We’re proud and excited to announce that Andrew has been accepted into The Seed Management Workshop for 2010.  The Seed is an arts grant fund which was set up by John Butler to help independent artists in the Australian music industry.  Andrew will have the opportunity to hear from and meet some of Australia’s best music managers.

Read about it more here: http://thejbseed.com/wp/category/project-outcomes/2010-project-outcomes/

Our first stop on the Broken Compass Tour was reviewed recently by News Unlimited.  Here’s what they said.

It can be hard keeping up with the local music scene; bands come and go – you see some make it and then spend the rest of their career telling people you saw them when they were “just starting out”. For that is the natural progression of a band – to start off small and then work their way up to bigger things. Montpelier, a Brisbane four-piece, seemed to have defied all logic and started with the biggest first – and by the looks of it, this is only the beginning to what may become domination of Australia’s indie-pop culture.

It may seem like I’m jumping the gun a bit here (a month ago I had never even heard of the band), but I have since discovered that they recorded their first EP in Fairfax Studios in Hollywood with Kevin Augunas (who worked with Cold War Kids and the Zeros) in Fairfax Studios, Hollywood. Like I said: starting off big. Luckily, I will be able to be one of those who can claim to have seen Montpelier during their humble beginnings as they played the Troubadour along with Claire Whiting and Blame Ringo as part of the Broken Compass Tour. The band is comprised of Dave Butler (vocals/guitar), Greg Chiapello (vocals/bass), Andrew Stone (keyboard) and John Pickering (drums).

Unfortunately, the term ‘indie-pop’ can be more of an affliction than a classification – but the band’s determination to not become defined by the label is what works best for them. Their influences – the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, Radiohead and the Shins – can be quite distinctly recognised upon listening to their tracks, but in a way that seem to update and refresh the ‘alternative’ culture of the past.

The songs are diverse. For example, The Rafters contains beautiful harmonies and repetitive pop melodies coupled together in what can be recognised as an uncannily brilliant juxtaposition. And it is not just by chance or luck that these combinations work so well; listening to their self-titled EP reveals this type of layering across many of the songs.

One thing that may be detrimental to the band is that they don’t yet really look like a band. Skinny jeans and thick-rimmed glasses will only get you so far and in my opinion it would perhaps be wise for each of the members to start to forge their own role within the band. This being said, their fans don’t seem to mind at all. They have a distinct group of followers here in Brisbane, and if things keep going to plan, this fan-base is set to multiply big-time.

The review is online here: http://newsunlimited.com.au/2010/08/montpelier-the-broken-compass-tour-stops-in-at-the-troubadour/

Photo by Kate Scantleton from News Unlimited.

While we were in Melbourne supporting Frightened Rabbit Dave took a break from soundcheck to have a chat with The Hoist on Melbourne’s SYN radio station.  He chats about the gig, what it’s like supporting Frightened Rabbit, the Broken Compass Tour and recording.  Have a listen by clicking the link below.

Interview With SYN Radio Melbourne

Or visit the SYN website here: http://syn.org.au/program/hoist/episode/audio/2010/08/16/monpelier-interview/1503

The Dwarf recently reviewed our debut EP and had these kind words to say about it.

Montpelier‘s debut EP showcases their melody-driven indie/pop music beautifully and manages to leave you craving more. There’s nothing overly rough or technologically edited in Montpelier’s EP: it’s organic, natural, piano driven pop featuring rolling percussion, gentle yet punchy guitar and breathtakingly beautiful vocals.

Produced by Kevin Augunas of Cold War Kids, Edwarde Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Yves Klein Blue fame; the EP benefits from subtle changes of tempo throughout, yet relies primarily on their trademark melodies. The band utilises lead singer Greg Chiapello’s ability to hit high-pitched notes just often enough. The gentle melodies and clever tempo-changes highlight his exceptional vocal talent, but at no stage do you feel like the band is dependent on his prowess behind the microphone.

Chiapello’s voice has this remarkable ability to put me to sleep, making me so engrossed in his music that life is an afterthought and dances along like a lunatic; all at the same time.

The multi-tiered harmonies and charming melodies are so intrinsically warming that it’s only upon closer inspection that you realise this is essentially a record that explores the themes of loss, rejection and love.

The lyrical content is not exactly unique to piano driven pop bands; but is complex, intriguing; Montpelier tells stories that captivate every ounce of your attention.

Whilst each track differs only subtly, Montpelier’s debut EP can’t be termed one-dimensional.

Featuring snappy piano and soaring harmonies, opening track The Rafters is the most lyrically beautiful track of the album and jostles in competition with slow burner Fireworks for the title of my favourite track off the album. Fireworks features rolling percussion, and then acoustic guitar that ups the tempo at just the right moments.

The composition of each song and the EP as a whole belies the band’s tender years and lack of musical experience.

The EP shows exactly why Montpelier is described as a band to watch out for. Do yourself a favour and discover them.

