THE FUMES are a force to be reckoned with. Exploding on the live music scene in 2004, the northern NSW outfit have built a reputation of rollicking beefcake blues and soaring guitar chops which is no simple feat for a duo combination.
Steve Merry (guitar/vocals) reminisces just how the band come into existence shortly after meeting Joel Battersby (drums). "It seems like a hundred years ago when Joel and I ended up having a jam." Interestingly, it seems that the space taken up by a clichéd four-piece wasn't big enough for Merry alone. Instead he felt a two piece would suffice in order to create the music he wanted. "I like a lot of blues guitar, and I was playing in a band that wasn't living too close to each other," he recalls. "I started playing with another drummer because the rest of the band was one and a half hours away. The rest of the band eventually booted us out and I also replaced the drummer. That's how our duo was formed."
Since the release of their debut album Guns of Gold in 2006, The Fumes have risen up through the live music circuit and have enjoyed some critical acclaim. However, the duo still remembers their musical dignity and that money doesn't just appear from pure success. "In order to make the band survive we have day jobs too," Merry reveals. "I'm a carpenter and Joel drives trucks... The music business is a pretty funny industry; it's dictated by money. Somehow though, that doesn't bother us that much, we fit into our genre pretty well. It's good to hear positive reviews of our music, although I wouldn't put the album out if I didn't like it myself."
Harnessing the origins of rock music, The Fumes are obviously heavily influenced by African-American blues, heavily nodding to the 12 bar chord progression seamlessly throughout their sound. The constant reference and expansion of this style for Merry has transcended geographical location and alludes more to a particular type of cultural attitude than to a place. "I reckon there is probably an Australian influence to our music, but it's not entirely geographical," says Merry. "I think it's more about where the blues came from; the underside of life, those who are unfairly downtrodden and also about accepting our own fucked up existence."
The Fumes are now touring NSW and ACT, in celebration of their new album Sundancer. After successfully touring Japan, Canada and the US and making an appearance at SXSW, Merry looks forward to being back in Australia, but also making this smaller tour "about stopping hitting my fingers with nails and a hammer. It's always really cool when you get people out to come and listen."
Catch The Fumes on Thursday September 10 at the ANU Bar. Tickets are $18 through Ticketek.
