Artist Interviews

Q&A: Operator Please

By | Published on Tuesday 8 June 2010

Operator Please

Operator Please are a pop band from Australia, with their current line-up consisting of Amandah Wilkinson, Tim Commandeur, Chris Holland and Taylor Henderson. The band originally formed in 2005 to compete in a school Battle Of The Bands. Two EPs and several singles followed before they released debut album ‘Yes Yes Vindictive’ in 2007, a long player that earned them two nominations at the 2008 ARIA Awards. As well as opening for the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs, the band have played at numerous festivals, including Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury. Having just released their second LP ‘Gloves’, we put the Same Six Questions to Amandah.

Q1 How did you start out making music?
I started making music in school when I got bored with everything else. It was something I always wanted to do, I’d always liked singing and performance, but I always thought being a musician was an unattainable thing unless you were some kind of whiz kid musician. It was only when I picked up an instrument and taught myself how to play it that I realised I could do this, and that when you’re making music, ultimately there are no rules, no “official guidelines” you always have to follow.

Q2 What inspired your latest album?
The idea of moving forward, rather than reflecting on past experiences. I really wanted to think about how I could push myself out of my own comfort zone and create something out of that process. I didn’t want to follow the same formula as the first album. Actually, in part I went back to when I was making music at school, and adopted how I did things there. I started off by making tiny demos, just little tinkering keyboard lines using the built in drum beats on my SK, and then overdubbed ideas and thoughts. Gradually I started building solid songs from those rough beginnings. The desire to sing more also added to how the record turned out; I’ve always been scared of showing a little bit of vulnerability. I think I de-masked a lot of myself on this record.

Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
It can happen in lots of different ways. The first thing for me is usually a very small idea – tiny melodies that you might create by mistake on the keys, when you’re just tinkering – then I usually move onto finding bass note sections to go underneath that and drive everything forward. Then it’s a case of ad libbing a couple of vocal ideas, mainly for melody, and when you find something that sticks you move forward with it. Lately, I have been getting these small ideas for verses or choruses and then working with Tim to structure it into something solid, and we’ll add bits and pieces, then when it comes to bringing it forth to the band, we have a play around with instrumentation. It’s just about feeling what’s right, I know that may sound wanky but I just don’t think anything should be a forced effort.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
There are so many people and artists that we learn from. Everybody in the band has different music tastes. The one thing we all agree on, though, is loving songs for songs – regardless of what genre, or if the band/artist is considered “naff” by those that consider themselves “superior music listeners”. Personally, The Eurythmics, Janet Jackson, Vanity 6. With those acts, it’s not just the way the songs and music are delivered, but the writing, the production, it’s all perfect. And there’s often a minimalist approach driven by one strong idea, hook or melody – amazing.

Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
I don’t know. I guess “listen to all of it rather than picking tracks at random”? Or “come to a show”.

Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
I think just pushing forward; being able to keep this opportunity to create music, and to enjoy what we are doing. I hope that ‘Gloves’ has the ability to reach new ears and maybe engage an audience that wouldn’t have listened to the first record. I’d like to think it’s just another stepping stone in our upwards progression. Small steps to create something bigger, in the grand scheme of things.

MORE>> www.operatorpleaseband.com



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