Article by: Mark Anthony Brennan
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Then again the loss of lead singer/songwriter, Sid Barrett, was hardly the end of Pink Floyd — it was, in fact, barely the beginning. The suicide of Ian Curtis may have ended Joy Division, but the band continued on to much greater commercial success as New Order.
So, what does the future hold for Mindil Beach Markets, given the recent departure of group member Daniel Kingsbury? Business as usual? A creative rebirth? Or is it the end of the line? After all, Kingsbury wasn’t merely another musician in the band.
“It was Dan who really formed the band,” says Pat Codere, the band’s lead singer and guitarist. “It’s ironic that he is now gone.”
It all started back on the Sunshine Coast, where high school friends Kingsbury, Codere and bassist Matt Posnikoff began playing music together. They eventually formed a band and even released an album locally. After graduating from high school all three moved to Victoria and started jamming together again. It was in 2008 that Kingsbury invited Cam Ainslie (drums) and Rod Campbell (vocals/keyboards) to join them. Together, they all moved into one house, forming Mindil Beach Markets (MBM) as it exists today. Well, as it existed until a few weeks ago, that is.
You see, Kingsbury is the Executive Director of ‘The Jellyfish Project’, an educational initiative created by MBM. It advocates awareness of environmental issues among young people, with a particular focus on ocean sustainability. Between his duties on the project and his commitment as a member of the band he was finding himself stretched a little too thin.
“I’ve simply had too much going on in the last year to effectively balance both activities,” says Kingsbury. “There’s only so much time in each day! I’ve decided to simplify my life and follow my passion as an environmentalist. Therefore, I’ll be focussing my energy into the growth and expansion of ‘The Jellyfish Project’.”
“It’s difficult to express how we’ve all been feeling after the news of DK’s departure,” comments Ainslie in response to the news. “I think we were all craving some sort of change, but maybe not something as drastic as this.”
Codere agrees that it is a sad time for the band, but it is also a pivotal moment in their musical evolution.
“We’ve reached our most difficult point,” he says. “It’s confusing, but it’s exciting. There’s a new energy. We’ve been given a new lease, so we can take more chances. But, we must now decide where we are going.”
It’s not as if MBM has ever lacked energy. Their live audiences have always been treated to a wild and spirited show.
“Let’s just say that if you come out to see us you won’t be bored,” says Codere. “We put our heart and soul into our stage presence. We just like to get into it. And our fans like to have a few drinks and get into it with us.”
As good as they are on stage, MBM are equally strong in the studio. Their two albums to date, ‘Mindil Beach Markets’ and ‘It Might Take Long’, have been enthusiastically received. Their sound is notable for being diverse, incorporating elements of reggae, West Coast folk, rock, and funk, to just name a few. To say their music defies pigeon-holing is an understatement.
“Yeah, it’s been a struggle when it comes to genre,” Codere admits. “In our shows it doesn’t matter, you just go with it, but on record it does matter. You have to focus. The guys all have different tastes in music, from hip-hop to screamo, to classic rock, reggae. As a songwriter, I’m bouncing off the walls creatively. We have to pull from all the different elements to create one unique sound.”
The fact is, MBM is not about any particular sound, because their music is constantly changing, evolving. From one album to the next, for example, you can detect a shift away from a heavy reliance on reggae and folk to something with more of a dance-rock/funk feel. So where to now?
“Your guess is as good as mine,” chuckles Codere. “We haven’t played together just the four of us yet, so I don’t know. A couple of years ago that skanky, West Coast, reggae sound was really popular in Victoria. Now everybody is moving away from it. I don’t know where to.”
And their sound will not be the only thing that will change. The name ‘Mindil Beach Markets’ has always been an odd one – it is named after a place in Darwin, the northern-most community in Australia – but now the band is finding it increasingly awkward.
“The full name has always been a tongue-twister,” says Codere. “So we’re dropping the ‘Markets’ from the end of it. It’s the perfect time to make the change.”
So Mindil Beach Markets the five-piece becomes Mindil Beach the four-piece. The remaining members are currently scattered to various localities and focusing on writing music.
“It’s been a goal of ours, since before the split,” says Ainslie, “to create as much new music as possible over the spring/summer. That hasn’t changed.
But, never fear, the new Mindil Beach promises to be back on the road touring this Fall.
“We will definitely continue to tour, no matter what happens,” says Codere. “We would like to get to a point where our music can support us, so we can quit our day jobs. Because we want to tour. We can definitely do that.”
And is playing in Mindil Beach as much fun as it is listening to it?
“Oh, definitely,” states Codere. “That is definitely true. I wouldn’t want to be in band that was all about business. We’re loose. We’re goofy. It’s what keeps us going. It’s the number one thing.”
