Schvendes are a band of brothers and sisters from Perth, Western Australia. They write stories about murder, mayhem, love and loss upon a background of gentle Rhodes piano, pounding drums, screaming guitar, soaring cello and vocals, which have been described as both sweet and terrifying. With an emphasis on lyrics depicting small disasters and celebration of everyday existence, their music is a blend of country, dirty blues and rock. Their influences include Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Dirty Three, PJ Harvey, Ennio Morricone, Tom Waits and Nina Simone.

History

Recordings

In March 2005 the group released their debut studio EP Turn Out Your Lights produced by Ben Franz (The Waifs), who also produced their current EP Twice the Man, which was released nationally in December 2005.

The band released their debut album Sweet Talk Your Enemies on 5 July 2007, following the release of singles "Small Mercies, Sweet Graves" and "Twice the Man".

Tours

In the last year, the band played some seventy shows including the Perth International Arts Festival and WAMi shows as well as a number of national supports for artists such The Kill Devil Hills, The Dirty Three, Augie March, Art of Fighting, the Drones, Ed Kuepper, Tim Rogers and Tex Perkins, the Go Betweens, Kim Salmon, Decoder Ring, Tucker B's, 67 Special, Youth Group, The Devoted Few, Holly Throsby and New Buffalo.

In 2007 the band played at the Perth leg of the Big Day Out and in March performed in Toronto at the Canadian Music Week, followed by a number of shows in New York.

Reviews

"...Schvendes undulate from caressing you gently to kicking your sorry arse out on to the street screaming at you to never come back. We’re talking Mr. Cave in his crooning moments here, with the haunting vocals accompanied by the mournful Rhodes piano lines..." – DrumMedia

"...A slowed-down, and rather dark, art-blues-country hybrid, this is the type of band the make Manchester Lane’s $7 beers worthwhile." - Beat

"Here you will find a band of guts, of strength, and of complete blatant honesty." - Rockus

"...if ever old Lucifer did decide to kick up his hooves and cruise a few bands, he could do a lot worse than Schvendes." - ZebraHype

"...Sounds you could bath yourself in their textured beauty, with sinister edges that you could quite happily drown in." - WAM

"Music that will never fade but will always evolve..." - Oz Music Project

Members

The members of the band are:

• Rachael Dease - vocals, bass
• Tristen Parr - cello
• Greg Hosking - drums
• Tara John - rhodes piano
• Ant Gray - guitar

Discography

Date of Release	Title	Label
Albums
2008	Sweet Talk Your Enemies	Good Cop Bad Cop/Inertia
EPs
2005	Turn out your Lights	Reverberation
2006	Twice the Man	Reverberation
Live Albums
2002	The Scoundrel is made an Outcast	Bloodstar
Singles
2006	"Small Mercies, Sweet Graves"	Reverberation
2006	"Twice The Man"	Reverberation
Live Albums
2002	The Scoundrel is made an Outcast	Bloodstar

Awards and nominations

• 2006 WAMi Award, Most Popular Single/EP - Turn out your Lights
• 2006 WAMi Award, Most Promising New Act
• 2006 WAMi Award, Best Instrumentalist - Tristen Parr
• 2007 WAMi Award, Best Instrumentalist - Tristen Parr
• 2007 WAMi Nomination, Best Female Vocalist - Rachael Dease

Lyrics

Bring Out Your Dead

I collect these things, shiny objects on the verge at night.
A little history of hanging baskets and a stanley knife,
to build a ship. To build a ship.

I'll build this ship, from rotten couches and rusty bike.
I'll make my sail from quilts, and steer my ship into the afterlife.
I'll pick you up. I'll pick you up.

Cause I will sail, around the ocean, with my Lady of the Junk to guide me home.
And though she looks, not quite sea worthy, she is built from hope and history and life.
Her nest will break your fall.

(oh) But the lost and found, ties us together through the yesteryear.
The kind of thread I use, ties me to the things that people lose.
The sadness falls around, a child's playground with a rusty hinge.
I'm not a bird of prey. I'm just a Bower bird of useless things.
Of useless things.
A Bower bird of useless things.

So I will sail, around the ocean, with my Lady of the Junk to guide me home.
And though she looks, not quite sea worthy, she is built from hope and history and life.
My nest will break your fall.

And so I will ask you now, what's your favorite time of year?
Is it birthdays, or a little bit of Christmas cheer?
Mine falls every March, when the first rains of the season come.
It's like a change of heart, like somehow I become someone.
It's bring out your dead.
It's bring out your dead.

Bring out your dead. Bring out your dead. Bring out your
Bring out your dead. Bring out your dead. Bring out your
Bring out your dead. Bring out your dead. Bring out your
Bring out your dead. Bring out your dead. Bring out your
Bring out your dead. Bring out your dead. Bring out your
Bring out your dead. Bring out your dead. Bring out your
Bring out your dead. Bring out your dead. Bring out your dead.

Bring out your dead.

External links

• Schvendes Official Site
• Schvendes Myspace Site
• AMO Site