splendid

I'm going to out myself as a Frente fan. I used to bag them along with everyone else, but then I saw them live and I had to shut my fat mouth. Frente are long gone, but Angie Hart and her hubby Jesse Tobias (who was briefly in the Chilli Peppers) still make music under the moniker of Splendid.
I heard Splendid on the various Buffy soundtracks (Angie features prominantly in the liner notes by Joss Whedon), and Jesse did some pretty kick arse work on the greatest Buffy epsiode ever: Once More With Feeling.
This is an interview I did a few months ago. It was never published, which is a bit of a pity since Splendid are actually are tight little duo. Forgive the errors, but I couldn't be bothered proofing it.

There’s a somewhat legendary story of you signing autographs in a queue the dole office. Is this true?
Oh yeah, I had my picture in the paper and I wasn't making enough to live on...typical TLC style story without the horrific failed lawsuit ending [NOTE: I have no idea what Angie was talking about here]. So I made some public appearances in the cue after I lost my job at a gift store on Brunswick St (across the road from our debut venue, the Punters Club). I was trying to tour and hold down some full time employment. My boss told me, I’d have to realise that music was not my bread and butter. Ha ha.
Any tips for sneaking into pubs underage?
You know, pubs aren't what they used to be, that's all I can say. It seemed pretty damn easy then. Sorry kids.
What was Splendid’s contribution to Ben Lee’s new album?
Nought. We appear on an upcoming release of his, where other people sing tunes that Ben wrote especially for that beautiful purpose. I sing, Jesse plays, purpose fulfilled.... beautiful.
Can you explain the song ‘Iron Man’? How exemplary of the forthcoming album is it?
Iron man is a song for Jesse, who resents being responsible for everything that I tell him he doesn't have to be responsible for, but keeps on assuming responsibility for anyway...'the weight of the world'. He's what is known in Australia as an Aussie battler...except he's Mexican.
This is probably one of the more well rounded tunes you'll hear on the album. We like to meander somewhat and take a left turn at least half of the time when writing and recording. Sometimes we let ourselves travel in a straight line and allow the song to be the best that it can be. There's no foot shooting here, just a little restlessness and some wild hairs.
How do you think Splendid have changed since making the last album? What have you done / are you doing now that wouldn’t have been possible last time?
Well we're taking our time, that's for sure! The previous answer also applies here; we're taking it where we feel like on the day. Jesse's recording the entire thing here at home and we're doing it on a zero budget, which is oddly unleashing. The restrictions that we have with not possessing a soundproof space or lockout time schedules are forgiven every day that we don't have to listen to the words, 'I don't hear a single' or 'is this radio friendly?'.
Can you give a definitive explanation as to what happened with the label and Have You Got A Name For It? Who was the villain in that saga?
Ohoho. I'll spare you the whinge, but basically our label folded and gave the album to their succeeders to shelve (in the US only, it was released in Australia) in order to walk away from the experience with a little more cash in their balance. Common story amongst our musician friends here.
How do you recreate songs like ‘Iron Man’ live? What changes in the songs for the better when played live?
Anything's better when stripped down to a voice and a guitar. We just play them as they were written.
At what stage of album production do you think about the front cover? Have
you thought about the cover for the upcoming album?
It is so far from our minds, but a white stallion or corvette is good to sprawl on. Kidding.
If I bought my 'Once More With Feeling’ soundtrack to a gig, would Jesse sign it? Why/why not? (That’s my way of saying “I plan to bring Buffy CDs to the gig and ask for autographs." Will you hate me?)
He will love you, kiss you, make you feel awkward with his affection. It's great when someone turns up that knows what he has been working on in these 'quiet' periods. He's been super busy over the last few years with production and music direction gigs, so some recognition for the labour is appreciated.
What was the origin of 'Blue’? Encounter any difficulties in writing it? How did the Joss connection start? Can you give me a factoid I can drop to Buffy fans to make me look like an insider?
Joss and I are fans of each other, he comes to shows, we watch his show. We finally took the bold step from lounge room karaoke to creating a tune of our own. It was fruitless and awkward, even though we are great friends, we were completely afraid of sucking in front of each other. I ended up going home and faxing through the rest of my vocal ideas which he then spliced in with his. Duh. The recording went much more smoothly.
Jesse told me to tell you something about Angel's original sidekick od'ing in the first season, but I don't feel comfortable telling you about that, so I’ll tell you that Xander has a twin brother in real life that has actually doubled for him on the show.
All my information about Los Angeles comes from the film Colors. How accurate is it, and have you ever been to South Central? Would Splendid sound different if you were based in Australia?
Have you seen Bowling for Columbine? Do you remember the part where he's standing on a street corner in the middle of South Central and it looks positively suburban? Well, take half of Colors and half of what mm says and you would be more accurate. I don't hang out there, but I’m a wuss.
We'd sound exactly the same wherever we were, we'd just be a little fatter if we lived in Melbourne, 'cos the food is so good. We're not really clued in to the media or a 'scene' here, we do our own thing. Besides the isolation, which I find constructive and which is impossible for me in Melbourne, that could make a difference. We could make the same music and find even less time to do it, making an album that took around eight years to make.
What was the crashing noise at the end of ‘Dear Friend’?
Jesse getting up off his knees after a hard days work with some singing wine glasses on the wood floor.
Will anyone be supporting you on tour?
Yes they will and I don't know who.
What was the last album you listened to from start to finish?
The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow.
This is a “free pass” question. Make up a question and answer it.
When will the album be released? Don't know.
What are Splendid’s top 10 tracks at the moment?
The Shins, Kissing The Lipless (Angie's Fav) Or So Says I (Jesse's)
Modest Mouse, 'Float On'
Cat Power, 'I Don't Blame You'
Twilight Singers, 'Teenage Wristband'
The Sleepy Jackson, 'Vampire Racecourse'
My Morning Jacket, 'Golden'
Grant Lee Phillips, 'Mona Lisa'
Machine Translations, 'Amnesia'
Lilys, 'Melusina'
Guided By Voices, 'Hold On Hope'
And Jesse also *loves* Dallas Crane, 'No Through Road'