No more backdoors for Willie J & The Bad Books
Photo credit Marcus Coblyn
Willie J & The Bad Books are preparing for the official launch of their new single ‘Backdoor Man’ scheduled for Friday the 6th of January at the Northcote Social Club. An energetic tune encompassing blues rock with a touch of an Australian flavour, The Melbourne band have also prepared an accompanying video for ‘Backdoor Man’ which was shot in black-and-white aboard a tram in their hometown and showcases the entire band doing what they do best. We caught up with Willie J to ask him about ‘Backdoor Man’, the official launch and The Bad Books plans to bust into the festival scene.
Your music has been described as “modern blues” and “psychedelic grooves alongside raw riffs” is that how you describe the Willie J & The Bad Books sound?
Absolutely! With a generous sprinkle of Aussie Rock! High energy, high fun, Aussie blues rock n roll!
You have just gifted the world your track ‘Backdoor Man’ Tell us about your new song. What inspired the writing of the track?
It’s an old blues term, when you’re working hard gigging and playing the blues, some sneaky so-and-so is creeping in the backdoor (venue/ home) and, shall we say – facilitates infidelity.
Does the song have any particularly special meaning to you or any other members of the band?
I think we can all relate to an unfaithful partner and the emotions that may bring up.
“We had George Carpenter mix the track, George pushes everything out of the box through tubes and transformers (Pultec eq’s, Chandler limiters, 1176’s, etc), this is an integral part of the sound and what a lot of mix engineers simply don’t have or do these days”
To record ‘Backdoor Man’ you used old equipment and put limits on dubbing and mixing, where did this idea come from? Did it achieve or surpass your expectations in its effectiveness?
We did indeed; we used the Glyn Johns drum mic method (essentially two phase aligned overheads - we used ribbons and a kick mic) - most famously how Glen recorded John Bonham. I really like the way that it lets the drums sound like the drums and the drummer’s touch and feel come into play. As far as amps and guitars, 60’s black panel Fender’s and 50’s Gibson guitars were used, if you can’t pull a tone with that pair, there’s something wrong. The vocals were done with dynamic mics and a harp mic (green bullet) smashed with compression. All of the preamps used were Neve 1073’s. All of the tracking was done in one afternoon. We had George Carpenter mix the track, George pushes everything out of the box through tubes and transformers (Pultec eq’s, Chandler limiters, 1176’s, etc), this is an integral part of the sound and what a lot of mix engineers simply don’t have or do these days, it makes a huge difference using the real stuff!
Did you face any challenges that came up along the way using the older microphones and Amp’s and if so how did you overcome them? Nope, smooth sailing! We ain’t fussy about shit clipping or mic placement being perfect, it’s all about the vibe.
Do you have a favourite line or part of the song?
‘Honey, I did no wrong!’ – Love this line. It’s the classic last call of a guilty person, but it’s not the Backdoor Man that gets in trouble – they’re gone. It’s the partner left to pick up the pieces.
‘Backdoor Man’ has an accompanying video. Who came up with the concept for the video? Were there any memorable moments during filming? Dorothy Yow and Jake Halfhyde came up with the concept. The whole shoot was memorable, we had a good laugh at ourselves and rocked the shit outta that tram.
“We’ve got heaps of tracks that are ready to burst out next gig and blow everyone’s knickers off”
Can we expect a Willie J & The Bad Books album out soon?
Yes! We’ve got plenty of tracks cooking at the moment. Every time we have a jam/ practice where it’s time to bring out the new material and ruminate (musically) on it – some rocking gem comes out. We’ve got heaps of tracks that are ready to burst out next gig and blow everyone’s knickers off.
You have a series of shows planned for December & January, including an official launch show on the 6th of January at the Northcote Social Club. Are you excited to have the opportunity to showcase ‘Backdoor Man’ live to fans and future fans?
We couldn’t be more pumped for the Northcote Social, we’ve played heaps of gigs this year leading up to this one. Everyone knows that you go to the Northcote Social for great shows, and we’re going to prove it. I encourage everyone to come down, have a drink and get ready for some rock n roll goodness.
Where was the first Willie J & The Bad Books gig? Was it a success or flop?
The first show was at The Workers Club in Fitzroy supporting some old friends (Coco Jumbo), it was an absolute belter! You know what first gigs are like! Everyone is keen to support and turned up in force and in good spirits. I think Slick Rick had played perhaps an hour maybe two with the band (it was a 3-piece the week leading up to the first gig). He heard us and was like ‘Sick, I’ll come play with you’. We knew after that first gig that there was a LOT of fun to be had here and we wanted to share the ‘Gospel’ of The Bad Books.
“Our music is suited to festivals – high energy, LOUD, sweaty and rocking – perfect combination for a festival. ”
There is a massive amount of diverse genre festivals already planned for 2023, will we see Willie J & The Bad Books on the line-up for any of these? Is breaking into the festival circuit something you are keen to do as a band?
The festival scene is where The Bad Books want to be! We’re gigging musicians, that’s what we do and that’s what gives us the thrill. Our music is suited to festivals – high energy, LOUD, sweaty and rocking – perfect combination for a festival.
How did you get your start in music? Both individually and as a band?
We’ve all played in many touring bands throughout the years, we all started before we could legally drink a beer.
Who do you credit as your musical influences?
AC/DC, Muddy Waters, Clutch, Janis Joplin, Coloured Balls, Robert Johnson, Betty Davis, Marcus King and The Allman Brothers Band - to name a small few…
“we all started before we could legally drink a beer”
If your occupation wasn’t ‘Musician’, what else would you be doing to make bank?
None of our occupations are ‘Musicians’ - We all have careers in different fields and we love to play but at this point in time, it doesn’t pay the bills
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout-out but never gets one? And what is they do that keeps your world turning?
It’s a bit of a cop-out but the whole band has been unreal. Each person puts in a lot of effort, there are no bludgers, and each person has naturally found a role and wishes to contribute to the band. We play well together.
What's in store for Willie J & The Bad Books with 2023 almost upon us?
Relaxing for a week or so (plenty of eating, drinking and merriment) and then charging headlong into gigging. We’ve got 3 gigs in January, good ones too! Northcote Social Club, The Blues Train and Pistol Pete’s. Pumped!
WILLIE J & THE BAD BOOKS Tour Dates:
06/01/23 - NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB, NORTHCOTE VIC (Single Launch)
Tickets Available From https://tickets.northcotesocialclub.com/outlet/event/ed883fd6-8f40-4778-9235-c3d7a63390bf
28/01/23 - THE BLUES TRAIN, QUEENSCLIFF VIC
Tickets Available From www.thebluestrain.com.au
Photo credit Marcus Coblyn
Interview by Michelle Symes
December 2022