Local catchy surf rock/pop guitars via heavy dance infused synthesisers ARCHIE are on a roll of late, having played Live In Ya Lounge last week and now being selected for the Mercury Rising Lime Cordiale series.
With this in mind, we thought it high time to catch up with the catchy quartet to see what makes them hum, and see what hums they make. Or something like that.
What’s the story behind yer band name?
We named the band after Xandy’s dog! He is always floating around our rehearsals, checking in on us with his tail wagging and his mouth full of drool! In our music we hope to carry the same excitement, fun and curiosity as our beautiful dog Archie.
Group members:
Grant Simpson – Vocal/Guitar
Geromy Houghton – Guitar/Synth
Olivia Faletoese – Bass/Vocal
Xandy Wanjura – Drums/Vocal
Describe your sound:
A blend between catchy surf rock/pop inspired guitars and heavy dance infused synthesisers. We love playing/creating music that makes you move and feel!
Who/What are your influences, musical or otherwise?
We are influence by a number of different artists both locally and nationally. Acts like Lime Cordiale, Holy Holy, Ballpark Music and The Jungle Giants inspire our sound and continue motivate us to continue pursuing our musical careers.
Local acts Sputnik Sweetheart, Kirkland, Aya Yves and Hope Wilkins also inspire us to keep having fun with our music. We are super fortunate to get to grow with and play alongside so many other talented Canberra musicians!
What are some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had as a band?
We’ve been lucky enough to have already shared some incredible memories with each other. One of those would have to be supporting BENEE when she came to Canberra on tour! BENEE was super lovely and it was such an honour to be a part of her incredible live show! We actually gave her a gift basket full of weird shit to say thank you, we ended up playing with a rubber piece of poo for like half an hour… don’t ask.
Tell us about one of your proudest moments?
We are always proud of the music that we create and release, but our proudest moment would have to be selling out our first single launch! Hearing the crowd chant “ARCHIE” before we made it onto the stage is something that we will never forget nor take for granted!
What are your plans for the future?
In the future we desperately want to get back onto a stage as soon as we can. We miss playing shows and hanging out with all the beautiful people that come to them! And as always, we are super keen to get more music out to you ASAP!
What makes you laugh?
One thing that always makes us laugh is Xandy’s drum face! Take a squiz at the next show you come to and we’re sure you’ll be laughing too.
What pisses you off?
Bindis!! Why you gotta be so spikey and all up in our feet???
What about the Canberra scene/the music scene in general would you change?
We are so blessed to have such a supportive scene here in Canberra, however one thing that we would love to change is to have more live music venues.
What would you like to plug? How can people support you?
We are gearing up for a super exciting livestream with the legends that are Lime Cordiale and Mercury Hard Cider! You can catch our stream on Facebook on the 29th of May at 6pm!
Lots of love,
ARCHIE XX
