If albums were named after what went into them, then Dictaphone Blues might have christened their new baby Freezing Mates and Deadline Bookends.
Luckily for their record company they chose the slightly catchier Beneath the Crystal Palace, but there is no denying what went into the Auckland band's second album.
Three years have passed since the one-time Mainlanders, now bona fide gems of the Auckland music scene - singer/guitarist Edward Castelow, bass player Rob Collins and Myles Allpress on drums - released the quirky delight On The Down And Out.
Since then they have gone from a team of four to a merry band of three, toured Australia and supported Okkervil River and the Broken Social Scene.
A lot was achieved, but a lot of time passed as well. Until now, that is.
Beneath the Crystal Palace was recorded in the depths of last winter, in what has been dubbed The Mt Eden Gentlemen's Club. It had character, but it wasn't all fun and games. Allpress got familiar with the joy of fingerless gloves and Collins was in charge of making sure that every day the heater was turned on hours before any microphone was switched on.
But the whole time, the band knew the end of a very chilly few months wasn't far away. The owner of the recording space, music tour-de-force Ryan McPhunn was only out of the picture for three months, meaning the trio could work as much or as little as they wanted, just as long as the album was done in time.
"We had to be out by September. We knew when we had to be finished," says Castelow.
"If he didn't want to go home and he didn't mind staying longer, then we could just sit there until we were sick of each other. And that was the difference, that's what feels great when you are not beholden to someone else's time, money or cost," says Collins.
And what was created is the sound of a psychedelic pop dreamscape. There are tambourines, snarling guitars and musicians switching instruments. This is a band loved for their live shows - full of tongue-in-cheek swagger and infectious enthusiasm and don't think pop is a dirty word. And this is an album that attempts to capture that.
But, like the oh-so appropriately named song on the album, friends need friends. Luckily these lads had no problem getting a helping hand when it was called for.
Whether it was James "Lawrence Arabia" Milne, Ryan McPhunn or The Checks' Jacob Moore adding some "finishing flourishes", the Unfaithful Ways being "milked for their vocals" over a drink one fateful evening or Jonathan Brunette and Princess Chelsea bantering over a microphone, Collins says the right people were there when they needed them.
"It was quite organic, and that's what I was really excited about...When you kind of have no budget and you can't approach people, to have people approach you, it just blows your mind."
"We're just really lucky to have a supportive group of people working around us...We were like puppies in a park," jokes Castelow.
Beneath the Crystal Palace is out now.
Dictaphone Blues New Zealand tour:
Cabana Bar, Napier - April 13
Space Monster, Whanganui - April 14
Mighty Mighty, Wellington - April 20
St Peter's Hall, Paekakariki - April 21
Static, Hamilton - April 27
The Kings Arms, Auckland - April 28
- © Fairfax NZ News
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