Intercooler is back from hiatus, we are in training, we have sweat bands on, there is montage getting a little better each time, with a fade out.
Please listen to the music and check out the clips and be sure to judge harshly because this is a band and this is what the internet was invented for !
The intercooler story:
In 1992 Phil Ballantyne and Joel Potter started a band with their friends Michael Caso, Daniel Mclarren and Ivan Caso. It was called Uncle Extacy, it played a heap of gigs and as was the style of the time it released several 'Tapes" these were cassette tapes that were an early form of music that by way of the CD would eventually become the MP3 players we now download all our music onto for free.
Mostly playing in their home city of Brisbane Uncle Extacy hacked its way through many a gig and smashed up many a piece of equipment eventually getting itself banned from many of the venues and black listed by the majority of booking agents around. It was decided to fool the industry in order to continue getting shows the band must change its name. The name Intercooler was actually the name of a song which then had to be re named Wopperflux because you just can't have the same name for your band as a song ?
It was about this time Daniel Mclarren left the group and Michael Caso stepped up as lead guitarist, Phil then began for the first time to play Rhythm guitar and the band Intercooler started in its early conception. Phil also began to write songs for the band for the first time. The first Intercooler EP came out in Feb. 2007 it was out on Mushroom distribution and went on to sell a glorious 1200 copies mostly to people at shows since there was little or no evidence that the discs actually made it to retail at the time.
Two years and a few hundred gigs later the band had its second split, Ivan Caso left as the groups drummer and Joel Moved to live in London. Around a year later Phil sold his guitar to pay for a ticket to London to show Joel his new songs, and impressed and bored with London and not being in a band Joel returned to Australia to get Intercooler going again. Damon Cox a drummer from several bands that they had played with in the 90's was super keen and one awesome drummer so he was asked to join which he agreed to. Intercooler was then reborn, by early 2001 the band was playing small pubs to 35 people and gradually building up the set list.
'Old School is the New School' was the first intercooler full length album the recording sessions were done in little patches over many months, when the band had a bit of money it would be pooled and the studio booked for a day or two at a time. Jeff Lovejoy recorded the record, eventually it would be made up of 7 new tracks and some remixed versions of some older songs already recorded with Ivan on drums. The band put the album out through Rhythm Ace records which was a label known for 'Stoner Rock' at that time, their roster included Rollerball, the Giants of Science and Forte, Intercooler didn't feel like they fitted in much but the label guys were all keen as so it seemed to work.
Songs such as 'Goodness of the Girl' and 'Leaflet' made it to triple J which gave Intercooler its first chance to be able to tour and play to decent crowds outside its home city of Brisbane. The band toured hard for years, playing over 100 shows a year which is a lot in a small country like Australia.
The first USA tour happened in 2004 with the band being offered shows opening for big acts like Queens of the Stoneage , the Red Hot Chili Peppers and 3 doors down, it was an amazing tour and something that will be talked about by the band for ever by the band, luckily they survived it, against all odds.
After this tour the band were offered more USA as well as Australian tours and the pressure got a bit much, and due to family, job, mortgage and all the other trappings of the real world Michael Caso sadly had to stop touring with Intercooler. He was sorely missed as he is one of this countries best guitar players in my opinion and it was sad that the world never properly discovered him. However he remains involved with Intercooler to this day writing and helping when he can.
The band had to do a full USA Tour with a stranger on guitar, a guy named J.J. or James Elliot Jones as he is known, he was a veteran of many bands in the states and had been on tour for years, most notably in a band with super producer writer Butch Walker called the Marvelous 3. He was a fan at the time of the Intercooler album and jumped at the chance to tour. After a crazy 42 hour flight via everywhere the boys went straight from the Atlanta Airport to a rehearsal room and began working on songs for the tour which began the very next day!!! While not ideal J.J. proved to be the experience of a lifetime, with contacts and connections from one side of the country to the other he showed the guys something that they may never have seen. From meeting guys from the new york dolls to borrowing gear of the Bostones and getting an invite to an Aerosmith guitarists art launch. It was not career defining but it was amazing.
With the departure of Michael a new guitarist was needed, this came when the mnan of rock himself Mr Darek Mudge joined, Daz had played in Screamfeeder for years which was one of the bands favorite Brisbane acts. Amazingly he fitted straight in learning the songs and beginning the writing of the EP the band were about to record. He is one hell of a guitar player and helped pushed Intercooler off stage debauchery to a whole new level over the next few years.
'Dance of a Thousand Promises' was recorded in parts also, the name itself came from a discussion with producer Paul Mckercher who was considered to record, we said we would have to find out how much money we could get and he said ah the old dance of a thousand promises eh? Talking about that fantastic negotiations that go on behind the scenes with labels and money talk.
The first session as done in Byron Bay at a place called Rocking horse studio with Paul 'Woody' Anniston. He had recorded an album for Rocket Science everyone was into at the time. The song he recorded is called "If I try" and was the start of very new and softer sound for the band that would be explored further down the track. The rest of the EP was recorded by Magoo, who would go on to record most of the bands material as well as the other bands the members would go onto.
Intercooler toured relentlessly for 3 years following this, radio picked up If I try and it got the most airplay of all their songs, another track called Cream Puff and Sugarplum also got some spins. The EP did ok for an independent self promo release selling several thousand at shows.
The second album "Forever or Whatever" was recorded by Magoo again, it was the bands first time to actually spend time on a project as they wished, taking 9 weeks to record. It allowed the music to take on new layers such was keys and strings, electronic programing and pretty mush any fun it felt like having with the toys in the studio. Darek is a producer himself so this time round the band took a lot of time actually writing the songs in the studio and experimenting with the concept of not being a 4 piece rock band, not a new concept I realize but it was new at that time for Intercooler.
Forever or whatever came out in 2007, the singles 'All coming back to me' and 'Carving others' and 'wasted my day' all got radio play and some videos were made. Intercooler went to the USA and played CMJ that year, also playing shows in London and in Singapore for the first time.
Damon has gone on to record several records with his other projects recently, one being 'Mary Trembles' if you get a chance get your hands on this record its a fantastic bit of work. Also he has released an EP and an Album with "An Horse' a project he has with Kate Cooper who was formally of "Iron On" (check that out too!) An Horse are living in the USA at present so Damon is busy with that on the road. Darek has his own studio and is toiling away working on albums. Joel & Phil and Michael Caso have been writing new tracks and hard at the "Next Phase" whatever that may be?
Its been a long fun road so far so no point in stopping now !
Stay tuned to find out what happens next.
Love Intercooler.
Intercooler’s sophomore album entitled Forever Or Whatever is out now on Plus One Records/Shock.
Forever Or Whatever
Out Now!
Tracklisting:
1. Sail This Into Me
2. Destiny
3. Carving Others
4. All Coming Back To Me
5. Wasted My Day
6. Situations
7. Futures Created
8. Come Back Down
9. Navigate This
10. Move From My Way
11. Pop Clothes
12. Hold Me Again
13. My Problem
14. Ok Girl
