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22 December 2023
ARTIST AND MUSICIAN CHRIS COLONNA OF BUMBLEBEEZ 81 GREW UP IN AUSTRALIA. BUT AFTER SPENDING EIGHT MONTHS IN NEW YORK, HE WENT BACK TO AUSTRALIA, LOCKED HIMSELF IN HIS BEDROOM FOR TWO WEEKS, AND CREATED ON HIS COMPUTER WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS HIS DEBUT FULL-LENGTH ALBUM, THE PRINTZ. NOW IF HE COULD JUST FIGURE OUT HOW IN THE FUCK AN ALBUM CREATED ON A COMPUTER IS GOING TO TRANSLATE TO A TOUR. MAYBE SOME BRAINSTORMING WITH WAYNE CHINSANG WILL STIR UP SOME IDEAS.
Wayne Chinsang: Hey, how’s it going?
Chris Colonna: Alright. How you doing?
WC: Good. So, congratulations on the new album, The Printz. It came out in stores today, right?
CC: Everybody I’ve talked to today is like, “Your album’s coming out,” but I didn’t even know that shit.
WC: (laughs) Well, now that you do know, are you excited about it?
CC: I actually am kind of excited about it now that everyone else is.
WC: (laughs) Yeah, well, you guys must be doing something right. I went to your website today and it was down because it had exceeded the bandwidth.
CC: Yeah. It fucking pissed me off.
WC: (laughs) I understand that. So, I wanted to start off by asking you how the idea came along for Bumblebeez 81. I know that you started creating music in your house on a computer, but how did the concept for the band come about?
CC: Well, I guess it started when I was around five years old, because that’s when I first started making music; banging on the drums or whatever. I was always just making little bits of songs, or recording my sister [Pia, the MC in Bumblebeez 81], myself, or my friends just hanging out. And then it just kept on going through three years of art school. I would hang prints of my work, and I’d create music to play along with the work at the same time. And then I went to New York for eight months, and it sort of just clicked, I suppose, with what I was going to do with my art and my music together. And then I went back to Australia and locked myself in my bedroom for about two weeks, and I just spat out all these songs. So it was a lot of years of work before, and then it sort of got put into... even though it’s quite crazy and fucked-up, it got put into the category of being a band. I put six songs together and just sent them out, just as a way to be able to capture it. And then it just took off from there.
WC: How’d the name get decided on?
CC: We were originally just called Bumblebees, but there is an Irish band out there with the same name. I had to chuck a number on the end, so I chucked on “81”, which is the year I was born.
WC: So, I really love the sound, and I really love that it doesn’t sound like anything else out there. But if someone were to ask you what it sounded like, how would you describe it to them?
CC: (pauses) Well... if I had to describe it, I’d say it’s like Walt Disney on crack.
Both: (laugh)
CC: Ah, fuck. I don’t know, really. How would I describe it? (pauses) I honestly don’t know. It’s heavily influenced by everything from NWA and shit like that, to Nirvana and Little Egypt. And then it also has a big influence from me being into, not necessarily raves, but from being into things like The Chemical Brothers, Aphex Twin, and shit like that.
WC: So how would you describe the Australian music scene? Obviously, you went to New York for a few months, but then you went back to Australia to actually create the work. Is it hard to break into music in Australia?
CC: Um... yeah, it is harder. People from Australia are a lot more tough, I suppose. But I was kind of detached from it. I’m from a town of a thousand people, and we lived on a big rural farm. So I’ve never really been a part of any other bands before. I’ve always just done my own thing. And the funny thing about Australia is that it’s always almost a year behind. Like, the New York sound is sort of over here [in America], but if you go to Australia now there are all these new bands coming up that sound like that; sort of new wave, Eighties, disco stuff, you know what I mean?
WC: Yeah.
CC: It’s just like the fashion industry, as well. Whatever kids were wearing in New York a year ago, people are wearing it now in Australia.
WC: When were you in New York?
CC: It was in January of 2002.
WC: Had you been to New York before then?
CC: No. I went to New York because I thought, “Fuck. I better go to New York so I can get my paintings in a gallery or something like that.”
WC: Right. So, I know you’re very influenced by graffiti and the work of artists, like Jean-Michel Basquiat.
CC: Right.
WC: Do you approach making music the same way you approach making art? Is it the same mentality?
CC: Yeah. It’s exactly the same for me. When I pick up a pen, I never know what I’m going to draw. And when I sit down to make music, I never know what I’m going to make. I suppose you have your Bob Dylans and other songwriters who figure out their songs, they write them, and then go to a studio to record. But all of my songs are basically made on the spot. I just start with a sound or a word in my head. I actually don’t know any notes on the guitar or keyboard or any shit like that. I never even learned to read music.
WC: I know that you and your sister are both a part of the band, and you’re obviously both creative people. Were you both raised in a creative environment?
