In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death Or Hell
Hailing out of Brisbane, Kate ‘Babyshakes’ Dillion is a musical force to be reckoned with.
A long time partner in crime and musical mood-board to Gabriella Cohen, Kate’s endeavours with her own outfit Full Flower Moon Band, is where the multi-disciplined artist really comes into their own element.
2017 saw the release of Full Flower Moon Band’s ambitious debut record CHINATOWN. An album that unfolded as the story of an artist living in the future – a murky record, rich in sonic alchemy brewed into conception with the vast palette of dystopic sci-fi noir – and with it, a 25 minute short meta-film that further expanded on themes of the concept.
Such a dense undertaking wasn’t without its troubles, especially in a live setting where different formations of the band (especially with an interstate framework) sometimes providing difficulty in keeping the rich aural tapestry as accurate to it’s recorded form as possible.
So with Kate’s Saturn coming back around, the musical auteur decided to bring into fruition a new creative endeavour for the band.
One that pulled back on the fantastical extravagance of Chinatown, and tackled the psychological demons of maturity and the dissatisfaction of aging.
The result is the 4-track DEATH OR HELL EP: A record that wastes no time in kicking up the dust in the desert wasteland where it was concocted with its dirty and sludgy riffs. Back to basics and executed with primal zeal.
On the eve of the release of Death Or Hell, I had a chat with Kate about the decision to reign in the bands sound, the troubles of tackling big projects and what ‘Rock’ music means to them.
Full Flower Moon Band’s Death Or Hell EP is out now through Sunset Pig
