Thanks so much to Johnny Dutton for the interview! I had written about A Month of Sundays time ago and was hoping to learn more details about the band. I had tried interviewing Neil Preston but I guess live got in the way and never got a chance to hear his insights. Happily Johnny, who was early on on A Month of Sundays, was able to share some interesting stories about the band! Also he has shared a photo of the band playing in 1998 and a press clipping from 1989! Enjoy!
++ Were you or any of the members involved in other bands before being in A Month of Sundays?
Terry, Neil and myself all went to St Mark’s College together. At the age of 14 we decided to put together a band when we realised we all played an instrument. In fact looking at a interview with a magazine in 1989, Terry says “Neil and I were jamming one day when John rode past and heard us. It was just me on drums and Neil on guitar. John rolled up and he came in and started playing scales. I thought, wow man, scales, this is where rock ‘n’ roll begins and ends.”
We then recruited another friend from school, Neil Magro and he played synthesizer. We started playing school dances and parties as Mirror Images (we thought that was a fitting name because of Neil and Terry being twins). Somewhere between 1985 and 1987 Mark (who also went to St Mark’s but was a year older than us) joined the band and on Wed 2nd March 1988 we played our first pub gig at the Fitzgerald Hotel.
So yeah, to answer your question, none of us had been in other bands before AMOS.
++ Were you all originally from Perth?
Neil, Terry and Mark were living in Morley and I was living in Dianella (neighbouring suburbs east of Perth City) and we’d all head to the back shed at Neil and Terry’s place nearly every Sunday to jam.
++ How was your city at the time? Were there any bands that you liked? What were the good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?
DaDa Records and 78s were the best. We even did a live performance at DaDas once in their basement.
The Old Melbourne put on a lot of good days and really tired to help out the local bands. The Shenton park Hotel and the Seaview Tavern were also really great places to play as well as check out other up and coming bands.
++ Were there any lineup changes?
After I left the band they brought in Caleb Merry and after Caleb they brought in Grant Fersat. I believe (and I could be wrong so you might want to check with the boys) that after Grant they decided to perform as a three piece. To be honest, they have always had a big sound so they really didn’t need an extra guitarist.
++ What’s the story behind the name A Month of Sundays?
This is a quote from Neil taken from an interview in 1989 “We actually went up to the state library and took out a book on colloquialisms, and after picking a few terms, decided on that one”.
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
In the shed behind Neil and Terry’s parents’ place. After many years of doing that we started hiring a studio in East Perth. In fact it was right near the Claisebrook Station where the cover of Bell Book and Candle was taken (if my memory serves me correctly).
++ You were around in the late 80s and early 90s and I feel there were lots of great Australian guitar pop bands at the time. Did you feel part of a scene at all? What were your favourite Aussie bands then?
The Stems
++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
It started with The Smiths, The Church, REM, Big Star, Matthew Sweet and other jangly pop bands then moved onto more heavier guitar bands like The Replacements.
++ Your first release as far as I know was “Bell, Book and Candle” a 6-track tape. I suppose this was a self-release, but I wonder because of the format if this was a proper release or more of a demo?
From memory it was a “proper” release. I think that format was all a bunch of young kids could afford at the time. Any money we made from gigs went into a kitty for recording or gig related expenses. I never saw a cent from this band, but that’s the way we wanted to do it.
++ “Faithfully Patient” 7″ was next. This one was released by Amos. Who were they? Who was behind this label and how did you end up signing with them?
AMOS = A Month Of Sundays. So, self released basically.
++ I really love the A side, “Faithfully Patient”, and was wondering if you could tell me the story behind this song? What inspired it?
Neil will have to answer this. He wrote the song. In fact I think he wrote all the songs and brought them to us to mould into the AMOS sound.
++ “Seesaw Child” was your next record and on this one Dom Mariani guest appeared! How cool! Were you friends? Or how did this collaboration come to be?
Dom was a friend of the band. I think Neil and Dom got to talking and arranged for Dom to co-produce.
++ “Idiot Star” came out in 1994 and something that always caught my attention from this release is the art, the photos on it. Who is the kid in the photos?
I believe that’s an old photo of Neil. (But I could be wrong) I know the single cover for Faithfully Patient is Neil’s legs.
++ You also appeared on a few compilations. For example on the classic “Out of the Woodwork” that featured many of the best Australian bands at the time. Do you remember how you end up there?
I can only remember the studio session. Not sure how we came to do it or who asked us to get involved.
++ If you were to choose your favourite A Month of Sundays’ song, which one would that be and why?
Any of the ones I recorded with the band. ha ha I really enjoyed all the songs Neil wrote during my time in the band. He’s one very talented songwriter.
++ Was there ever interest by other music labels? Perhaps big ones?
Not that I know of. We were hoping the momentum would keep going after our Eastern States tour but it all kind of seemed to slow down a bit and that’s when I started contemplating leaving the band.
++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?
One of my personal favourites was supporting Spy vs Spy at Curtain Uni on 9th Sept 1988. I was a big fan of that band at the time so they were rock Gods to me.
++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands?
Once I left AMOS I started up a band called Cartoon Horrors for a few years and then got into Rockabilly in a big way. I form a Rockabilly outfit called Johnny Law & The Pistol Packin’ Daddies and released 4 full length albums and 1 single. We’ve played in places like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France etc. As of Dec last year the band has been performing for 20 years.
A few years ago I also started up another band called Atomic Stagecoach where we take 1980s songs and tweak them to sound like they may have been written and recorded in the 1950s. It’s a really fun band.
++ Has there ever been a reunion? Or talks of playing again together?
Not with me there hasn’t. I turn up to their shows when I can. Sometimes Neil even gives me a shout out from the stage. ha ha
++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?
E-press magazine loved the band. I have all the articles ever written about the band while I was with them.
++ Looking back in retrospect, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?
For me it was working with legends like Dom Mariani, Errol Tout and Greg Dear.
Winning a West Coast Rock award for Most Popular WA Cassette.
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