Fresh off a summer touring across their homeland with Beijing favorites Nova Heart, Australian band The Cairos are set to join Hong Kong twee pioneers My Little Airport, Montreal dream-pop outfit Blue Hawaii and several Shanghai standouts in the indoor portion of the Booshkabaash at QSW Culture Center on September 6.
“Touring with Nova Heart was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had,” says frontman Alistair Richardson. “Until a few years back, the only Chinese act I knew was Jay Chou. But, having toured overseas these last few years, we’ve come across some fantastic Chinese bands like Birdstriking and Carsick Cars.”
While this show will be their second Shanghai show, the group has become Asian favorites. Richardson recalls a recent gig in Vietnam which ended with three encores, and talks excitedly about being greeted for their Singapore debut by fans with animal masks, an allusion to their 2012 music video for ‘We All Buy Stars’.
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“It was amazing and we would love for that to happen here,” he says. “The best part about Asia is the amazing variation from country to country. Each experience is different. China is a country to behold and we’re very hopeful of touring here more and more.”
Made up of longtime high school friends Richardson, lead guitarist Alfio Alivuzza and bassist Reuben Schafer, along with drummer Jacob Trotter, the quartet has performed with alt-rockers You Am I and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, and was handpicked to open the Brisbane date for Aussie rock icon Powderfinger during their farewell tour.
Their 2012 EP Colours Like Features placed them firmly among the most promising acts in Australia’s underground scene, alongside acts like Sydney garage rock trio Royal Headache. So, has the global success of Perth boys Tame Impala inspired the country’s acts to dream bigger?
“They surprised everyone with the way they really raised the bar with each of their releases,” Richardson says. “It made us realize that success is a real possibility and something we can achieve with the right music and the right decisions,” he adds.
The group’s first step towards their ambitious goal came with the May release of their debut album Dream of Colour. Recorded in picturesque Byron Bay under the direction of super-producer Nick DiDia (Rage Against the Machine, Powderfinger), the group was not lacking in material with roughly 100 songs to pick from.
“Having so many songs was really rewarding, yet the challenge to pick our favorite ten was immense,” Richardson admits. “As we were recording, we started to understand the mood and direction it was heading, but it wasn’t until we’d finished that we could sit back and fully understand what we made.”
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The final result is a melancholic work, sharing the warm modern rock touches found in previous DiDia projects like Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy and Bruce Springsteen’s Magic. Although its members are still in their early 20’s, the record is full of heavy themes and introspection about growing into adulthood.
While the singer praises the producer’s methods for “allowing us to really explore the potential,” he notes the biggest benefit of the experience was becoming “more developed as people.”
Buoyed by singles ‘Obsession’ and ‘Row of Homes’, The Cairos are ready to take a chance at the big time. Following their Mainland shows, they’ll be heading to Europe for the first time and Richardson is excited about the rock and roll grind.
“We plan to tour the world, meet as many people as possible and have as much fun as possible,” he says. “When we get home we’ll be writing new material for a new album and hopefully do it all again.”
// Booshkabaash at QSW: September 6, 2-10pm, free entry (outdoor), RMB140-180 (indoor stage). QSW Culture Center.
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