When we sat down with our good mates in TV Dinners, we were expecting a fun chat. With great insights into their music and creative process. While we definitely did achieve that with our lively chat via Zoom (sponsor us please) Couchdog wasn’t expecting the conversation to Segway into a love affair with our hometown of Frankston. While this topic may seem a bit ironic and comical (it definitely was) it really highlighted what made the band so charming. A carefree attitude that embraces their environment and a work ethic that is purely centred around enjoyment.
The band was the brainchild of Guitarist and singer Nathan Williams. When his former band Airwaves came to an end, he immediately sought to continue his musical journey. This next step in Nathans musical Voyage lead him to recording a new track at Bayside Studios (Frankston) With friend/drummer/audio Engineer Brodie Casey. This track became what we know today as TV Dinners first single Hung up (banger). With the addition of Jake Parker on bass the three piece was complete and TV Dinners Self-described sound of Sort of Garage sort of not, Sort of Punk sort of not Nathan, Jake and Brodie have carved out a nice niche for them within the Melbourne/Naarm music scene.
While we were interviewing TV Dinners one of the immediate impressions is how infectious their enthusiasm for what they do is. They could be described as young veterans. They have a complete confidence and love in everything the put out as a band as well as a very youthful approach to their content. They just want to make music that they love and have fun doing it. In the Four years they have shared as a band they have gained a great deal of experience gigging everywhere from their hometown of Frankston to the far Northern Suburbs. Their persistence and go-getting attitude has landed them supporting slots for heavyweights acts such as Bleeding Knees Club, Jeff Rosenstock, Slowly Slowly and before the world of COVID a spot supporting WAVVES at the Corner Hotel. With their eclectic sound that hits genre conventions from Garage, Indie, Punk and even a bit of Pop their sound lends itself perfectly to fit in a large array of line ups.
Having pride and finding identity in where you come from can be a huge part of a lot of creatives and with TV Dinners being based out of Frankston plays into the personality of the band. While starting all of their shows with the declaration we are from the best suburb in the world... Frankston may come off as a little ironic it is also a very true statement of embracing the environment around you and seeking influence out of the area that has shaped you. The symbiotic relationship between place and creative output was noted by the band as Jake Parker noted that playing with a diverse range of acts definitely helped them change their sound as time went on. When they first started it was all about Heavy Bass and Fuzzy Tones, but now with an introspective look at their latest releases (and releases to come) Jake thinks their sound has definitely mellowed out.
Perhaps the thing that impressed Couchdog the most with TV Dinners is all of the extra-curricular things that they seem to do in an attempt to further not only engagement with their audience but also their creative skillset. The band has released a series of Zines to align with releases as well as an up and coming website that we are incredibly keen to check out. Last year’s Christmas was made even more merry with their Seasoned theme single Christmas in the Pines. Couchdog also has it on good authority that there may or may not be more seasonal themed tracks to be worked on in the future too. (Sidebar why aren’t there any Easter themed songs?). Giving TV Dinners a follow on their socials isn’t just great because you find out about their next gigs, but you also get to experience the three guys just having fun and sharing all of their ideas that aren’t even necessarily just music. Don’t take our word for it though go and give their Instagram a squiz. In the future they are looking to be delving into more video content and experimenting with varying formats for music videos. With a wealth of new material, they have in the works the promise of visual accompaniment is extremely exciting.
So go check these guys out! They have plenty in store for the future and we are excited to see what hat exactly entails!
3199 Forever.
