“We wanted to do something completely different, and this really is,” enthuses Four Lions’ Shann Lions over coffee at a busy Bendigo CBD café.
“I’ll write the songs on Friday and Saturday, June 24th and 25th. We’ll record on the Sunday. They’ll be mastered on the Monday and released on the Tuesday. Then Thursday through Sunday we’ll be playing these songs at gigs across Victoria.”
I didn’t ask what he was doing on the Wednesday.
“Serious?”
“It’s a concept ep,” he continues, leaning forward, “I want to do something no one else has done before. All the songs are about Bendigo and its history. There’ll be a song about Sun Loong for sure and I’ll be looking at the gold rush era as well.”
This is something very different.
“Four tracks. It’ll be called Golden Triangle. It’ll be a different kind of sound for us – Husker Du, Replacements influences in there. We’re recording on analog. The first release will be digital on Bandcamp and I reckon we’ll do a 7-inch, limited edition vinyl version as well. It’ll be released on my Verse Chorus Verse label.”
“And you’re not hanging about before you get out playing these new songs?”
“No,” he smiles, “Brunswick on the Thursday, Royal George Hotel in Kyneton on the Friday, Golden Vine on the Saturday and Lockington on the Sunday afternoon. Long sets, no support, all free entry.”
“Wow, that’s a pretty demanding week or so.” I say. Sounds like it’s been planned with military-style precision.
“Oh, I nearly forgot,” Lions says, “on that Wednesday we’ll also be releasing a mini-documentary about the whole process, well, adventure.”
He is doing something on the Wednesday then. I leave the café, feeling exhausted.
Four Lions will release the Golden Triangle ep on Tuesday, June 28. They play at the Golden Vine on Saturday, July 2.
