S:Bahn Releases New Album, ‘Queen Of Diamonds’
S-Bahn was one of the first Australian bands to dig deep into post-punk influences. They are back with a brand new album, ‘Queen Of Diamonds’.
After a decade in New York playing in Woman (Bang Records) and Degreaser (alongside Tim Evans), Kristian Brenchley returns to Melbourne. Re-connecting with Denis Leadbeater the pair form NQR (Kasumuen Records). Along the way these two re-engage with fellow original S-Bahn member, Dik Detonic.
The trio reconvene S-Bahn, welcoming new bass player Rene Schaefer (The Bites / Banish).
Ahead of Queen of Diamonds Australian vinyl release, S-Bahn have issued a new single ‘Exhaustion’. It feels much more refreshing than it’s title suggests.
‘Queen of Diamonds’ insight
‘Queen of Diamonds’ is the band’s second album and was released in February via Polaks Records. S:Bahn return with nine new songs featuring trademark brawling guitars and seismic rhythm section.
‘Sync or Swim’
‘Sync or Swim’ was one of the songs conceived in that (hopefully never to be repeated) lockdown period last year, when the entire world was placed on hold. Despite / because of that the song is uplifting and hopeful: the world spins on and the future is an unstoppable force.
“I miss the synchronised swimming, I miss the hockey and I miss the darts. I know it’s not about winning, it’s all about not taking part”
In retrospect (now the post-poned Olympics are done and dusted) most of us are very glad we don’t have to watch the synchronised swimming, dressage and hockey again for a long time! The band knew this was a hit as soon as we recorded it. And although we may have only managed a couple of shows since, this is a live favourite already: the Beach Boys drum beat in the chorus always wins over the girls at the front …
‘We Move’
Close to the old S:Bahn songs in terms of the juxtapoition of noise and melody but also probably one of the most contemporary sounding songs, go figure? ‘We Move’ was one of the first songs we wrote in this incarnation and Denis still prefers the phone recording of the first Jam we ever did. The songs on this LP are a product of 4 combined histories and experiences so it’s amazing (and appropriate) to hear people reference Siouxsie and the Banshees, Midnight Oil, Fontaines D.C. and even Sleaford Mods when trying to describing them.
‘Exhaustion’
A mad rush of punk mayhem and adrenalin, the lyrics railing against all the things we have to do and say every day just to get a bit older…
“Add up what you own, multiply by its importance and how much more that you need. Subtract what you have, from the stuff that you dream of, then divide by what you’re prepared to accept: These things exhaust us.”
We write and rehearse in a garage there’s no heating / cooling but the ancient fridge is always full of beers. There always seems to be a bit of friction and we argue a lot – ideas are re-arranged, discarded, returned to and turned inside out before they are become songs. Most start as three chord wonders, the best end up with only two.
‘100s and 1000s’
The Ballad? Maybe, but there’s still enough bitterness and introverted self destruction to make it fit alongside the other songs. A nod to the replacements in the chorus? No one will notice.
“I don’t understand why we’re never satisfied. I don’t understand why we cant just disappear. She says there’s 100s and 1000s of reasons…”
‘Breathe in Deep’
This song was called “Wire Song” for most of its life, so a bit of a homage to one of our shared influences. Lyrics are meant to be sci-fi rom-com:
“2020 hindsight: the futures back, it’s great the martians didn’t attack, but, I never got my fucking jetpack”
We love playing the bam bam bam amphetamine motorik and it’s the last song we play live (before collapsing in a sweaty heap).
‘Touch’
We tried really hard to make the intro sound like ‘Eight Miles High’ (Hüsker Dü/Byrds or both … together at the same time!).
“Send me a picture!”
This is the most de-constructed song of the new LP, lyrically it’s circling around the slow decay of a long distance relationship and the corrosive impotence of sex via broadband.
‘The Tide That Pulls Me Away From You’
Our version of trad indie rock, everyone’s sister likes this one. Kristian gets his chance to solo all the way through and there’s that demystifying glimpse into the recording studio magic when the room mic picks up the count in to the last verse.
“1000 eyes in the dark, smiling at me, 1000 hands clapping, slowly – keeping the time, as the tide pulls me away from you.”
‘Pulse’
The other lockdown song, that period when all our relationships were stretched to breaking point by over proximity and confinement. Our rooms become cells: familiar and padded, but still cells.
“I tell you I’m bored and you tell me I’m stuck. We wait since the best times are still too far out to touch. And it’s too late for breakfast, too early for lunch, I better not drink yet, slow minutes stirred, slow minutes crushed.”
Everyone has been touched by the isolation it means even your mum now can relate to the stifling feelings of loneliness, boredom and frustration that were already the standard themes of the punk rock lyric!
‘Blank Screens’
This one started life as a song written by Muriel from Distant Stars, (hence the co-author credit). We blurred the bluesy riff with feedback overdubs and drones to make a disconcerting and unsettling closer to our second LP leaving the listener with that lingering vibe of disorientation.
“Wish I could create, something seen from space. Something true and tall, irrefutable..”
In a sea of data, lies and distractions maybe the only thing that is real is the alarm that reminds you to get up and go to work.
S:Bahn Facebook / Instagram
Polaks Records Facebook / Instagram/ Bandcamp
