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A Slight Hi

by High-tails

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Our debut album "A Slight Hi" on compact disc, in a jewel case.

    Includes unlimited streaming of A Slight Hi via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $15 AUD or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Our debut album "A Slight Hi" on 180-gram red vinyl, with a download code.

    Includes unlimited streaming of A Slight Hi via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    edition of 100 
    Purchasable with gift card

      $30 AUD or more 

     

1.
All The Time 04:15
lyrics
_______________________________________________ I want to put up a fight I want to put up a fight Oh but ideally I just don’t wanna get hurt I want to put up a fight I want to put up a fight I’m missin' you nearly I just don’t see what it’s worth And mumma the deal is, you make it feel nice Know that I wasted most of the night Don’t just keep chasing me down the line Lord I go vacant all of the time I want to put up a fight I want to put up a fight Oh but I really I just don’t wanna get burnt I want to put up a fight I want to put up a fight I’m missin you nearly I just don’t see what it’s worth And when I’m not dreaming I’m waking in fright So if that is you leaving will you leave on the light? I’m searching for meaning I need it tonight Lord I stop breathing all of the time Oh you know I’m searching for meaning I need it tonight Know that I wasted most of the night Hopelessly chasing you down the line Lord I go vacant all of the time All of the time (x5) _______________________________________________
2.
Into The Light 02:56
lyrics
_______________________________________________ In a different town, I don’t know where to go (Into the light, into the light) You’ve been changing hands and nobody knows (Into the light, into the light) What was that you said, on the telephone? (Into the light, into the light) I see you glowing, I see you grow (Into the light, into the light) As you walk into the light, into the light You walk into the light, into the light In a cooped-up crowd at the bus stop, chewin’ on gum and thinkin ‘bout Bebop (Squeezing in tight, rolling all night) On the topic of the Prince of Wales, she tosses her hair as she bites her nails (Into the light, doing it right) How full is the moon, on the edge of her eyes (Shiny and bright, into the night) Still, you gotta get her home before midnight As you walk into the light, into the light You walk into the light, into the light You just walk into the light, into the light You walk into the light, into the yeah! Walk into the light, into the light Walk into the light, into the light You walk into the light, into the light You walk into the light, into the light You walk into the light, into the light You walk into the light, into the light You walk into the light, into the light You walk into the light, into the light _______________________________________________
3.
Family Holiday 03:31
lyrics
_______________________________________________ Ben’s the king of the caravan park On his motorized scooter Can we stay up til after dark? Go fishing off the rocks I spent my whole night yearning I wonder what they’re doing back home Yeah Just fall back to sleep ‘Cause I wanna run away Family holiday Havaianas, small boxes of Cornflakes Even my heart cannot escape Sun setting on the inside I see you lonely on the headland I see you digging a hole in the sand I see you lying in your caravan Won’t you take my hand? ‘Cause I wanna run away Family holiday Ooh I wanna run away Family holiday ‘Cause I wanna run away Family holiday Ooh I wanna run away Family holiday _______________________________________________
4.
Shoop Shoop 02:47
lyrics
_______________________________________________ I was searching for a reason Well I notice you When conversation gets you longing Well I know it’s hard to choose You’ve been drifting ‘round You’ve been feeling down The urgency of love The plight of happiness It’s art at best Shoop Shoop (x6) I was maybe gonna call ya But I don’t know if that’s true When I’m in Sydney and you’re in Melbourne And I don’t wanna just talk to you You’ve been drifting ‘round You’ve been feeling down The urgency of love The plight of happiness It’s art at best Shoop Shoop (x12) _______________________________________________
5.
Cool Wind and Pavement 03:46
lyrics
_______________________________________________ A song from a bird in the dome of a tower Helpless friends helping out one another Searching for words on the back of a novel Finding the answers and then turning it over If only you had heard a tale from another Venture in thirds, walking taller than brother Thrown to the burbs, burning black rubber Cool wind and Pavement on a Saturday A pleasure to meet you And how do you do? The whole world’s dying to greet you (x2) Run away now And I feel the same as every other Cheated and shamed, heartbroken lover But I know you’re to blame You left undercover But are you the same girl as you were in the feature If only you had heard a tale from another Venture in thirds, walking taller than brother Thrown to the burbs, burning black rubber Cool wind and Pavement on a Saturday A pleasure to meet you And how do you do? The whole world’s dying to greet you (x3) Run away now _______________________________________________
6.
Bubblegum 03:33
lyrics
_______________________________________________ Bubblegum, you’re hurting me You win some and you lose You’re handsome and abusive Oh bubblegum, you rot my teeth I don’t get no sustenance I’m out from malnourishment Oh bubblegum, we’re so in love They say I shouldn’t stand for it but I know your abandonment is internalized For the both of us I woke up to the sound of you crying And when you left I just sat there and wept for my bubblegum We’re so in love At the start, I just thought you didn’t want me But you said that you’d stay if I didn’t tell nobody That my bubblegum was hurtin’ me You’re reckless and reclusive You’re handsome and abusive Oh bubblegum, I know you’re angry But I’m hell bent on trying My parents were just lying I woke up to the sound of you crying And when you left I just sat there and wept for my bubblegum We’re so in love They say I shouldn’t stand for it but I know your abandonment is internalized For the both of us We’re so in love _______________________________________________
7.
