Regurgitator - Blood, Spunk and Paranoia

With the sixth album out and a new member Regurgitator are ready to tour Australia with enough ‘Blood and Spunk’ to make you want to get down and party! The Dwarf talked all things ‘Gurge with lead man Quan Yeomans before the ‘Love and Paranoia’ tour set off.

The Dwarf: First up I want to say thank you for MANY years of the music that Regurgitator have bought to my own ears and eyes. Its great to see a band like yourselves survive the times and a national treasure. Also congratulations on the release of the sixth album Love and Paranoia, with around 13 years under your belts now, how are you all feeling before this massive tour that stops in over 28 locations?

Quan: Thank you, you’re too kind. I’m feeling like I need to exercise. Actually I’m feeling a bit in outer space ‘cos living overseas and out of suitcases kinda does that to you.

The Dwarf: With the new album Love and Paranoia, what level do you hope it goes to, and how high on a scale with all of albums you have made, does this one sit with you?

Quan: That’s really tricky to say. When you’ve been through most of the many reactions to and expectations of several album’s conceptions and births you tend to end up second-guessing your second-guesses and ultimately you realize that you’re always better leaving the guessing to someone who isn’t over qualified.

The Dwarf: I am really enjoying the sound of the single you have on your MySpace page, ‘Blood and Spunk’, is it a clear taste of what’s on the album?

Quan: Cheers! I wouldn’t say so. It’s a good blurty opening track but the rest of the album is kind of wet
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The Dwarf: The sound that Regurgitator produce’s has always been very unique, where has the music’s most prominent influences current and past? Individually do you all have different tastes?

Quan: I think our ‘uniqueness’ has definitely come from a profound and continual failure, in the sense that we really tried and continue to try quite hard to be so many other things and failed and continue to fail miserably.

The Dwarf: Regurgitator’s new tour really goes all out in covering a lot of small towns too, which is good too see. My most memorable Regurgitator show was in Darwin with Coloured Stone and few other bands, for the Jabiluka Benefit. What a great night that was, I remember the lightning was so bad and the rain so heavy! But the show went on! Can the fans expect to see this dedication still today?

Quan: Man… that is the only show that has ever brought me to tears. Just the lack of sleep, the charged meaning in the situation and Midnight Oil playing. I totally lost it. The show will of course go on. What else can you do?

The Dwarf: With the past use of several different locations over the world, why was the location of Brazil chosen for Regurgitator’s new album recording? What was the intention behind these choices?

Quan: Brazil was one of a few places on a list that was shortened over a period of some months. The intention, though not always clear at the time of the choice, was always to do something that put the band in a position where it had to adapt to an alien, often uncomfortable, situation that would hopefully force us to focus on the task at hand.

The Dwarf: I have read the ‘Band in a Bubble’ project is now going worldwide, have or will you guys be heading over to check it out? Did you play any part in the setup of it? Or be heading over for a bit of reminiscence?

Quan: We had the fortune to stop over in NYC on our way over to Brazil and checked out the first reincarnation of it. Unfortunately in our opinion they really didn’t capitalize on the whole ‘public, interactive space’ and general oddness of the project. The location choice was really not ideal but it was the first of hopefully many tries. We are hoping with subsequent setups of the project planned that the concept moves towards a naturally ‘Artistic’ and ‘chaotic’ beast with less focus on the staged TV vibe. Fingers crossed. Basically without the intense focus of our Manager Paul, the Bubble would have never gotten further than Melbourne.

The Dwarf: It is great to see a new addition too the band, Seja Vogel from ‘Sekiden’. What inspired Regurgitator too choose Seja Vogel for this position?

Quan: Sej just rulz keyz and shit. We love her.

The Dwarf: Will you be taking the tour onto overseas after the Australian leg, which countries if its so? Or will Australia be lucky enough too see Regurgitator at some summer festivals this year?

Quan: I believe (if all goes to plan) we’ll be touring with a Beijing band I happened to see here in Hong Kong called New Pants. Then perhaps we’ll get the opportunity to tour this record around China next year with them. That would be so exciting!

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