CC: Ah... my father is a typical Italian; he is very strong and... fucking crazy. (laughs) And my mother is a typical Australian; very laid-back. And they just always let us do whatever we wanted to do. In some ways it was cool, because we didn’t have any discipline; total freedom. But in other ways it was bad because we sort of needed a bit of discipline. But in the art world, having no boundaries is having total freedom. You do whatever you want to do. So that’s why I went to art school, because I was getting in trouble.
WC: I read in your press release that you and your sister never really hung out before, and now this is all happening.
CC: (laughs)
WC: Now that it’s all taking off and getting bigger and bigger, has there been a time during any of it where you’ve stopped and thought, “Fuck, man. What have I done?”
CC: Yeah, totally. I had created these songs, and then Pia just kept making up these funny raps and shit. I like the more basic rock songs, while Pia likes more of the rap songs. And then we joined this competition that came up, and we won. So we kind of got pushed together.
WC: And now you’re stuck with her.
CC: And now I’m stuck with her. In some ways, it’s a blessing. In other ways, it’s like I have to walk through hell and shit.
WC: (laughs)
CC: We had never hung out, and I’m sure it got annoying, because I’d shag all her friends when she brought them over.
WC: (laughs)
CC: (laughs) That’s what she was good for. We came to New York about a month ago because we were doing all this press, and it was quite intense because it was for MTV and all that type of shit. And it was all just really weird then. But now everything is alright. Now we just both shut up and don’t say anything to each other, so it’s cool.
WC: Well, either it will make you guys stronger and closer, or you’ll never talk to each other ever again.
CC: (laughs) Yeah.
WC: So, if you piece all of the music together on your computer, how is that going to translate on tour?
CC: That’s always been a tough one for us, because we never meant to tour. From day one, I was like, “Fuck. How am I going to do this?” There were a few options. But in the end, I just got my friends involved to help recreate the songs with instruments. The good thing about the live show is that it’s really fucking crazy and punky, with people jumping everywhere. So it’s sort of a different aspect of the Bumblebeez, which is a good thing, you know what I mean?
WC: Yeah.
CC: Touring has been really good. We just did a tour with Radiohead, which was fucking amazing to watch. And then we did a few shows after that, which was really cool, as well.
WC: I know that you’re also really interested in mixing and remixing other people’s work. I read that you used to take tapes and cut them up to add to or subtract from songs.
CC: Yeah.
WC: Since it’s something you’re interested in doing, and since you can now use Bumblebeez as a vehicle to get more work, who would you like to work with on a production level?
CC: Um... a shitload of people. I’d like to do something with Kelis. I think that would be really cool. And then there are some people that no one has probably even ever heard of. Some world people or blues people or some people from... China. I just want to help in making something cool.
Wayne Chinsang: Hey, how’s it going?
Chris Colonna: Alright. How you doing?
WC: Good. So, congratulations on the new album, The Printz. It came out in stores today, right?
CC: Everybody I’ve talked to today is like, “Your album’s coming out,” but I didn’t even know that shit.
WC: (laughs) Well, now that you do know, are you excited about it?
CC: I actually am kind of excited about it now that everyone else is.
WC: (laughs) Yeah, well, you guys must be doing something right. I went to your website today and it was down because it had exceeded the bandwidth.
CC: Yeah. It fucking pissed me off.
WC: (laughs) I understand that. So, I wanted to start off by asking you how the idea came along for Bumblebeez 81. I know that you started creating music in your house on a computer, but how did the concept for the band come about?
CC: Well, I guess it started when I was around five years old, because that’s when I first started making music; banging on the drums or whatever. I was always just making little bits of songs, or recording my sister [Pia, the MC in Bumblebeez 81], myself, or my friends just hanging out. And then it just kept on going through three years of art school. I would hang prints of my work, and I’d create music to play along with the work at the same time. And then I went to New York for eight months, and it sort of just clicked, I suppose, with what I was going to do with my art and my music together. And then I went back to Australia and locked myself in my bedroom for about two weeks, and I just spat out all these songs. So it was a lot of years of work before, and then it sort of got put into... even though it’s quite crazy and fucked-up, it got put into the category of being a band. I put six songs together and just sent them out, just as a way to be able to capture it. And then it just took off from there.
WC: How’d the name get decided on?
CC: We were originally just called Bumblebees, but there is an Irish band out there with the same name. I had to chuck a number on the end, so I chucked on “81”, which is the year I was born.
WC: So, I really love the sound, and I really love that it doesn’t sound like anything else out there. But if someone were to ask you what it sounded like, how would you describe it to them?
CC: (pauses) Well... if I had to describe it, I’d say it’s like Walt Disney on crack.
