🟥 This article is translated from French.

Requisitioned by the TVs, Craig, leader / guitarist of THE VINES, does not have time to grant an interview to Guitar Part. It is therefore Patrick, bassist of the Australian rock combo, who is in charge of defending “Highly Evolved”, their first release.

GP: When we listen to “Highly Evolved”, we find multiple influences: pop, rock, garage, post-grunge. In which era would you have liked to live in?

Patrick: Musically, I think I would have felt in phase with the end of the 60s. I froze this period around a few albums such as "Abbey Road" by The Beatles, but also by Cat Stevens, The Kinks and Simon and Garfunkel. Despite the rise of Nirvana, rock sadly ran out of steam in the 90s. To me, [the 90's] will remain the ones of the coming of dance music and electro sounds. It is the aftermath of a revolution started in the 80s by those who refused the radio dictatorship. So other than Kurt Cobain, no one made this decade shine. It's sad, but rock is almost ancient history.

GP: Yet you were presented as the best band since Nirvana and...

Patrick: Do you have any other questions like this one? I'm sure it was the British press who told that? First of all, I think to be a great rock band you don't have to be the best. I was listening to Marc Bolan recently and I realized that his songs were extremely simple. However, it is a gift to succeed in conveying multiple emotions by playing so simply. And if The Vines become a great band, it will also be in that spirit. No need to pull out all the stops, nor have a great voice. I'm quite in awe of what Radiohead is doing, because it's thanks to guys like Thom Yorke that things go forward. But that's not our thing, we're not challengers.

GP: According to you, just playing simply is enough to be original and innovative?

Patrick: No, not only, but there is no need to overuse fireworks to get a place in the Sun. That said, the uniqueness of our band is also based on our references. All rock bands love Neil Young, The Beatles or Led Zeppelin. Me the first. But Craig, our singer / guitarist, prefers young bands and only swears by Supergrass, Suede and Placebo, recent and dynamic bands. He doesn't give a damn about the establishment and the rock icons that are fashionable to quote in an interview. He reacts to music like a fan, not like a journalist. All this gives it a spontaneity and an originality to make rock backpackers green with jealousy. He didn't need to be stuck with full discographies of Bowie and The Clash, which he doesn't find exciting, for composing. From this counter-culture is also born originality.