In the last decade, Australia has been the birthplace for some magnificent and very underrated bands. From Severed Heads to The Lovetones, many brilliant but relatively unknown bands were born in Australia. The Everyones could be added to this list. In 1997, brothers Steve and Mal Pinkerton joined forces with schoolmate Nick Murphy to form this amazing group. Known also as The Anyones, The Everyones have earned the respect of fans and fellow musicians. With the seal of approval given by The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Everyones cannot go wrong. In 2003, they released the very successful “Lonerider” LP. Recently, Tee Pee Records released their debut self-titled album and the love has just been growing. Songs like “Pocket”, “Green Cats Eyes”, and “Come Around” all shine with intelligence and passion. The self-titled album was voted in the top 10 albums of 2003 in the Australian Street Press. With tight guitar riffs, solid rhythms, and majestic vocal melodies, The Everyones are proof that music can have substance and emotion. They call their music “harmony driven cinematic rock”. On a cold winter evening in 2005, I had a conversation with Steve Pinkerton of The Everyones.

T.JONES: "What goes on?"
STEVE PINKERTON: “Hi Todd, we (The Everyones) have been doing a few local shows here in Australia and road testing some new songs for our next album. It’s been one extended summer since our return from the USA.”

T.JONES: “Your debut LP out. Tell us about it. Who produced it? Who wrote the songs? Where was it recorded?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “The self titled ‘The Everyones’ was recorded here in Melbourne, Australia at Woodstock Studios and produced by my brother Mal and fellow ‘Everyone’ (guitarist). It was mixed by one of Australia’s best, Paul McKercher (You Am I, etc).”

T.JONES: “Do you have a favorite song on the new LP?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “The opening track, “Pocket” is one of my favorites because it kind of sums up the eclectic Everyone’s sound. A bit of everything. ‘Rubin’ is a close second.”

T.JONES: “What song took you the longest to record? The shortest?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “‘Trans Highway One’ took the longest to record because the Byrds inspired harmonies required some work. ‘Pocket’ was similarly lengthy due to the arrangement and strings etc.”

T.JONES: “Where did the name The Everyones come from? Does it have a special meaning?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Well funnily enough, The Everyones was a recent name change. We’ve always been known as The Anyones in Australia but on the eve of our American tour, an LA metal band called ‘Anyone’ said they’d take legal action if we used this name. Our only option was to change our name. Since advertising for the tour had already begun, we decided to use something very close. The idea for the name ‘The Anyones’ was originally a sixties inspired and deliberately innocuous and meaningless.”

T.JONES: “Why did you choose Tee Pee Records?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “We’re big fans of The Brian Jones Town Massacre, who are now label mates, so this made them very attractive. They’re also great people with top locales (ie New York NY).”

T.JONES: “How did the brothers meet the rest of the band and form?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Mal and I went to school with Nick and formed a band shortly after. We played a gig with another band called Pleasure Pig featuring Adrian and Rohan. We were impressed and promptly stole them to form our current line-up.”

T.JONES: “Since 2 brothers are in the band, do you think the dynamic is different from other bands?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “I think so. We write a lot together and have similar taste, which is probably annoying to everyone else, ha ha.”

T.JONES: “When writing the songs, do you have a special theme or subject matter in mind or lyrics written beforehand?  Or, do you write the music first?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Mal, Nick and I write separately mostly and together sometimes. Therefore, the approach is different amongst us all. Generally though, the music is written first, sometimes with a theme in mind. The lyrics then, work their way into this theme.”

T.JONES: “Who are your biggest influences?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Always a scary question. We’re all different but some common influences include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Pixies, The Beach Boys, Nirvana, Bowie, The Easy Beats, Neil Young…the list goes on!”

T.JONES: “What LPS or CDS have you been listening to lately?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “We’ve all been listening to The Shins and The Sleepy Jackson was popular choice in the tour bus.”

