JUNK

Froth frontman Joo Joo Ashworth did not kill his landlord’s cat. On Wednesday, I sat with him and director Riley Blakeway to crush tinnies and discuss their new video for Postcard Radio. Unfortunately, the cat couldn’t make it.

“Riley, are you going to talk to us about this video?” – Imogene Barron

RB: Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

JJA: Come on, Wigs!

IB: Wiggers, why do you have the nickname ‘Wigs?'

JJA: Captain Wigs!

RB: It’s because I’m super calm and composed in everything I do.

JJA: Or because after about two hours of shooting he just starts freaking out and thinking everything sucks and bumming everyone out.

IB: Was it scary doing something in color?

RB: That's nice.

(All start laughing)

JJA: What happened was when we started doing the night shots he was getting super discouraged because there was no review or replay. I think in his mind he accepted that it wasn’t going to look like anything he had imagined.

IB: You guys were stoked weren’t you?

JJA: Everybody was stoked and then Riley was freaking out.

RB: I was the downer on the shoot.

IB: Having a mini wigs! (Laughs)

RB: Having a melty! Everyone would start saying, ‘It’s going to look so good!’ and I would say ‘No it’s fucked. It’s cooked, way cooked.’

JJA: …And then we got the footage back and it was all really, really good.

RB: Yea, that's kind of how it always is when you shoot film.

IB: Or when you’re wigging.

“…Our landlord thinks we killed her cat last night.” – Joo Joo Ashworth

IB: Did you kill the cat?

JJA: No! Well yesterday when I got home...there was this cone thing, like a roadblock, and there was a dead cat underneath it. Then, like at 6:30 in the morning the landlord came in and accused everyone of killing her cat. Now we have to meet with our landlord when the third roommate comes home.

IB: What was the cat’s approximate time of death?

JJA: I would say, because by the time we found it rigor mortis had already kicked in, so I’d say …

IB: Was it dead?

JJA: Yes, it was dead for sure. It was cold, dead by the time we found out.

RB: You touched it?

JJA: No somebody else touched it.

RB: How long till that one goes? (Points to a cat outside)

JJA: Probably not long with the landlord we have. The cats are totally traumatized; they’re the kind of cats that don't like to be touched.

IB: But you didn’t hate the cat?

JJA: I was trying to put my finger on which cat it was…I think it was the one we don't see too much, but we always feed them. We have cat food here all the time.

RB: Did you poison it?

JJA: We definitely didn't poison the cat. We’re always nice to the cats.

“How many takes was it to shoot the performance?” – IB

RB: I shot the opening lyrics about 10 times and quickly realised that I had nowhere near enough film for the performance scene.  So the front end had a lot of coverage then the end was just…We did so many takes because there wasn't enough budget to shoot a full take of the song.  I only shot the sections that I anticipated I would use in the edit and made notes as I went.  I budgeted 400 feet for the live performance (about 10 minutes) so it was a disaster when I got all of the short takes of film back, trying to sync it up…  In hindsight, it was pretty ambitious.

“Joo Joo, I’ve heard your Aussie accent is on point. What’s your favorite Australian saying?” – IB

JJA: There’s so many good ones…‘That’s a good one!’

(Laughter)

JJA: ‘That's a good one aye?!’

IB: So you’ve heard about ‘frothing?’

JJA: Yeah, (Laughs) we’re not getting into that one. 

Bleak will be released on May 5th through Burger Records

Check out the video for “Postcard Radio” directed by Riley Blakeway