Display Homes Enjoy Discordant Pop as Much as Swimming Laps

Naming a song "Climate Change" in 2017 could be considered a political act but you could argue that so too is dropping a reference to Dawson's Creek. Display Homes do both.

Not that the Sydney trio is an overtly political band. Greg, Steph and Darrel met over a late night game of pool and have since developed into a formidable pop band that punches out melody with some post punk grit. Think Feelies and Suburban Lawns or The Sunnyboys and the Sports.

"Climate Change", taken from their self-titled debut single that will be released on UK label Tough Love Records, buzzes along with Steph singing about seasonal fashion and a television series that helped put James Van Der Beek in living rooms.

Listen to the song below and read a chat we had with the band's Darrell 'Lap Boy' Beveridge who it turns out enjoys and early morning session at the Andrew Boy Charlton in Woolloomooloo.

Noisey: Climate change and Dawson's Creek?

Darrell 'Lap Boy' Beveridge: Climate change is one of those weird political issues that really confuses me. It serves no real cultural or political capital in it's denial so what do people even achieve by denying it? People who debate it lack the spine to face up to the footprint they leave in the world. I fucking hate cowards. Our little pop song is about how it's a bit of a hassle sometimes to choose what to do or wear when the weather fluctuates a bit. Yawn - it's no big deal. Steph like's Dawson's Creek, I like Party of Five, Greg probably likes The O.C. Life is a prison.

Who has the strongest pool game?

We're all pretty equal. I'd put our level somewhere between CBD office worker types who put on that bullshit Footy Show voice and think that they're all that but drink Hahn Super Dry and constantly sink the white and the guy with his own cue who only ever eats wedges, sour cream and sweet chilli sauce. We're all 6.75/10 players. I'm also a big fan of public swimming pools and the ecstasy of a winter swim. There's nothing like pushing your body through the icy August water of coastal Sydney. You can regret a lot in life but you never regret a swim.

Where do you have your band meetings? How productive are they as meetings?

We meet at this rehearsal studio at Marrickville run by total legend Felix Lush. Sometimes Steph's brothers brewery or Vietnamese Pho PHD in Marrickville. We have a message thread on Facebook that I don't actually read but there's a lot going on there. We're pretty productive when we get together; creativity is like swimming, you just need to get the fuck out of bed and head down to your local municipal pool and punch out about eight or so agonising laps to start with, then you can really get going ya know?

Your first practice included an attempt at Thin Lizzy's "Dancin in the Moonlight". Did you include the finger clicks?

I remember looking at Steph and Greg mid-song and thinking "What are we even doing here? This needs to stop RIGHT NOW this is HORRIBLE". Greg was trying to do vocals and and Steph just doing her best but really butchering the beat and then the guitar solo came and I'm just noodling this disgusting twangy mess thinking this is the worst day of my life and how I couldn't wait to get back in the pool tomorrow to end this charade. Lane swimming improves your constitution, your entire sense of self, your ability to focus, gets you off the gear, it improves your mental health and your physique and it costs as much as a measure of draught beer.

Display Home's 7' single will be available Sep 22 on Tough Love.

Display Homes play Sep 7 in Sydney at Freda's with Sex Drive, Orion and Rapid Dye.

Image: Jake Ollet