End of Fashion: Back in Style
Ahead of their upcoming anniversary tour celebrating 20 years since the release of their barnstorming self-titled debut record, End of Fashion takes stock of the evolution of the music industry through their eyes and the importance of not overcooking your melodies.
Words Isaac Selby // Image supplied
Close your eyes and imagine it’s 2005. You’ve negotiated the best couch position with your family to watch Rove Live, and a swaggering bunch of young Perth rockers burst onto the screen with a polished yet seemingly effortless brand of indie rock destined for festival stages and national airplay. You reach for your 1st gen iPod nano, purchase their eponymous self-titled debut record with a gift card and then Ripstik off into the night.
According to End of Fashion vocalist Justin Burford, this moment wasn’t quite the overnight success story that nostalgic music journalists might have pegged it as. “I will say that I think it's important to establish that we were really [and still are] incredibly hardworking,” Mr Burford reflects over the phone. “Especially given the environment of the Australian music landscape at the time. I think we were kind of tarnished with this sort of overnight success that came out of nowhere. What I came to understand, not just about ourselves, but about lots of overnight successes, is how many nights occurred before these big breakthroughs.”
End of Fashion first began touring in 2003, playing so many shows that the venue of their first Adelaide gig remains lost to the fog of the road; however, Burford holds a special place in his heart for “Billy”, who let them crash on his couch their first couple of pit stops here.
Reconnecting with their fans, regardless of sofa bed ownership, is central to the band’s desire to tour in tribute to their widely beloved debut, having incorporated archival photos provided by punters into a new vinyl pressing of the record to coincide with their tour plans.
“We were throwing around ideas with Universal, who we're putting this vinyl out through, and just trying to come up with unique concepts that perhaps other acts haven't done before,” explains Burford. “For me, I knew I wanted to definitely put a lyrics sheet in there, which is something we never did in the original CD release all those years ago. In the years since, I've seen some really interesting interpretations of some of the lyrics. This felt like the opportunity to officially put the lyrics down that are coming directly from me. We just wanted to make sure people who are fans of the band know that they are recognised and understand how important they are to us.”
Alongside manning the helm for End of Fashion, Justin has worn several hats in the performance space, including stage roles in the Australian run of jukebox stage show Rock of Ages, a starring role in KURT - a look into the life of the iconic Nirvana frontman, and several other music and film side projects.
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Back in 2014, End of Fashion made headlines after alleging a lack of attention from triple j following the release of their second album, 2008’s Book of Lies, had impacted the band’s popularity.
However, with sister station Double j in tow supporting this anniversary run around the country, water seems to be flowing a little easier under the bridge.
“It feels like 20/20 hindsight. What we experienced was the very end of the now obsolete and [for all intents and purposes] extinct business model and music landscape,” says Burford. “I think the thing that is mostly good above all else is that if you are a fan of a band these days, you are completely in control over whether or not the band that you love gets to go on and continue making music and have a future.”
He continues, “There was an element of mystery about the old day old school kind of rock stars, but I think it's a very, very small price to pay for the ability for good music to just get out there now and for good art to be created. I think the mystery of someone like Lou Reed would be diluted a little bit if we could watch what he was eating for breakfast every day.”
Although Burford remains tight-lipped about concrete future plans, he does divulge that the band has recorded new music for a potential album (which already has a title). He’s hoping that if the anniversary tour goes well, it’ll help drum up public interest for a potential future release.
Burford mentions that over the past five years End of Fashion have been working “gruelling” studio sessions trying to get a shape to the next record, until halfway through last year when he decided to throw it all away and build a new collection of tracks based on music he loved as a kid - all of which influenced the band’s earlier output.
He self-imposed a strict musical diet of The Beatles, Pixies and Nirvana, alongside a healthy dose of seventies influences handed down by his parents, which included The Doobie Brothers and Fleetwood Mac.
Keen ears may recognise shades of the simple yet iconic riff from ‘Where is My Mind?’ echo through ARIA award-winning and triple j countdown top ten entry ‘O Yeah’ when running it back before their upcoming gig at iconic Adelaide live music institution Jive.
“I've got a book about the Pixies and [singer] Frank Black, and one of the things I really loved about their approach was they did everything they could, I think, to try to make sure that nothing appeared overcooked. I don't think they ever worked too hard on getting a song right - it's like if it felt right, then it was right. I think this kind of art really does end up standing the test of time a lot better than music or any art that is created by committee. What's that saying? If you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing no one.”
Catch End of Fashion at Jive on Saturday 23 August. Tickets on sale now via moshtix.com.au.
