Summerset Avenue have made a name for themselves in the Australian pop punk scene. They had a good 3 years of playing shows all around Australia, travelling to record in Boston (USA) and playing the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. They recently announced they would be be calling it a day after playing 2 final shows in Melbourne. We recently got the chance to talk to their bassist Steve Cannatelli about the band's final release, the future of the group, possible reunions and future projects.
So I'm just listening to your latest and final release 'Count Me In', it seems to sound like trademark Summerset Avenue, which never fails wow me. I was wondering a few things about this song:
What made you guys decide to choose this song for your final release?
Well we already had it recorded and ready to go for a release early next year but since we have decided to call it a day we thought we may as well release it as our final release, we had worked really hard on this track and we wanted to let our fans hear it
How does it compare to the first songs you wrote as band back in 2010?
Count Me In, in my opinion is a more mature song and demonstrates that we as a band have found our sound. It's a sound that we had been working towards for quite sometime now, our own brand of Pop/Rock so to speak.
Do you think the guys whoformed Summerset Avenue would be proud of this song and other recent material you have written?
Probably not but we didn't write those songs for them, we wrote them for us and for our fans.
Will this definitely be the final release from Summerset Avenue, or is there any secret recordings or unreleased material?
This is it, there is nothing else.
After only seeing you guys live for the first time recently at EV's Youth Centre at their Rocktober show, I had a few questions about you guys and your live show.
- Being a relative small stage at EV's there wasn't many people getting into the performance. I was wondering how much crowd participation/response do you normally get at shows?
Best mosh pit/live show you have ever had? Why was it so awesome?
Koo Wee Rup which is a regional town in Melbourne's South Eastern are always a lot of fun, they really get into it and have a lot of fun with us! The Enigma Bar in Adelaide when we played with D At Sea there was a great show too and also our show with Tonight Alive mid last year, to me they are the stand outs. There have probably been a ton more but right now I can't remember them.
Most embarrassing moment on stage?
Probably when Leeanne told to audience to come sit on her box (laughs). she was actually referring to a box she was sitting on-stage during an acoustic set, but i think most people thought otherwise and found it quite funny. I think she was quite embarrassed (laughs).
I noticed you did a few covers along with your awesome high energy originals. Some covers where very unexpected/left field to cover at a rock show, but they fantastically turned into great rock anthems.
Well we wanted to keep things Pop and we didn't want to just cover band songs cause how boring is that so we thought why not take cheesy over produced pop songs and make them rock tracks, not only did the crowd enjoy these songs but it was a challenge for us to re-invent them.
Most left field/out there song you guys have ever covered?
M.I.A Paper Planes.
I heard you guys also went to the USA to record and play a few shows?
We played SXSW Festival in March 2011 which was an amazing experience and also recorded our debut EP there too in July 2010 which was surreal. To be a band for 4 months and then end up recording your first release in another country, that's the stuff you dream about as a kid.
How does the US music scene differ from the Australian scene that we are all born and bred on?
It's a whole other ball game over there, so many bands and so many of a high standard. You really have to work hard for your audience over there.
Biggest difference between your American shows and your Australian shows? Apart from the obvious geographic location?
People knew us here, no one knew us there (laughs).
- Was there a specific time when your fan base suddenly boomed or has it just been consistently rising from the bands inception in 2010?
Its been a consistent rise since 2010, there were times where we got more attention on us than other times like when Joel Madden retweeted our video of our cover of Good Charlotte's Like It's Her Birthday or when we topped the Triple J Unearthed Charts or when our cover of Kesha's Take It Off went viral on Youtube, but for the most part its been a slow, consistent growth which we were happy with.
Did the trips to the USA have a big effect on your fan base? Did you find that your fans became more global after taking the band overseas?
Not really, I mean we made new fans and friends but to be honest Youtube got us more oversea's fans than visiting the country itself.
Got any advice for local bands who are aspiring to gain that kind of fan base?
Social Media and gig everywhere and anywhere you can, whether its to 1000 people or 10 people, when you're starting out its all relevant.
That i'm not sure of to be honest but it would be nice if our last show was the biggest gathering of fans ever.
So the announcement of you guys calling it quits came as quite a shock to many of your fans. I myself was surprised as I had only really just got into your music. I know many of your fans are grateful for the amazing music and high energy live show you have given over your 3 years as a band.
What made you guys call it quits?
We decided to call the quits for many reasons but the one that was most dominant in the decision was that as a whole we weren't having fun anymore, a lot of things felt forced and thats just not what we're about.
What caused you guys to stop enjoying playing in Summerset Avenue?
There were a lot of reasons and out of respect to the rest of the band I won't get into them but it was a collective of things that had been going on for months, not just one or two things that came about overnight.
Was it a sudden decision or did you guys know for a while that you would be calling it quits soon?
I think in the back of our minds we all had known for quite sometime that it was just a matter of time before it came to an end.
Would you guys ever consider or be open to any kind of reunion in the future? Even for one off shows?
That I couldn't say for sure, maybe, maybe not, would depend on a lot of different factors, too hard to say right now.
At your final shows on the 21st and 29th of December, what will be the bands feelings? Will you guys be sad? Relieved? Can expect any tears from anyone in the group?
I have no idea, we'll have to see when we walk off stage. I think most of us are sad that it had to end, I know I am and I will miss it a lot.
So finally, I know many of your 6,000 plus fans would love to know, what's next for all of the members of Summerset Avenue? Even if your not playing as a group anymore what are the plans for you four talented individuals future? Will any of you guys be starting a new band or pursuing a solo career at all?
That I actually can't tell you as I have not spoken to any of the members in regards to their future musical plans but i'm sure most of us will continue with music, what style or in what way I don't know.
Also I would like to give you a chance to say anything to your fans? Any message to send out to them before your final shows?
Thank you all so much, it's because of you that we were able to take this band as far as we did and we really can't thank you all enough for that, you made our dreams come true.
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