Heavy Weather by Splurge

One breakdown to another...

After Splurge and before Heavy Weather there was a little record called Tintinara Breakdown—how it came to be made is another story—but it involved the two Gregs from Splurge, a log cabin, two acoustic guitars, a canoe and 10 songs arranged and recorded live over one weekend.

When Splurge came to record its second album soon after we were still buzzing from working this way and so, with Greg Arnold as producer, we set out to make a band record as if it was an acoustic album, putting the songs first.

We thrashed out arrangements of the songs on acoustic guitars over a couple of days in Greg’s kitchen and then we took them to the band. To keep the performances on Heavy Weather as live and fresh as possible, Splurge then recorded the basic tracks for the short-listed 10 songs after only a few rehearsals.

After that we ‘went bush’ again back up to The Cabin in Hall’s Gap for another long weekend, recording most of the remaining vocal and guitar tracks, before returning to the studio for a few more sessions and mixing.

Working fast, it doesn't always go right. One song didn’t make the jump from acoustic (Under Your Thumb) so we conjured To Be In Love in the studio one day and in another session—the same day we lost the demonic cellos and the pilfered Heart riff on I Have No Control—What’s The Matter With Me found its new mojo.

Nev and Greg worked out the track order in about five minutes on a page in my diary... those were the days.

What they are saying...

The ghost of John Lennon...
Mojo Magazine (UK): “Second album from the song-packing Melbourne four-piece. They rock, they play it gentle, they deliver the hooks. The ghost of Lennon pervades Have No Control or the shimmering She's Got No Soul, but how bad is that?”

Wonderfully melodic pop songs...
Pennyblack Music- (UK): “With ‘Heavy Weather’ Splurge have produced an album full of such wonderfully melodic pop songs that the name of Oasis springs to mind... but they have yet to come up with melodies so strong as those shown on tracks like ‘Come Monday Morning’ or ‘Heavy Weather’. They’ve also never turned out a tune so tender and gorgeous as ‘She’s Got No Soul’. There are a number of bands who can turn out good, melodic pop songs but not many come to mind who do it with the confidence, feeling and passion that Splurge do here. They make it seem so easy.”

A stellar effort...
Oz Music Project (Australia): “Heavy Weather is a delectable treat that shows not only a keen eye for delicious pop treats, but also an emotive honesty that instantly warms to the listener. The variety of this album is fairly staggering. Folks, we don't get much more of a complete release than this one. Splurge must be commended for producing an album that not only has a constancy of great tracks, but one that will sound as good now as in ten years. A stellar effort that most bands would kill for...”

Confidence, ability and conviction...
Pop Culture Press (Austin, Texas): "In my book, eclecticism is the mark of a significant musical talent. And this eclecti- cism cannot be faked or forced, it is a skill and an attitude that an artist either possesses or doesn't. Splurge hails from Australia and with its sophomore collection of original songs displays quite assuredly an eclectic mix of styles that dis- plays confidence and ability.”

Liam with a brain!
The Drum Media (Australia): “The tunes come thick and fast here with some extraordinary production values for an indie band ... especially on the guitar sounds, similar to Travis and perhaps even up there with The Church. Lyrically Splurge come over like Liam from Oasis with a brain. Heavy Weather is an example of a band that works perfectly with- in its limitations. There is a beatle-esque and Oasis sound to some of these tunes... innate ability to meld melody and mood purposely.”

Comfy, lovable and just a little bit scruffy...
BMA Canberra Yearbook (Australia): “This album fit around me like a warm jumper; comfy, lovable and just a little bit scruffy. Spontaneous, honest guitars; simple and effective rhythms... team that with witty lyrics and what you're left with is a superb left-of-centre folk rock album from this great Melbourne four-piece... an assured band onto a good thing."

Splurge is to quote MOJO magazine “a song-packing Melbourne four-piece” that has released three albums—Splurge (1999), Heavy Weather (2002) and The Cure For The Cure (2007). MOJO heard the ghost of Lennon in the way “they rock, they play it gentle, they deliver the hooks” and in songwriter Greg Williams’ “expressive and emotionally direct” voice are echoes of Grant McLennon and Steve Kilbey.

splurge.com.au