Many Aussie bands dabble in the guitar music of the 90s but one Brisbane band are able to do it better than most. Over the past few years Morning Harvey have solidly chipped away at the live scene and given us a handful of single and EP releases to boot. They’ve taken a more faithful turn towards the sounds of Madchester/baggy scene while giving it their own distinct Aussie flavour, and it kinda rules.

They’ve been working with Nic McKenzie of Deep Sea Arcade on a film clip for their single ‘Girl Euphoria (Come Back To Me)’ which saw the band and lead singer Spencer White have to push themselves in an unusual way.

FBi: You’re from a burgeoning Brisbane scene – tell us your story so far, who are Morning Harvey?

SW: Morning Harvey are: Jack White, Eugene Knight, James Griffin (The Furrs & The Belligerents), Lewis Stephenson (Moses Gunn Collective & The Belligerents) and myself, Spencer White.
We started playing together around 2011, the lineup was pretty much completely different to what it is now, besides Eugene our lead guitarist and me.

For as long as I can remember I’d always wanted to start a band I could take seriously when I finished school. There was so much music to see every week around the time I left school that it was pretty motivating to want to get something started. Although there isn’t as much to go and see live anymore, more and more Brissie bands keep popping up out of nowhere which is great.

The lineup now feels really comfortable and we all feed off one another in someway with ideas and arrangements etc. We released our debut EP (Well For Wishes) mid last year – which is pretty different to the direction we’re heading at the moment – but still we’re really proud of what we achieved.

There is a definite Brisbane indie ‘sound’ – how easy is it to be different?

I don’t know if there is a distinct Brisbane indie sound. I guess the music scene here is pretty divided into your friends’ groups, but pretty much everyone knows everyone. I know from our circle of friends we really only listen to one another’s music.

I’d probably say if we were getting inspiration or influence from anywhere it would mostly be from overseas but I’ve always been attracted to 80’s and 90’s independent bands, particularly Australian. So I don’t think it’s very hard to be or sound different. I guess everyone who listens to our music would take something different from it each time.

You guys are obviously pretty taken with that early 90s British sound – what is it about that scene that makes you tick?

We have been getting a lot of references to the “Madchester” sound from this new single and our recent live shows. I’d never go into writing with the intention of making it sound like a particular genre or era – you finish a song and then when you eventually play it to someone they’ll make their own assumption as to who or what it sounds like – although I do see where people are coming from when they reference us to 90’s British sound with ‘Girl Euphoria’.However, I’d be lying if I was to say I wasn’t ridiculously influenced by that scene and continue to be today. I guess a lot of the music back then was very simple but full of great hooks and melodies which is the type of stuff that grabs me.

If you could, would you go back in time and play as an up and coming Madchester band?

I really don’t know how to answer this hah… I’m sure I would but then again with all that is happening at the moment I don’t know if I’d want to leave. Also the concept of time travel wigs me out!

Tell us about your the video clip for ‘Girl Euphoria (Come Back To Me)’ – you had to learn your instruments backwards?

Nic Mckenzie from Deep Sea Arcade directed the video. We’ve always loved the clips he’s done for them so it was great to have him on board. We took a bunch of our friends and had a weekend away in the Noosa hinterland on a family farm – it was pretty wild.

The overall concept was to have something that captured the song’s mood, there wasn’t a real plan set in stone but Nic and I had just bounced ideas off one another for the few months leading up to it. I think by doing that it kept the whole shoot really exciting and enjoyable for all of us.

I learnt most of the song backwards which was a completely new thing for me, I didn’t really think it would work but it did and much better than I expected. The rest of the boys had to wing it during the backwards takes which would have been a lot harder for them.

Are there any plans for a full-length release in 2014?

We haven’t announced anything yet but there will definitely be news on that front very soon, which we’re all very excited about.

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WHAT :: Morning Harvey ‘Girl Euphoria (Come Back To Me)’ Single Tour

WHO :: Morning Harvey + The Jones Rival + Dead Radio

WHEN :: 10th April

WHERE :: Brighton Up Bar, Oxford Street

HOW MUCH :: $5 on the door