Photo by Sharn Coyne
Remember a few months ago when I talked vegemite with Dan Young of This Providence? Well, let me refresh your memory: I asked Dan whether or not he liked vegemite (he is Australian after all), and he said he loved it thanks to the wisdom of his cousin, Joel, who suggested that he put a thin layer on toast. Turns out, Joel is also the very talented lead singer of his own band, a brilliant Aussie group by the name of Detective Social.
The band’s latest EP, Tiny Victories, combines the charming vocals of lead singer Joel Checkley with the strong sustaining beats and melodies of his band-mates: Liam Collins on drums, Tom Iansek on Guitar and Alvin Webster on Bass.
“Expired Passports” is the band’s first single off of the six-track EP. It’s a combination of very pleasant guitar picking – which is enhanced by the tings of xylophone that coincide with it – and well-written lyrics inspired by Joel’s run in with a not-so-sober woman he met lying in the street. “…‘Expired Passports’ is a testament to that woman’s life – it’s a song about the bends and twists in the road of time,” he says, “and even if things don’t turn out like you expected or hoped, there is always time to turn it around.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m already inspired! Check out the rest of this funny interview…and try out Joel’s formula for a life-changing vegemite experience!
How did you guys meet? And how did you come up with the name ‘Detective Social’? I dig the name by the way!
Joel: Why thank you <blush>. We were originally a three piece trading under a different name. We met beneath the flickering neon lights of a cinema well past its prime – our then place of work. A couple of years and job changes later we recruited a lead guitarist from a music forum on the net… and the rest as they say is history! Around the time we were brainstorming potential band names I was making a short black and white film about Detectives. On the side of one of the toy guns being used as a prop were the words ‘Detective Special’, but I misread them as ‘Detective Social’. I thought it sounded pretty cool and suggested it as a band name – it was not until later that I discovered my fundamental blunder.
When did your musical experiences begin? Were you into music as kids?
Joel: We are a bit of a mixed bag. I played piano as a young lad, had a brief and unsuccessful affair with the trumpet in my early teens, and started playing guitar and writing music at about sixteen.
Tom, who plays lead guitar, has an extensive history with the piano, played percussion for five years, and discovered his love of the guitar at fifteen.
Our drummer Liam was convinced from a very young age that he belonged behind a drum kit, but his parents would not indulge the noisy habit until he was fourteen.
Alvin was absent of any musical experience until he joined the band at eighteen – we needed a bass player so his choices were limited!
We all share a love for music and its ability to transcend feelings and experiences – a seed planted by our folks in the soundtrack to our childhoods, from Simon and Garfunkel to The Beatles, from Bob Dylan to Led Zeppelin, from James Taylor to The Beach Boys.
You’re cousin is Dan Young of This Providence, do you guys have musical genes or what?! Do you and Dan ever play music together?
Joel: Well I’m no scientist, but I guess it could be a genetic thing, sure! Dan and I grew up together here in Melbourne, Australia, and I’m sure he would agree that we both discovered our insatiable love for music together as kids. We used to jam in his basement with his little brother on drums, and dreamed of a life filled with songwriting and world tours. It was a wonderful time of innocence and simplicity… oh I’m getting overwhelmed by the nostalgia of it all just thinking about it!
It is really quite astounding that all these years later Dan and I are still so passionate about our musical endeavors, both in different bands on different sides of the world. The dreams and ambitions of our childhood live on in This Providence and Detecive Social – and that puts a big goofy smile on my face.
So you taught him the secret to enjoying vegemite? I’ve heard it’s really good with avocados…what’s your favorite way to eat it?
Joel: Yes, I most definitely take credit for ‘converting’ Dan into a vegemite lover. You see, vegemite isn’t something you can sit on the fence about – you either love it or you don’t. I have never personally tried it with avocado, but I wholeheartedly respect the combination… I’m sure it would be delicious. My favorite vegemite experience is as follows:
1. A piece of good bread toasted
2. A generous spread of butter (not margarine) followed by a thin and even spread of vegemite (I know it looks like Nutella but its not people, its not!)
3. A slice of cheese (the fake plasticy kind is good or tasty cheese for a more ‘fine dining’ kind of experience.
4. Place in a grill until the cheese is melted.
5. Your life will never be the same.
Which Aussie band is more your flavor: AC/DC or INXS?
Joel: I’d have to say INXS. Nothing against AC/DC, but I can definitely relate to the music and lyrics of INXS a lot more than Acca Dacca as they are called by their hardcore fans.
“Never Tear Us Apart” really is an ultimate song.