Stickn Round 02:58
lyrics
_______________________________________________ I don’t want to turn it down I think you should stick around My heart makes an awful pounding sound Thursday night you’re feeling great Friday night was such a waste Saturday you’re running late I don’t really mind I don’t really mind I don’t really mind But I told you a hundred times That I don’t want to turn it down I think you should stick around My heart breaks whenever you come to town Yes it does I get a little heartbreak Y’know I’ve been feeling underwhelmed, it’s true I notice you’re feeling under too Thursday night you’re feeling great Friday night was such a waste Saturday you’re running late I don’t really mind I don’t really mind I don’t really mind But I told you a hundred times That I don’t want to turn it down I think you should stick around My heart breaks whenever you come to town I don’t want to turn it down (x4) _______________________________________________
8.
Sushi Train 05:41
lyrics
_______________________________________________ She delegates the pieces of her heart to each new guy And I don’t have to wonder why I staple my new hatred of this city to the sky Acting under her spell I miss your loneliness, do you miss mine? I see the future baby and it’s alright I won’t ask for nothin’ and I won’t hide I got no direction, I got no pride The weekends and the weekdays are always the same Everyday, staring blankly down the sushi train I passed out for nothing on a cold dark noon Laying closely next to you Lay me to bed and take off my shoes Acting under her spell I don’t mind I miss your loneliness, do you miss mine? I see the future baby and you get by I won’t ask for nothin’, I don’t want to hide I got no direction, you got no right The weekends and the weekdays are always the same Everyday, staring blankly down the sushi train And I cried tonight under a plastic rainbow and the heartbroken gathered to sing me a song About another time when love was ours Now we’re going without The weekends and the weekdays are always the same Everyday, staring blankly down the sushi train _______________________________________________
9.
Feels Right 04:54
lyrics
_______________________________________________ I don’t even know the reason As high as I’m feeling, I’m coming down But I can’t change the season Without you at arms I feel left out Honey I know that you’re leaving Without me this evening, work it out And I won’t get that feeling I need what you’re dealing, give it out Feels right, leading her home Home from the winter Feeling that cold Feels right, leading her home Into the summer Getting back on I guess that I know what you’re saying I’m not rearranging word for doubt And there’s no use in playing I’ve been sick for days and I’m all out Still I know that you’re leaving Without me this evening, work it out And I won’t get that feeling I need what you’re dealing, give it out Feels right, leading her home Home from the winter Feeling that cold Feels right, leading her home Into the summer Getting back on Feels right, leading her home Home from the winter Feeling that cold Feels right, leading her home Into the summer Getting back on (x2) _______________________________________________
10.
Friends Forever 03:52
lyrics
_______________________________________________ I came on to the scene Like a lousy wooden beam And I sank in my seat The whole town was at its knees Shelter found and money sought Gives you strange moral support And that tried remedy Works as vaguely as the sea I got a feelin’ you and I are gonna be friends forever But believe me when I do ‘Cause I say it like it’s true With my light rushing through Every corridor to you Knowing every time you ask Breaks the silence of the past When we wandered this town Down and out and out of bounds I got a feelin’ you and I are gonna be friends forever Now you sleep I came on to the scene With a tired and ignorant spleen And I sank in myself Is it getting better yet? When the inserts of your shoes Make me stumble like you do If you follow me home I can make it up to you I got a feelin’ you and I are gonna be friends forever Sleeping in, the night grows long Now you’re sleeping I got a feelin' you and I are gonna be, gonna be (Go to sleep, go to sleep) Friends forever _______________________________________________
11.
So Long 03:35
lyrics
_______________________________________________ There are many levels of suffering There are many favours to the Vatican All of the secrets the truth can win Caught like a whisper in the blowing wind And anyway, you’re just a chemical in my brain You’re just a molecule in my veins You think you’re different but you’re all the same Rainy season in Berlin You wanna forget everything Down in Brooklyn they try to hide you But you was leavin’ the past behind you The old men in the market play backgammon Smoke cigars and talk about their sweethearts The shopkeeper, he stalls you as you buy your medicine And the longboard girls just tear you apart Can’t get a foot through the door You don’t know what to try no more Down in Brooklyn they try to hide you So long, forget everyone And after all She’s five foot ten and you are six feet tall Remember you marked it on the kitchen wall All of those years and you still feel small So long So long, forget everyone _______________________________________________
12.
Heavy Nights, Heavy Days 03:14
lyrics
_______________________________________________ The evening is ruined And no one cares except for me I’m not willing and I’m not afraid to admit it I’m not a slave, I’m not a tomb So cool with it Or to me be true Heavy nights or heavy days Drifting far away I could lead you or run away Show me the vial, won’t you? A global expedition I filled the air with my balloon I’m not itching to return to you In the kitchen they found a hair in my bassoon So don’t listen Show me desire, won’t you? What else can you do? Heavy nights or heavy days Drifting far away I could lead you or run away Show me, desire won’t you? _______________________________________________

about

"A pleasure to meet you
And how do you do?
The whole world's dying to greet you"
~ "Cool Wind and Pavement"

