Big Day Out Q&A - Junica
11 January 2012
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The Big Day Out is a staple ingredient in the NZ music festival diet, boasting large international superstars and 'man-of-the-hour' local acts. Nik Brinkman, the man behind Wellington's newest pop sensation Junica shared some insights on the festival and what to expect on the day.
Excited for the Big Day Out?
Yes, very excited to finally be playing at it!
Junica is a reasonably fresh live project. Was it a hard road translating the recordings to the stage?
No it wasn't too difficult actually, I kinda just listened to the core elements of the track and chose the strongest layers of each song to play live. It's still very much a four-piece band sound.
Who’s in the live band and what do they do?
The live band is Ash Smith on bass, Kate Whelen on synths and Dan Nagels on drums.
Is there room to experiment with jamming or do you tend to stick to the original when playing live?
At this stage we are sticking pretty much to how the original recordings are, rather than going into jamming mode. All my previous bands have been quite different live to how they are recorded, so I was determined this time to try and perform the songs as they are recorded.
How did you come about the collaboration with Pip Brown on ‘Living In My House’?
Pip and I have been friends for years now. We've always kept in touch about music stuff, and we both found time one afternoon to get together and write a song. We did that track in about four hours from scratch.
Describe the gear set-up you’ll be using.
It is pretty simple really, a basic four-piece setup. bass, guitar, drums, synth and vocal. We do use a few effects on guitars and bass and some drum triggers too.
What’s your all-time favourite BDO moment?
What’s your all-time favourite BDO moment?
Seeing New Order play, and then Magic Numbers another year.
Advice for a BDO virgin?
Go to the toilet before you go, because the lines are about 5km long.
Do you have any pre-performance warm up routines or rituals?
A bit of a band group hug seems to usually happen before any shows.
If you were organising the festival, what would be your ideal BDO line-up?
Brian Eno, Lloyd Cole, Crowded House,Washed Out, Cocteau Twins, Red House Painters, Grimes, Peter Gabriel, Tears For Fears, Van Morrisson, Max Tundra, Psychedelic Furs, Katy Perry, Brighter.
Do you have any special rider requirements?
Haha, no not yet. We take what we can get at this stage, but a good antipasto platter would be lovely.
Out of all of the other acts announced, who would you want to be invited onstage by?
Out of all of the other acts announced, who would you want to be invited onstage by?
Best Coast, just because they write such great little pop songs.
I hear there are some new recordings in the pipeline?
Yes! The plan is to record the album late Feb, early March!
What else is on the cards for Junica in 2012?
Live shows, and album, EP, videos, solo recordings, videos and other ventures.
