- MTV Interview With The Grates!

Lauded for their catchy songs and enthusiastic and energetic live performances, it didn't take long for The Grates' finely honed gigs to become the stuff of legend.  The Brisbane locals have played at almost every major festival in the Australia over the last couple of years, and while their debut album "Gravity Won't Get You High" debuted in the Top Ten of the ARIA charts, earned them critical praise, numerous accolades and saw releases in the USA, UK, Europe, Canada and New Zealand, it's their new release, "Teeth Lost, Hearts Won", that is getting young hearts a-flutter.

You never know quite what to expect when The Grates grace the stage, and their stand-out performance at MTV Snow Jam was no exception.  We sit down with singer Patience post Snow Jam to talk rhythmic gymnastics, new albums and bands with bad attitudes. 

MTV: So how did you guys enjoy Snow Jam?

Patience: We're still in the process of recovering! John is like, mega sick and Dan who plays keyboards is too, but it was so worth it - it was one of the best weekends I've ever had in my life!

MTV: What did you enjoy most?

Patience: What was there not to enjoy! Everything was amazing; staying in 5 star resort, breakfast buffet, great view of Mt Hutt, jet boating, we even got a helicopter ride! And then on top it off, you're playing a festival with the most perfect backdrop you could ever imagine, and then you get to hang out and meet new people!

MTV: Do you usually get the chance to meet bands and network at festivals?

Patience: Depends what kind of festival it is. What's great about the Big Day Out is that you get to meet other bands, because every body's on tour over the course of a couple of weeks which is a great; usually if it's a one day festival you don't. But because Snow Jam was over three days and everyone was staying in the same place and there was only one place to have dinner so we did get to meet a lot of people.  It was great, it didn't matter if you were a big band or a little band you got treated really well.

MTV: You're from sunny Brisbane were you prepared for how cold it was going to be?

Patience: Not even in the slightest! (Laughs). We ended up getting our talent escort Daisy to borrow Burton hoodies and jackets because we were just freezing.  The dress I wore on stage was a last minute hustle because the things I brought were just completely inappropriate. We've played in cold places, but always inside, so we've never played in such cold weather like that! When we did sound check my lips were frozen, my mic was an icicle!

MTV: Were you worried after rehearsals that the cold would affect your performance?

Patience: Jon and Dan were saying that their hands were so cold, they lost the feeling in their fingers, and because you need to feel your fingers when you're playing guitar it was weird.  I was singing with cold lips so was drooling and spitting more than usual but I wasn't worried. I just knew it was going to be interesting. 

MTV: I noticed when your on stage you use a rhythmic gymnastics ribbon?

Patience: It got really hard because as soon as there's a bit of wind it goes out of control! It got wrapped around my neck and went crazy, and I was trying to sing and control it and make sure it didn't hit anyone in the face! 

MTV: You guys were so cruisy and great to work with! But of course there are always those bands that aren't what's your opinion on artists that have a bit of bad attitude?

Patience: Well, I think it's just because their artists! People are people people can difficult in the most easy of circumstances. In any walk of life, you'll find really nice people and others that are arrogant.  I don't think it comes with the job, but it's just luck of the draw! It doesn't ever reflect on how someone is artistically, but when I think about a band like Weezer, some of the best music that Rivers Kumeu ever wrote is when he was totally self absorbed, but now he's meant to be a super nice guy and doing things to make the world a better place.  So there's no rule.  It is what is it. 

MTV: You're known for your energetic performance, is there ever a time you think I'm stuffed I can't do that!

Patience: Not when we're off set, but towards the Snow Jam end of the set we started to get tired, I think because it was so cold, I felt like I didn't have air in my lungs. I got so exhausted compared to playing somewhere where it's warmer. But that never happens off stage, even if I'm really tired or sick the energy comes back and you just do it!

MTV: Your new album is called "If Teeth Lost, Hearts Won tell me about that title?

Patience: There was a whole bunch of reasons, but one of them was because it was the first song we wrote after our first album 'Gravity Won't Get You High' and the song made it to the final short list, but everyone felt weird about it because it was an old song.  So we thought the song could sacrifice itself to become the title of the album.  It sort of reflects how writing this album was for us, because there's always the struggle but you always get over that struggle.  You know the 'teeth lost' is the struggle and hearts won is the outcome. So it really resonated with all of us.

MTV: What sort of mood or space where you into creating the album?

Patience: So many.  We did it over a year, so we had peaks and valleys of creative times, you write stuff you like and stuff you hate  We kind of wrote two albums for this, we had 25 songs before we wrote 'Carve Your Name' and then we just scrapped anything we wrote before.  Most of the songs that made it to the album were written after 'Carve Your Name'.  I 'spose we just wanted to write our own favourite album.  I wanted to write lyrics and melodies that I could respect as much as I respect other peoples lyrics and melodies.  You just want to make an album made up all of the favourite things you like about all different albums, and take that and make your own favourite album.

MTV: So was this album a new direction for you guys?

Patience: It definitely had the same spirit of our last album, but heaps more depth and the songs are far more robust, and the production is bigger and gutsier. 

MTV: You guys are about to go on a mammoth tour, any special way you prepare?

Patience: Just practice!

MTV: Well that sounds like a pretty good sure fire plan! Thanks so much for chatting with us, good luck for the tour and congrads on a kickass set at MTV Snow Jam!

Patience: Thanks!

By Penny Newton

To check out The Grates MTV Snow Jam performance on Overdrive click here!

To check out The Grates myspace page click here

Make sure your tuning in on Monday September 1st at 7.30 for the MTV Snow Jam Warm Up Special! For more info, click here!