Sighting-The Waifs

[Livia]

The Waifs have a new album and tour dates, writes Craig Mathieson.

JOSH Cunningham, the amiable male third of now multi-platinum roots outfit the Waifs, has a smile slowly leaving his face. Seated in an anonymous St Kilda hotel room, opposite his bandmates, sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson, Cunningham is discovering that the renewal associated with the band's resurrection - their new studio set Sundirtwater is their first in four years - extends to an easygoing admission of past difficulties.

"Our togetherness wasn't a healthy thing in the end," recalls Thorn. "It affected our performances, the music got stale and we started writing nasty songs about each other."

When the trio's 2003 album, Up All Night, provided the mainstream success that breakthrough singles such as London Still and Lighthouse had built towards, it was the culmination of a career that had been steadily pursued since Cunningham met the sisters when he saw them play as a duo in Broome in 1992. Their success was both unexpected and difficult to adjust to; the notion of being a "name" and the work required to maintain that level.

"All we'd ever done was play music and then suddenly we had all these questions fired at us," says Simpson, the more garrulous of the siblings. We'd never done TV or visited a radio station or stood up to accept an award in front of thousands of people. After Up All Night was a success here we worked it for 10 months in the States. I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown."

"We both pretty much had them," adds Thorn. "We'd become so invested in the band and our career that we lost our identities. I was defining myself as 'Vikki from the Waifs' and nothing more."

"If you remember rightly, I did quit," Simpson says.

"You did," agrees Thorn matter-of-factly. "Several times."

Both women became disillusioned about requirements of promotion, their constant proximity to each other and playing the same songs on successive tours of America. Cunningham, on the other hand, enjoys the touring lifestyle. He spent a great deal of the band's sabbatical on the road, touring as Missy Higgins' guitarist.

Eventually he's moved to interject. "I have to say," Cunningham begins, a phrase that Simpson and Thorn obviously associate with him, as they burst into laughter as soon as he says it, "that you've created the impression that the band was this huge, tumultuous thing that we all had to get over."

"It was," replies Simpson, firmly but with a smile. She turns to face me: "We've literally had punch-ups."

Given their reputation as gentle troubadours of the independent folk scene - have guitar, will gig - this is not how the Waifs are usually perceived. Quitting on tour, punch-ups, fights, the pressure of success; it's all rather Fleetwood Mac.

"That is exactly what we're like," Thorn almost shrieks in agreement. "I was watching a DVD about them and I just said to my husband, 'That is exactly what we're like'. It was hilarious."

"I'm Christine McVie because I'm second to the popular star - Vikki is the Stevie Nicks," reasons Simpson. "And Josh is Lindsey Buckingham, which makes perfect sense because he and Vikki were in a relationship together, just like Stevie and Lindsey."

"When they're all talking about the differences and feuds you can't help thinking that they look ridiculous," observes Thorn.

"Like we do now," Cunningham says with a sigh.

By the time they'd finished with Up All Night both Thorn and Simpson had met their current partners and stayed in America when the touring was done - the former in the western state of Utah, the latter in north-central Minnesota. Both subsequently had children and for a year the trio lived their own lives, barely exchanging a word. The sisters learnt to cook and nurtured babies. In August last year they reunited for a tour and the change was obvious to all.

"It was fun - no tension and we all laughed together," remembers Thorn. "We realised music could be a positive experience for us, but before that year off we really weren't sure that the band would get back together."

In February they recorded Sundirtwater in Nashville. It's the most eclectic and textured set the group have put on tape, moving from the gospel of Sweetest Dream to the country lament Vermillion and the sultry sting of the title track.

"We took all the pressure off ourselves. We just decided to go into a studio and record every unrecorded song we had and see what we ended up with," Thorn says.

"As a result, we were very relaxed and had a ball, whereas traditionally studio time has been a little tense and I've never felt entirely comfortable."

The two vocalists also avoided playing rhythm guitar parts, allowing Cunningham, the band's regular rhythm section and the various guest musicians to embellish the acoustic bones of the compositions. But more than anything, the three central figures were aware that they had to grasp the moment.

"We have to make the most of our opportunities now," Cunningham says.

"There's more to our lives than just being in the Waifs."

Sundirtwater is out tomorrow on Jarrah Records. The Waifs play the Forum Theatre on October 2 and 3.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/...67232605.html#

[justcrazylove]

they are a very cool band from my state in australia!
they have been around for ages a good 15 years now...