THE FOULKES

NO RESISTANCE Cat# SV0381

Set to be released on July 28 is the debut album of Melbourne band The Foulkes (pronounced The Folks) - No Resistance.

A group of folks led by Tim Foulkes, the band consists of a core of vocals, guitars, bass and drums. Often added to the core are a string quartet, trumpet and saxophones. The diversity of instrumentation within the band, and Foulkes' ability to produce different vocal tones has led to music of rich and varying textures. No Resistance contains warm acoustic and electric ballads, mellow grooves and in your face rock.

Speaking at the offices of their Melbourne based record company 'Sound Vault', Tim Foulkes said that honesty is the basis for all of his compositions.

'I haven't set boundaries for the music on No Resistance nor have I tried to force it in any direction. It is the way it is because that's how it came out, I just let it come out freely. I feel that the music and lyrics are an honest reflection of myself. They explore the themes of ambition, social moulding, humour, and of course love - the good times and the bad.

'Although there is significant diversity on No Resistance, there is a definite character to The Foulkes' sound that brings cohesion to the album. Throughout the quiet, intimate moments, the dramatic string arrangements and also moments of unleashed anger, you never lose sense of who you are listening to.

'It's been great writing for this band. To have nine musicians to write for, nine musical voices, there are a lot of sounds at my disposal. Sometimes you'll find the strings play an accompanying role, sometimes their part with be the focus of the music. It's the same with the horn section also; there are a lot of colours for me to work with.

'I find changing the ensemble very beneficial to. Some songs include only the core group, others are brightened up with horns for example. It's important to judge what sounds will be appropriate for each song, what is omitted can be just as important as what is included.

'A common response to our live gigs is how passionate people find the performance. I guess I don't really give it much thought, when the music is as close to your heart and soul as our music is to me, being passionate about it is inevitable,' Foulkes said.

'I feel fortunate to have had the help of our trumpet player Andrew Batterham (commissioned composer for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) with some of the instrumental arrangements on this album. I have surrounded myself with a group of very talented, experienced and professional musicians from broad musical backgrounds,' Foulkes said.

'Our saxophone player Stuart Byrne has played in most of the professional theatre productions in Melbourne in the last six years. We met in the orchestra pit during the 1998 Melbourne production of Les Miserables when I was filling in for the regular guitarist. Steve Bourke, our drummer, has played either drum kit or full orchestral percussion in many of these shows also.

'With the quality of the performances on No Resistance, and the strength of the music, I look forward to presenting this album to the public.'

email: thefoulkes@connexus.net.au