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It's been a long time between New Zealand gigs but Melbourne-based Fur Patrol are thrilled to be leading the charge in opening New Zealand Music Month next week.
Formerly based in Wellington, the band have been off the radar for a long time, but with an EP due out here this month and a full album to follow, they're getting enthusiastic again.
A free concert in Christchurch on Tuesday to officially launch New Zealand Music Month will be their first here for more than two years, and the first as a trio since guitarist Steve Wells departed.
His departure leaves Simon Braxton on drums, Andrew Bain on bass and Julia Deans taking up a bit more slack with her guitar and vocals.
"It has required a major reworking of the whole Fur Patrol thing," Deans said from Melbourne.
"I've had to step up, I can't hide behind Steve's abilities any more, so that has been quite intimidating."
Fur Patrol have been together since the late 1990s but there have been only two full-length albums since then, Pet (2000) and Collider (2003).
Some hugely popular singles and a best female vocalist Tui award came from them before it all went a bit quiet.
Deans said for a while things were not going smoothly behind the scenes and it derailed the band's momentum.
But they managed to re-organise and start some new songwriting and there now appears to be renewed enthusiasm.
"I reckon it's a much more efficient machine now, I'm loving the way everything is sounding - the songs and just playing with Simon and Andrew," she said.
"We've been together for a long time now and have some really good chemistry."
As far as the music goes, Deans said the new songs were probably a bit more broody than in the past, but there was also a healthy measure of "raucousness".
Fur Patrol's upcoming EP and album will be released through Auckland label Tardus Music, which Deans said was hugely positive following some ups and downs in terms of band/label relationships.
"We're incredibly excited about working with them. We're all completely on the same wave-length, which I think is about the first time that has ever happened."
She was probably only half joking when she said the band were so committed to recording that they had to pass up a recent opportunity to attend a Pixies concert.
"So you know that means this has to be a really [expletive] good album."
Things will be briefly put on hold for the New Zealand trip but the decision to accept an invitation to come here wasn't hard.
"We were like 'hell yeah'," Deans said.
"It's very pleasing, it's been such a long time since we've done anything. We're going to feel like real musicians again."
While next week's New Zealand trip is a one-off, Deans said the band were looking forward to returning relatively soon for a full tour.
She said the band had not secured an Australian release for the new album and would work on that further down the track.
Fur Patrol will be joined by other bands playing free gigs at Christchurch's Dux de Lux today, and other centres will also be showcasing local talent to mark the start of New Zealand Music Month.
- NZPA
