The Basics may have taken a back seat to Gotye, but they’re not completely done for.
Band member Kris Schroeder skypes in from Kenya to provide a glimmer of hope for the band. I guess there’s still some life in the old dog left,” says bass player/ vocalist Kris, who co-founded The Basics with Wally de Backer (Gotye) back in 2002. “It’s always up in the air when you’re this far apart, but … Wally has said that we should get back together and do some more stuff.” However, Kris remains realistic about the prospect of a band reunion any time soon, due to his involvement with the Red Cross in Kenya, as well as the incredible ascension of Gotye.
“[Wally has] probably got the most to lose out of that, so I guess the decision would be more his than anybody’s.”
Kris also marvels at the success his long time friend has enjoyed in the last year. “Who could have imagined that Wally de Backer, an Australian, would win three Grammy awards? I guess we sort of get the impression that an event ceremony as huge as the Grammys is not fair and open enough to even conceive of him being able to do that, let alone him going on and doing it!”
Kris is also quick to point out that although the success of The Basics is dwarfed in comparison to that of Gotye, they were still successful in their own right.
“If you compare The Basics to 99 percent of other Australian bands, we were hugely successful, but of course, The Basics are now always going to be compared to the success of Gotye.”
What is particularly impressive about The Basics is how prolific they were. Drawing from a pool of over 100 previously unreleased recordings, the band has digitally released ‘Leftovers’, a compilation of 38 tracks from their back-catalogue, which is also available in an abridged vinyl version. “At the end of the day, of course, I’m happy that people are still listening to the music,” affirms Kris. “I’m happy that we’re gaining at least through Wally’s success some of the recognition that I feel that our hard work has deserved over the years.”
‘Leftovers’ Is Available Now.
