The Cairns Review

Jim Moginie caught up with The Cairns Review to talk about his new band and their New Album The Break

Hi Jim...Thanks for taking the time to speak with us...where are you at the moment?

Playing under the sprinkler.

The break have played a few gigs how have they been?

A mixture of great fun, exhiliration and fear inducing terror. Lots of guitars plugged into reverb units. Oh, and lots of rolling tom toms.

Touring with hoodoo gurus what do you think this is going to be like?

Does Monsters of Oz rock mean anything to you, except we’re the ‘special guests.’ Seriously, it will be special.

Tell us a bit about how the break formed? Whose idea was it? How did Brian Ritchie get involved etc?

Rob, Martin from the Oils and myself got together after Sound Relief and figured out we liked playing together but 40% of the band were not available. That was frustrating but we couldn’t replace Pete with any sense of a clear conscience and do the rounds of the RSL’s playing the old chestnuts. After a few Hungarian coffees we figured out that we loved instrumentals…Joe Meek, The Atlantics, Mogwai, Decoder Ring. And our own ‘Wedding Cake Island’. We’d been playing surf stuff before Pete joined. It was a bit of a ‘no brainer’.

 We summoned Brian from the Apple Isle where he now resides. Our advice to him was ‘The Oils want to jam….get on a plane’.

Rob Hirst drums are prominent on this album- tell us about the recording sessions and how the tracks developed...

Yes he hits them hard when the red light is on. Or off.

Once we’d made the decision to be instrumental it was such a relief. It was fascinating to figure out that we could play melodies on guitars and weird cheesy keyboards like stylophones, old organs that have left outside in the council cleanup, and Theremins. So that it could be as interesting to listen to as ‘vocal’ music.

How long did it take to record the album from 1st rehearsal to final take?

The songs happened fast. We wrote and recorded the whole album in 9 days. Pretty fast by even our own standards. More outpouring than recording.

Do you surf? How often?

Don’t be daft.

Do you miss playing and touring with midnight oil?

Sometimes I do, but we quit while we were ahead, got out with some brain cells and some cash, just. 25 years is a lot of years. Let it be. Respect.

You have released two solo albums any plans on a third?

Probably. I’m warming up to the idea of an opera about the life of Tony Abbott.

What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Playing music.

What’s the worst thing about being a musician?

Forgetting to play music, and Taragos.

Any advice to young musicians trying to break into the industry?

Get some intensity into it. Make every gig like it’s your last gig ever. Avoid being a celebrity. Make good music. That’s all.

How do you think the internet has changed the music industry?Is this for the better or worse?

Better. You can write a song, record it on your home computer and send it all around the world in an instant. That’s like a dream come true. It’s a level playing field.  You don’t have to be a millionaire, or beg record labels or radio for admittance to their club. But getting it heard can be a problem without them though! Not impossible though, and many have succeeded.

Funniest thing to ever happen on tour?

Falling off a stage and breaking 3 ribs.

Worst thing to ever happen on tour?

Drawing the short straw for the back seat of the Tarago when we crossed the Nullabor.

Hey thanks for your time and good luck with tour and the album...get the gurus to come to Cairns???

I’ll make it a personal vendetta. Thanks!