Jeremy Taylor from Slow Boat Records in Wellington, NZ talks to Sam Scott and Luke Buda from The Phoenix Foundation.
Illustration: Adam Errington / Photo: Ebony Lamb
Jeremy: My earliest recollection of The Phoenix Foundation would have been around 2001, not long after I had relocated from Christchurch, having recently returned from the UK and started working at Slow Boat. My workmate - and curmudgeon of some repute - Steven Clive Hinderwell turned up one Friday morning and announced, “That Phoenix Foundation band played the Bodge (the old Bar Bodega) last night. They used to be crap, but they’ve got quite good.” This, believe it or not, was actually quite high praise from a man who mostly likes novelty covers of 80’s hits played on the banjo. I was faintly aware of whom he spoke from co-frontmen Luke Buda and Sam Scott coming into the shop; bearded, be-cardiganed, and interested in indie rock. Over time, we became firm friends, to the extent that I now feel the histories of The Phoenix Foundation and Slow Boat Records (Wellington NZ’s longest serving independent record store) are almost inextricably linked. They have even played instore at the shop, three times now, and Luke and Sam’s solo projects (Teeth, and Bunnies On Ponies) have also both played in-house, each of them on the occasion of a Record Store Day (and BOP a second time at the launch of a book I wrote, which was, perversely, about the 2015 Rugby World Cup). I thought I would look at our shared history, through the prism of those three ‘TPF’ Slow Boat instores, as we anticipate their seventh album, titled, appropriately enough, Friend Ship.
Instore 1: “Horsepower” (2003)
After the release of their debut album, on the nascent Capital Recordings label, it was determined that the Phoenix Foundation would play instore. The earlier China Cove EP had shown promise, but was still, for me, the work of a band in thrall to Pavement and The Pixies (a coincidence that their name falls, alphabetically, between these two acts? I think not) Sam had given me a burned CD (remember those?) of the unfinished album, which included the as-yet-unreleased ‘reggae track’, ‘Rotten Town’ - I actually heard it again a little while ago, and it wasn’t as bad as I remembered. From memory, TPF may have been the second band to play instore (after the Brunettes, who then featured a young Lawrence Arabia, and Pluto/ Tami Neilson bassist Mike Hall). They were pared down to a five-piece at this point, guitarist/ instrumentalist Conrad Wedde having departed for Dunedin shortly after the album’s release, and my other abiding memory is of having to get twenty or so people to lift the CD racks back to accommodate them. They were an appealing rag-tag combination of influences, with Wilco and Blur possibly jostling for prime position. Even then, they were obviously pretty bloody good, loose but groovy - young men in love with music and its potential.
Sam: I remember this instore coming at a time when the local audience started taking us seriously. I think a big part of that was probably Slow Boat spreading the word. They were already very influential on my music taste. In my teens there were many decent record stores in Wellington, but Slow Boat was the one with vibe. Eventually all the other shops closed down but through the darkest years of music sales Slow Boat stayed true to their purpose and somehow thrived. Back in the early 2000s Slow Boat was also where you’d meet other bands.
Instore 2 : “Merry Kriskmass” (2009)
The second TPF instore was in late 2009 for the festive-themed 6 track EP (almost more of a mini-album?) Merry Kriskmass. One of the more underrated releases in their catalogue, I remember this instore being a bit of a rush, held on a Friday evening, and being attended by Luke’s boys, Moses and Nico - possibly the first time they had seen their Dad play a gig?
Sam: Merry Kriskmass, no one bought that! It came out of the same sessions as Buffalo but didn’t quite have the same appeal it seems. I think by this stage we were feeling very comfy at ‘The Boat’ and having kids there and whatnot made it feel like we were playing on our home ground. Also by this point I think our sound had evolved in so many ways, probably because of records purchased here, like Aphrodite’s Child 666 or the Goblin horror film soundtrack Tenebre.
Instore 3 : “Fandango” (2013)
For the third TPF Slow Boat instore, it came right on the eve of them departing for the UK tour of their 5th album, Fandango - like, maybe it was actually the night before they left? I recall being very focussed on erecting a stage made out of wooden pallets that I had liberated from Cuba Fruit (RIP) across the road. I had gathered up what seemed like an unnecessarily large number of palettes, and commenced building the stage out from the back of the store. As more and more gear came into the store - more guitars, more keyboards, more percussion-y things - I realised the palettes I had amassed were barely going to be big enough to accommodate Conrad’s gargantuan, Starship Enterprise-sized pedal board. It was distressing. I do remember the instore itself, the well-drilled band firing on all cylinders, and new songs like ‘Black Mould’ and ‘Thames Soup’ being particularly affecting.
Sam: We were such a different band by this point, ten years on from that first instore. I imagine slightly more annoying to deal with, so much gear, more professional, more demanding! I’m surprised we didn’t do an instore for Buffalo, Slow Boat financed the first vinyl run of that album, which was the first thing we ever had on vinyl and now that’s such a huge part of every release. Slow Boat really got the ball rolling for us in vinyl land. I remember for the Fandango instore Suzy, the wife of the original Slow Boat owner Dennis O’Brien (who is stepping back and passing the shop on to Jeremy and Steve) made the most delicious snacks for the band. Going off on a big tour after a show at Slow Boat was nourishing for the soul. Our history is so intertwined with theirs, I can’t really imagine TPF without Slow Boat.
“‘In my teens there were many decent record stores in Wellington, but Slow Boat was the one with vibe’”
Luke: To me, Slow Boat represents everything that is great about independent record store culture. A place where heavily opinionated nerds can freely argue deep nerd opinions with the heavily opinionated staff, in a safe and welcoming environment. Yet behind all the sardonic quips about The Smiths being the only band you need to listen to and the shaking of the head at indulgent ten minute guitar solos there lies a deep love of - and appreciation for - music and it’s history. A record store like Slow Boat is where you go when you want to be reminded that music actually IS important. I couldn’t actually tell you what my earliest recollection of it is, as it feels like it has just been a massive part of my life for ever. I thoroughly agree with Sam that I couldn’t imagine what the band would be like without our relationship with this Wellington icon.
Sam: I hope we can play an instore for Friend Ship. Bring the ship to the boat, I mean they are our friends, obviously. I guess in 2020 we don’t quite know where we can and can’t go, but we’ll survive, Slow Boat will survive and we’ll keep hanging out, chatting about records for another 20 years I’m sure.
