Place of Indigo

One of the greatest benefits of writing for this blog is all the amazing new music it exposes me. ‘Illuminate’, the latest EP by Perth based quartet, Place of Indigo, is definite proof of that! Place of Indigo strings everything good about post-punk, and infuses it into 24 minutes of musical goodness. Washed out spacey vocals that drone on like a whisper in your ear; loud, prominent guitar harmonies that map out the journey of the songs; synth samples and guitar pedals that permeate an almost dream-like transcendence; without sounding cliché, there’s a very shoegaze feel to this entire EP. Yet, in all its melancholic nature, ‘Illuminate’ is very charming, if not a little alluring.

Kaleidoscope:

It’s no surprise this was the band’s choice for their EP’s single. Filled with moody guitar harmonies and Ian Curtis-esque vocals, there’s a definite shoegaze ambience to this tune. Nevertheless, there’s still a very prominent underlying catchiness to the whole track. As strange as it sounds, think Death Cab’s ‘I Will Possess Your Heart’ (especially the intro) meets anything from The Horrors ‘Primary Colours’.

Shapes Shiver:

Starts of with some heavy guitar strumming, a bit more energy driven than the previous track. Probably one of the more dancier songs on the EP, the drums keep a strong upbeat rhythm throughout the whole song. Vocals have a really effective resonate reverb that has this really cool distortion at times.

Waiting For Someone:

The synth intro is very atmospheric and wistful, perfectly building up the anticipation, as if you’re waiting for something, or someone. Again, guitar harmonies are very shoegazy, like some sort of sweet reverie. This is the kind of track you would play on a restless night of sleep, while you muse over your thoughts.

See It All:

Throughout the EP, there’s this real washed out reverb effect on the vocals, kind of like they’ve turned down the mids on the EQ; but I love it! It works particularly well on this song in the chorus when the vocals echo back and forth. The synth strings is also really cool, it’s kind of like this unnerving dissonance throughout the song.

The Garden:

Probably one of my favourites on this EP, I might be a little bit biased in saying that I wouldn’t mind if this was the band’s next single. Probably one of the catchiest and most upbeat tracks on the listing, Place of Indigo perfectly bring together everything that’s great about 80s and 90s post punk in this song. The dynamics and arrangement of the instruments is flawless. It’s nice to hear the bass a bit more prominently in this song too.

Heartblock:

What a perfect way to end of such a beautiful EP! Gorgeous polyphonic guitar harmonies and stunning string synths that effortlessly glide throughout the song, it’s all a little bit enchanting. Even the little drum roll rhythm adds to the track’s vigor. The subtle faded out ending of the song is such a smooth way to conclude the EP.

If you haven’t heard ‘Illuminate’, I definitely urge you to make the effort! You will not be disappointed! Such a lovely crafted EP, I take my hat of to these Perth based lads. If you’re anything like me, and spent most of your teen years listening to the likes of Joy Division, The Cure, The Horrors, Interpol; then Place of Indigo is right up your alley. My only disappointment is that I wish there were seven more tracks to this record!

By Amanda Simpson - Adamnoteve (Melbourne)

WA four-piece Place Of Indigo make sweet post-punk for the soul, and they're taking it east for the first time.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing this band launch their new - and second - EP, Illuminate, at Perth's The Bakery and it was a cracking set, nay, night, featuring some other amazing Perth talent like Antelope and The Flower Drums. They've been kicking around the traps for a few years now, bringing a shoegazing indie-rock sound with definite leans towards the post-punk past, but updated to the now.

Having launched their second EP weekend-past, they're embarking on their first ever tour of the east coast, with dates in Sydney and Melbourne:


Wednesday 1 May – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney with The Spitfires, Slumberhaze and The Water Board.

Thursday 2 May – Grace Darling Hotel, Melbourne with Mansion, Alaska, I Know the Chief and Rogue Wavs.

Sunday 5 May – The Toff, Melbourne with The Primary, Esc and The Citradels.

Check their newest single below, and perhaps this week get out and catch a band not from your state, you might be surprised!

- Pilerats

Place Of Indigo are an indie quartet from Perth who have just released the inaugural single from their upcoming EP, due in early-2013.

The song “Kaleidoscope” flaunts Place Of Indigo’s influences very heavily, creating a sense of familiarity for the listener. Drawing on post-punk sounds made popular in the late 80s and early 90s by artists such as the Cure and Nick Cave, Place Of Indigo have created a charming track in “Kaleidoscope” with just enough grit to ensure you keep listening.

The production of the single definitely takes the song to a new level. The reverb and delay drenched guitar doesn’t pull attention away from the vocals and the track maintains its washy charm without engulfing each part to the point of inaudibility.

