few bass players and vocalists but are now a 4 piece with 3 original members:
- Steve Hands - Guitar and lead vocals
- Matt Middleditch - Guitar and vocals
- Matthew Wear - Bass and vocals
- Gregor Kempt - Drums and kept well away from vocals!!
My (Gregor's) description of our music is guitar driven rock, with an upbeat feel with a variety of influences and styles.
What have you been working on lately? Any new tracks or albums on the way?
Our focus over the last couple of years has been on recording and producing an album of 12 of our best songs. We’ve done it ourselves with the leadership and generous time from our friend, ex vocalist and producer, Craig Sengelow. The album is due for release mid 2025 but we thought it worth releasing four tracks early, as an E.P called 'Prelude'.
In the lead up to our album release, we will also re-release some of our older EP’s:
- Broadcasting House (1995)
- Cars and Comic Books (2011)
Where is the best place people can follow you & find your music?
Our E.P 'Prelude' is available on most platforms such as Spotify, Apple music, Bandcamp and YouTube Music. We also promote from our Facebook page as well as our Website.
What’s your favourite Wellington venue to play in?
Meow hands down. A great feel, and space and hospitality that suits.
Which other Wellington musician(s) would you most like to work with?
A long time ago we used to share a rehearsal space with Shihad and Head Like a Hole, when they were on their way up. Both of these bands have the power that we respect!!
Courtesy of Gregor Kempt.
'Broadcasting House' E.P, 1995
What were the 3 most influential albums to you growing up?
Gregor:
For me I would say:
- The Jam - In the City (1977)
My tastes growing up were firmly late 70’s English Punk and New Wave, with bands like the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, The Damned, The Clash and so on. The Jam for me took my listening from a good time, to a level of adoration for the energy and quality they delivered. Their first album was one of their truest! - Toy Love - Toy Love (1980)
I went through my high school years in Dunedin and EVERYONE had this Album!! It resonated with me due to its anarchic approach and highly original songwriting and performing!! Chris Knox was gold!! - Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls - Gossip (1986)
Not sure how I got into Paul Kelly, but my love was greatly enhanced by the opportunity I got, playing with Wellington band The Climb, to open for them around 1987 at the James Cabaret, in front of around 1000 people. Their music connects to my love of rock, rock and roll and country, along with his great storytelling. A legend!!!
I pitched this question to the band as well and they came up with a few albums that I can see in our music, including:
Steve:
Matthew:
Matt:
In your songwriting or composing (or the band’s songwriting) how do the compositions and songs take shape?
In the past, our song writers Steve and Matt would bring an idea to rehearsal and we would develop it as a band, with the writers moving stuff around based on how it progressed. Now-a-days, they record their songs as full demos, giving us a strong sense of their vision. Matthew and I (bass and drums) then apply our style to our parts and it takes form. The writers are open to feedback and change, in the true spirit of creativity.
Where/when is your next gig?
With our E.P being released at the end of last month, we plan to play a release party in January next year, once a few new listeners have become more familiar with our music.
When/where was the new EP recorded?
We recorded all the band at the Mangaroa School Hall in Upper Hutt, over two weekend sessions in 2022 and 2023. The hall is a big, wooden floored space with sound deadening on part of the ceiling, giving it a big room sound, with some control. Craig Sengelow was the producer and recording engineer assisted by Lachlan Murphy, an up and coming engineer and producer. We recorded as a band, hearing the sound in headphones, with:
- Drums - close mics, along with overheads and two room mics to capture the width and height of the sound.
- Bass - direct input.
- Vocals - recorded as a guide.
- Guitars - amps set in adjacent rooms and recorded as a guide.
This approach has us doing around 6 takes for each of the 12 songs over four days and two weekends, taking the best take to move forward with. It gave us true heart in the takes, allowing our timing to stretch and compact depending on the energy in the song. What you hear on each track is one track of live bass and drums.
Who produced/engineered the EP? How did the tracks come together in the studio, or at home?
Craig Sengelow re-recorded the guitars and vocals at his home studio in Wellington and mixed and produced the tracks with four stages of feedback from the band for each track. We relied on Craig’s personal time to do this so it has been done over a couple of years. The seven tracks completed so far were mastered by Mike Gibson and we are very happy with them.
Was there any specific gear you used to capture that?
Both weekends were different. The first weekend we recorded straight to a USB hard drive using a Mackie digital desk. The second weekend we recorded to a computer through a mixture of Audient and Digi design interfaces. Both times there were about 14 tracks being captured, however, we kept the drums and bass only, effectively throwing away the guitars and vocals and re- recording them.
Is there a particular track or theme that the EP was formed around?
We tried to represent a selection of feels from the 12 tracks for the four tracks in the EP.
- No Worries - Upbeat, happy, driving rock
- Easy Chair - More alternative with big, half time, sound breaks
- Maybe - Chilled country in front of a thoughtful story
- Motivator - More tense and driven, with rests along the way.
Where do you see the EPs place in growing an audience online? Do you see it as a progression towards an album or a separate entity?
Yes, the E.P gives our listeners a chance to focus on just a few of our songs, to get a feel and enjoy what we offer before opening their listening up to the album in mid 2025. It also gives them something to know when they come to a gig, which always helps.
Which digital platforms is it available on?
Many platforms but the well known and easily accessible ones are Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and Bandcamp.