Dean Robb isn't new to the industry. If you've spent any time in or around the Australian music scene over the years, you've likely caught his name attached to outfits like Disapora or Guys Doing Stuff, or maybe caught his art flashing across late-night telly on ABC’s rage. But lately, Robb has traded full-band dynamics for a strictly solo, bedroom-produced outfit known as Royal Commission. It’s a move that gives him total control over every part of the creative process, stripping away band politics in favor of raw output. We asked Dean Robb what prompted the shift to the solo world of Royal Commission.
"It started as a hobby project a couple of years ago. I wanted to get everything I’d written up to that point recorded, just so I could say I’d done it. That included finishing all the ones in the bottom drawer that weren’t quite there yet and seeing what became of them. I didn’t have a band or solo project in mind, just a creative outlet. Working solo, you avoid the worst of both worlds in a band dynamic. Since it’s all you anyway, your ego doesn’t take over; and you don’t get treated like a minion by the self-appointed creative genius of the group."
That no-nonsense approach can be heard in the music, especially on the fantastic new single, 'Hard To Defend.' The track takes aim at toxic workplace culture, and "know-it-alls." Dean admits the inspiration came from a range of personal experiences.
"There are one or two lines where I’m definitely pointing the finger (or raising my middle one!) at someone in particular, but overall it was more of a patchwork of incidents or character archetypes I’ve run into in both toxic workplaces and small towns. Like most songs, it sort of just happened when I was singing random lyrics over the phone demo and the best lines suggested what the song should be about."
Part of what makes Royal Commission stand out is Robb's refusal to overproduce tracks into polished final products. When asked what keeps him chained to this low-fi approach, he gives an answer that gets straight to the point.
"Money! DAW’s are only a couple of grand, sure, but that’s a month’s rent to some people, or perhaps better spent on something else. I wanted to start small and see if it went anywhere, and if it didn’t, then no big loss. If it did, maybe I could invest in a DAW. What I love about working on 4-track is the immediacy, it almost feels like a live performance. You get the maximum time actually playing music, rather than being at the computer, installing, updating and sorting out technical issues. I tend to record the drum track first while playing guitar over it, doing full takes until I get one I’m happy with. Then I’ll build it up with the other guitars, bass and vocals with no comping. You either get it right (or near enough) or you don’t and you do it again."
Standing out like the proverbial is the song's most striking lyrics: 'I wish you all the love that you want back.' We asked what was running through his head when writing that particular line.
"The Whitlam Dismissal. I’m serious! “Well may we say ‘God save the Queen,’ because nothing will save the Governor‑General.” That’s probably the most elegant way anyone has ever told someone to get stuffed. The line in the song is a sort of backhanded compliment. I wish you all the best, but I wish I didn’t have to be around you! May someone someday be a pain in your arse the way you are in mine!"
Looking across the broader Royal Commission catalog, it’s clear Dean thrives on using his intuition to create music. When questioned on how crucial it is to allow things to flow and accept mistakes along the way, he answered this way.
"It’s always interesting when something goes wrong and you roll with it to see what happens. It’s not one of those things that’s embedded into the artistic process, but it’s gonna happen anyway, so it might be worth chasing. Brian Eno has a flashcard system (Oblique Strategies) to get around writer’s block and one of them says ‘Honour thy error as a true intention’, so that’s probably where I picked it up from. Another favourite is ‘Learn the recipes that you’d usually use and avoid them’. To me, that meant tuning to Open C, but still playing chords relative to standard tuning. It’s not on the album, but I got a tune out of it, which by all rights really shouldn’t have worked."
Royal Commission has earned high praise from Australian music royalty like Dave Graney and caught the ear of UK influencers like Mark Whitby. Does it surprise him to learn his recordings are connecting with people around the world?
"When I put the first single out, I didn’t expect to hear back from anyone. Then I wasn’t sure whether to mention the 4-track recording aspect in the bio or not, because someone who perceives that as cheap and nasty will write it off without even listening to it. Aussies love an underdog though, and a bit of ingenuity, so they tend to be the ones who go ‘woah, you did all that with just a few bits and pieces? That’s pretty cool!’. Of course, I just shrug and say ‘well, yeah, but so could anyone’, but apparently, no, not everyone can. News to me!"
All of these raw edits and standalone tracks are finally being pulled together for the full-length record, 'Into Rock 'n Roll,' releasing on September 24th. When asked what listeners should expect when they hear the complete record, Dean explains it for us.
"It’s quite uptempo and catchy, really. Even the darker, sludgier tracks are helped by the bpm, so you could play it on a Friday night when you just want to have a few beers and nod along, as much as you could play it when you want something to think about. There’s crime stories, a documentary film crew at the crucifixion, pot shots at artificial intelligence (among many other subjects!), Orwellian hell, retail purgatory and toward the end, reassurance that it’s all gonna be OK. Then we roll the credits with a bit of jazz!"
Royal Commission is picking up pace with another single, 'The Magyar Dancer,' lined up for October and more non-album tracks planned before the end of the year. We asked Dean what is fuelling Royal Commission's huge output.
"Well, it’s more of an admin streak at the moment. The creative stuff was all done over the last few years and most of this year has been about mixing and doing the paperwork to get the songs out there. I chose a waterfall release schedule (a single every month) because that’s the way things work now. You need endless content to feed the beast or people just keep scrolling."
For anyone looking to dive into the music or follow what’s coming down the wire next, Robb keeps the instructions simple and straghtforward
"Bandcamp, all the usual streaming services and @royalcommissionband on Instagram. The debut album ‘Into Rock ‘n Roll’ will be out on September 24th."
Learn more about Royal Commission here.
https://localsounds.com.au/artist/royal-commission
SoundVerge Editorial
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