Yves Klein Blue's sound matures

Suzanne Simonot

June 25th, 2009

AS they prepare to lift the lid on their debut album, Ragged and Ecstatic, Yves Klein Blue are exactly that -- ragged and ecstatic.

The young Brisbane indie rock quartet -- vocalist and guitarist Michael Tomlinson, guitarist and keyboard play Charles Sale, bass player Sean Cook and drummer Chris Banham -- rose to prominence when they won the 2007 MTV Kickstart contest with their blend of classic pop, punk and indie rock.

After signing to Brisbane label Dew Process, they re-released their debut EP, Yves Klein Blue Draw Attention to Themselves, and were hailed as a band destined for great things.

Now, after having opened for everyone from The Fratellis to The Grates, The Living End, Ben Kweller and You Am I; slots at the Big Day Out, Splendour in the Grass and the famed South by Southwest Festival; and tours of the US and the UK, Yves Klein Blue hope to live up to the hype with the killer collection of songs that is their debut longplayer.

"There's always been a healthy mixture of both ragged and ecstatic in the Yves Klein Blue stable," laughs Tomlinson, referring to the album's title as the band prepares to launch its national tour with a show in Brisbane tomorrow.

Recorded in Los Angeles with Kevin Augunas (Cold War Kids), Tomlinson says the final product is everything the band had hoped to craft -- and more.

While working with Augunas presented its challenges, Tomlinson says the producer exacted the best from the band.

"Kevin's a big fan of pop music. We were on the same page. He had an important role to play on the record," he says.

"Kevin helped us searching for the final pieces in the studio. They were only small changes he would suggest, but they lifted the songs into another realm -- one we didn't think we were capable of.

"The important thing he does as a producer is he puts a challenge to you. If he doesn't think something is good, he encourages you to go back and look for the solution. He asks you what you can do. He never says 'this is what I'm going to do'. He says it's your record and this is sub par and he throws it back to you.

"It was challenging and there were times we disagreed, but the things he challenged us on helped make a huge difference to the record. He raised the bar for us and made us come to a higher standard," says Tomlinson.

The album is due out tomorrow, but Yves Klein Blue only recently completed the finishing touches.

"We've been busy and on the go. We just had our first week off in over a year, here at home. After the US and UK run of shows we were finalising the artwork. Now we're home and practising to get the show ready," says Tomlinson.

"It's daunting to see now it's come out. It only occurred to me yesterday, what it will be like to read a review of the record."

Whatever the critics think, Tomlinson says Yves Klein Blue are tickled pink with the results.

"We're really proud of the record we've made. We've worked extremely hard in the lead-up and in the studio. It been a very intense experience -- confronting and rewarding," he says.

"Now it's really just over to us to play good shows and the album will be what it will be -- but we couldn't be happier. We're really pleased with the results."

While the band members -- all aged in their early 20s -- have grown musically since their debut EP, Tomlinson says their sound has matured, rather than changed.

"It still feels like we're the same band in spirit -- we're the same four guys since that record came out. But we've been very fortunate to tour extensively, to the UK and the US," he says.

"We don't want to waste opportunities or discard goodwill. We took the most we could and said yes to as much as we could. We've been listening to a lot of music. A whole lot of life has happened to us.

"We're the same band, but things are deeper. The rhythms and our playing and everything has progressed. I feel like it's more of a stereo 360 kind of experience."

Tomlinson hopes that evolution is evident to anyone who gives Ragged & Ecstatic a spin.

"I hope that it's a record you can put on and listen to from start to finish -- to experience the light and dark; the ebb and flow," he says.

"I wouldn't say we don't have expectations for the record, but I prefer not to think about it. We've done all we can -- it's up to people to respond to it now."

Ragged & Ecstatic is released tomorrow.

Yves Klein Blue and Philadelphia Grand Jury play The SoundLounge on the Gold Coast on Saturday night (tickets $15). Yves Klein Blue return to play Splendour in the Grass, in Byron Bay, on July 26-27 (sold out).

taken from: http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/06/25/91721_more-gold-coast-gig-guide.html