Dougy Mandagi is tired of people asking about his sweet disposition.
The Temper Trap lead singer is, of course, talking about the band’s biggest hit, Sweet Disposition, which he admits to being a little sick of hearing these days.
“Yeah, I feel that way sometimes. I don’t listen to it at home, and if it’s playing in a shop, I’ll walk straight out. But I’m not sick of playing the song live, because the energy and the audiences’ reaction to it is so wonderful,” he said, adding that he was not worried that the song would be the only one that defines the band.
“You gotta keep making music and not worry about that stuff. We’ll keep writing songs, and maybe one day we’ll write something that will surpass it.”
An achingly beautiful rock ballad, Sweet Disposition is the Australian band’s most recognisable hit yet, and was voted Most Popular Australian Single at the 2010 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Music Awards.
The song was included in the band’s debut album, 2009’s Conditions, which reached the Top 10 of the ARIA album charts. Its eponymous second album – released in 2012 – did even better, reaching No. 1 in Australia, and featured hit single Trembling Hands.
Comprising Indonesian-born lead singer Mandagi, bassist Jonathon Aherne, drummer Toby Dundas, and keyboardist/guitarist Joseph Greer, The Temper Trap will be releasing its new album, Thick As Thieves in June, and will be playing at the Good Vibes Festival 2016 which is taking at The Ranch, Genting Highlands, on Aug 12 and 13.
During a phone interview from Tokyo, Japan where the band is currently on tour, Mandagi said fans can expect a different set and vibe from its last performance in Malaysia at the 2013 Future Music Festival.
“It’s fun for us as a band to be able to play something different for a change. There will be a healhty dose of new songs, and also a mix of old songs.
“By that time, our new record will be out, so hopefully our fans will be well acquainted with those songs,” Mandagi said, adding that he loves playing in Asia because of the exotic vibe in those countries.
“Playing in London or Los Angeles or Manchester or Germany is great, but they don’t feel exotic like in Malaysia, Tokyo or anywhere else in Asia.”
Being Indonesian by birth, Mandagi also feels an affinity with Asia, and going back to Indonesia to perform always feels like a homecoming gig for him. “Even when we play in Singapore or Malaysia, all the Indonesian fans will come by the boatload to watch us. It’s as close to home as I can get!”
On the band’s upcoming new album, Mandagi reckons that Thick As Thieves will not be too different from its previous releases. “It’s definitely still got that Temper Trap sound. I’d say it’s a combination between the first and second albums, except there’s a lot more guitar in this one, and the tempo is faster in general.”
He also added that there’s always pressure to replicate the success of Temper Trap’s albums, but not from within the band.
“There’s pressure from my parents, who ask, ‘Why don’t you write a song like this?’ There’s pressure from the record label asking you for a hit radio single, and there’s pressure from journalists asking about whether we feel pressure!” he said with a laugh.
“It’s part and parcel of having a sucessful song and album – people just want you to repeat it all the time. But we can’t do that, because it has to be fun and enjoyable for us as well. We just have to keep our head down, block out the extrneal voices, expand, take a few risks, and keep doing what we do.”
The Good Vibes Festival will also feature performances by English rock band The 1975, Irish indie trio Two Door Cinema Club, electro pop duo Purity Ring as well as local artistes such as Seven Collar T-Shirt, Froya, and Juno and Hanna. Tickets are on sale now at www.boxtix.asia. For more information, check out http://ift.tt/24QR8Nz.
