Even As We Speak

A word from Jim...

It must have been around 1988 that I first heard Even As We Speak. I was exchanging records with Dave Harris and Jason Reynolds. They both where Dj-ing at the time at Radio stations in Melbourne and Sydney, if I remember correct. They where excited by the sounds on Egg Records vinyl and others I had sent 3000 miles across the oceans. (Both subsequently went on to release the burgening sounds from the streets of Australia with Season Records and Summershine Records, which went onto develop quite a catalog.)

I was astounded by the wonders within the grooves they where sending me, The Hummingbirds, The Summer Sons, The Honeys, Charlottes Web, The Palisades, Rabbits Wedding, The Widdershins and Even As We Speak.

Even As We Speak, stood out even amongst this company. The soaring “Blue Buburban Skies”, an eighties indie pop classic. I believe they call these anthemns these days. The soaring chorus runs into a mock surf guitar line with such carefree abandon.
This stands with anything coming out of the Uk at that time and still does.

“Bizarre Love Triangle” deconstructes the New Order track into a slower paced low light ballad.
The vocals did set Even As We Speak apart. A singer that can sing was somewhat unusual in this genre at the time, Marys voice (used to greater effect on later recordings), lifted this version, the effect a great singer can have on a song.

The debut 4 song 7” EP was rough (recorded in 4 hours), a hand painted sleeve added to the DIY ethic. This was followed by a 3 songs 7” “I Won’t Have To Think About You”/”Galveston”/”Single to Central” with a hand printed sleeve, 2×7” 45’s, 7 songs. These things mattered in 1987.

I compiled the various Australian bands into a semi official cassette compilation “like flies in the face off”. I say semi official as only about half the bands responded to my begging letter. This was underground, fanzine lead, international tape swapping, it didnt matter. “Galveston” was included, it didnt know it was a cover.

Even As We Speak where the most British sounding of the Australian pop I was hearing at that time.
I have no idea if Even As We Speak where hearing the sounds coming from the streets of Glasgow or Edinburgh or London. Even As We Speak would have not sounded out of place with Jesse Garon and The Desperadoes or The Clouds. I doubt they had to be honest . The point was that similar influences, desires, attitudes (and distinct lack of technology or recording budget), fueled a unique pop, a time capsule as unique as for example late sixties garage bands (reference the Nuggets and Pebbles compilations)

The “Goes so slow” single followed, a 3 track 7”, by now on Phantom Records, who where releasing a lot of good stuff at the time. This is quite a bold single for its melocholic mood.

It must have been about this time that Sarah Records compiled 5 tracks (on a 7” naturally) from the Australian singles, this brought the band to a new audience. Meanwhile the final “OZ single” a 4 track 12” on Phantom, was released. Mary taken lead vocals on “Anybody Anyway”, possible signaling the next phase of the bands sound. (a song that turns up again on the debut LP with a much different arrangement) “Outgrown this town” may even summarised the band feeling at this time as they headed to the Uk and the next chapter in the story.

17 tracks had been released in EAWS Sydney years. Sure they is some real rough and ready numbers in there, a couple of covers, a hell of a lot of band members and instrument swapping. But the total effect is a great pop band, a unique testiment to a time and a place, that stands the test of time.

Jim Kavanagh (Egg Records, Scotland)

2005