san cisco’s under the light
Indie-pop royalty San Cisco are hitting the road touring regional Australia in support of their fifth studio album 'Under The Light', released this month. We caught up with lead singer Jordi Davieson to chat about creating the album in their home studio and collaborating with industry heavyweights.
Interview Emma Smith @em.masmith
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Formed in 2009, Australian indie powerhouse San Cisco have been dominating the music scene for 15 years. The three-piece is based in WA and consists of Jordi Davieson (guitar, lead vocals), Josh Biondillo (guitar, vocals) and Scarlett Stevens (drums, vocals). They’ve garnered millions of streams, headlined countless Aussie festivals and sold out shows across the world.
More than a decade later and their ever-evolving, catchy tunes have stood the test of time. With no signs of slowing down, they’ll be taking their new album on the road across regional Australia, before heading off on a UK & European tour in May.
San Cisco spent the majority of 2023 in their home studio, fleshing out ‘Under the Light.’
Jordi says it was the first time they took a much more casual approach to recording and they loved every second.
“It was nice to be able to go off and chill in the loungeroom or out in the backyard. We would often go for pub breaks over at the bowls club and meet fellow collaborators Jay Walton (Tame Impala) and Nick Allbrook (POND) there, and show them what we had been working on throughout the day,” Jordi said.
San Cisco also worked closely with friend and producer James Ireland, who is known for his work with POND and CUCO, and Grammy Award winning engineer Neal H. Pogue, the mastermind behind many of Steve Lacy and Tyler The Creator’s hits.
‘Under the Light’ brings together the best of Indie and pop, with hints of electronic, garage and house music.
Jordi says it’s the most musically advanced album they’ve ever released, and it’s largely due to the skills of James Ireland, a.k.a, the piano wizard.
“We had written the songs using simple music theory we had accumulated over the years, but James took the writing to another level. Working with him was unlike any studio experience we had ever had. He is also very quick with Ableton [music creation software] which made for a seamless experience between the conception of an idea to it actually coming out of the speakers,” Jordi said.
“Working with Neal was similarly luxurious. He pretty much nailed the mixes in the first go.”
The album features recent singles, ‘Lost without you,’ ‘Honeycomb,’ ‘High,’ ‘Summer Days,’ and Jordi’s favourite of the collection - ‘Horoscope.’
“From the moment we started working on Horoscope I have always loved it. I think it’s the emotive melodies and the imagery that the lyrics project. Also, the synth solo at the end has always been a standout.”
Their single ‘Summer Days’ featuring Nick Allbrook is already a smash hit that captures the feeling of spending New Year's Eve alone in a hotel room.
“It’s a common memory musicians tend to have as we almost always have shows over the New Years period.”
‘Summer Days’ was played to a packed-out festival crowd for the first time at the opening night of this year’s Party in the Paddock in Tassie, and Jordi says it’s fair to say it was well received.
San Cisco also recently held a listening party at the Ace Hotel in Sydney where friends, fans and industry representatives came to view three new music videos on the big screen and listen to ‘Under the Light’ in its entirety. To cap off the night they D’Jd in the lobby to a group of dancing fans, a highlight for the whole band.
They’re keen to re-create this energy when they take their new album on tour to the UK and Europe in May!
“We haven’t performed in the UK in seven years so we are very excited to play in London. The show has already sold out! We’re also excited to get back to the Netherlands and Germany.”
Closer to home, San Cisco are no strangers to the ‘Gong, having played a sold-out show at UOW Great Hall in 2021. A year later, when flooding at Stuart Park saw Yours N Owls cancelled, San Cisco performed a last-minute gig at UOW alongside a group of other artists who were already in town and keen to play.
Jordi says he’ll never forget being crammed into the last minute, makeshift-back-stage-kitchen-area of the university with all the other bands.
Local fans can enjoy San Cisco at the UniBar on 24 May. Tickets available via Moshtix.