Recent times have seen a refreshing new breed of young musicians unleashing themselves into the Australian music scene; in particular I speak of Sydney band “Falling in Autumn”. The band’s guitarist Simon Williams took a little time out from a busy schedule to have a chat about himself and what makes the music magic.  

What inspired the name of the band?  

The word 'falling' - it could be good or bad, happy, or sad... falling in love, falling out of love, falling down, falling away - from friends, your family, yourself... or the ultimate comfort; falling asleep - which I don't do a lot of. I see 'falling' as a place of comfort and clarity, even freedom from control. "Autumn” best describes us as a band, and the music that we write. Autumn is in the middle of a warm summer and a cold winter; it’s that middle that we are - light and dark, black and white, up and down. A lot of our songs display both entities; that grey area in between - in the sad songs there's hope, and in the happy songs there's elements of anger/helplessness/despair/confusion; a cloudy day could still produce the most amazing sunset. Autumn depends on how you feel inside - do you see the grey clouds or the sun and their silver lining?  

How did the band come together?

I first met Carissa through a mutual friend of ours, Leigh Marks. He knew of the music I was writing and said he knew of someone that would compliment it perfectly… and he was right. From the first meeting, I felt a connection, a respect that is usually developed over time. We wrote together for months and months, building the foundations to the songs we now play as a band. We advertised for other musicians, and by the grace of fate, Katie (piano) got in touch with us and began writing with us. The through friends of mine, we heard that Phoebe, an already respected, amazing contemporary violinist was available, so we jumped at the opportunity and haven’t looked back. I think we sit so comfortably in the same room together.  

Are there any pet peeves amongst you that annoy each other?  

We are all terribly busy people, the majority of us studying; music, or working in the music industry, so it’s hard to hold commitments every week. That’s my only frustration, because I enjoy the ‘room’ time; the chemistry so much. Actually, I have a difficult time explaining myself, which I’m sure peeves the others occasionally. I use a lot of metaphors.  

How did you get involved with Arnette?  

We have loved Arnette since we were kids – it’s a cool brand, and we have always respected the markets they cater to, so when our friends – the Mission in Motion – became part of their culture. So we contacted them, had a meeting and they provided us with an opportunity to impress.  

How would describe the gig you did for Arnette?  

An awesome experience! Luxoticca (company that owns Arnette), put on a big show for their annual dinner of all 1200 executives, they asked us to play, and we felt good about the show. The reception from the crowd, post-show was warm and inspiring, we were stoked.  

What was it like playing for a large audience?  

Honestly, it’s something I hope we do a lot more of.  

What’s the first single? 

The song that we have highlighted from our EP is “One Broken Man”. With the association of the Arnette brand, we felt it was the most edgy track that still had the depth and the essence of the band.  

What is the video clip about?  

“One broken man” was written by Carissa, it’s a very personal song for her - you can hear that when she sings it. The clip basically displays the timeline of a man who’s just lost the one he loves through no fault of his own, and being given no answers to the questions inside his head. He’s angry, confused, sad and lonely – desperate to find out why.  

You mentioned that all of your songs are written from personal experience… Is this a challenging task?  

It’s challenging in the way that you are displaying your inner most thoughts and feelings about somebody. I find sometimes to be therapeutic, but most of the time I find myself wallowing in that feeling for along period of time after it- but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s real, and I think all of the good music.  

When you’re not in the studio, how do you spend your time?  

Writing, rehearsing and thinking about the band. I can’t turn it off. But we all love hanging out with friends, and I go surfing with my roommate – it’s a good release.  

What’s the Showcase night all about?  

The showcase night is for all of the people that have been asking us what we’ve been up to. We want people to come and hear what’s been keeping us up all night for the past year. It’s a free show because we want to say thank you to all those who have supported us over the past year, and those that will support us in the future.  

What are 3 words that would describe your EP?  

Real. Ambient. Emotional.  

What is your future plans following the release of the EP?  

Our plan is to support international acts and other artists in Sydney. We have a real desire to play at venues like the ‘Vanguard’ and the ‘Enmore Theatre’, so hopefully we kill two birds…  

What would make the perfect Sunday afternoon?  

Good friends – wherever. I love the snow and I love the surf, so somewhere there with the people that I love [they know who they are] and something cold and alcoholic.

 For more information on Falling in Autumn check out: www.myspace.com/fallinginautumn