Track By Track: Localles guide us through their cracking debut EP, Not A Contender

Localles are a Melbourne five-piece born from the ashes of previous rock'n'roll champs The Vasco Era, with 2/3 of that group (Ted O'Neil and Michael Fitzgerald) linking up with John Waller (Rat & Co), Paul Doery (The Exploders) and Jackson Gray (I Know The Chief) to form a supergroup of sorts. A couple of weeks back they released their debut EP, Not A Contender, and we asked the group to give us a little behind the scenes action from the release given it seemed like there was plenty to tell (O'Neil's heart surgery, for instance).

So hit play on Not A Contender below (or even better buy the thing for the princely sum of $7), read up on the release from a few of the guys below that, and catch 'em live when they launch the EP at The Workers Club on Saturday August 5.

JFK

JFK has been a staple of the live set for years, and it was the first track that we got together and recorded for the EP. The track is a mid tempo rocker that kicks off on a laid back drum and bass groove before taking a turn skywards for the chorus. The song's highlight definitely has to be Waller's fuzzed-out, double tracked guitar solo after the final chorus. - Jackson Gray

Wishing Well

The initial idea for Wishing Well was written in about 15 minutes, the riff being the starting point. There was a very natural evolution to the track, which all came together pretty quickly. I suppose it helps that it only has four chords in it. - Ted O'Neil

Coat Of Religion

Musically, Coat Of Religion is a melancholy ballad centred around a simple piano melody. Lyrically it tackles the concept of people hiding behind religion; using it as a means to justify their own selfish needs. Although a quite sorrowful sounding tune, there is something about it that evokes a sense of hopefulness for me. The outro also makes me mentally picture the end of the film clip to Epic by Faith No More, even though the two songs sound nothing alike. Maybe it's because I'd like to one day see Fitzy casually walking away from the piano he was playing moments before it blows up? That'd be pretty sweet - Paul Doery

Somewhere Tropical

Somewhere Tropical is a party song about not letting the down times overcome you. It's about enjoying life - no matter what it throws your way, there is almost always a way to get through it and back to the good times. Musically it is an upbeat party vibe. So we created a party atmosphere in the breakdown - a whole bunch of people stood around a microphone, yelling, hitting instruments and having a good time. If you listen really closely you can also hear Jackson Gray opening and closing a sliding screen door really quickly. - Ted O'Neil

Going Home

Going Home has a slack, glossy groove that conveys the feeling of being completely over dealing with someones shit. The chorus is the release of this frustration and has a non-apologetic edge in the last chorus. I remember recording the guitar for this song and starting at 1am because I was last in line for the session. By the end, I was so delirious I had no idea if takes were good or bad. Neil Grey just kept pushing me until he was sure the parts sat right within the song. This part was played on his old Gibson Firebird that desperately needed service and would constantly go out of tune mid take. But gee it sounded good! A very fond memory of mine. - John Waller

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