SEPTEMBER 2009
khancoban are (L-R): Jemima Hooke (drums), Jim Patterson (keys, vocals), Andre Hooke (vocals, guitar), Andrew Bonnici (guitar, lap steel, banjo), Lucas Barbuto (bass, vocals).
Half noise, half folk - khancoban’s songs deploy in low-gravity and with a dash of grit. They are performed calmly, utilising calculated space and tension, exploding at key points that leave the band’s filament still burning in their wake. The name khancoban is a hijacked car from a country town in the Snowy Mountains … its AM radio spilling out tunes by the likes of Wilco, The Clientele and Calexico – bands both influential and with kindred music. This is a band of vast sound riddled with hideaway nooks. Now in your city, that stolen car is all khancoban’s own. Get in.
khancoban have existed in various forms since mid 2004, originally starting as a duo of husband and wife Andre Hooke (lead vocals, guitar) and Jemima Hooke (drums); Andrew Bonnici quickly joined (lap steel, electric guitar, banjo) soon after and since then some others have come and gone. Jim Patterson and Lucas Barbuto joined the group at the end of 2008.
khancoban was keenly received by longstanding label, Half A Cow Records, which released the band’s inaugural self-titled mini album. Likening the band’s independent spirit to label-mates Crow, Art of Fighting and Tendrils, HAC Records had this to say of the 2006 release:
“Truly unique. In order to express ideas and emotions, they (khancoban) find it necessary to create new forms. We are proud to have these bands in our catalogue.”
- Nic Dalton, Half A Cow Records Manager.
The band launched their anticipated full-length record, Limbs May Fall, a twelve-track effort recorded in Melbourne by Neil Thomason (plus additional recording by Pete Cohen) and mastered in Chicago by Bob Weston, with launch shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. The album was made available through Half A Cow Records/MGM Distribution as of September 6 2008 and can be found at your local digital retailer as well.
Since the album's release two film clips have been made - the first for the album's title track was made by film maker Michael Henry and has recently been made available to purchase through itunes. The clip for I Can Only Afford To Win was filmed and edited by the band on the flight back from the khancoban's first Western Australian tour.
More recently, khancoban have returned from the first musical venture in the USA. khancoban songwriter Andre Hooke also toured with key influence Vic Chesnutt.
khancoban are busy working on new material, some of which goes beep and some of which goes bah. They started recording their third record proper with producer/engineer Nick Huggins in November of this year. Look out for a single release in mid 2010.
khancoban have played with lots of fabulous bands including Built to Spill, Vic Chesnutt, Victoria Williams, New Buffalo, Something For Kate, Smudge, Sodastream and others.