Ed Kuepper | Long Play Series

Ed Kuepper was a founding member of legendary punk bands The Saints and Laughing Clowns. In 1976, The Saints self-released single ‘(I’m) Stranded’ was described by influential British music magazine, Sounds as "single of this and every week". On the strength of this single the band was signed to major record label EMI. Following his exit from The Saints in 1978, Ed Kuepper formed Laughing Clowns to provide an avenue for exploring his diverse tastes in music making. The band produced music that defied categorisation ranging in styles from post-punk to soul and experimental jazz. Since 1985 Kuepper has continued to push the boundaries of his music making as a solo artist, with grunge trio The Aints, and as a soundtrack composer for film and radio drama.

In this interview with music writer Ian McFarlane, Ed Kuepper describes meeting fellow Saint, Chris Bailey while in detention at high school, forming the band and performing at their infamous Brisbane music venue, Club ’76. He also discusses The Saints’ reception in the UK punk scene, and his ongoing quest to make independent music as a solo artist and leader of Laughing Clowns.

Interviewer: Ian McFarlane
Location: Melbourne Room, Arts Centre Melbourne, 2017

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As part of our commitment to capturing and sharing great Australian music stories, the Australian Music Vault asked some of the country’s most influential trailblazers and unsung heroes to open up about their lives in music.