By Parker McKenzie
Indie rockers British India are back on tour for the first time since before the Covid-19 pandemic and the Star Mail caught up with drummer Matt O’Gorman ahead of their Sookie Lounge show on Friday 28 April.
“It’s probably the first big one since Covid-19, we’ve all developed a newfound appreciation for just being able to play, like a lot of bands too,” Mr O’Gorman said.
“We had a bit of a line-up change with Nick, our original guitarist, and getting Jack in. We had a lot of energy at the backend of 2019 and early 2020, so it’s good to get back out there and do what we want to do.”
The band, which is celebrating a recent ARIA gold and platinum accreditation for their songs I Can Make You Love Me and Suddenly, first formed in 2004.
Mr O’Gorman said connecting with the crowd during live performances is “one of those things you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”
“Sooki Lounge is one of the greats, we played one of our first ever shows there — I can’t quite remember the year, but I think it was 2004 or 2005 when it was still Rubies — and we love it,” he said.
“Getting in the car, driving to Belgrave, having a bite there beforehand and playing; we’ve got a lot of friends that live in that area, so it’s always a highlight.”
The band has released six albums, had five ARIA top 10 debuts and eight entries into the Triple J Hottest 100 and is currently midway through a 23-date Rolled Gold national tour.
Mr O’Gorman said now that the band members all work full-time, the opportunity to get together on the weekends and play live music is something they all love.
“We’ve got older, we’ve got wiser, this tour has really spurred us, really given us some motivation to get back in the studio and write,” he said.
“We had a two-year break, we didn’t really see each other. Living in Melbourne with lockdowns, it was a couple of years. It’s one of those things, missing an old friend and missing something you love doing.”
He said the band plans to get back into the studio after writing some new material, but first, they wanted to enjoy the tour.
“We know that times are tough at the moment. We know that with everything that’s going on in the world, there’s a lot going on and things are expensive,” he said.
“We really just appreciate people that are willing to spend their hard-earned money to come and spend the night with us. We appreciate our fans and people that like our music.”
For more information on the gig, visit tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/dff29d37-c9bf-4957-8d60-73055a7043a9
