The Bures Band: 'Go Explore, Get Yourself Lost & Open Yourself To The Magic'

If you took a spin of The Bures Band’s latest album, Fool Circle, with no prior knowledge, you’d assume this lo-fi guitar-chugging, harmonica-toking project with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-esque harmonies was ripped right from the golden age of the early seventies. Even the album’s cover art, featuring the long-haired five-piece in a bottle green rust-eaten bus, would suggest Woodstock before thinking of modern-day Perth.

Led by Mt. Mountain frontman Stephen Bailey and joined by members Callum Anderson (lead guitar, vocals), Danny Miles (guitar, vocals), Noah Symmans (drums), and Tom Beech (bass), The Bures Band formed in 2022 and already boast an impressive discography - Fool Circle marks the band’s second album, complete with their recent largest tour around Australia. 

Having touched back down in WA after a flat-out November, founding member Stephen Bailey spoke to The Music about the milestone year Fool Circle has marked, the band’s musical origins, and the expectation of their homecoming show and final slot for 2024 at Mojo’s Bar this Friday. 

Hey guys! Thanks for taking the time to chat. How have you been doing now that you’re back home in WA?

Yeah, all back home in WA and doing well. Missing touring.

You released your latest album Fool Circle a few months ago, which has been described as “steeped in the spirit of '70s Americana with Byrdsian harmonies”. What drew you to these retro sounds, and how do you make them your own?

I can't speak for everyone but for me the turning point that put me onto this style of music was an LP playlist from Anthology called ‘Sad About The Times’ & ‘Still Sad’ all these 70s bands i had never heard before. The recordings are not of high quality, maybe that's why, but the songwriting and warmth to the tape recordings just made me want to write like this. When I met the Bures guys, they were all listening to very similar music, so the timing was perfect. Once you dabble in this style of harmonies, it's hard to want to do anything else. I'm not sure we have a unique “Bures sound”, or at least it is very derivative, so it's hard to say whether we're making it our own, but if that's the way it's coming across, then that's nice.

Can you talk us through the process of creating Fool Circle? Were there any particular challenges or moments of creative breakthroughs?

We recorded this much like our debut LP; Callum, Danny and myself would write little ideas then flesh them out in the studio together. I record everything so I would work one-on-one with the guys to get a basic structure down. Once we had that, then we invited everyone to collaborate on each other’s songs, and they would slowly morph from that. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Bures Band (@bures_band)

You’ve just wrapped up most of your Fool Circle tour, with shows spanning all over Australia’s major cities. How has the reception been so far?

The reception has been great. We are not on a label and this is a very DIY operation so not massive crowds or venues but definitely feels like the people who came genuinely enjoyed it, which makes playing up there a really nice experience. One of the great things about touring is meeting people after the shows! We tend to attract an older audience, so there is nothing more complimentary than someone with life experience complimenting your art.  

Are there any standout moments from the tour that really stuck with you?

YES! An older gentleman who insisted we call him “Potato” was lurking around our soundcheck in Brisbane (the first show of the tour). I thought he worked at the venue, so I asked him if there was a merch desk we could use. He replied “I don't work here, actually I have this old lighting rig and was wondering if I could do the lighting for tonight”. At first, I was a little sceptical. He seemed nervous, but I said, “Of course, I'd love to see it”. The lights were incredible!! We were so stoked about this, but the best part is he had so much fun doing it that he proceeded to follow us from Brisbane to Sydney and did lighting for four shows on the East Coast. A really sweet guy and a friend for life. We love you, Potato!!!

What’s it like closing the tour at Mojo’s in Perth? Does playing in WA feel like a homecoming for you?

Yeah, we love the homecoming show. We always plan to make it our last show of a tour so that we are well-rehearsed. Looking forward to this one :) 

The word "Bures" is unique, and according to a Google search, it has several different meanings. Why did you choose this as the band’s name? Was it the alliteration? Is there a secret lore around the name?

Bures is a little town in England where music started for me. Although this is not solely my project I just really wanted to use the name based on the sound and look of it on paper. It’s super hard to come up with band names these days, and when I realised this name had not been used, it was a no-brainer.

With several songwriters in the band, how do you approach collaboration? Do you each bring individual ideas, or is the process more collective?

It's more like (there are) three songwriters, but Noah (drums) and Tom (bass) are writing their own parts once the basic structures are down. Callum writes a really good bassline, so sometimes that makes it on the record. It definitely starts out with individual ideas, which makes for a speedy process. Each songwriter brings three ideas, and then we have an album, but the songs change and evolve quite a bit once we bring everyone in on an idea.

Can you share the story or inspiration behind the album’s title track, Fool Circle?

Danny wrote this one, so I can't talk too much about it, but I know the song is about freeing yourself from being stuck in a loop and not being open to what the world has to offer. Go explore, get yourself lost, and open yourself to the magic.  

Your sound has been compared to legends like Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Band. Who are your biggest musical influences, and how do they shape your work?

Definitely CSN in terms of harmonies and The Band for the solid groove of Mr. Levon Helm. We have many influences to tell you the truth. There is a treasure trove of 70s LPs that are relatively unknown to the mainstream, at least from our perspective, to name a few.

Lee Michaels’ LP Barrel, Mason Profit’s LP Come And Gone, Brewer & Shipley’s Best of LP One Toke Over The Line.  

When you’re not creating or performing music, what do you enjoy doing in your downtime?

Most of the guys surf and skate so that or just catching other friends' bands.

What’s the go for New Year’s celebrations? Are there any 2025 New Year's resolutions for the band yet?

Haha, not yet, but I can say that we have studio time booked for the first week of February, so we've got a busy few months of writing ahead of us, so maybe we'll have some soon. 

Your last gig of the Fool Circle tour takes place at Mojo’s this weekend, and then in early 2025, you’ve got Melville Summer Music Fest on the schedule. What can fans expect from these upcoming shows?

Maybe some new material. We’ll be pretty focused on recording in February, so there's a good chance we'll just be playing new unheard stuff and a mix of the last two albums. Looking forward to those shows for sure!! Many thanks for this - appreciated!! Take care x

Fool Circle is available to listen to on all streaming platforms. Tickets to the band’s Mojo’s Bar show in Fremantle tonight can be purchased here for under $30. Meanwhile, tickets and more information about their Melville Summer Music slot are available here.