STACK NZ May #73

NEWS EXTRAS

After the cannibal gore-fest The Green Inferno , Eli Roth is set to tackle a very different sort on man-eater in Meg . BEST OF LUCK Former Exponent Jordan Luck on the debut LP of his new band. A fixture on the live scene for years, the Jordan Luck Band have taken their time producing their debut album. Frontman Jordan Luck – formerly with Lonely , which was a single in 2013, all the lyrics were done in the last three months. I sort of had working

titles and things like songs with choruses but no verses or verses with no chorus, that kind of thing.” Although the sound of his old outfit The Exponents can be detected on a number of tracks – in particular the Beatle-esque East Of Suburbia – Not Only… But Also is for the most part a rockier beast, which Luck believes reflects the make-up of his current line-up: Bell was once with the Dead Flowers, while drummer Beaver and bassist Rich Mixture both previously played with D4, so it’s not surprising that JBL had a rawer, heavier feel. However, Luck says there is an Exponents connection to one of the songs Stevie , which is about one of the band's founding members who left the group soon after their first hit Victoria and died a few years later aged just 25. Luck says it was song he couldn’t have written 20 years ago, but it was always something that had been at the back of his mind. The inspiration for finishing the song came at the Tuis last year, where The Exponents received the Legacy Award. ”Stevie was the instigator of getting me and Brian Jones [Exponents co-founder] up to Christchurch – he was a real driving force, an inspirational guy,” Luck explains. “We flew Mrs Cowan and Stevie’s sister up for the ceremony and it was glorious. All the lines came beautifully after I had sat down with Mrs Cowan for a bit.” While Not Only… But Also is currently only available on CD, the band hope to bring out a vinyl edition later in the year. Luck says they deliberately set out to make an old-school album that would only run to around 18 minutes per side – regarded by luminaries such as Quincy Jones as the ideal running time for vinyl, because of the width of the grooves. However he also thinks the specially-commissioned Dick Frizzell-designed cover will look even better on vinyl. “Even if you don’t like the music, buy it for the artwork – a beautiful 12-inch you can get somebody for Christmas!” John Ferguson

THE RISE AND FALL OF A MUSIC GIANT A vailable exclusively at JB Hi-Fi, All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records is the directorial debut of actor Colin Hanks and charts the story of one of the best loved brands in music. Founded in 1960 by Russ Solomon, Tower grew to become one of the world’s best known retailers, with 200 stores in 30 countries across the globe. In 1999 it made more than $1 billion, yet seven years later the company filed for bankruptcy. As well as key Tower personnel, All Things Must Pass features interviews with music legends like Dave Grohl, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen, who open up about their memories of the chain and why it meant so much to so many. Hanks says Tower was a true haven for music lovers and left a void in the lives of so many when it closed down. “There is a great human story here that not a lot of people know,” he says. “We sort of get to know all the people who worked there, and get to hear stories from them about what that made the place special.” Producer Sean M Stuart adds: “Every person you bump into says ‘Oh yeah, Tower Records started in my

Kiwi icons The Exponents – acknowledges it’s been a while coming, but points out that once it was decided to go ahead with the record, they didn't waste any time getting it out. According to Luck, back in January JLB guitarist Joe Walsh informed the band that it was time for them to release their first album – he even went as far as to say it should come out on April 29 and be backed by a nation-wide tour to coincide with New Zealand Music Month. And that’s exactly what has happened. Not Only…But Also – the title chosen from suggestions submitted by fans during a pre-sale of the record – is in stores now, and JLB are on the road promoting it. “Essentially, it took three months, so it was quick,” Luck explains.“The album is pretty collaborative. Most of the chords were by Bryan [Bell, guitarist] and I would stick the melody lines over the top. Then in rehearsal we would go through the structure and give it the full band stuff. And apart from Only If You’re

EXTRAS

hometown'; Because it was so localised, people didn’t know that it was a global chain. It wasn’t a global chain – it was a chain of mom and pop stores.”

All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records is out on DVD on May 11.

Not Only... But Also by the Jordan Luck Band is out now.

AVAILABLE FROM MAY 25

03