Caravãna Sun – Keen To Share Backyard Barbecues

By Ash London on March 13, 2014 in Arts

Inspired by the Cronulla coastline, Caravãna Sun describe themselves as “a frenetic fusion of gypsy-fuelled ska surf rock”. I caught up with their bass player Ant Beard when they played at the Beach Road Hotel in Bondi recently…

The band name comes from… where the North African coastline meets the Mediterranean Sea.

Our hometown is… forever changing.

The most exciting thing about the local music scene is… having such strong glue like FBi Radio to hold it all together. With amazing support from such a great community organisation, anyone interested in creating music has the ability to share it and be inspired.

The first time we ever played together was… in the back corner of the Federal Hotel in Bellingen during the Global Carnival.

The best gig we ever played was… in Portugal last year in a small town called Grandola. Never have I felt more spirit in a community. We had no expectations and truly no idea of what was to come out of venturing to this amazing country. It was astounding playing to a crowd who without knowing a word we were saying, knew everything we were feeling.

The best gig I’ve ever been to was… City and Colour at the State Theatre in Sydney. Dallas Green has always been a huge influence throughout my life and to be witness to such an amazing performance was truly inspiring.

I’d like to think our music is… tension and release. With four different loves for music in the band, we are constantly working on our musical conversation together. The one aspect that draws us all together is the concept of tension and release, push and pull, the true human side to playing our instruments and creating music.

Our new album is… the soundtrack to our lives, AYA!

My earliest music memory is… jumping from couch to couch, screaming Michael Jackson’s ‘Black or White’.

Growing up, my parents listened to… Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple and Jimmy Cliff.

One song that makes me really nostalgic is… ‘Love the Thought’ by Simply Red. Before I had any understanding of music or how to play, this song was pure joy to me. The feeling I get reminds me of the reasons I fell in love with creating, performing and listening to music. There was something beautiful about the acceptance and honesty this track brought to me at such young age and still brings me to this day.

If you could have written any song, it would be… ‘Aotearoa’ by Trinity Roots. Never have I heard such an amazing opening track to an album. The amount of soul that man pours into his voice is truly moving. I could listen to this song everyday for the rest of my life.

If you come and see us play you can expect… to walk away from the show covered in (hopefully your own) sweat. We somehow make sure everyone is having as much fun as we are on stage.

My dream gig would be… Playing with Fat Freddy’s Drop on Scarborough Beach, Western Australia (we may have fulfilled this dream three weeks ago).

I never want to get to the point where… I lose the ability to let go. Kids still stand as a great reminder.

I’ll know we’ve really made it when… We can share backyard barbecues with friends in every town we visit, before and after our shows.

You can catch Caravãna Sun at the Oxford Art Factory on March 22. To get your mittens on their new album, ‘Aya’, or to find out more about the band, please visit www.caravanasun.com.