WHILE Daniel Johns is off relishing his new-found success with The Dissociatives, fellow Silverchair star Ben Gillies has also found a creative outlet.
Tambalane is Gillies's new project that surfaced with Sydney singer-songwriter Wesley Carr 18 months ago and has since spawned a debut album and a string of dates.
The band's unashamedly upbeat pop, which boasts plenty of 60s-style Beatle moments, is a world away from Gillies's work with his superstar group.
Tambalane began performing low-key shows at the Annandale Hotel in Sydney earlier this year and with their live set-up complete the four-piece is set to unleash itself on the nation.
It began in 2004 when Gillies, fresh from a sell-out tour with Silverchair, found himself with a bit of time on his hands.
``We met about six months or so after I finished touring with the Chair and we started writing pretty much away,'' Gillies said.
It was a prime opportunity for Gillies to get back to playing and penning tunes.
``It took us a little while to find our niche because we'd never written together,'' Gillies said.
``I did writing for the first two Silverchair records, but because Daniel kind of took on most of it, I hadn't done any really major writing for a while.
``I guess the main emphasis is just playing fun songs and not complicating it too much.
``I think the whole Silverchair thing can be so serious. Everything to do with Silverchair is so engulfing that I guess Wes and I consciously just wanted to do something that was back to our roots and uncomplicated.'' ``We're not trying to reinvent the wheel or invent a new musical genre, it's just a bunch of songs that we have fun playing and hopefully other people will enjoy them too.'' Tambalane has embarked on its first official run of shows in the lead up to the release of its debut album which is slated for an August release.
They will play the Bar on the Hill at Newcastle University on Friday as part of a huge show that will kick off at 2pm. ``The last time I played in Newcastle was with Silverchair on the Diorama Tour so I'm looking forward to it,'' Gillies said.
``Playing in a different band as well, it will be interesting to see what people think of it.
``But I'm not worried. I think it will be fun. Any excuse to play live, especially in your home town, is a good one.''
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