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Australian trio Panama have been turning heads worldwide and recently released their new EP Always. Learn more about the band with our new interview and stream their infectious track “Always” below!
How did you meet and form the band?
Since December last year, Panama has changed to a three-piece and two different members Tim and Tom now join me. Panama has always essentially been myself, joined by other members for live shows and the set up that we had for two years was great but it wasn’t consistent with the sound of the recorded songs. Tim is the drummer for Panama and he plays live drums as well as drum sample pads (for such songs as How we feel as there aren’t any live drums in that song). Tom is a multi-instrumentalist and in Panama he plays keys, guitar and also runs Ableton for the live show. Tim was our session drummer in Panama for a few shows/tour in Australia and Tom we were lucky enough to meet through our label Future Classic.
Why did you choose the name Panama?
I was working in Los Angeles with Eric Broucek and I hadn’t come up for a name for the new music I was writing/recording. I feel like band names are sometimes the hardest things to come up with especially if you’re trying to force one so I guess Panama kind of just evolved whilst I was over there. The music I was writing seemed to suit the name. I’ve always liked names that evoke a sense of what the music might sound like and to me the nostalgic synth sounds and percussive elements conjured up a portrait of an exotic South American experience.
The Always EP is quickly becoming one of my personal favorites. What inspired these tracks?
The three songs on this EP are vastly different from each other and come from really different perspectives. I deliberately tried to write each song as a completely separate piece of work and it was at times quite a difficult thing to accomplish. The title track Always is probably the most personal from a lyrical perspective, I remember it taking me a while before I finally got the words right. Other songs like Destroyer took a long time to write because I was going for a particular feeling and I had to do a lot of trial and error with my vocals to get the right sound. Overall I think my biggest source of inspiration came from screen music, which I had been studying at university at the same time.
How was the recording process in San Francisco? How do the cultures San Francisco and Los Angeles compare to Sydney?
I definitely found recording in San Francisco a lot easier then when I recorded my first EP in Los Angeles. I had worked with Eric Broucek on the It’s Not Over EP and we both kind of knew what we wanted and could push each other that little bit further in a creative way. It was the first time I’d been to San Fran and I really liked the chilled out vibe of the city. It’s quite a contrast to Los Angeles which felt a lot busier and was more difficult to get around without a car. During the recording, which was in August I took some time out to check out the beach down at the bay and I couldn’t believe how cold it was! The water in the bay must be freezing. Although I was only in San Fran for a bit over a month, I do feel that it’s a lot more similar to Sydney and Australia in general then LA (which is probably why I liked it better). I tend to prefer the more laid back cities, as it’s what I’m accustomed to.
The song “Always” and the EP in general are creating a lot of buzz in the states. Is there a full-length in the works? If so, how is the writing for that going?
It has been very humbling the way Always and the EP has been received in the US. I certainly wasn’t expecting it. After I recorded the EP I took some time out with my girlfriend and we drove a car up the coastal road to Portland. A great way to end the recording process, I say! Since then, I’ve come home to Sydney and have been working pretty solidly on some new songs. It’s been going well and I’m feeling really inspired. However, I’ve had to take out a fair bit of time for SXSW and other touring which has unfortunately set me back a bit. In terms of a full-length album- you’ll have to wait and see! I think that’s still something that we’re working out with our label here and in the US.
What are your touring plans for this Spring/Summer?
Well we just came back from SXSW in Austin and that was crazy/hectic and a lot of fun. It was like boot camp for musicians. I think we’ll be back in the States towards the middle/end of the year and we’ll also be heading over to Europe and the UK. There’s nothing concrete to announce as yet as we’re still sorting out final dates. We’re looking forward to touring again although definitely not the long flights on the plane! That’s the problem with being based in an isolated country like Australia -everywhere is a long flight!
What is one city or venue that you’ve never been to that you’d love to play a show?
I’m really eager to play more shows in the US! I don’t know what Chicago’s like for bands like Panama but I’d love to play there and also check out the house music scene. I read a book called ‘Last night a DJ saved my life’ and the author made a lot of references to Chicago house music back in the eighties and ever since then, I’ve been dying to check it out.
What is your ultimate goal as a band?
Just to keep writing and playing music that people appreciate. I guess the one thing that I always fear as a musician is that the music won’t be relevant or relatable for people anymore so if I can keep writing songs that people can connect with, I’m happy.
For anyone here that is visiting Sydney for the first time, what is one thing they MUST do or see while there?
There are SO many things to see and do! Visiting the Sydney Opera House for a live performance is definitely a must do. It’s truly a unique experience. Also, Taronga Zoo is worth visiting if you haven’t seen a koala or a wombat in person before. Plus, it’s located on Sydney Harbour too so its got fantastic views. Probably the more touristy, cheesy things to do in Sydney but they’re worth a look.
Thanks for taking the time to fill these out! We appreciate it. Where is the best place readers can stay updated with you online?
No worries! If you head to our website you can find links to our Soundcloud, Facebook, Instagram etc from there.
Panama – “Always”
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