Much like the band name anagram that provides its title, High-tails' debut album "A Slight Hi" is a consciously coltish set of shapeshifting guitar-pop, frisky dance-funk and whimsical wordplay. It's the sound of four Wagga-via-Sydney boys having the time of their lives, and you're invited - "A Slight Hi" is a gregarious how-do that'll put a smile on your dial, a wriggle in your hips, and some songs in your heart all at the same time.

The twelve-track record was helmed by producer Chris Colonna, previously of Modular Records hitmakers Bumblebeez, who more recently has been releasing club cuts under a variety of aliases including Magic Pirate and Ccolo. Chris beamed himself in from his Braidwood bunker with a bunch of enthusiasm to track with the High-tails boys at studios on the Central Coast and in Sydney. Oh, and frontman Nick recorded some vocals in his bedroom, too!

On working with the band, Chris says "I really liked the friendship of the guys - there was 'country kids' in them all. For me, after working with a lot of single producers and artists, it was nice to work with an actual band where it was one for all and all for one." High-tails' frontman Nicholas Griffith confirms "Chris was very laidback and enjoyable personality to have in the studio with us. His approach was much more stripped-back, and focused on the feeling of a take rather than what layers could be added later on. This pushed us to make immediate decisions and changes when things weren't working."

For a band whose early triple j hits "Bending Over Backwards" and "Information" were tightly-wound guitar-pop songs, High-tails have got their groove on (and bought a fair few synths in the process, too). Aside from frantic bangers like the LinnDrum machine-led first single "All The Time", the album also boasts some smooth jams ("Bubblegum" and "Shoop Shoop" are as pillowy as their titles suggest, and call to mind the head-nodding vibes of The Whitest Boy Alive and Lifetones), as well as featherlight punk-funk ("Into The Light" and "Stickn Round" owe their shoe-shuffling sensitivities to High-tails' professed love of Orange Juice and Talking Heads). But fear not - "A Slight Hi" still has some soaring guitar jangle in the mix, too ("Friends Forever" and "Cool Wind and Pavement" are nostalgia-laced anthems with heartfelt shades of The Go-Betweens and you guessed it, Pavement).

Getting all these songs in shape was a matter or writing, refining, and living a little. It's a collection of tunes penned as far afield as in a barn on a farm in Bega, in cheap hostels in Europe, and in the case of the saxophone-soaked "Family Holiday", on a vintage synth at Nick's mum's house in Coffs Harbour. There are ruminations on making mates ("Friends Forever"), escaping them ("So Long"), and watching your life pass you by ("Sushi Train").

High-tails have recently hit the road in the lead-up to the album's release, playing slots at Brisbane's BIGSOUND and Sydney's King Street Crawl festivals. In their busy history the band have completed tours with Jamie T (UK), Philadelphia Grand Jury, Northeast Party House, Oh Mercy and others, and played shows from Toowoomba to Moruya, and Wagga to Wangaratta (plus a few points in-between). An AU Review review said of the band's live show "their enthusiasm and energy [is] intoxicating".

credits

released October 13, 2017

All song written by High-tails.

Nicholas Griffith ~ Vocals/Guitar
Felix Colman ~ Bass/Vocals
Toby Davis ~ Drums/Percussion
Samuel Mason ~ Keyboards/Guitar/Vocals

Produced by Chris Colonna and engineered by Richard Belkner at The Grove Studios, Somersby and Free Energy Device Studios, Camperdown.
Mixed by Russell Pilling at Damien Gerard Studios, Balmain.
"Bubblegum" mixed by Chris Colonna at Free Energy Device Studios, Camperdown.
Mastered by Ben Feggans at Studios 301, Sydney.
Saxophone on "Family Holiday" by Sarah Sykes.
Artwork by Joel Barker.
Typography by Sophie McComish.
Photo by Spike Thompson.
Special thanks to Berko, Andy from Stop Start, and Casey from Select.

All recordings ℗ 2017 High-tails. Artwork © 2017 High-tails. Under exclusive license to Stop Start Pty Ltd. Manufactured and distributed exclusively in Australia and New Zealand by Inertia Pty Ltd. www.intertia-music.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorised copying, public, performance, broadcasting, hiring or rental prohibited.

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High-tails Towradgi, Australia

Sydney's slinky guitar-popsters High-tails won hearts through triple j smashes 'Bending Over Backwards' and 'Information'. Their debut album is out 13th October on Stop Start (Ball Park Music), and produced by Chris Colonna (Bumblebeez). An AU Review review said of the band's live show "their enthusiasm and energy [is] intoxicating". ... more

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