Read the review online here: http://www.thedwarf.com.au/nd/albumreviews/montpelier_montpelier

A short video of us hanging backstage at The Hi-Fi in Melbourne before we opened for Frightened Rabbit.

Particular mention should be made of Greg’s spectacular entrance.

Our debut self-titled EP was reviewed in Sydney’s The Brag.

Our first show of The Broken Compass Tour was reviewed by The AU Review recently.  The Tour with Blame Ringo and Claire Whiting was seriously some of the most fun 10 days we’ve ever had.  We will definitely be touring again with these wonderful artists again.  Anyway here’s what was said about the show:

As a slight contrast, headlining act Montpelier produced a highly polished, smooth sound – something which is an impressive feat by any band, of any measure. This is a four piece who have most certainly found their feet. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t bring on a varied set, either. They take on board quite a lot of sounds – from Foals to Dappled Cities, mixed in with the commercial sounds of a band like Evermore and Powderfinger, Montpelier have quite a lot of potential to make it big. There’s even a good dose of the 90s in their tunes, which they combine with the aforementioned to make their own.

Some tracks were slightly more relaxed, and others quite epic. “Last Boat”, their upcoming single, was brilliant and the easy highlight of the night. Meanwhile “Don’t Change” (working title) proved another amazing point of the set. If the band continue down this track, there’s not saying where they’ll end up. As the saying goes, the skies the limit, and this band should certainly reach for it.

Read the article online here: http://www.theaureview.com/brisbane/montpelier-blame-ringo-the-troubabour-brisbane-29-07-10

Our show at The Hi-Fi in Melbourne was incredible.  Crowd was great, Frightened Rabbit were unbelievable.  Really really cool blokes as well.  Thanks Melbourne for welcoming us so warmly.  We can’t wait to come back.  FasterLouder reviewed the show and here’s what they had to say.

Brisbane lads Montpelier were first to grace the Hifi stage and gave a great start to the night. Upon early impressions of the band, they appeared to look very mismatched and not particularly cohesive, but once they began playing it all made sense. Their style is a mix of slow rock and alternative synth sounds, with long build-ups in some tracks, and others carrying a real pop rhythm. In the beginning of the set they seemed to struggle with mic control, however this eased up as they got more comfortable.

Both individually and combined, this band showed their ambition through their efforts on stage. Their songs were solid, with the crowd reacting well to songs such as The Rafters and Take a Picture. The shared vocals between Dave Butler and Greg Chiapello worked well to provide variety both in harmonies and solo. Perhaps due to nervousness, or maybe being a little overwhelmed, they managed to mention their band name four times, as well as where they are from. An endearing bunch, this group was obviously very pleased and thankful to be supporting a band they admire so much. Montpelier was captivating, and although at times songs may have bordered on the repetitious in sound, there was always an element of change to hold interest and make people pay attention to them in the future.

Read the article online here: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/24932/Frightened-Rabbit-Montpelier–The-Hi-Fi-Bar-Melbourne-02082010-.htm

There were also some great photos from the night thanks to CazTheTurtle from FasterLouder.  Check out the full gallery here: http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/gallery/17926/1/Frightened-Rabbit.htm

We’re teaming up with two great Brisbane artists, Blame Ringo and Claire Whiting, and we’re hitting the road and going places we’ve never been before.

The Broken Compass Tour sees us straying away from the capital cities and heading to regional and rural areas of Queensland and New South Wales.  It’s 9 shows in 9 days.

It’s a chance for us to play the songs from our debut EP to a whole new audience.  And brand new songs will undoubtedly have their first hit outs.  It starts soon, and we can’t wait.

Here are all the dates:

The Broken Compass Tour

Thursday, July 29th, The Troubadour, Brisbane

Pre-sale tickets available HERE – $10 pre-sale or $12 at the Door if available

Friday, July 30th, The Irish Club, Toowoomba

Saturday, July 31st, The Queensland Hotel, Goondiwindi

Sunday, August 1st, Moree

Monday, August 2nd, The Tourist Hotel, Narrabri

Tuesday, August 3rd, The Regal, Gunnedah

Wednesday, August 4th, Wests Diggers, Tamworth

Thursday, August 5th, The Armidale Club, Armidale

Friday August 6th, Pippi’s At The Point, Newcastle

This tour is being made possible with the help of the Contemporary Music Touring Program – An initiative of the Australian Government.

The Contemporary Music Touring Program aims to give all Australians, wherever they live, better access to some of the country’s best live contemporary music.  The Australian Government is proud to be associated with The Broken Compass Tour involving Montpelier, Blame Ringo and Claire Whiting.

One of our favourite bands, Frightened Rabbit from Scotland, is touring Australia very soon with shows in Melbourne, Sydney and an appearance at Splendour in the Grass.

We’ve just been announced as the support for the Melbourne show on Monday August 2 at The Hi-Fi.  Words don’t really describe how good this is.

Tickets available here: http://www.thehifi.com.au/events/frightened-rabbit-7762/