By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on September 6, 2018
IT SEEMS home is never far from the collective mind of Sydney indie-rock group Caravana Sun, even when they’re on the other side of the world.
The four-piece band will return to their south west roots next week to kickstart their Silver Linings Australian tour, despite having just completed a 21-date European tour last month.
Bassist and singer Ant Beard took a moment to speak with The Weekender ahead of the tour and said he was appreciative of the quick break he’s had at home for the past couple of weeks.
“Europe was pretty exhausting, there was no time to rest,” he said.
“It was our seventh tour there so we had already done a lot of the touristy stuff, so this time was about making the show the best it could be.
“It was an incredible experience.”
Beard said between going to different shows and attractions across Europe, one highlight was a quirky coincidental discovery in the lobby of a German hotel that took his thoughts straight back home.
“You know how hotel lobbies often have pictures of exotic places?” he asked.
“Well, we were walking through a German hotel lobby and I saw this picture, and I said to Luke [guitarist], woah, that’s a pic of Greens Pool!
“It was so bizarre and such a spin-out.”
It was a curious coincidence, as Beard had been thinking about visiting Greens Pool and Elephant Rock when the group would be in Denmark during their tour and how the south west of WA was important to the group, being one of the main reasons they got together in the first place.
It’s also been a location for many Caravana Sun gigs, including the Denmark Arts Market and Boston Brewery.
“We all went to school together, but we were different ages,” he said.
“Luke was performing around for a bit and went over to Margaret River, and he came back and said, ‘wow man, we should play here’ and so we did and it’s led to now.”
Beard said this new Australian tour will be the launching pad for Caravana Sun’s new EP Silver Linings, of which one track is dedicated to a lost friend.
Come Back was released in early August and Beard said it was already one of their most successful songs in the group’s 10-year history.
“Come Back is about losing a close loved one, and the immediate time after losing them,” he said.
“We went surfing with a uni mate in Indonesia and he lost his life while surfing… the song is about his family and his community, and having his essence in it.
“There’s something special about capturing a feeling in a song.”
Beard is looking forward to performing the new EP live across the country and said he will be taking the opportunity to catch up with old friends between shows.
“It’ll be great to get back out on the road,” he said.
“We are a grassroots band, so a lot of our music is written for live shows and written while we’re out on the road.
“It’ll be great to reconnect with friends and family too; we have lots scattered around Australia.”
Tickets to Caravana Sun’s Denmark Civic Centre performance on September 14 are available to all ages and because of this, Beard encourages the community to bring their families out for the show.
You can purchase tickets by visiting caravanasun.com/tour and following the prompts to Oztix.