Firstly, it’s a concept album (well, technically it’s a ‘rock opera’, since there’s a story involved). Secondly, it’s us being 100%, well….. us.

The other thing to mention is that we’re setting sail for Europe next Saturday. Not sure when we’ll be back – it’s an open ended thing. We’ve got some great shows booked already though, and we’ve been selected to showcase at the Popkomm festival in Berlin in a couple of weeks, so it looks like things are off to a flying start.

Between now and the album release date we’ll be posting lots of behind the scenes stuff – footage from the studio, artwork previews etc. As a start, we’ve put up 2 tracks from the new album for you to check out – “The Piper’s Mirror” and to give you a glimpse of our prog side, the 8 minute “The Captain”. Check ‘em out on the music page – http://www.thesunpilots.com/music.

Now… back to packing.

VIDEO 1: Show highlights inc. a few guitar solos, a bass solo and snippets from new songs ’3 Minutes to Midnight’ and ‘King of the Sugarcoated Tongues’:

VIDEO 2: New song -- ‘The Piper’s Mirror’:

VIDEO 3: ‘Eleanor Rigby’:

We’ve toured Australia 4 times now -- but there was something pretty special about this one. Friday 2nd October 2009 didn’t just mark the beginning of 3 months of touring -- it marked the beginning of a whole new attitude towards our music… and a whole new band. The new lineup has been creating some real magic on stage (and in the studio too) and our new tracks, which are very different to Living Receiver, have been feeling great. I think, after 3 years, we’ve finally started to find ‘our sound’ and we’re loving every minute of it. Be prepared for some real surprises when the new album comes out late this year. 

For now though, here are the 6 video diaries from the road (see previous post for the photos):

Tour diary 1 -- Newcastle (Oct 09)
Features: live performance of  ‘Animals In My Mind’, late night drivethrough shenanigans

Tour diary 2 -- Perth (Nov 09)
Features: roadtrip randomness, basketball and Guitar Hero skills, Monty Python references (shrubbery?), solar panels

Tour diary 3 -- Melbourne (Nov 09)
Features: trailer detaching from car in the middle of a highway, followed by car overheating the next day (also in the middle of a highway)

Tour diary 4 -- Eden (Nov 09)
Features: acoustic radio performance of ‘Animals In My Mind’, Justin EATING A BAR OF SOAP

Tour diary 5 -- Adelaide (Oct 09)
Features: live performance of ‘Medicated Shell’, Radio Adelaide interview, ‘where’s my tuna fork?’ and cross-country roadtrips

Tour diary 6 -- Brisbane (Nov 09)
Features: 4ZZZ radio drop in, random drunkenness

“Eleanor Rigby, no less; a personal favourite. It was a ballsy choice and a remarkable performance, considering that the original contained only vocals and string instrumentation. Yet The Sunpilots saw fit to add wailing guitar solos, ‘Achilles Last Stand‘-style vocal theatrics and slap basslines. Whoa! They sure got our attention. Footage embedded below, shot from the ground in the shade (and wind-chill) of a Boost Juice freezer. Frontman Raj Siva-Rajah’s advertisement at set’s end was noteworthy in its succinct effectiveness: “If you want to hear more of us, go to either MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter dot-com-slash The Sunpilots.” Respect!” -- Andrew McMillen

Shadow number one, step forward please. Hot shimmering air focuses her lines into form.  Harmless enough… Sensual, even– tiny pink lips parted ever so slightly in a seductive O. Nodded forward by her automaton, the angel coos. “Embrace truth and be saved.” My truth? Your truth? Who’s truth? Twin green windows to nowhere – I can’t look away. Too late – succubus!

She presses her warmth against me, green glass flashing red – the intoxicating contradiction of malfunctioning light. Delicate needles press through my spine, feeding blind obedience straight into my mind. Goodbye, oh sweet dazzling mosaic. All hail the new regime, the grandest of grand, the mighty melting pot. We’ve one colour to sell – one size for the masses, one key for the king’s cell.

Beautiful exuberance. Now I’m safe, just like her. All knowing, just like her. Look, sweetheart, a door! “Rat-a-tat-tat. I’ve come to save your soul.”

Raj

.

The talking bits:

We’ve got 3 minutes to midnight so drop the bomb. We had millions of 1′s and 0′s to save the world from. We’ve got 3 minutes to midnight so drop the bomb….

Two men walk into a bar – trade jokes between cigars and try to read the other’s scars… Like maps showing exactly where they’ve been; and all the faces the other’s seen; to feed into their little code breaking machines…

We’ve got 3 minutes to midnight so drop the bomb. We had millions of 1’s and 0’s to save the world from. We’ve got 3 minutes to midnight so drop the bomb. We had pieces of shiny metal to save the world from..

Two men walk into a store – the place their fathers’ shopped before to keep us safe and sound and warm. Ring Ring – each buying snazzy new machines. One in blue and the other green. Daddy would have been so proud if he could see…

From the new regime and straight into your living room. Sponsored sound and vision – drip fed all the latest news. Technical conditions -- people set to overload. No breaks in transmission messing with your thought control…

Save me ‘cause I’m falling apart under fire from grace. Such a curious thing when we’re shooting eachother down for space. And as the sky crashes down to the ground don’t be scared – it can be replaced, we’ve got machines to plug the hole…

Slipping ever so slowly along this clogged artery now, screaming. Transience lingers in the air like heavy fog. I smell rust. Slowly red fades and the film develops itself. Blink. Immortality picked undone as easily as we dreamt it up. The insect has gone –vanished under the heel of fate. I taste rust.

A link is broken – the endless widow and her fatherless son. Chains reform, clockwork re-engages and the world turns again. Shall we dance? For now I hear the rhythm of this fragile, fleeting countdown we have named life. Perhaps tomorrow. Time is on our side.

Raj

So… the dates for the Oct/Nov “Animals in my Mind” national tour have now been announced – check out our Tour Dates page for more info and Facebook links for each gig. We’re heading to NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA and ACT so spread the word love and we’ll see y’all soon.

We’re on Facebook and Twitter

We’re on Facebook and Twitter all the time now, so becoming a fan of our facebook page at www.facebook.com/thesunpilots and following us on twitter at www.twitter.com/thesunpilots is a great way to stay in touch. We’ll be posting / tweeting tour diary updates on both sites.

New faces

Lastly, we’ve got a couple of new faces to introduce - Justin Kool (yeah, that is his real name) joins us on bass and Andy Nielsen on drums. Poor guys don’t know what they’re in for yet – now where’d we put that helmet and beer keg?… New photos coming soon too.

Been at Strathfield train station (in Sydney) this morning helping them sell their goodies. Was interesting seeing who donated and who pretended they didn’t see / hear you. Little old ladies gave the most, and “suits” almost never did.

So it makes me wonder – do we get more generous as we get older or are we just less into giving than the last generation? Hmmmm…. A bit of both I reckon.

Anyway, you can donate online at www.daffodilday.com.au or txt DAFF to 199 222 37 to give $5. DO IT!

How hot is that yellow sash?? Gotta get that happening for the next photo shoot