Place Of Indigo seem to be another Aussie band that have been drawing on post-punk influences of yesteryear to revive those sounds that have long since been untouched. Make sure you keep an eye and an ear out for their EP

By Alex Lahey

- Adam Not Eve (Melbourne)

Place of Indigo – IlluminateAlbum Review — 26 April 2013
Review by Naomi Faye

There is nothing like a band that executes a particular sound perfectly, creating nostalgia for the past without sounding like a cheap rip off. PLACE OF INDIGO achieves such feat, their second EP Illuminate proving that this Perth post-punk band do what they do very well..

Imbued with a dark and ominous energy, Illuminate certainly has depth of emotion but also a sense of freedom, which works well. Playing with contemplation, moving through thoughts as lyrics and sounds as moods, the band’s second EP is imaginative, expressing a dreamlike energy.

‘Kaleidoscope’ borrows from The Smiths’ ‘How Soon Is Now’, conjuring up some serious 80s nostalgia, sounding nearly supernatural. This song is the perfect introduction to what shortly follows. ‘Shape Shiver’ is danceable, emotive, catchy, and highly addictive. A song that catapults you to the dance floor, making you wonder about life decisions, thoughts you can only think about at 3am on a Sunday morning.

Place of Indigo can definitely make you move, but they can also slow it down, creating songs that are sentimental and thought provoking such as the track, ‘Waiting For Someone’. This is a song for rainy, wintery days, staring outside a storm soaked window, reminiscing over past loves. ‘The Garden’ evokes images of dark, smoky bars, relationships turning sour, slow lives turned into a fast forwarded 80s montage. This is the beauty of Place of Indigo’s music, it positions you to think and explore your own imagination, and this is itself, is an admirable achievement.

Space Ship writer Joel Hargreaves described Place of Indigo’s first EP as capturing an essence of sorrow and making it beautiful. Illuminate achieves the same emotional aura with ease. Each track on this EP is a strong effort, and manages to stay committed to the bands moody, spiritual vibe, creating a collection of songs perfect for the start of the cooler season.

Place of Indigo release Illuminate Friday April 26th?The Bakery, Nothbridge with support from Antelope, Flower Drums and Braves. Tickets through nowbaking.com.au.

- Spaceship News

Demo Review - Faster Louder 21/9/2009

Place of Indigo could be on the verge of becoming Perth’s latest indie rock sensation.

A guitar-and-keys four piece with no bass player, they’re led by a downbeat, messianic one-off, giving them enough sonic novelty (and an eye-candy factor) to be a step ahead before their songs even enter the equation. These three tracks need no props though; with any more melodic hookery they’d cross the line into full-blown commercial appeal. If a deft arranger / producer got their greedy mitts on either Smile Nice or Walk Away, then Place of Indigo could be a minimum one-hit wonder.

Even on this demo – which isn’t slouchy – their sound is wholly of-the-moment (read: pure 1980s) and more or less fully formed. Anchored by panned-out guitars that mix glossy-clean picking with overdriven counter-stabs and velvety power chords, the songs sit on ultra-sweet keyboard beds and barely organic drums.

It’s a mix tailor-made for the soporific vocals of Sam Joyce, who appears to be the band’s greatest blessing and biggest potential limitation. The Joyce voice may not be versatile, but is instantly recognisable: a low, detached and accurate no-frills rendering of his spot-on melodic, rhythmic and lyrical instincts.

But to put its strengths aside, what this taster disc shows is that Place of Indigo need to be all about editing. A track like Walk Away needs some serious hacking to realise its obvious and mighty hit potential. It could easily lose a few blank verses and chorus repeats. The fade-out has more joyous intensity than anything in the minute before it, but brainless radio programmers and jocks would trample over the top of it (or cut it back at the three-minute mark) and music lovers would miss all the action.

The darkest and most indie track here, the disc’s opener Torture, could also stand some trimming in the mid-section, but not urgently. Others need a little less work. Smile Nice reads like a soundtrack hit from a lost John Hughes classic, bordering on 1980s pop perfection. Its guitar parts are faultless in context, the keyboards are lush and the lyrics couldn’t serve their purpose any better.

Each player in Place of Indigo writes and blends their parts with taste and timing; if they can attack their arrangements mercilessly, then there won’t be much to hold them back in terms of songcraft.

With this demo being as it is, their first EP proper might be a monster if they can tighten things a little. - Demo Review - Faster Louder 21/9/2009

Amplifier Live Review
Fasterlouder review by Annabel Mac 19/04/10

As indie rock band Place of Indigo took to the stage, beer-garden chillers were drawn to the front-line as the four piece kicked off their fresh and fiery set with the baroque pop sounding tune Mary. Place of Indigo’s distinctive raw and edgy electric riffs combined with frontman Sam Joyce’s dark and enchanting vocals provided a refreshing change after My Mad Flow’s poppy spectacle.

