Shepparton Airplane
Collaborative energy, Adapting, and keeping the music alive
Noah catches up with Stewart Rayner ahead of the release of Forecast, which drops on August 8th, on Wing Sing Records.
It’s a real thrill to be able to hear an album before it’s released and I am really enjoying the opportunity to hear yours. Tell us about the journey of Forecast and the shift in structure to be lyrically driven and more traditional in form opposed to the more extended jams that the band is usually known for.
Thank you, it means a lot to hear that you're enjoying the album!
Forecast began back in 2020 during all of Melbournes lockdowns. We were unable to meet up and jam - and that had always been the foundation of our song writing. We had to adapt and find a new way to keep the music alive. So we started doing what we could, which was writing individually at home and sending demos back and forth.
This new remote style of collaboration, naturally led us to a shift in our songwriting process. Instead of our old process of building songs through extended jams and improvisations, we started crafting them in a more traditional, lyrically driven way.
It was a very different and a brand new process for us. It wasn’t deliberate at first, but more a practical way to communicate ideas clearly when we couldn’t be in the same room. Once the core lyrics of each track was there, this then helped shape the rest into what can be heard on Forecast today. It ended up being really inspiring and a creatively rewarding shift.
The latest single, Stereo Youth is killer. I love the nostalgic qualities and immediate sense of joy of having a connection to music. I feel like the film clip embodies that as well with the footage. Is it Super 8? I also really appreciate how the song holds back with instrumentation allowing the chorus vocals lots of space to stick in your head.
Thank you! The clip was shot on Super 8 by our good mate Charly Vanni. I messaged him saying I had a loose idea for a film clip and told him to bring his Super 8 camera next time he was in town. So before we knew it, we were down in South Gippsland shooting around in this incredible old church that had been converted into a kind of shrine to blues music. It felt like the perfect setting to match the vibe of the track.
The first single and title track, Forecast has this great urgency and energy that grabbed me immediately. The bass line hook is really something as the screeching guitars build with the solid drums and dead-pan vocals keeping it together. I’m sure that would be a massive one live. Can you tell us about the track.
It’s definitely one of the more high energy tracks on the record, and it’s become a bit of a beast live.
I was deep into listening to a lot of Siouxsie & The Banshees around the time I wrote this track, and their influence is all over it - especially in the mood and drive of the rhythm section.
I remember waking up at around 3am the night I demoed the music, still in that half-dream state, and the lyrics just sort of spilled out.
They really captured that strange, unseen feeling - kind of like being suspended between sleep and reality.
Can you tell us about the songs on the album that date back a number of years that you have included on the album. I’m intrigued to know which ones they are and the reasoning behind them making the cut.
For sure. There are a couple of tracks on the album that go back quite a few years and it felt right to finally give them a proper home.
Angry is one of them. It’s a song Steve, our drummer, had been sitting on since around 2017. When we were pulling the album together it stood out. Not because the lyrics still feel relevant, but also because its mood breaks up the flow of the heavier rock tracks with a moment of respite.
Thursday is another one that resurfaced when we were digging through old jam recordings from around 2018. There was this raw, spontaneous vibe to it that we all really loved. It’s always tricky trying to recreate that magic in a studio setting, but we think we landed on a version that still captures the essence of that original moment.
You have just announced an album launch tour for Sydney, Perth, Fremantle and Melbourne in September. Is must be exciting with the album getting close to release on Aug 8th and the chance to showcase it live. Can you tell us about supports and all the ins and outs?
We’re still locking in supports so stay tuned! This will be the first time we’re playing WA and Sydney. We are all very excited about hitting the road and playing tracks off the Forecast. It’s been a long time coming.
I haven’t caught you live yet but from all accounts it sounds like you put on a real show in your delivery. What would you say inspires you the most as a band?
Personally for me, the biggest inspiration comes from the other three members of Shepparton Airplane - Matt, Ez & Steve. Whether we’re writing, rehearsing, or just hanging out and talking about music and life, I’m constantly learning something new from them. Their creativity, ideas, and different perspectives push me to grow and be the best musician I can be. It’s that kind of collaborative energy that keeps things exciting and keeps driving us forward as a band.
Finally, who are your favourite local Melbourne bands at the moment or who would you like to see interviewed for Tempo
Paddock Bomb who I believe are currently recording their debut album at the moment. Country rock from Castlemaine, self proclaimed “Central Victorian Sisters of Shred” - check ‘em out.
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Album Launch Tour Dates:
Sydney
Friday, 5th September
The Vic On The Park
Perth
Friday, 12th September
Seasonal Brewing
Fremantle
Saturday, 13th September
Buffalo Club
Melbourne
Saturday, 20th September
The Curtin