NIGHT PROWL — Making it in indie rock is never easy, a truism the boys of Turtle Giant know only too well. The psychedelic, new wave band from Brazil is still relatively obscure – type their name into Google and few media references return, while their YouTube views count in the thin few-thousands. Based in Macau, brothers Fredji and Robert Ritchie and vocalist António Conceição started working together three years ago, and now they’ve got their noses to the grindstone, festival hopping across Southeast Asia and extended tours of the Iberian Peninsula. But 2013 has been Turtle Giant’s biggest year yet, landing a spot at Austin’s massive South by Southwest festival thanks to the catchy single “We Are Kids.”
With a new album in the works, we caught up with Fredji Ritchie before Turtle Giant’s Bangkok debut tonight to find out about how slow-and-steady wins the race.
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CB: Tell us about starting the band. We heard a rumor you converted a bathroom into a studio… how exactly does one do that?
FR: We started the band back in our hometown of São Paulo. I had some songs I wanted to record and Beto did as well, so we got together and in two weeks we had the album “Feel To Believe” done. We actually used the converted bathroom to record many parts of the songs before heading to Norcal Studios in Brazil. We had three bathrooms in our house, so we decided to make one into a small little studio. Let’s just say I spent hours on end in there with the doors close.
CB: So why’s the band now based in Macau?
FR: We came here to see our parents for Christmas, but we ended up staying here when we met António. We were looking for a third member to join us and he just kinda fell out of the sky. Brazil for music is definitely a better place in terms of audience, but in Macau we are able to get much more things done. Life is way easier in Macau, so we accomplish more as a unit.
CB: What are you most looking forward to about Thailand?
FR: It’s our first time playing in Thailand, so it makes us very excited to play to people who have never heard or seen us before. I also enjoy the chaotic, tropical way of life in Bangkok. It reminds me a lot of São Paulo.
CB: What’s going on with the new album?
FR: We’re recording it at Dom Pedro V Theatre starting in January. It’s the same place where we record our EP “All Hidden Places”. We’ll be doing it all by ourselves this time around and this will give us a bit more freedom in trying new things out. We are looking to expand our sound, but at the same time not go overboard. It’s super important to keep your feet on the ground while your head is in the clouds. I’m hoping we will have it done and ready to go by the end of March.
CB: Who are you listening to right now?
FR: In the last few weeks, I’ve been listening to a lot of Caribou and some good old Kinks.
CB: Are you planning to leave Asia anytime soon?
FR: We want to do lots of touring next year, especially in Europe and America. And we’re playing Brazil in February as well. But we will always come back to Asia, it’s our home, but we really need to leave it for bit to survive.
Expect an intimate, no-frills affair at Play Yard, the funky, retro venue tucked into Lad Prao, with killer opening acts – Pennsylvanian folk singer Shane Palko and local blues-indie act Count the Thief.
9 pm. THB 500. Play Yard, Lad Prao Soi 8. MRT Lad Prao.
