CITY RIOTS – THE MUSICAL VARIETY, CITY RIOTS RELEASE MATCHSTICKS EP

September 5th, 2011 | By

2011 has seen City Riots burst back onto the Australian scene. After being on the road for the most part of the year, this indie-outfit is set to release their second EP Matchsticks on October 7. Before getting too used to sleeping in their own beds, the four-piece are off again showcasing at the decidedly distinguished BIGSOUND music conference, prior to letting loose at a handful of club shows around the country.

Recorded at Red Door Studios in Melbourne with Paul ‘Woody’ Annison (Children Collide, Red Riders, Hunting Grounds), Matchsticks is City Riots’ next offering following ’08 EP Socialize. The question beckons, what exactly have they been doing for three years?

In 2009 the four boys from Adelaide found themselves shacked up in a two bedroom apartment in Chicago USA, writing and recording in a world-class studio with highly renowned producer Bjorn Thorsrud (Smashing Pumpkins, The Dandy Warhols). Returning to Australia armed with a collection of pop-gems later that year, the initial excitement spawned triple j single ‘She Never Wants to Dance’ declaring their return with a bigger release on the horizon.

As amazing opportunities came knocking, a whirlwind year of international and national touring followed. Showcases at SXSW and CMJ, Australia’s only band to play 2010’s Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival in LA and the national support for The Smashing Pumpkin’s tour on home turf, are only a few that emerged. An incredibly hectic year put their record release on the back burner.

At the very end of 2010, the recordings from Chicago were revisited and it became distinctly apparent that the original recordings were no longer an apt representation of where they were heading. Through the chaos of the previous year, City Riots had discovered themselves and their sound. The decision was made to virtually wipe the slate clean, strip what they had to bare bones and rediscover their fundamental mission – to write hook-laden, indie-pop tunes.

The result: a five track EP that perfectly encapsulates the potential City Riots have always shown. Lead single ‘Matchsticks’ opens the EP setting the bar for the tracks to follow. Creatively crossing paths between indie and pop, laced with glimpses of nostalgia from palpable influences, Matchsticks commences an exciting new chapter for this four-piece.

As the City Riots story continues, the plot continues to thicken and the ending is nowhere in sight.