Feature: Recliner - Striking a Chord in the Rest Room

In their early days Recliner were more a wine appreciation society than a band. For the first six months they would get together for a practice but ending up drinking wine and getting to know one another.

"We'd end the night with a waiata and lots of empty bottles," laughs singer Belinda Bradley.

"It was really a drinking club," adds guitarist and former Silver Scroll Award winning songwriter Guy Wishart.

It is with Belinda and Guy that Recliner began. Guy has previously released four solo albums and Belinda fronted a couple of bands in Auckland and Wellington, Standing Joke and The Spirals respectively. The two started writing together in the summer of 2003. They had been intending to work with one another for some time and living in the same Auckland street was the catalyst needed.

Being an established solo artist, Guy was initially apprehensive about sharing songwriting duties.

"This time it was more half pie come up with an idea that's quite solid and take it down to Belinda and see if we can finish it together. And therefore it became more co-writing, which I'd always been told was possible, but I'd never done it," he explains.

"Initially there was this real polite workmanship effort going on until we cut through that and started writing the better stuff," expands Belinda.
Once they had their own combination tuned, the two needed a rhythm section so pitched Recliner to bass player Vernon Rive and drummer Michael Te Young. They played them some songs and waited for a decision.

"They hummed and they hahhed and they went on about it and how much commitment it was going to be and all the rest of it, like it was a real business transaction," remembers Guy. "Within a month or two they were right into it and really happy to be involved because they hadn't been doing anything much... we caught them at a good time really."

The next recruitment was Belinda's husband Perry who joined the band as keyboardist and technical advisor. Keeping it in the family, Michael's wife Darlene Te Young stepped in for backing vocals. David White on guitar made Recliner seven.

Working with a band turns out to be an experience Guy has found rewarding.

"I'd play on an acoustic guitar and then we would flesh it out and Vernon would say, 'Oh it hasn't been Recliner-ised yet'. He meant it hasn't been shoved through the tunnel of the bass player and the drummer and everyone else having their say, which ends up completely reforming and reshaping the song."

Recording on the debut album 'Rest Room' began in the winter of 2005 in the converted roof space of Belinda and Perry's house. Recording at home was a first for all members who were used to working in studios. Being professionals with jobs ranging from lawyer to school teacher to filmmaker, the recording needed to be fitted in at nights and in the weekend. While this time consuming process was difficult for partners and children, it was one the band as a whole found rewarding.

Production of the album was taken care of by Dave Holmes (Gramsci, Jakob), the hook up coming through Mark Kneebone of Isaac Promotions who is also responsible for Recliner's promo and publicity. The album was recorded at Holmes' Kingsland studio Venn Productions, and mastered by Chris Winchcombe at York Street Studios. It is out on the band's own label Crimpolene Music, with distribution by King Music.

After trying out several producers Dave Holmes got the job as he was able to capture the "Recliner sound" they were after - one they describe as being a lush mix of Portishead, Radiohead and the album Fiona Apple never wrote.

"Dave was able to see what we wanted and try to work out how to get it for us, but he did that in an instinctual musician way as well as in a very technical way," explains Guy.

"One of the funny bits was Belinda attempting to communicate with Dave what she wanted in terms of music. She would talk about plush leather settees and lush furniture - all these visual terms."

The beautifully packaged CD and glossy bio make it clear image is important to this band. This is Belinda's domain as she is a photographer and responsible for the photos used on the album and promotional material.

"The whole visual aesthetic side to Recliner shouldn't overpower the music. Hopefully it just opens the door to the music," she explains fervently.
Being that little bit older Guy believes they do fight ageism with the youth orientated video channels, however he thinks their age will work in their favour.

"I don't think Dave Dobbyn peaked until he was at least late 30s or 40s... well he hasn't actually peaked yet - he's still getting better. Don McGlashan is getting better, he's got great songs. You just carry on and you fit in where you can... I still want to be involved and so do the rest of the band - they just want to play music."

www.recliner.co.nz