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You Know, Leopard?

By Marcus Braid on November 8, 2013 in Arts

Photo: Ash London

Photo: Ash London


Sydney four-piece I Know Leopard have come a long way from the one-pub Adelaide Hills town where they met, and they’ve brought some seriously delicious old school pop vibes with them. Not only do they boast one of the coolest ‘how we named the band’ stories I’ve heard thus far, they’ve got a sweet new single called ‘She’ to boot, and they’ll be launching it in Sydney on Friday November 15 at the Oxford Art Factory. I had a chat with the lovely Jenny in anticipation…

The band name comes from… an encounter with a costume store clerk of Indian origin. I was after a leopard mask, he directed me to one of Chewbacca. I said, “Nah, not Chewbacca, I need a leopard mask. You know, leopard?” He threw Chewy on the floor and spat out in broken English, “I know leopard!” The clerk stormed off, unknowingly blessing us with our new band name.

Our hometown is… originally the sprawling, beautiful Adelaide Hills.

The most exciting thing about the local Sydney music scene is… the ridiculous array of talent from established bands to those that have just played their first gig.

The first time we played together was… in 2005 as a hair metal band, opening with a cover of ‘A Thousand Miles’ by Vanessa Carlton in a suburban Adelaide pub. Our mums were there. So was Ian, who owned the bakery across the road.

We wrote ‘She’ when… we were listening to too much Panda Bear and Beach House.

I’d like to think that our music is… like listening to a lullaby with a dope-ass beat behind it.

My earliest music memory is… my mum driving me to school with Michael Jackson’s ‘In The Closet’ absolutely pumping. Best song ever.

Growing up, my parents listened to… The Beatles, Van Morrison, David Bowie, Grace Jones, Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie.

One song that makes me really nostalgic is … ‘Handle With Care’ by Traveling Wilburys.

If I could have written any song, it would be… ‘God Only Knows’ by The Beach Boys.

If you come and see us play, you can expect… a bunch of pop songs set against a big purdy wall of sound.

My dream gig… is playing on the beach at the finale of The Bachelor.

I never want to get to the point where… the challenges of the industry detract from our love of making music.

I’ll know we’ve really made it when… we don’t have to catch the bus to band practice anymore.

I Know Leopard will play at the Oxford Art Factory Gallery Bar on Friday, November 15. For more information go to www.iknowleopard.com.

The Beast.