Shake It Like A

Think Byron Bay and you no doubt think of sun, sand, surf, hippies, acoustic guitars and… '80s synths?

“No,” laughs Polaroid Fame's Zoe, who admirably fills the band's 'cute keyboardist' quota. “Most people, when they think of Byron, don't think of (synths) at all. I guess most people think of hippies and reggae and all that stuff. But there are a lot of bands coming out of Byron that are completely different. You know, look at Parkway Drive - they're a heavy metal band!”

Polaroid Fame are not a heavy metal band, but they depart just as radically from the Byron Bay norm. Led by frontman Frankie Kimpton (and originally known as The Frankie Band), it's unlikely any member of this quartet has ever even listened to a Jack Johnson CD. Rather, their sound gives away influences like The Cure, The Police and David Bowie; and hints at seminal Aussie post-punk acts like The Sunnyboys.

“I guess growing up in the '80s is one of our major influences,” Zoe volunteers. “We all love the '80s. I know when Frankie listens to music from that era, it feels like home to him. It reminds him of great memories and fun times growing up.”

The group has made their own 'great memories and fun times' since forming in 2005. Highlights include an early slot at this year's Splendour In The Grass, and support slots for The Galvatrons, Dukes Of Windsor and Bluejuice.

“(Splendour) felt really fantastic, actually,” Zoe remembers. “It was an amazing experience. At the time, it was one of our biggest gigs, and we feel really proud to have been on that bill. We told everyone that we headlined in reverse!

“More recently, we played on home turf at The Great Northern. We supported Bluejuice, and the crowd was just fantastic. They were all totally into it, so it was just one of our best shows. We were feeding off them and they were feeding off us.”

Having cut their teeth on these support slots - “to be honest, sometimes it is a struggle,” Zoe admits - the group is set to graduate to headlining status with their first album, 'We Live Your Life'. The eponymous lead single has already become a triple j favourite, and second single 'Face Off' is sure to follow suit.

The album sees the group reunite with ARIA-nominated producer Anthony Lycenko (of David Bowie, Elvis Costello and Pete Murray fame), with whom they worked on debut EP 'Another Place To Live'.

“He was fantastic,” Zoe exclaims. “He helped us out a lot! He's the most underrated producer, and he's a really fantastic guy. We called him 'The Chief' when we were recording, and when we were mixing down at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne we called him 'The Oracle'. We're totally up for constructive criticism and trying different things, so we worked well with him. We did try a few different things that didn't work, but we had fun trying!”

Taking a page out of Radiohead's playbook, Polaroid Fame has chosen to offer the entire album for just one dollar through their website (www.polaroidfame.com) until November 8. Yes, it's literally cheaper than chips. The decision sees the young band wander naively into a battle that has raged internationally about the 'value' of music in the era of file-sharing.

“Obviously, we feel it's worth more than that,” Zoe insists, “but we just want to get the music out there. We just want to get it into people's heads, really; we just want it heard. Everyone's into digital downloading these days, so it's nice and easy for them, as well.”

While the band may not make their first million from online sales of 'We Live Your Life', their commitment to touring (which, let's face it, is where the real money is) should enable them to leave their day jobs behind soon enough.

“We're juggling everyday work with our music at the moment,” Zoe explains, “but the boys like to surf, so that's a big interest outside of music for them too. I, personally, am the hugest dog lover in the world. That's my interest outside of music. The dogs go on holiday when I go on the road. They're very spoiled!”

Polaroid Fame play the Brisbane Powerhouse October 18; Miami Tavern's Shark Bar October 23; Great Northern October 30; and Bon Amici Café November 7. 'We Live Your Life' is available now on Chord Accord Records.