Returning to the music fold this September, End Of Fashion have reunited for a national tour, celebrating 10 years since the release of their debut album.
Speaking with front man Justin Burford, Glam welcomed the ARIA Award winners back and share their excitement at being back on the road come September 11.
Burford has been kept busy during the band’s hiatus, with some acting gigs including the Rock Of Ages musical, a Cabaret Show about Kurt Cobain, and various other acting jobs making him an all-rounder in artistic terms.
Burford relishes this diversity and highlights that he’s been ‘really lucky that I’ve been able to a bunch of things back to back (since EOF disbanded). Rock Of Ages was the catalyst that got me out of being solely music oriented, but it was a whole different industry & experience. It was an amazing time, and off the back of that I picked up an acting agent. Since then I’ve done lots of acting. I’ve also had the urge to paint again,” says Burford.
We couldn’t go past an interview without referencing Burford’s once controversial Facebook comments on JJJ some years ago, where he stated that “Triple J ended the career path of End of Fashion, no question.” The station, once a springboard for emerging Australian Acts, is seen to have become more populist in its selection of artists to gain airplay and of course exposure.
“When I wrote that a few years ago, I prefaced it by saying that I wasn’t really part of the industry anymore, so you could imagine my surprise when a simple Facebook status became a ‘thing’ when it was just a rant from me. I didn’t consider it would be scrutinized as much as it was. I’m by no means anti JJJ, they definitely have a place, but they are THE place. It would be better if there were more places like JJJ. At the time it was a shock to the system, we felt like we were dropped, and it took some coming to terms with- we’re just people at the end of the day,” says Burford.
We chat about the industry in general, and he comes across as relaxed and in a good place personally. He’s played with the likes of Vanessa Thornton (Jebediah) and Ben Gillies (Silverchair) of recent, and is excited about getting the band back together. He also mentions his appreciation for The Clash, which for this writer is a huge plus. Burford knows his music and has a good grasp of the different genres and their history. On current music trends, Burford says “the old way of cutting your teeth (performing at sticky carpet venues) are kind of romantic & glamorous, and the music landscape depends on the technology available. Its constantly adjusting, and I feel we’ve gone back to the 50’s landscape where the industry was saturated, but only the really great ones ended up floating to the surface. But we also live in an age when the consumer dictates how, when & where they consume music.”
With the advent of technology, it is a constant struggle for artists to create revenue with the constant closure of live music venues to make way for Pokies, and the ability to download free or pirated music online. It is though, a great opportunity for artists to promote through the power of social media (YouTube, Spotify etc.). It is a two –edged sword but it is the mode du jour.
Interestingly, Burford repairs old record players & hi-fi amps in his free time, selling them on Gumtree – a noble pastime that is reinvigorating the love for vinyl in the digital age. “It’s heartening, as many of my buyers are young guys and girls. I love doing that! Much to my girlfriend’s chagrin though, I’ve turned half of the kitchen into a workshop.”
For those wanting to see Justin and End Of Fashion, they’re playing at Rocket Bar, Adelaide on Sunday September 11. They’ll be playing songs from their debut album such as ‘O Yeah’ as well as their other cool stuff, and if you bring your broken stereo in Justin Burford may even fix it for you!
Tickets on sale now endoffashion.oztix.com.au & moshtix.com.au
Interviewed by Dazz Hassan
@DazzHassan
THU SEP 08 | NEWTOWN SOCIAL CLUB | SYD endoffashion.oztix.com.au & newtownsocialclub.com.au
FRI SEP 09 | NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB | MEL endoffashion.oztix.com.au & northcotesocialclub.com
SAT SEP 10 | THE ZOO | BRIS endoffashion.oztix.com.au
SUN 11 SEP | ROCKET BAR | ADEL endoffashion.oztix.com.au & moshtix.com.au
THU 15 SEP | PRINCE OF WALES | BUNBURY endoffashion.oztix.com.au
SAT 17 SEP | AMPLIFIER | PER endoffashion.oztix.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/EndOfFashion/home
http://endoffashion.bigcartel.com/
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