T.JONES: “What are the 3 best things about living in Australia?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “The best things about living in Australia are 1) The Melbourne music scene and all-round lifestyle of cafés and bars, 2) The beaches, and 3) the bush (ie. outback).”

T.JONES: “What are the 3 worst things about living in Australia?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “The worst thing about living in Australia are 1) John Howard (Prime Minister), 2) Too far from New York, and 3) Too far from Europe.”

T.JONES: “Where were you on the September 11th Terrorist Attack? How did it affect you? How has it affected Australia?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “We were actually in the middle of recording and noticed it live on TV. We watched the second plane crash live and our engineer, who is married to an American girl, phoned his in-laws in LA to tell them to turn on the TV. The recording session was aborted and we went home in shock. It definitely affected Australia and the world. Unfortunately, a new conservatism has manifested itself as a result. I don’t think this is any answer.”

T.JONES: “Abortion. Pro-life or pro-choice?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Definitely pro-choice.”

T.JONES: “Death penalty. For or against?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Definitely against.”

T.JONES: “Word association. I am going to say the name of a person, artist, or group and you say the first word that pops in your head. So, if I said ‘Beatles’, you may say ‘Apple’ or ‘Revolution’. If I said, ‘The Smiths’, you may say ‘Morrissey’ or ‘Louder Than Bombs’. Okay?”

T.JONES: “The Beatles.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Joy.”

T.JONES: “The Smiths.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Supporting Morrissey (last year ha ha!).”

T.JONES: “Momus.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Prolific.”

T.JONES: “Severed Heads.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “80’s Sydney.”

T.JONES: “The Wedding Present.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “A long time between drinks!”

T.JONES: “Pulp.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Help The Aged.”

T.JONES: “The Strokes.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Spoilt.”
 
T.JONES: “The Lovetones.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Harmonies.”

T.JONES: “The Brian Jonestown Massacre.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Eccentric.”

T.JONES: “The Dandy Warhols.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Good fun.”

T.JONES: “The Stone Roses.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Great memories.”

T.JONES: “Happy Mondays.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Drugs.”

T.JONES: “Massive Attack.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Cerebral.”

T.JONES: “The Verve.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Missed.”

T.JONES: “Sadaam Hussain.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Overrated.”

T.JONES: “Prince William.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Yawn.”

T.JONES: “George Bush.”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Duh.”

T.JONES: “What are some of your favorite books?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Catcher in the Rye and Green Eggs and Ham.”

T.JONES: “Favorite films?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Raging Bull, Blood Simple, Chopper.”

T.JONES: “Favorite painters?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Andy Warhol, Picasso.”

T.JONES: “What is the biggest mistake you have made in your life?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Not putting an album out sooner!”

T.JONES: “What are some major misconceptions people have of you?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “That I’m easy going.”

T.JONES: “What are you most proud of?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Our music.”

T.JONES: “It has been said that ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’. Do you agree? Why?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “I’m a pacifist so it’s essential I agree! I’d like to think that rational always overpowers the physical.”

T.JONES: “Do you smoke pot? Are you for the legalization of marijuana?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Yeah I smoke pot in moderation. There’s mental illness in the family so there’s no need to speed it up!”

T.JONES: “What is your favorite part of your live show?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “The harmonies and the arrangements.”

T.JONES: “How has your live show evolved?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “More harmonies, more intricate yet somehow more palatable. You never stop learning how to improve your performance.”

T.JONES: “Would you consider yourself political people? What are some issues that you feel must be addressed and what your stance on those issues?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Yes we’re political but not overtly.  We’d like to see a more egalitarian approach to global politics. Not the ‘sheriff’ mentality. It doesn’t work.”

T.JONES: “What do you want on your epitaph (your gravestone)?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Just kidding, I’m not really dead.”

T.JONES: “Any future musical projects coming up in the future?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Yes, we’re working on the next album! Then some more world touring!”

T.JONES: “Any final words for the people who will be reading this?”
STEVE PINKERTON: “Feel free to email us at mail@theeveryones.com for further clarification!”