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For those unfamiliar with Australia’s The Basics, now is as good a time as any to introduce yourself. Comprised of Tim Heath, Kris Schroeder, and Wally de Backer (also known as Gotye), the band captivated Australian audiences for over a decade, releasing multi-faceted songs and albums which include an outstanding variation of styles, sounds, genres, and musical eras. The band played over 1000 shows and released four full-length albums. Ingredients, a ‘best-of’ collection, and Leftovers, a record full of unreleased tracks are out now.
The band is currently on a hiatus with an announced return to the stage in 2014. In the meantime, Kris Schroeder is working with the Red Cross in Kenya. GroundSounds caught up with Schroeder to discuss The Basics, memorable tour experiences, and the important work he is doing in Africa.
-Ingredients is a collection of greatest hits of The Basics. How do you feel about the scope of your music and what you were able to accomplish as a band?
One day I’ll be properly situated in an old leathery armchair, feet-up in front of a roaring fire, puffing thoughtfully on a pipe and able to answer that question with some depth and sincerity. Right now however, the only answers I seem to be able to dig up are rife with a sense of conceitedness (“we were the greatest Australian band of our era”) or a resigned contentedness (“we did the best we could”).
I don’t feel either statements are true or helpful, and maybe it’s because The Basics are far from over. In fact, Ingredients – far from being a ‘greatest hits’ compilation – is closer to something more like a ‘the Story thus far’. It’s link between where our intrepid adventurers have been and where they are going.
So I’ll just say this – we are happy people have enjoyed the journey thus far, but are more excited about what’s ahead.
-Do you have a favorite song from the collection or one that stands out as particularly special?
It’s not on Ingredients, rather it’s on Keep Your Friends Close, but I think “The Executioner” is a favourite. It’s not a particularly subtle metaphor for a devastating breakup (in this case my wife at the time asking for a divorce), but was written quickly – while the tears were still wet on my face – and masterfully arranged by Tim Heath. I give full credit to him for bringing to it this sense of groovy foreboding in the style of Ethiopia’s Mulatu Astatke.
-There are a ton of different styles, sounds, and genres that are evident in this collection. For fans just discovering The Basics, describe your sound as best you can.
I really don’t think we have a ‘sound’ – I feel like that’s a tag for more brand-driven units. We’re essentially a songwriting partnership with an exciting human front that seeks to bring to life the variety of material that we write, which as you describe covers a ton of different styles, sounds, and genres. Though if you really want a quick description, go for “Australia’s premiere Vocal Group”. That’ll get their goat up.
-You are now doing work with the Red Cross in Kenya. How has your experience been in Africa and what kind of work are you doing over there?
Wow, you really ask the big questions! Africa is… well, it’s Africa. I guess what was most surprising is how much the area that I’m in (being Kenya yes, but more specifically “Ukambani”) looks exactly like the Australian outback – same colours, same flora, same climate, just different animals and people. And otherwise it’s a mass of conflict and tension, beauty and creativity – every day is an adventure.
As for the work, well the area as I’ve said is called “Ukambani” (the country of the Kambas, which is one of the larger of the 42 tribes). Unfortunately their place is not really that great for growing crops and grazing cattle, they have huge food insecurity issues, but because it’s not technically a desert then it doesn’t get half of the support either from the Government of Kenya or NGOs that it really deserves. So to cut a very long story short, I am one of the few folk around who actually work on trying to help alleviate some of the suffering people have here – liaising with the community, analyzing and reporting on the issues and trying to find solutions for it.
-What is the biggest need or area of concern in Kenya right now?
There are too many problems and no obvious starting point, so you’ve got a glut of Aid Organizations who all want to have their own impact on Kenya and improve the lives of the people, but without adequate interaction between themselves to say “you do this, I’ll do that”. So you’ve got duplication of services which leads to massive wastage.
But that area of concern is relatively minor compared to the corruption that is endemic in Kenyan society from top-to-bottom. Basically almost everyone in power has their hand in the kitty and flaunts it – they’re “above the law” – which sets a very poor example for the community who then take on the dual attitudes of “if they’re doing it, then so should I” and “if I don’t do it, I’ll fall behind”. So much of the money which has been generously donated over the years has been stolen or squandered by these people and everyone is too afraid of them to do anything about it – they live the sort-of privileged thug life celebrated by such upstanding citizens as 50-Cent and the like.
So, fix THAT and I guarantee you – everything will get better. Good luck, my young Padawan.
-Tell us a little bit about Patience in the Face of Control. Is a career as a solo musician or with another band in your future?
I don’t like to talk about that EP. It was tough. I started it with my ex-girlfriend and finished it alone. Actually I listened to it for the first time in over a year yesterday, and I really like the songwriting and the arrangement ideas, but you can tell I kinda just left it halfway done because working on it was only worsening the heartache at the time.
Anyway as I said earlier, The Basics are far from over so my future remains with them. Solo is cool, but it’s not as much fun.
-Did you foresee or were you surprised at the global success of Gotye’s song “Somebody That I Used To Know”?
Yep. In fact when Wally first played me the song in the car after the first mix I was immediately like “DAYUM SON THAT’S THE MONEY”. And so it was. I take all the credit.
-You played over 1000 shows with The Basics. What was your favorite touring memory/experience?
Well many of those favourite memories and experiences aren’t quite G-rated enough for this interview, but let me think… You know there are a lot of memories, I barely know where to start let alone have a favourite.
Maybe one of the most meaningful and memorable was when we were doing our tour of the outback in 2008 (?), going around to remote and regional high schools and indigenous communities. Around the same time Powderfinger/Silverchair did their “Bridging the Gap” tour but that was just a show in Darwin which means nothing to the people that it’s actually meant to be targeting. Anyway, what bloody champs we are.
So we were working with this great indigenous reggae band called “The Sunshine Reggae Band”, and one of the shows was in this great old aircraft hangar in Papunya (also known as Warumpi, home of the famous “Warumpi Band”). So here we were three white boys from the city rocking out, completely out-of-our-depth if not for the bonds we’d established with these guys. The days were hot and the nights were hotter, and these kids they’re dancing like sexy dancers from some American video clip and we’re there in singlets and thongs like we’re Midnight Oil back in the glory days.
God, an experience like just reminds you of how great Australia is. A pity most people never see more than the beaches of Bali or Thailand when they go on holiday.
-What advice would you give to new and aspiring musicians?
“It’s not all about you”. Music such a great way of finding expression in life – it’s one of the reasons all of us got into it – but don’t forget there’s an audience and an industry to consider. Just because you think you rock doesn’t mean you do (we had to learn this the hard way).
