Platform 6: The Residents.

Platform 6 launch Resident Universe at The Healer on Friday. 

I doubt there’s a band in Brisbane that’s never played a cover. Or in the world, for that matter. Hell, some bands even release albums full of ‘em. For Platform 6, spending some time working on the covers circuit has just sharpened them up for the release of their original debut Resident Universe. With over 300 gigs under their belts, some of the influence of some of the finest songwriters the world over just has to have rubbed off, and they’ve come up trumps with a disc full of instantly memorable music.

“I think we’ve got an advantage in having a good feel for knowing what works in a song and what doesn’t work in a song,” guitarist Ian Smith explains. “James and I have been writing together for a few years, and I think our standards are very high. We know what works in a rock song and what doesn’t, and it’s better for our dynamics. If you’re doing a five hour covers show, if it’s all flat chat there’s no room to breathe, so the dynamics are very important in our songwriting. You’ve got to have light and shade.”

“We originally formed not really knowing what we wanted to do. We could barely play at our first jam session. We all had an interest in music so we formed a band. All of a sudden we started learning a few covers, next thing we’re doing a couple of nights a week all over Brisbane. Now it can be tough to get a night off.” 

In a sense, the launch of Resident Universe is also a re-launch for the band, who’ll be putting aside some of the covers shows to focus on more selective gigs for their own material.

“We’ll be cutting back and doing a lot more of our own shows. That’s the plan. The launch gig’s pretty much more of an excuse to showcase for us. It’s us putting on the show we’ve been wanting to do for years. Something for all the people who’ve always come along and supported our original music. It’s something for them.”