Both: (laugh)
CC: Ah, fuck. I don’t know, really. How would I describe it? (pauses) I honestly don’t know. It’s heavily influenced by everything from NWA and shit like that, to Nirvana and Little Egypt. And then it also has a big influence from me being into, not necessarily raves, but from being into things like The Chemical Brothers, Aphex Twin, and shit like that.
WC: So how would you describe the Australian music scene? Obviously, you went to New York for a few months, but then you went back to Australia to actually create the work. Is it hard to break into music in Australia?
CC: Um... yeah, it is harder. People from Australia are a lot more tough, I suppose. But I was kind of detached from it. I’m from a town of a thousand people, and we lived on a big rural farm. So I’ve never really been a part of any other bands before. I’ve always just done my own thing. And the funny thing about Australia is that it’s always almost a year behind. Like, the New York sound is sort of over here [in America], but if you go to Australia now there are all these new bands coming up that sound like that; sort of new wave, Eighties, disco stuff, you know what I mean?
WC: Yeah.
CC: It’s just like the fashion industry, as well. Whatever kids were wearing in New York a year ago, people are wearing it now in Australia.
WC: When were you in New York?
CC: It was in January of 2002.
WC: Had you been to New York before then?
CC: No. I went to New York because I thought, “Fuck. I better go to New York so I can get my paintings in a gallery or something like that.”
WC: Right. So, I know you’re very influenced by graffiti and the work of artists, like Jean-Michel Basquiat.
CC: Right.
WC: Do you approach making music the same way you approach making art? Is it the same mentality?
CC: Yeah. It’s exactly the same for me. When I pick up a pen, I never know what I’m going to draw. And when I sit down to make music, I never know what I’m going to make. I suppose you have your Bob Dylans and other songwriters who figure out their songs, they write them, and then go to a studio to record. But all of my songs are basically made on the spot. I just start with a sound or a word in my head. I actually don’t know any notes on the guitar or keyboard or any shit like that. I never even learned to read music.
WC: I know that you and your sister are both a part of the band, and you’re obviously both creative people. Were you both raised in a creative environment?
CC: Ah... my father is a typical Italian; he is very strong and... fucking crazy. (laughs) And my mother is a typical Australian; very laid-back. And they just always let us do whatever we wanted to do. In some ways it was cool, because we didn’t have any discipline; total freedom. But in other ways it was bad because we sort of needed a bit of discipline. But in the art world, having no boundaries is having total freedom. You do whatever you want to do. So that’s why I went to art school, because I was getting in trouble.
WC: I read in your press release that you and your sister never really hung out before, and now this is all happening.
CC: (laughs)
WC: Now that it’s all taking off and getting bigger and bigger, has there been a time during any of it where you’ve stopped and thought, “Fuck, man. What have I done?”
CC: Yeah, totally. I had created these songs, and then Pia just kept making up these funny raps and shit. I like the more basic rock songs, while Pia likes more of the rap songs. And then we joined this competition that came up, and we won. So we kind of got pushed together.
WC: And now you’re stuck with her.
CC: And now I’m stuck with her. In some ways, it’s a blessing. In other ways, it’s like I have to walk through hell and shit.
WC: (laughs)
CC: We had never hung out, and I’m sure it got annoying, because I’d shag all her friends when she brought them over.
WC: (laughs)
CC: (laughs) That’s what she was good for. We came to New York about a month ago because we were doing all this press, and it was quite intense because it was for MTV and all that type of shit. And it was all just really weird then. But now everything is alright. Now we just both shut up and don’t say anything to each other, so it’s cool.
WC: Well, either it will make you guys stronger and closer, or you’ll never talk to each other ever again.
CC: (laughs) Yeah.
WC: So, if you piece all of the music together on your computer, how is that going to translate on tour?
CC: That’s always been a tough one for us, because we never meant to tour. From day one, I was like, “Fuck. How am I going to do this?” There were a few options. But in the end, I just got my friends involved to help recreate the songs with instruments. The good thing about the live show is that it’s really fucking crazy and punky, with people jumping everywhere. So it’s sort of a different aspect of the Bumblebeez, which is a good thing, you know what I mean?
WC: Yeah.
CC: Touring has been really good. We just did a tour with Radiohead, which was fucking amazing to watch. And then we did a few shows after that, which was really cool, as well.
WC: I know that you’re also really interested in mixing and remixing other people’s work. I read that you used to take tapes and cut them up to add to or subtract from songs.
CC: Yeah.
WC: Since it’s something you’re interested in doing, and since you can now use Bumblebeez as a vehicle to get more work, who would you like to work with on a production level?
CC: Um... a shitload of people. I’d like to do something with Kelis. I think that would be really cool. And then there are some people that no one has probably even ever heard of. Some world people or blues people or some people from... China. I just want to help in making something cool.
artid
2513
Old Image
6_11_bumblebeez.jpg
issue
vol 6 - issue 11 (jul 2004)
section
interviews