UK: After a breakthrough performance in Glastonbury, Australian band The Temper Trap have their sights set on the UK

Record ID: 1498276

  • Title: UK: After a breakthrough performance in Glastonbury, Australian band The Temper Trap have their sights set on the UK
  • Date: 17th July 2009
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 15, 2009) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) DOUGY MANDAGI, LEAD SINGER OF TEMPER TRAP, ON HAVING THEIR SONG ON THE SOUNDTRACK TO (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, SAYING: "One of the main dudes in the movie (ACTOR JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT) came to the venue to watch the band before us. He was late and he came in just as we were playing that song. I kno
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2009 09:55
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  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Music
  • Reuters ID: LVA6G2FZT95OXANAOEPWSHE635ZJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: To call Temper Trap an overnight sensation is not giving credence to the five long years of hard work they've put into the band making it successful.
    Fresh from their stellar performance at Glastonbury Festival last month, the Australian band hope to capitalise on the momentum by playing other festivals in the Britain throughout the summer.
    "It was pretty daunting at first because I saw the band before us and they didn't get much of a crowd. I knew we were playing at the same time as Spinal Tap and I was really scared I thought we were going to play for nobody. But it started to fill up and the crowd seemed to really love it," the band's lead singer Dougy Mandagi told Reuters Television.
    Mandagi, 29, is easily the heart and soul of the band. He met bandmates Jonathon, Lorenzo and Toby when he emigrated to Melbourne from Bali. An artist at heart, he gave up the paintings he used to sell Down Under for 25 ASD and used his voice to captivate audiences instead.
    His unique falsetto voice overlays the band's infectious rhythms and symphonic guitars. Their atmospheric, sweeping sound have been compared to U2 and Coldplay, something Mandagi says is not a bad thing.
    "I don't think it's by coincidence we sound similar to U2. That was a conscious thing we did. We just like how their songs are layered, full and lush, and we pursued that in our own sound. Coldplay is something that other people have tagged on us which is fine I think they're a good band," he said.
    The young band recently moved to London to pursue international markets. They began making headway after a few breakthrough performances at nominally smaller festivals in the UK and Australia. They were tipped by in the BBC "Sound of 2009" top 15, compiled by 130 British music journalists and industry movers and shakers, alongside Lady Gaga.
    Their performance at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival prompted a meeting that would see their standout single "Sweet Disposition" picked up for the film "(500) Days of Summer" starring Zooey Dechanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, formerly of U.S. television sitcom "3rd Rock From the Sun".
    "One of the main dudes in the movie came to the venue to watch the band before us. He was late and he came in just as we were playing that song. I know that song but I don't even know who it's by or what the band looks like and we got to meet him afterwards and he was cool," he said.
    The band know they are in a different league all together by picking up and moving half-way across the world. Not only do they have to compete now with the British bands but musicians across the globe as well. Still, Mandagi said even they are surprised at their current success.
    "We've been doing this for five years now so it feels like it's been a long time for us. But I can see how people might be taken by surprise, like, where did theses guys come from, all the sudden. Never heard of them. But I guess that's just how things panned out. I'm not complaining. Things are definitely looking up. We played Glastonbury and getting good coverage and the media has been supportive so yes it's good," he said.
    The single "Sweet Disposition" is out August 3 and their album "Conditions" is out August 10.
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