Australian rockers You Am I embark on a US tour this September.

Mel Gibson, Steve Irwin, Ryan Rowland-Smith… there have been many Australians who’ve built a career in America over the years (some more successfully than others) but for some reason the airwaves still seem remarkably light on Aussie music. Beyond AC/DC and INXS it’s sometimes tough to hear a well-penned Australian tune on American shores.

If any Australian band were to deserve success in the US, however, then You Am I do. They’re multiple award-winners in their home country, they have an impressive catalog of hits behind them, their live shows are legendary – plus they’re putting in the time this September with a North American tour. Having been together for over twenty years, it seems that their American breakthrough is long overdue.

The self-titled album You Am I (their ninth) is due on October 8, but before that you can catch them at Seattle’s Bumbershoot festival on Monday September 5. The new album may be their best yet, bringing to mind Nada Surf at their peak, and the live show is certain to live up to its wild reputation.

We caught up with frontman Tim Rogers shortly after the band arrived on American shores, to ask him a few questions about the new album, touring, and the rules of cricket.

Dan Coxon: Why the self-titled album, after all these years?

Tim Rogers: After twenty years I still have no idea what ‘You Am I’ means, so I thought if it’s TWICE emblazoned on artwork it may start makin’ some sense. Enlightenment by attrition if you will…

DC: Your song ‘Explaining Cricket’ always amuses me. Have you ever had to explain cricket to an American audience? What do you know of American sports?

TR: That song was written in Spain touring with Cracker. After a night of trying to explain cricket to David Lowery I was… spent. I adore baseball, but can’t stand the statistical overload. As with all sport, I’d rather be playing it. My team? The Portland Beavers.

DC: Are there any obvious cultural differences when you tour overseas? Or does the tour exist in a bubble?

TR: Spectacular cultural differences!! Especially as we tour rather… frugally. Our discomfort with self-promotion for example, is, I believe, an Australian trait. We’ve toured with hugely successful bands who appear to tour in a ‘vacuum’, and at times it’d be comforting, but we love being shaggy fish outta water and soakin’ it all up. That’s why you travel anywhere right?

DC: You haven’t quite broken in America in the same way as Australia. Is that hard to come to terms with that? (I’m thinking of the song ‘Let’s Not Get Famous’ on the latest album!)

TR: ‘Let’s Not Get Famous’ is not about the band at all, it’s a personal situation. Look, it’d be great to have success at a level where we could come here regularly, that’s about it. The sacrifices we’d have to make to become ‘successful’ just aren’t that attractive to us any more. Our ambition is to make every night potentially freakin’ outrageous fun. And make music we’re proud of. If by chance that ‘worked’ and I could afford better pants… sure. It hasn’t been hard to come to terms with. We understand why. I get jealous as fuck of course.

DC: Your musical style has changed quite a lot over the years. Why is that?

TR: Just depends on what we were listening to. And I’m super flaky. And I don’t wanna be the same guy I was when I was 25. He was kind of a dick. I also write for cabaret, and theatre, and ads… and as a band we always wanna just make a bleary boozy mess live, but on record it changes from day to day. There’s too much good noise to make, y’know?

DC: Have you played Seattle, or the Bumbershoot festival, before? Any Pacific Northwest stories?

TR: Too many people we adore just happen to be from yer area. It’s nutty. Just lotsa laughs and nudity and endless badinage. I spent some ‘off’ time in the mid 90s in Seattle with some dear friends who happened to be in bands I adore. To be let into someone’s home and shown such a good time was unique and heartwarming and too much fun. Fuck, I hope we play alright…

DC: And finally… for those who haven’t seen you play live before, what can we expect?

TR: A prima donna who looks more and more like Joe Walsh circa ’76 rather than the Rick Danko he wants to be fronting, rather successfully, a dynamite fuckin’ rock’n'roll band of convicts. Some bad language, some sweet moves, subtle pyrotechnics.

You Am I will play Bumbershoot’s Fountain Lawn Stage at 5:00pm-6:00pm on Monday September 5, 2011. Tickets for all three days of the festival are available now from the official Bumbershoot website, or on the door on the day of the festival. You can also check out our Guide to Bumbershoot 2011 here.

After their Bumbershoot show, You Am I will be making the following North American tour stops:

08 Sep 2011 – Portland; Mississippi Studios
10 Sep 2011 – Chicago; Schubas
12 Sep 2011 – Washington DC; Rock N Roll Hotel*
13 Sep 2011 – Brooklyn; The Bellhouse*
14 Sep 2011 – Boston; Brighton Music Hall*
15 Sep 2011 – New York; Bowery Ballroom*
16 Sep 2011 – New Jersey; Maxwells*

*Double bill with Sloan