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RIFF'S UNTIL THE COWS COME HOME
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With the much-chronicled
implosion of the Vines a fading memory and declining interest in the
likes of the Hives and the Strokes, the rock-is-the-new-rock extravaganza
seems to be, for the most part, behind us (Wolfmother notwithstanding).
Fortunately, the Melbourne music scene is still replete with bands who
are taking their inspiration from the bands that made rock great. Electric
Mary is just such a band, dedicating themselves to giant riffs, wailing
guitar solos and balls-to-the-wall rock and roll. Front man Rusty Brown
(sometimes also known as Bear) was able to take some time out from a
hectic schedule of preparing for the launch of new EP to shed
a little light on what makes Electric Mary tick. |
 One of the great benefits of living in Melbourne as opposed to say, Deniliquin, is that the city has one of the most thriving music cultures in the southern hemisphere, if not the world. Everyone knows a musician or IS a musician. As both a musician and a man who has been intimately familiar with the scene for most of his life, Rusty is ideally placed to comment on it. ‘I think the Melbourne scene is strong but you have to realize that I’ve been through another time when it was the norm to see bands 4 or 5 nights a week. We don’t have that luxury anymore. The universe has changed and not so much for the better. Things have suffered, mainly the things I see as the good things and music is one of them. People like Cal from Ding Dong, John and Marcus from the Evelyn, Richard Moffitt and Brad from the Hi Fi, and of course the magnificent Espy (Gavin’s the man) still believe in music. These people are the real music lovers. These aren’t people that have moved on after 6 months, they have been there for a long time doing what they love. They should be commended. This industry is one that constantly needs nurturing and you have to be patient. When it’s right, the people come on board. It’s just patience, patience, patience.’  One of the changes that has taken place in music worldwide is that guitar solos don’t take place nearly as often as they used to, or as often as they should. Electric Mary differs from the crowd in that solos are an integral part of their songs. The question isn’t why do Electric Mary play solos; the question is why is that so many other bands don’t? ‘Fashion. As good as Nirvana were they made it unfashionable to play solos. They changed how we felt about music; they made it simple and believable. The shame is that the people who tagged along couldn’t deliver the goods. You know, the great thing about rock history is that there is one constant, and that’s rock music, and it never dies. It has its highs and lows but it never goes away, and that’s why Electric Mary, in my mind, works. We have solos, drum fills and riffs until the cows come home. We aren’t moving mountains or re-inventing milk (as the guru said, there is no such thing as a low fat cow) but we have built our own little shrine to our heroes and people do want to come and enjoy it.’ That little shrine is built on one thing and one thing alone - the songs. The creative process behind the songs starts with Rusty, gets channeled through the band, and ultimately, left to the listener to pick up on.  ‘I write riffs and melodies and lyrics, then the band smack them out and mould them until they are what you hear. They are mostly inspired by others. I observe and write down my thoughts and then we put them on a record. There are some that are purely fictional…it’s up to the listener to take from it what they want.’
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