Charlie Cole grew up listening to rock.
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Suze DeMarchi, Joan Jett, Suzi Quatro and Chrissy Amphlett were in regular rotation on her record player.
This weekend Cole will release her debut album which she recorded in a dry cleaner with her band Cat City.
“I played with Cat City last year and we had a pretty good time together,” she said.
“We did a small tour of the outback over New Year’s Eve and about a week after that were in a dry cleaners in Bendigo and recorded the album in a day.
“We wanted a very warm and organic sound which is something you can lose in a studio where it is overly clinical and sterile sounding.”
The band cleared a space in Golden City Dry Cleaners one Saturday and got to work.
“The band has a few sound engineers, so they were totally on top of it,” Cole said.
“It was the hottest day in Bendigo, about 42 degrees, and there was no air conditioning.”
Cole and the band will release the collection of catchy rock tunes this Saturday at the Golden Vine – one of Bendigo’s iconic live music venues.
The venue is somewhat of a homecoming for Cole who grew up in Bendigo before pursuing music in Melbourne and Darwin. She returned to Bendigo in 2015.
“I have been playing for 14 years. When I was young in Bendigo, it was a DIY music scene,” Cole said.
“There was a lot of young people playing music and trying to market themselves and there were more venues to choose from.
“I feel that over, say, the last 18 years the music slowly scene dropped off. Now we are facing handful venues in Bendigo that can support the acts.”
Cole said if the community could continue encouraging young musicians and provide opportunities for them, the music scene could reinvigorate itself.
“It starts with young people and high school students and encouraging anyone who is creative and musically driven to create music,” he said.
“Then council and local venues can really support young musicians and bring music into a space where it can be listened to.
“If the support is there, it can rise up over the years and we might get venues and locals back embracing live music.”
A return to a strong music scene could also see a return to classic pub rock, Cole said.
“The (rock) legacy is there but unfortunately it’s not as mainstream as it was,” Cole said.
“Electronic music is really dominating and pub rock that used to be so prominent has been lost along the way.
“But things reinvent themselves all time, so it might just be a faze of electronic and pop music. Hopefully rock and roll, and pub rock comes back at some point.”
Charlie Cole and Cat City launch their album at the Golden Vine Hotel in Bendigo on Saturday night.
They will be supported by Adelaide band Juliette Seizure and the Tremor Dolls. Doors open at 9pm. Entry is $5.