So, why the new album?
Is it the constant barrage of over-enthusiastic followers insisting on something new? Perhaps the result of a string of life altering circumstances or events over the two years since the last album? Or the artist's excruciating desire to share these outcomes with said followers? Is it pressure from some record company jerk waiting to see a return on his gazillion dollar hedged bet on the artist's talents and marketability? The raw reason behind the release of Errol J.M's third full length album In The Pocket; In The Bag, is simply…Why not?
As a truly independent artist and prolific songwriter for nigh on 20 years, the prospect of gaining anything other than self satisfaction from music or art has slowly become a foreign concept to Errol Moyle. So, if solely for self satisfaction why bother with the expense, hard work and effort of packaging, releasing, publicising, booking and performing at all? (A) Because somebody might like it. Bonus!
Following a string of garage bands as a teenager during the early 90's and minor success throughout the late 90's up until 2004 as co-founder of Australian indie rock road warriors Muzzy Pep, Errol Moyle made the tough but necessary decision to get out of the tour van and do his own thing. Two years and hundreds of home recordings later, Moyle enlisted former Muzzy Pep drummer Luke Bennett along with well known Australian engineer and producer Tim Whitten to get his first solo offering underway.
2006 saw the release of Errol J.M's debut longplayer The Truth Is Boring, released through Sydney based label Nonzero Records. The first single Zeros and Ones was released as a five track EP along with previously unreleased material which went on to receive glowing reviews and a stack of air time on national and community radio networks. Zeros and Ones also appeared on triple j's 2006 home and hosed compilation CD.
As a result of this unforseen spike in popularity, Moyle decided it to throw together a live line-up and take it to the people (so to speak). Featuring Luke Bennett on drums along with two other close mates and long time rockers, Anthony Frampton and Cameron McKenzie, Errol J.M And The Trade Secrets hit the Aussie indie rock scene sprinting. They spent the following two years working up new material, performing regular pub shows and small festivals up and down the east coast of NSW.
In mid 2008, Moyle and now full time band The Trade Secrets returned to the studio for the recording of their 'difficult second album'. This time with no outside help or label support, the band had little choice other than to write, record and produce the record on their own. The result was a far more live and aggressive sound than the previous release. Flowery layered soundscapes featured throughout The Truth Is Boring were replaced by an intentional and often nasty wall of guitars, a sound in which all members share a mutual passion. Errol J.M And The Trade Secrets' self titled LP was released in April 2009 via Moyle's own fledgling label Rack Off Records.
Unfortunately, due to numerous barriers, poor management and timing issues, the album received very little attention by the press and radio. Without a publicity budget to jam the album down people's throats, the band relied heavily on gig sales to push the message through. In early 2010 as a last ditch effort to razz up some attention around the rapidly aging Moyle and 2nd album, the single Fooling Around was chosen and released also as a five track EP with four previously unreleased tunes. After a brief publicity push, the song finally received a small amount of radio and television exposure, resulting in a long overdue boost in spirits.
With three of the four band members all expecting children early 2011, it was decided by all members that the band would take a break for the whole of 2011. Moyle welcomed his second child into the world in January. Ooooh Gabrielle! Over the coming months under the hallucinogenic benefits of severe sleep deprivation and a stack of new songs under his belt, Moyle began construction on what would soon become his first true solo effort.
With the initial idea of simply laying down rough ideas purely as documentation, it became apparent to Moyle after the completion of the first song, that there was absolutely no reason to edit or add a thing. The first take nature and raw lo-fi impact of the recording struck him as something both real and surprisingly refreshing. It seemed to possess a certain human touch, void of the usual rigid mechanics felt throughout most modern music.
Maintaining the same keep-it-real approach throughout the rest of the album helped provide an almost genetic connection from one track to the next, regardless of their often vast differences. All of the songs seem instantly recognisable to each other, in a long lost brother and sister kind of way.
Based largely on how suddenly one's circumstance can be altered by life's many powerless situations, often affecting the future and in some cases re-writing the past, In The Pocket; In The Bag is an album charged with wry humour and a distinct get-on-with-it attitude, concluding with a certain don't-get-too-comfortable feel.
In The Pocket; In The Bag! Is available direct from www.rackoffrecords.com or all good retailers throughout Australia via MGM/Green Media Distribution and itunes from October 18, 2011.
The 2010 five track Fooling Around ep and 2009 self titled longplayer are now available thru Australian indie label Rack Off RecordsAlso available is a re-issue of their 2006 debut LP 'The Truth Is BoringYou can purchase all Rack Off releases from all independent and major music retailers thru Green Media Distribution or downloads from itunes.
