They’ve been off the radar for quite some time, hidden away working on pastry-making, kickboxing and other personal ventures, but now Cloud Control are getting ready to return with a fresh new album and a host of shows.
“We’re in the final process of finishing our record, with the premixing and mixing saved,” reveals vocalist and percussionist Heidi Lenffer. “It sounds great and we’ve done it all ourselves this time, with a bit of help at the end from our friends.”
Lenffer explains it’s still early days for her to be sharing too much information on the new album, which will be Cloud Control’s third, but she teases: “I might be more forthcoming when it’s closer to the time. We’re still waiting on the juice!”
Since the positive reception to their second record Dream Cave way back in 2013, Cloud Control have embarked on some pretty interesting adventures.
“We came back to Sydney from London and we said farewell to our bass player – that was a big transitional change that knocked us out for a bit, or rejuvenated us, whatever the interpretation is,” says Lenffer. “We toured Europe, playing festivals and supporting various bands around Belgium, the Netherlands – it was pretty magical. We haven’t toured overseas for two years now. India was the last time we played overseas, so I’m starting to feel like if it ever happened, it was a dream.”
Writing new music, learning how to self-produce and isolating themselves with short stints in a seaside bungalow up the coast almost drove Cloud Control mad, but the hard work has just about paid off. They’ll return to the stage at the Halloween-themed House Of Voodoo event this weekend on the Central Coast.
“We thought it would be great to play a party,” says Lenffer. “It’s our first show in a while, so to get back into the groove of playing shows, we really wanted to have a fun experience. Anyone reading this who’s in a band will attest to this – studio time can be the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows, but getting out onstage and playing for people is what reminds us that there’s an end point for the music.”
House Of Voodoo might seem a strange choice for the band’s bright and sunny sound, but Lenffer is adamant it’s solely about having fun. “It’s just a party, right?” she says. “Halloween is all about the vibe of letting loose rather than being a horror show. We’re going to play some of the new material – maybe three or four new tracks.”
Following their Halloween appearance, Lenffer anticipates a lot more country-wide performances for Cloud Control. “You’ll get sick of us because we’ll be playing everything we can. I’m just so ready to get on the road again, I can’t overstate that – it’s not teed up yet and we’ve got to lock in dates, but we’ve got some things cooking.
“When we chose the [House Of Voodoo] show, we were at a premature stage – we don’t have a lot to say about the new album. We’ve just been writing for three years. It’s not headline-grabbing but I guess someone somewhere will want to know there’s a new album coming, probably next year.”
Cloud Control may be keeping us on the edge of our seats with the prospect of new material, but at least there’s a live set to appease our curiosity – and Lenffer couldn’t be more excited to play dress-ups.
“I’m wondering how many Donald Trumps will be in the crowd. I thought of going as Hillary, but she just wears the power suit too well – I couldn’t pull it off.”
Cloud Control playHouse Of Voodoo atProud Mary’s, Erina onSaturday October 29, with Kilter, Remi, a DJ set from Yahtzel and more.