Appearing absorbed in the music throughout the set, Joyce was fascinating to watch, however, it was guitarist, Steve Choate’s animated and playfully vicious movements about stage that lifted the band’s stage energy and added to the high-spirited atmosphere. The band commanded audience attention with the familiar fine-tuned, poetic 12:15 and strong vocal harmonies in the melancholic but ironically uplifting tune Torture. It was the fresh, jittery sounds of James Cutler on the keyboard and big drum that made new tunes Holiday Sidewinder and final song for their set, Purple ceilings, stand out. - Fasterlouder review by Annabel Mac 19/04/10

Amplifier Live Review
Fasterlouder review by Annabel Mac 19/04/10

As indie rock band Place of Indigo took to the stage, beer-garden chillers were drawn to the front-line as the four piece kicked off their fresh and fiery set with the baroque pop sounding tune Mary. Place of Indigo’s distinctive raw and edgy electric riffs combined with frontman Sam Joyce’s dark and enchanting vocals provided a refreshing change after My Mad Flow’s poppy spectacle.

Appearing absorbed in the music throughout the set, Joyce was fascinating to watch, however, it was guitarist, Steve Choate’s animated and playfully vicious movements about stage that lifted the band’s stage energy and added to the high-spirited atmosphere. The band commanded audience attention with the familiar fine-tuned, poetic 12:15 and strong vocal harmonies in the melancholic but ironically uplifting tune Torture. It was the fresh, jittery sounds of James Cutler on the keyboard and big drum that made new tunes Holiday Sidewinder and final song for their set, Purple ceilings, stand out. - Fasterlouder review by Annabel Mac 19/04/10

Colosoul Magazine review
Place of Indigo
Reviewed by Celeste Eden.

PLACE OF INDIGO (Perth) really impressed me with their Myspace page. I read their influences section and raised my eyebrows at the mention of The Cure, Siouxie and the Banshees, The Smashing Pumpkins and Joy Division.

Playing the track “12:15” wet my appetite and definitely represented their influences as well as their ability to be completely original at the same time. Dreamy with excellent riffs and clear vocals, the combination a rarity. You can download their tracks on JJJ Unearthed and listen on Myspace.
These guys are definitely a band to watch out for - Reviewed by Celeste Eden.

Colosoul Magazine review
Place of Indigo
Reviewed by Celeste Eden.

PLACE OF INDIGO (Perth) really impressed me with their Myspace page. I read their influences section and raised my eyebrows at the mention of The Cure, Siouxie and the Banshees, The Smashing Pumpkins and Joy Division.

Playing the track “12:15” wet my appetite and definitely represented their influences as well as their ability to be completely original at the same time. Dreamy with excellent riffs and clear vocals, the combination a rarity. You can download their tracks on JJJ Unearthed and listen on Myspace.
These guys are definitely a band to watch out for - Reviewed by Celeste Eden.

Review by Joel Hargreaves

Rarely do I come across a band that captivates my imagination to a point where their uniqueness grabs a hold on to me and doesn’t let go. But when I manage to find a band that does that such thing, it adds a much richer experience to the music itself. The latest proof I have that this kind of music still exists can be summed up in three words, Place Of Indigo. Place Of Indigo’s self titled debut EP is an infectious blend of dreamy sonic landscapes, crisp vocals and melodic guitar. For those of you who haven’t heard of Place Of Indigo, they can be compared to late 80’s band The Cure, with a darker modern age undertone. Certain points on the release are also reminiscent to American band Dredg, from an artistic standpoint. Despite these comparisons, Place Of Indigo are entirely a breed of their own.

The EP kicks off with a slow dream inducing epic entitled ’12:15’, which will remain in your head for days. Well structured lyrics and the use of synths help push this song beyond the boundaries. The bridge of ’12:15’ builds up a sense of urgency which packs a punch but also offers a lush ending. The next song ‘Mary-Go-Round’ allows no time for building and begins the track straight away with a pounding bass line. The track shows Place Of Indigo continuing their art laden dream rock with yet another catchy chorus.

The repetition of ‘Mary we go round and round and round’ works wonders as a hook. ‘The Drowning Dream’ follows next and is the best track on the EP. The musicianship on this track is superb, whilst they capture the essence of sorrow and yet somehow make it beautiful. The other thing that sets this song a tier above the rest is the echoing guitar solo in the bridge. The next few tracks ‘Secrets’ and ‘Another Lonely Face’ run together to an extent but are still adequate additions to the EP. It’s where Place Of Indigo go after these two tracks is what is truly impressive. The closer ‘Purple Ceilings’ is epic concoction of sounds that sparks the imagination. After building up from a slow start it becomes the most musically depth track on the release and begs the listener for more.

Place Of Indigo have built some solid ground work with this self titled release, but they are not done yet. Once this band has time to grow and further refine their own style, they will be a force to be reckoned with. Keep Place Of Indigo on your must watch list in the upcoming year, because they are going places. - Review by Joel Hargreaves - Space Ship News