Culture

If you have a more than passing familiarity with the Dunedin music scene, you're no doubt aware of the way in which bursts of new bands, moments of creativity and excitement, and a thrilling feeling of Dunedin being the centre of the musical world come and go in waves every three or four years; and maybe (hopefully) you're aware that Dunedin's music community is currently riding a healthy crest of another one of these waves.

Mr. Biscuits' members are at the perfect age (half of them are still only 19) to have not had to endure the dullness of novelty joke bands and bands with just a little too much rockquest x-factor during one of these dips, while at the the same time being the perfect age at which to learn from and take advantage of the growing, unnameable thing that's been happening in our city over the last year or so.
   Along with the noisy-fucker-youngens bands on Proxy Music – a DIY label that acts more like an arts collective and is home to Dunedin's TFF, Sewage, and The Communist Rainbow Relationship – Mr. Biscuits did exactly what was expected of a young punk band from Dunedin and got out and played shows. Lots and lots of really, really good shows. I've lost count of how many I've seen, and every single one of them ended in something or someone being destroyed.
   After winning this year's OUSA Battle of the Bands down at Refuel in May (no surprises there), as part of the prize, the band – made up of Sarah Ley-Hamilton on vocals, her brother Richard on guitar, Adrian Ng also on guitar, and Sam Valentine on drums – gets to play at this year's Onefest Part One alongside Grayson Gilmour, Surf City, Orchestra of Spheres and the should-also-be-huge Thundercub at ex-meatmarket Urban Factory on 17 September.
   On the most beautiful day of the year so far I had a chat with Sarah and Sam. One thing became clear early on in what turned from an interview into a this-and-that discussion of Dunedin music, the modern music industry, and being a young music dude/dudette: young though they may be, they are very focused, knowledgeable, and (I hate using this word, but fuck it) passionate about it all.
   The band got together earlier this year, wrote some songs about annoying people, passed out on stage sometimes, broke a lot of stuff, and left blood stains in some carpet.
They don't have a bassist, instead relying on Richard's guitar-octave pedal combo. Sam explains: "I organised a gig with Rackets and Adrian was going to be away ... and at the time I was really obsessed with The Mint Chicks who had just lost their bass player and had gone down to a three-piece. In my fascination with The Mint Chicks I was like, 'Richard, you can play guitar with an octave pedal too!'"
   What's annoying to hear is the band claim to have a bad practice routine. Songs are given a vague structure, are generally practiced live on stage, and are given form and a more solid structure after maybe the third or fourth performance, so what you're seeing can be a one-off performance: a unique experience that adds to the excitement. It's a lot of fun watching them step so close to the edge of a cliff during these performances, yet never stumble off it.
   What's even more annoying than that is realising that these dudes know so much already about certain aspects of the NZ music industry. We talked at length about the NZOA funding scheme. Sam: "Firstly, you don't need 50 grand to make an album. Secondly, if it's your fifth album and you still can't afford to fund it yourself, you obviously suck."
   Mr Biscuits has a free live EP available for download through its Bandcamp (mrbiscuits.bandcamp.com) and by the time this article will have gone to print, the band will have started work on a collection of studio recordings. Recording will be local mixoligist god Rob Falconer of Operation Rolling Thunder. This was another part of the prize from the Battle of the Bands (Sarah on winning the competition: "You can't be happy with your band's success in Dunedin."), and the plan is to record a set live from beginning to end. Just like the good old days! The recordings will be released DIY.
   Until then, they will be doing what's (un)expected of them: playing those songs that sound like someone dropped a Gits record onto a chainsaw and lots of sweaty, filthy shows. They have plans of touring in October but before then, make sure you see them at Onefest. They claim to be nervous about the show.
   No idea why.