What are some other Aussie bands that have influenced you?
Joel: Motor Ace, Silver Chair, The Temper Trap, Dappled Cities, Sarah Blasko. There really is a lot of great music that comes out of Australia… I don’t know how much of it successfully reaches the shores of the US, but it is all out there on MySpace, seek and ye shall find!
You released the Tiny Victories EP last year, what does that EP as a whole represent to you?
Joel: Well the title is kind of symbolic. We’ve been playing together for nearly four years now, and most bands tend to put out a debut EP a lot sooner than we did. We really wanted to make sure that our first official record was something to be proud of and not just a random bunch of recorded songs – so the title is kind of an ironic tribute to that. For us, the ‘Tiny Victories’ EP is like a collection of photographs from the last 3 years, neatly presented in a small leather bound album.
“Expired Passports” seems to be the most popular single (though they’re all great!), what inspired that song?
Joel: I could try and explain it metaphorically, but I may as well just tell you the whole story! I was driving home from the movies with Alvin, and on the opposite side of the highway we saw a body lying static in the middle of a pedestrian crossing. We pulled the car over and walked towards the body – completely terrified of what we might find. It turned out to be a middle aged woman who had taken far too much of her medication with a large dose of alcohol, not a good combination at all. She was very upset and took my hand in hers tightly as she cried and told me a piece of her story.
Soon enough several cars had pulled over and the scene became overrun and hectic, which only made things worse. I noticed the woman had three old looking passports – one was hers and two belonged to her daughters, who were young girls in the photographs. She told me she was on her way to the airport to be with her children, and that she was very late.
I never got the whole true story, but ‘Expired Passports’ is a testament to that woman’s life – it’s a song about the bends and twists in the road of time – and even if things don’t turn out like you expected or hoped, there is always time to turn it around.
Who does the majority of the songwriting? How do you put it all together?
Joel: The songs don’t come fully to life until we all find our own place of residence in them. It usually starts as an idea, like a commercial or a movie preview, where I write the lyrics around a pencil outline of music. Sometimes the outline is thicker than others, but it is usually as a band that we paint the full picture. It can be tough at times, as any kind of creator would know, but collaborating is something we really value.
What are your goals as a band?
Joel: It has always been a dream of ours to play on Sean Connery’s luxury boat while out at sea. The day we know we’ve made it is the day we get a phone call from Sean – “Boys, I really dig your shound… that exshpired passhports shong ish pure gold. I want you to play on boat boys… pleajse play on my boat”. Other than that we would love to play festivals around the world. Music festivals are ultimate.
Do you guys have any plans to tour America someday?
Joel: We would love to come to America someday, but at the moment our bank accounts have us in chains! I came to the states recently for Dan’s Wedding and was lucky enough to go to a few shows. The love of music and commitment to bands on behalf of the fans is outstanding in the US, and we’d be ecstatic to tour there. We are open for suggestions as to how such a scenario might be financially achieved!
What are 3 albums you can’t live without?
Joel: Bloc Party – Silent Alarm.
Simon & Garfunkel – The Concert in Central Park.
Death Cab For Cutie – Transatlanticism.
Do you plan on recording a full-length album in the near future?
Joel: Once again, we’d love to save for the wholes in our pockets. This year we have been focusing a lot of time and energy on writing, and we will be heading into the studio in early October to record a two-track single. It’s been a very exciting time for us – all this new material flying around – and it would be a dream come true to be able to make an album out of it. But for now we are taking the small and sensible steps, with hopes that our single will drive us closer to an album in the future.
Lastly, what kinds of books, music and films are you into right now?
Joel: Ashamedly and to my family’s disappointment, I have never been a big reader. My family loves to read, and can’t for the life of them work out how someone like me, a songwriter, does not read more! The last book I read was called ‘The Five People You Meet in Heaven’ by Mitch Albom, and it was a wonderful book. Highly recommended!
We all listen to a ton of different music, at the moment the bands floating around on our ipods are Phoenix, Bon Iver, Friendly Fires, Vampire Weekend, Regina Spektor, Foals and many, many more. I studied Film at the university, so I see A LOT of movies! The best films I’ve seen in recent times are ‘The Reader’, ‘Revolutionary Road’ and ‘Adventureland’.
All photos on this page were taken by Sharni Coyne. Thank you for not reproducing them!
Keep checking back for tour dates in your area and visit Detective Social’s MySpace page for more information on Joel and the band. Also, for all of you awesome Aussies out there, check out the band’s page on the Triple J Unearthed site! Thanks for reading!
