By MICHELLE HERBISON
VIOLENT neighbours destroyed Cloud Control’s visions of undisturbed songwriting when the band borrowed a house on a small French island ahead of a European tour earlier this year.
“The neighbours scaled ladders and threw little rocks at the house until we agreed to stop playing, then smeared dog poo on our intercom – we were nearly stoned out of the house,” vocalist and keyboardish Heidi Lenffer told the Independent.
The experience was a rough start to the tour but things could only improve.
“Europe is a stylish place to tour – the venues look after the bands with a really generous hospitality,” Lenffer said.
“We always turn up to abundant hand-crafted afternoon tea spreads to munch on while we do the unglamorous work of loading in a van full of gear.”
After moving to the UK from its home in the Blue Mountains three years ago, Cloud Control impressed European audiences and became immersed in London life.
After releasing second album Dream Cave the band is back on the road touring Europe and Australia, with plans to join Metronomy in North America in May and June.
“The move was mainly for the practicality of building a relationship with our English label Infectious and giving us easy touring access to Europe,” Lenffer explained.
“I still find it remarkable to be able to jump in the tour bus at 7am, be in Paris for lunch and play an evening show in Belgium. Our van has done a lot of mileage.
“Living in the community of East London was great for many reasons – everyone walks and bikes everywhere, there’s a flourishing coffee culture, thanks largely to Aussie expats, and the area attracts of lot of musicians and people pursuing other creative dreams.”
European audiences were “far less scene-based” and generally older than in Australia, Lenffer noted.
She said Cloud Control would play stripped-back versions of its songs, “letting the songs breathe more naturally”, at Torquay and Lorne hotels on Sunday.
“In this bare form it’s easier to fine-tune the core elements of a song and not get distracted by more peripheral sounds,” Lenffer said
