The Preytells were an Australian indie rock band from Perth, formed in 2004 by Jessica Bennett on lead guitar and backing vocals, Simon Okely on guitar and lead vocals, Jaclyn Pearson on drums and percussion and Cameron Stewart on bass guitar and backing vocals. Their sole album, Flood Songs/June Songs, was issued in September 2009; before they disbanded later that year. Their single, "Shout!", was nominated for WAM Song of the Year in the Pop category in 2008; while, "Lord Hold My Hand", was nominated for the same category in 2009.
History
The Preytells were formed in 2004 as an indie rock quartet in Perth by Jessica Bennett on lead guitar, percussion and backing vocals, Simon Okely on guitar, percussion and lead vocals, Jaclyn Pearson on drums and percussion and Cameron Stewart on bass guitar and backing vocals. Bennett and Pearson were former members of all-girl alt rockers, Lash, from 1996 to 2003. Bennett was briefly a member of fellow Perth rockers, Spencer Tracy. The Preytells won the 2005 Australian National Campus Band Competition. Their debut single, "Don't Leave Me Alone", was co-written by Bennett, Okely, Pearson and Stewart. It also appeared on their debut five-track extended play, Could I Change Your Mind, released independently in February 2007, which was distributed by MGM Distribution. X-Press Mags reviewer opined that "The more relaxed approach found on this self-produced EP, as well as being more inviting, allows much of texturing to come to the surface of their relatively simple song structures. Elements of jazz and early rhythm & blues dot the musical landscape." "Could I Change Your Mind" was placed on high rotation on RTRFM, Radio West Networks and on national youth radio station, Triple J. They won the youth station's Unearthed competition, in November 2006, to play at the Southbound festival in Busselton in January 2007. The band released their second EP, Shout, with four tracks in May 2008 – its title track was issued as a single in the same year. "Shout!" was nominated for WAM Song of the Year in the Pop category in 2008. The band's third EP, Sacramento, was released in September, and distributed by the Preytells. It is a murder ballad based on the activities of Richard Chase, dubbed "The Vampire of Sacramento", from the late 1970s. They performed at several festivals, including Southbound, RTRFM's in the Pines Festival and the YAC It Up Festival during 2006. They supported gigs by United Kingdom groups, Little Barrie and then by the Freestylers. They received funding from Arts WA for a tour of Melbourne and Sydney in August 2008. The band's debut album, Flood Songs/June Songs, was released in September 2009. All recording was at the Martyn Noakes Studio, which was produced, engineered and mixed by Bennett and Okely. It provided another single, "Lord Hold My Hand", which was nominated for WAM Song of the Year in the Pop category in that year. The group disbanded at the end of 2009. Okely, on guitar, joined a Melbourne-based indie rock band, Oh Mercy, initially as a touring member.
