"I KNOW you probably won't believe me but Tasmania."
That's the answer Gyroscope's Brad Campbell gave when asked what part of the band's 36-date national tour he was most looking forward to stopping in.
"We've only been there a couple of times, but it's a beautiful place, a little bit like WA I guess, not the climate but just how beautiful it is and I'm really looking forward to that.
"I mean it as well, I didn't make that up," the bass player and backing vocalist laughed.
The Western Australia band started their tour at the beginning of August and will play to fans all over the country for almost two months.
"We've only done it once and that was with The Living End back in 2004," Campbell said of the occasions Gyroscope has toured to this extent.
"It was pretty much an identical tour - started off in far-north Queensland, made our way down the coast and up over the other side - it was about seven weeks all up."
Campbell said he and his band-mates looked forward to transforming their songs for the live format.
"There's nothing worse than going to see a band that does exactly what they do on the CD."
Gyroscope's third full-length album, Breed Obsession went to No.1 when it was released earlier this year.
The band has already completed two tours this year, but will head out again in support of its latest single Australia.
Forming in 1997, its post-grunge sound saw the band earn support spots with Millencolin, 28 Days and Jebediah as well as The Living End.
After a new band lineup (Campbell replaced Kim Pengilly in 1998) and a short hiatus, the band released a handful of EPS but hit its straps with full-length releases Sound Shattering Sound, in 2004, and Are You Involved, in 2005.
For the top-charting Breed Obsession Gyroscope took a relaxed approach to recording.
"We just did whatever we felt was right. There were no boundaries, if someone wanted to come up with an idea to use the xylophone or something; that was cool."
The band had around 30 songs for the album which were then culled to 15, with 12 making the final cut.
"When we all got to Liverpool to start recording, we all had a list of 15, we pooled them all together and they were all the exact same 15 songs so that made it really easy. We cut out about 4 hours of arguing," Campbell laughed.
The band recorded the album at Elevator Studios in Liverpool and worked with UK producer and engineer Dave Eringa, who has previously worked with Kylie Minogue, Manic Street Preachers and Idlewild.
"It was really good working at Elevator studios, there's a lot of history and being in Liverpool was just amazing.
"We've never done that before, and that's another reason why we chose Dave to do the album because that is how he tracks." Campbell, who cites Paul Simonon from The Clash as a hero: "He is quite inspiring and with his work lately with The Good, The Bad and The Queen which is very dub sort of driven - he's quite a hero of mine actually", said the band had prepared for the challenge it knew lay ahead.
The foursome spent plenty of time in their rehearsal room in Australia, practising over and over getting everything right. And in the end the process was easier than they thought it was going to be.
"With other albums I remember if we didn't get one little thing right we'd do it all over again and fix it up," Campbell said of the band's previous recording experience.
"I remember I was doing some bass takes and I heard a couple of little noises or something on the track and I was like `oh that's no good' but Dave was like `mate leave it for now and if you are still not happy with it in a couple of weeks let me know'.
"But now I listen to it and they're my favourite parts - little scratches on the guitar, they are the bits that make the song."
Gyroscope, supported by Shihad and Sugar Army, play September 17, Batman Fawkner, Launceston; September 18, Warehouse Night Club, Devonport; September 19, Sirocco's Bar and Night Club, Burnie; and September 20, the Showroom, Wrestpoint, Hobart.
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