In Conversation With #286 - Nice Biscuit
Brisbane/Meanjin psych rockers Nice Biscuit have just released their new album 'SOS' via Bad Vibrations.
Following the acclaim of their 2018 debut LP Digital Mountain and 2021 EPs Create Simulate and Passing Over, Nice Biscuit’s eagerly-awaited second album, SOS was written and recorded during 2022-23 at Swan Pond Studios (QLD) and mixed by Mildlife’s Jim Rindfleish, the nine track album embodies the fuzzy groove-laden psych that Nice Biscuit is renowned for, while introducing new danceable feels influenced by their love of disco, jazz fusion and world music.
They took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there Nice Biscuit, how are you? So your album is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?
Hello! We are all feeling relieved and excited to finally have the album out to share with everyone. We feel very proud of what we have created and hope that it connects with people.
It is called ‘SOS’ – what is the meaning behind that?
While writing the album, we discussed feeling the weight of the world on our shoulders and our often contradictory emotional responses. Sometimes we feel hopeful and grateful, pessimistic and desolate, mournful and angry. Sometimes we feel that love can solve it all and sometimes we just become overwhelmed and apathetic about everything. SOS is a collection of songs that reflect on these responses to our complex world. We cry “Save Our Souls! — help us to find calm and balance in this chaotic world we live in!”. While unravelling our own feelings, we hope these songs offer some clarity and relatable perspectives for people listening.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share with us?
SOS was recorded at Swan Pond Studios in Boonah (an hours drive out of Brisbane) with our good friend Alistar Richardson (The Cairos, Clea). It is a beautiful space out there - rolling hills overlooking 360 degree views of mountains and fields with a beautiful sunset everyday. Here we feel an escape from our fast-paced lives and feel moments of clarity that allow us to be open and creative.
This album was written and recorded over a 2 year period beginning with a few long-weekend blocks of demo-ing, then a European tour to iron out and practice songs, followed by recording when we returned. Initially done for efficiency, we broke up the recording into two blocks: laying down instrumentation with the boys and then the girls writing and recording vocals on the following weekend. This created a really special call-and-response exchange between the two groups - which brought excited sharing of our work and more space for each of us to include our own creative contributions.
What are the key influences behind the album?
At the moment we are loving bands like Stereolab, Mildlife, Osees, Kikagaku Moyu. Grace and I explain ourselves as folk singers doing psych music - we both grew up in choirs and playing alongside our acoustic guitars - so a lot of our melodic and lyrical influences lie in folk/country realm: such as Angel Olsen, Leah Senior, Weyes Blood and Aldous Harding.
Lyrically, our influences were from things that affect us in our daily lives: climate change, natures simple beauty, being in love, falling into your friends arms, capitalism-caused-desolation, mindfulness, slowing down, allowing and learning from discomfort, and emotional burn out.
If the album could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, if it could be ANY film. Just because it would be hilarious and I feel like some of the vibes would fit. Plus we spend most of our conversations quoting Lord of the Rings so it would be a dream.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
Guided by the myth of who you’re meant to be - let it fall away and let yourself be free. From SOS - the title track: I love this line because it is something Grace and I wrote, but is advice we forget to follow a lot of the time. Singing it together feels like a way of promising each other to look after ourselves a little better.
Now the album is out there – what next for you?
Touring! We want to come back to the UK/EU very soon. Plus we are starting to think about writing the next one already.
