Decoder Ring

Having taken a hiatus from the music scene since Splendour in the Grass 2006, Decoder Ring are ready to make 2009 their year with the release of their fourth full-length album, They Blind the Stars, and the Wild Team. While Lenka's vocals are sadly missing from the compilation, the band still creates a poetic journey for its listeners with a beautiful mix of electro and ambient rock.

As if the instrumental album wasn't enough of a hint, guitarist Matt Fitzgerald says the band is speechless about the album's release. "As far as we're concerned it's the definitive Decoder Ring album. It's the album we've been wanting to make, and which I think represents us more than anything we've done before."

Decoder Ring shot to prominence with their soundtrack to the 2004 film Somersault, along with compositions for 2005's Jewboy and the 2007 short film Yolk. Despite spending so much time working in the movie business, Fitzgerald said it's no different for them to write an album because they are a rock band first and foremost.

"We like to wear both hats, but primarily we're a band. It's very much a rock album, but it does have some cinematic qualities," he says.

Although there are no Abbie Cornish visuals to accompany the music, Fitzgerald says there is a strong narrative running through They Blind the Stars…, but one listeners will have to figure out on their own. "What we're trying to do is not necessarily have the album explicitly set out what the story is, not have a flag post to people about how we're feeling, but they can create their own meaning to it instead," Fitzgerald says.

Guitarist Pete Kelly says the album will mean different things to different people, and it doesn't matter what type of music it is - "people will always get a completely different meaning from songs".

Fitzgerald agrees, and explains it's like The Police's 'Every Breath You Take': "It was supposed to be a creepy stalking song, but everybody thought it was this beautiful love song," he laughs.

With the album out in stores, the band is now out and about on their first headlining tour in three years – but how will the album, which has no vocals and is more soothing and dreamlike than your typical rock music, adapt to the dirty-pub tour scene?

"We are a rock band," Fitzgerald explains. "In terms of volume we're probably louder than most bands around, so the problem for us is not getting into a venue: it's how will we get all our equipment around."

With that mindset, Decoder Ring appear more than ready to take their tour head on. The band should definitely be most excited to perform at the Metro Theatre, right?

"After three years of not playing, playing anywhere sounds exciting," Fitzgerald laughs. "But the Metro shows are always exciting."

"We're incredibly excited and it's sounding amazing," Kelly exclaims. "People who have seen us before have had a taste of what we're like, but nothing like what this is going to be."

Decoder Ring finished up a tour with Coldplay in March this year. Fitzgerald and Kelly enthused about their experience of testing out new songs on such a large audience – and they even received some useful tips from Coldplay.

"We tried to pick up some tricks from them on the cricket pitch because Chris Martin was an awesome baseballer," Fitzgerald laughs.

"I actually dropped Chris Martin three times," Kelly admits. "In my defence, I did have a beer in one hand."

Fitzgerald explains that if the band's learned anything from Coldplay, "it's when you play cricket, you've gotta put your beer down."

Decoder Ring play Homebake on Sat 5 Dec and Big Day Out on Jan 22-23

More gigs, concerts, bands and music in Sydney? Sign up to our weekly newsletter