We get no definite answers from Danny Venzin, lead singer of Aussie band Nite Fields.

Australian four-piece Nite Fields unveil new track ‘Winter’s Gone’ in anticipation of their forthcoming debut LP ‘Depersonalisation’, which is set for release on Feb 2nd.

Home is a difficult place to pinpoint for Nite Fields.  While their coming together took place in Melbourne, all four members originally hail from Brisbane. A humid and notoriously conservative city, the band is currently split between that city and Sydney.

Lead singer and songwriter Danny Venzin is opinionated, passionate, and uncompromising, whether releasing works on his own label Lost Race or maintaining his diligent focus on a unified (though not narrow-minded) Nite Fields aesthetic, regardless of what music is currently in fashion. His band mates Chris Campion, Liza Harvey and Michael Whitney consist of deeply immersed players in a tight-nit local D.I.Y. scene.

Poetic and personal, you need only to listen to the record’s lyrics and atmosphere to understand where the title Depersonalisation comes from. Recurring themes include disassociation of reality and dissipation of love, with Venzin’s understated and at times unsettling vocal delivery almost as hard to forget as the album’s unique mood.

Give us an insight into your journey – how did you guys all get together?

We all come from a small conservative city so were destined to meet each other sooner or later buying organically grown marijuana or hydroponic lady finger bananas.

Is it ever a compromise to collectively agree on anything – like the direction you want to take a particular track or the sound of your music?

Anyone that tells you a band is a democracy is either a liar or plays in a terrible band. A creative project needs an able leader with a distinct vision. That vision is then enriched, or sometimes compromised by others.

Any in-house fights?

None that can be revealed without causing another.

Are there any other musicians or infamous musical moments that first made you realize that this is what you wanted to do as a career? Who inspires you to write and perform? 

Career? I’ve made -$39,650 in this industry thus far. I’m not inspired. It’s just that I’d make a terrible doctor, conservationist, or (gasp) politician, so ‘musician’ seems like the only thing worthwhile left for me.

What were you all listening too as you were growing up? What were the foundations behind your interest in music-making? Any guilty pleasures? 

Naughties trance, Pop-punk, late era Grunge, Justin Timberblake’s ‘Senorita’ on repeat – I plead guilty. Google ‘Redlands City’ to see where I grew up. Back then it was ‘Redlands Shire’ so downgrade quality of culture by 56.32%.. Things only got interesting when I realised I was just being a punk by hating my mum’s Icehouse, Goanna and Midnight Oil CDs.

What are your favourite tracks for when you guys are touring / on the road?

We have a terrible habit of running out of music half-way back from the 24 hour round trip to Sydney and succumbing to the petrol station CD rack. Billy Idol, Michael Jackson and INXS > Taylor Swift, AC/DC and Simon and Garfunkel.

What were the last 3 tracks you all listened too?

Earlier question made me check if Justin Timberlake’s ‘Senorita’ is as good as I remember. It was but the other Youtube suggestions were terrible so back to Soundcloud. ‘Ruin’ – a Love Cult/Pick a Piper collaboration (love from Russia). Next, ‘Body Body Body I Need It I Need It I Need It’ by Brisbane band Cured Pink.

How do you think social media / twitter / instagram et al, affects an artists longevity in the music industry? What is your prefrerred method of social media?

Social media has its place but I think people put too much value on ‘likes’ and ‘followers’. McDonalds is popular, Coke is popular, our prime minister is reasonably popular. Are you getting my drift?

Tell us more about the new track ‘Prescription’?

‘Prescription’ was the track on the album that took by far the longest to complete and at various times looked like it would be scrapped. I obsessed over the chorus 347.67 longer that was necessary. I suggest only obsessing over songs 3.91 times longer than is needed.

And the forthcoming LP – what can we expect from that?

All fillers and no killers unfortunately. We sold all of our hits to Kylie. Her new album is going to really break the ‘indie’ market for her.

What else is happening with you guys in 2015? Any live shows / festival shows etc?

In a week we’ll be serenading drunk Russians in Petrozavodsk where the current temperature is -15. From there it’s 6 weeks of our guitarist Chris missing trains, planes and buses across Europe. We’re also hoping to play some US shows and have a new EP out later in 2015 if the Titanic stays on course.

 

Catch Nite Fields live at London’s Old Blue Last on February 23rd.

Words: Shane Hawkins.