Mark Maher (aka Kram) is the drummer/singer of Australian band Spiderbait. He also appeared at the 2004 benefit concert for the South-East Asian tsunami, Wave Aid, as a member of supergroup The Wrights who performed Stevie Wright's 3 part classic, "Evie".
When it came time to cut a solo album, Spiderbait’s co-vocalist and percussive lynchpin Kram had a deceptively simple philosophy. “I wanted it to be like a radio station where all the songs sound like different bands but its all played by one person,” he explains. “The premise of the whole album was to be constantly changing your approach musically."
One listen to Mix Tape and you’ll grasp exactly what he means. The 15 tracks veer from spooky Prince-like soul (“Burnin’ Sands”) and storming fuzz rock (“Good Love”) to melancholic country ballads (“Won’t Be Home Tonight”) and funky pop jams that could be a lo-fi Scissor Sisters (“Satellite”). It’s an eclectic, invigorating collection of songs that fits with its creator’s clear intentions.
Kram debuted Mix Tape with a prestigious Friday night slot at December’s Meredith Music Festival. “I wanted it to be fresh and do whatever sounded good without any preconceptions. That’s what’s been liberating about it and why it’s come out so well.”
It’s hard to believe that it’s taken Kram this long to put out a record under his own name. He’s long had a restless creative energy that’s seen him take part in numerous side-projects, including the rock & roll supergroup The Wrights and Hot Rollers, as well as helping propel Spiderbait to a prominent place in the Australian rock canon.
With over half a million records sold and an enduring live popularity, Spiderbait is both a natural starting point and a full stop. So while you can naturally hear echoes of Kram’s work with Spiderbait, Mix Tape gives him the freedom to explore new perspectives. The instrumental palette is sparse but unexpectedly audacious, while the lyrics have a hitherto unheard focus.
“It’s a luv and rock n roll record,” Kram points out. “I made “Good Love” the first song because that says it all: just me and my girl Ree and our little boy Lonnie. Pretty simple but awesome."
Family life also influenced the album’s writing and recording. “When you have a kid you can’t stay up all night anymore” says Kram." Late at night used to be my productive time, but now its different. In the morning your voice is deeper and croaky... good for country ballads. Afternoon is great for drum tracks....your fresh to make some noise. Evening is guitars and vocals........after that i generally pass out."
The album was cut in short sessions held every few months over a two year period at Melbourne studio, Sing Sing South. Aside from the odd guest, such as Jet’s Nic Cester and Tumbleweed's Richie Lewis , Kram played all the instruments and produced the album with engineer Andy Baldwin. Sessions would start after lunch and often finish just after dinner; the early afternoons produced the best rhythm tracks.
“It was really fast,” Kram notes. “If I don’t over-think something I’ll get pretty good stuff. Just let it flow then go."
Mix Tape was subsequently mixed in New York, where Andy Baldwin had relocated, taking up in a Chinatown studio. The new space and a different perspective provided the final impetus to finish the album in May of 2008, while also allowing Kram to debut the songs at some casual loft parties thrown by his close friend, filmmaker Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil, Ghost Rider,Grumpy Old Men).
With Spiderbait currently on hiatus (although plans are afoot for 21st anniversary activities), Mix Tape is a potent reminder of how Kram has long been a creative force. And now the public’s taste for bold, genre-hopping albums has finally caught up with his idiosyncratic outlook.
The result, according to Kram, is the soundtrack for a road trip, with each tune moving you down the road and across the musical spectrum. The only problem is that the listener may be tempted to pull over and simply enjoy what they’re hearing.
Good Love
Kram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In my head
before you came along
i felt like i was dead
i got good love
mmm rockn'roll
ohhhh I met a sweet girl
and we've been hangin' out
ever since that time
we got good love
mmm rockn'roll
oohhh yeah!
sweet sweet love
sweet sweet love
sweet sweet loooooooooove
sweet sweet love
sweet sweet love
we had a little boy
as sweet as he can get
he looks in my eye
ohh spins my head
we give him good love
mmm rockn'roll
sweet sweet love
sweet sweet love
sweet sweet loooooooooove
The lyrics to Kram's song "Good Love" speak about the importance of having someone in your life who makes your world a better place. The first verse refers to feeling lost and empty before this person came into the singer's life. The lyrics also mention the importance of rock 'n' roll as a source of joy and comfort. The chorus repeats the phrase "sweet sweet love" several times, emphasizing the joy that this person has brought into the singer's life. The second verse mentions meeting a "sweet girl" who blew the singer's mind and with whom he has been spending time ever since. The chorus is repeated again, this time with added enthusiasm ("oohhh yeah!").
The final verse mentions the couple having a child together, who is described as "as sweet as he can get." The singer expresses how the child makes him feel by saying that the child looks into his eyes and "spins [his] head." The importance of rock 'n' roll as a source of joy and connection between the family members is emphasized again in the final line, which repeats the phrase "good love, mmm rockn'roll."
Overall, the song "Good Love" speaks to the transformative power that love and family can have in a person's life. The lyrics emphasize the joy and fulfillment that come from finding someone who makes you feel alive and the importance of music as a source of comfort and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
I need you to look
I require you to understand and perceive my emotions and thoughts
In my head
My mind is where the required understanding and perception needs to happen
before you came along
Prior to your arrival in my life
i felt like i was dead
I perceived a lack of vitality or purpose in my life
i got good love
I received affection that is satisfying, fulfilling, and true
mmm rockn'roll
The type of music that truly resonates with my soul
ohhhh I met a sweet girl
I encountered a kind, attractive female
she blew my mind
She surprised and impressed me significantly
and we've been hangin' out
We have been spending time together and forming a relationship
ever since that time
Since that particular moment in the past
we got good love
We both have affection that is satisfying, fulfilling, and true
mmm rockn'roll
Our shared love of rock music
oohhh yeah!
An exclamation of positivity and enthusiasm
sweet sweet love
An expression of the depth and quality of the affection shared between the couple
sweet sweet love
Another repetition of the said expression
sweet sweet loooooooooove
A continued repetition of the expression, emphasizing the significance of the love
we had a little boy
A male child was born to us
as sweet as he can get
The child is supremely adorable and delightful in our eyes
he looks in my eye
The child gazes into my eyes
ohh spins my head
The child's gaze impresses, amazes, or disorients me
we give him good love
We both bestow affection that is satisfying, fulfilling, and true upon our child
mmm rockn'roll
Our shared love of rock music, which hopefully our child will also enjoy
sweet sweet love
An indication that our love for our child and each other is genuine, deep, and sweet
sweet sweet love
Another instance of the expression to emphasize the significance of the love
sweet sweet loooooooooove
A last repetition of the expression to reinforce the message of the song
Contributed by Adeline L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.