some attempt to a biography ...
The story begins in 1997 on a beautiful coincidence : holidays in the South of France where young Belgians, (among them one violently thrown out of his previous band for some mysterious reasons) meet and realize that they have many things in common.
When summer ends, no cheap heartaches this time, they return to their country with the heads full of ideas, and a name for this new project Austin Lace.
The story continues with everlasting practicing, a quickly recorded 3-track demo, a band battle that was won that brought them into a genuine studio to record their first EP, "Subtitles". Then they got signed to 62 TV records of Brussels that released the EP in 99 (note that their song "Sky Patrol" stayed for 4 months as number One of the "Hope Parade" of Rif-Raf belgian monthly alternative.
Then the band had to learn to be a real band. They played a lot live and they recorded their very first LP "Commodore Pace", in 2000. A little too early some might now say... This record was filled with catchy tunes but AL was not ready yet to push them to their max.
And they met some nice and very different folks on the road as the Fountains of Wayne, the Black Heart Procession, Das Pop or their marvelous labelmates, the Dutch band "John Wayne Shot Me" (big friends as they toured the Benelux, Germany, Scandinavia and Spain together a couple of times).
We are in 2002 and after some playful side-projects, Austin Lace gets thicker, wider but also more fucused, the band is now finishing its second album which is likely to surprise, ..and impress.
At a time poppier and also weirder, their new songs marry electro-catchy environments with their long time love of pop odds and ends.
Lately they've appeared during the funny program on flemish TV called "ZonderHanden" with their 1 minute song miniatures accompanied with hilarious scenery, they've also seen and noticed at the Dour Summer festival.
Someone once wrote "You directly like Austin Lace, because of its light side, its poppy and carefree melodies that leave you an unperceivable smile on your face, your fingers keep on tapping and your hips swinging. Austin Lace is just like a day that starts all right"
The "WAX E.P." was released on March 2004 and contained 5 cute songs (Wax - Deserve - Danielle knows - Dance Some Time - Benson)
Nice sleeve (by Yann of AL and Goldo (aka antoine of girls in hawaii).
It received a very warm welcome from the brand new Pure FM radio here, but
In September2004 the LP "EASY TO COOK" was released containing 12 little pop bombs happy or melancholic, fast or slow, electronic or guitar minded.
Yes, a little bit of everything indeed but always with this so personal touch.
The recordings of this album took one year. A difficult birth indeed, questions, departure of one original guitar player, till the very last minute, the members of Austin Lace worked and re-worked their songs, some pieces were even recorded in july 2004.
The album starts with "Come On Come On Come On" so joign them and let yourself go just as when somebody's scratching your back…
