IMM Exclusive, Interview with Medollic

It’s hard to find a female-led band that can give it to you rough like Courtney Love and Hole, or sing your ears off like Amy Lee from Evanescence, or even provide some pop like Gwen Stefani and No Doubt but chances are you haven’t stumbled across Medollic yet.

I recently had the chance to catch up with Australia based band and ask a few questions about their journey, how it started and where it’s taking them…

IMM: How’d your band come together?
Medollic: Medollic formed from a chapter of fortuitous events. James is a music producer who runs his own studio in Brisbane, Australia. In 2006, while visiting Brisbane from New Zealand, Lix sought out a recording studio to record a demo she’d been working on. The studio she happened to choose belonged to James. After recording that first song the pair discussed working together on a professional release. When Lix moved from New Zealand to Brisbane in 2007, James introduced her to friend and professional drummer, Steve. The three found instant chemistry in the studio and began work on what was to become Medollic’s debut album.
IMM: Why the name Medollic?
Medollic: It was a name that found us, not the other way around. It fell out of Lix’s mouth one day when she was attempting, in haste, to say ‘melodic.’ It charmed us with its eloquent punch in the face, it was an instant brand, one of those words that feels familiar even if you’ve never heard it before.
IMM: Comparisons are inevitable in music, who do you think you’ll draw comparisons to?
Medollic: We really have no idea, it’ll be interesting to find out.
IMM: How can social media help a band?
Medollic: Social media is double edged samuri sword of a phenomenon. You’ve got to be smart about how you use it, and which platform you use for what, and when. If you look at our website medollic.com you’ll see right from the homepage users can participate with the band on whichever social or industry network they choose, from Twitter to Blip.fm, Myspace to iLike, Facebook to Reverbnation and more. We try to stay aware of the trends happening in each network and shift our emphasis to where our fans want us at any given time. For bands, social networks can be an invaluable tool if you do your research, or they can be an inefficient waste of time if you’re not watching where you put your feet.
IMM: What’s the biggest struggle an unsigned band faces?
Medollic: Whether or not it wants to be ‘signed,’ and what that in fact means in the current musical climate. We’re in an industry that is changing at a rapid rate, evolution is a necessity. As a band you need to know what that means for you and know what you want to get out of any potential professional relationship. Gone are the days where you can expect to just be swept up and looked after by a mighty all-knowing label. If you’re still hanging on to that dream you need to change the way you’re playing the game, you need to make things happen.
IMM: What kind of message are you trying to deliver with your album Dollhouse?
Medollic: The quality of the songwriting, arrangements and lyrical content were paramount on this record. We wanted Dollhouse to be an album that takes you somewhere. It’s an open ended story book, rife with imagery, artistic twists, catchy rock hooks, delicate moments and a few hidden layers that we hope will take the listener on the kind of journey our favourite records have taken each of us. Where exactly it takes you depends on you and your own experiences.
IMM: Why did Dollhouse become the name of the album?
Medollic: It’s a little multi-faceted. Traditionally, a Dollhouse facilitates imagination, its doors open on unique worlds and memories. The word ‘Dollhouse’ itself also plays on the ‘doll’ in Medollic, as a simple reference to authorship – this is our house, our place, our show! But on that same note it’s also a little tongue-in-cheek – we’re no ‘dolls,’ there’s no plastic here, take a listen beneath the surface.
IMM: Any tour plans in the works?
Medollic: We’re working on it. We aim to head to Japan for the first leg of the Dollhouse tour, and we’ll be announcing further developments on the touring front at www.medollic.com
IMM: What can we expect in the future from Medollic?
Medollic: Take our current creative formula, add a penchant for pleasing our global fanbase, a little inevitable evolution and a lot of rock’n'roll.
IMM: Where can people purchase your album?
Medollic: Limited edition pre-release copies of the Dollhouse album are available at www.medollic.com in signed CD format and as a digital download. The album will also be available on iTunes in the not too distant future, and announcements regarding an official release schedule for the album will be posted at www.medollic.com