STU MACLEOD From ESKIMO JOE Reminisces On Twenty Years Of BLACK FINGERNAILS, RED WINE

HEAVY Music Interviews

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1d ago 11:05

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Eskimo Joe were always a great band, even though it took most people until their third album, Black Fingernails, Red Wine to realise it.
After laying the sonic platform over a couple of EP's and albums, the Fremantle rock outfit decided to shake things up a little when it came to album number three, throwing caution to the wind by escaping the comfortable safety net they had built for themselves in favour of a more expansive sound that would translate even better onto the big stage.
History will tell us that the decision was the correct one, with Black Fingernails, Red Wine considered by many to be one of the defining moments in Australian rock music. It also earned Eskimo Joe four ARIA Awards, including Single of the Year, and saw them sell out arenas across the country. The album’s brooding tone, ambitious self-production, and emotionally charged songwriting marked a bold evolution from the band’s earlier records Girl and A Song Is a City, and fast tracked Eskimo Joe to national identities who have continued to justify their rapid rise by touring relentlessly and keeping the music alive.
But it shall always be Black Fingernails, Red Wine that stands as the defining moment of Eskimo Joe's career, and with the album turning 20 next year the only respectful thing for the band to do is tour the hell out of it, which is exactly what they plan to do! Guitarist and founding member Stu MacLeod joined HEAVY to talk about the tour and the enduring legacy of that still famous album.
"It's pretty surreal to think it's been two decades," he began, smiling cheekily. "I mean, a lot has obviously happened in that time, but it feels like it's just gone by in a flash, you know?"
Eskimo Joe will be playing two sets each show, one stacked with fan favourites, and the other dedicated to the birthday album, so we ask Stu if it will be played in order of track listing or mixed up a little.
"Oh, no, definitely front to back," he stressed. "I think that's part of the joy of getting to play an album in full on stage. When we write a record, it really is a process where we try and map a journey for the listener. It's not just a bunch of songs, and we pick which ones sound good next to each other after the fact. We actually design the album as we go. If there's a gap somewhere of a particular tempo or style or feeling, then we'll say, all right, we've got to write a song to fill that gap. We're actually writing a song. We're actually writing songs to fit the album, as opposed to just playlisting a bunch of songs afterwards to make it sound good."
In the full interview, Stu talks more about what to expect from the shows, the decision to space the dates out to only include weekends and having Alex Lloyd as national support.
He reflected on the making of Black Fingernails, Red Wine and how they created a sound and record that has resonated on so many levels. He recalled some of the highlights of making the album, what the band initially thought of it, the exclusive 20th Anniversary Cab Sav range of wine coming out next year and more.
Tour tickets www.eskimojoe.net/tours
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