With Symphony X announcing that they are heading to Australia for the first time ever this October we decided to send Dave G along to chat to bassist Michael Lepond. Mike tells us (among other things) what he believes has led to Symphony X’s longevity in the music industry and just how hard it is for the band to put their tracks together for their live shows.
You can listen to or download our Symphony X interview right here.
The guys from SODASTREAM have gotten through to Buzz to let us know they have an album launch on
Friday 24 Feb
Northcote Social Club
301 High Street Northcote
Pre-sale tickets on sale now : $25 + BF
via venue website
www.northcotesocialclub.com <http://www.northcotesocialclub.com/>
Supports : Ben Mason + TBC
Doors open : 8.30pm
Budget rock icons the Mummies are touring Australia for the first time in their long undead history. Known for their tatty Mummy costumes and recording on the cheapest equipment the Mummies back in the 90s were one of the most influential bands on the California garage rock scene. Their “Back from the Grave” 60s garage/surf style has made them cult favorites all cross the world. While still playing, shows for the Mummies are few and far between, so an Oz tour is a pretty big deal. Drummer Russell Quan was brilliant enough to answer some questions from an undisclosed location.
Munster: Your coming to Australia soon, what took the band so long?
Russell: we were busy figuring out which easybeats records we were missing. Munster: Prior to the Mummies starting which bands did you play in?
Russell: the horseless headmen (slated release on kavern 7 label 1987), los creeple peeple Munster: How did the Mummies start?
Russell: i dont know they started without me. maz told me to emulate him Munster: What was the garage rock scene like in California at the time?
Russell: none Munster: What lead to the decision to use the less then top shelf equipment you used?
Russell: our budget and love of rotten plywood Munster: Who came up with the Mummie costumes and was that a way of standing out from the other bands?
Russell: tRENT AND mAZ ,IT IS a big joke
Munster: What influence did Billy Childish ave on the band and what was it like later touring with him?
Russell: i missed out on touring with the headcoats but mighty ceasars are big in mummy world Munster: What point do you consider to be the peak period of the Mummies career?
Russell: ha ha career? its avocation completely! Munster: What was it like working with Mike Maraconda?
Russell: i dont remember much about it except that he didnt like the pizza in california Munster: What process went into making Party at Steves House?
Russell: Trent PLayed Sax and Darin played Bass, Larry played guitar i played the fool Munster: What lead to the decision to release all the bands out put on vinyl only?
Russell: some are on cds , we were anti new stuff you know Munster: Death by Unga Bunga was released on CD only, where you happy to ditch the vinyl only policy by then?
Russell: cds became the new cheap format Munster: What lead to the decision to call it a day in the mid 90s?
Russell: ran out of good jokes to make ourselves laugh
Munster: What was it like touring Europe?
Russell: THilo Pieper , Michael Larrisch, JOhannes Bokkerman took us all over there.
we ate lots of bread, chocomel and thilos mothers schnitzel. people were dissapointed we were not a psychobilly band and bought beat records spending Deutchmarks, GUilders and francs. Munster: How did the band appear on John Peels Show? Did you meet him?
Russell: John was out of the office, but he had a henchman take our order. we saw a
sign that frank sinatra had recorded there. JOsh Collins and Barbara
Collins who are our Australian tour bosses got us on the JOhn Peel
session. Munster: The Mummies ave shunned Facebook and other types of social media, any particular reason why you guys don/t do social media?
Russell: i saw a mummies site on facebook buts none of us running it. Munster: The Mummies were consider pioneers when it came to budget rock, so what do you make of technology these days when it comes to recording when bands can now record on a laptop and throw on the internet straight away.
Russell: good deal! cheaper the better! Munster: What lead to the band starting up again?
Russell: boredom! Munster: Please tell the reader about the vehicle you got around in with the Mummies, some sort of ambulance?
Russell: 62 pontiac ambulance. r.i.p. ( rust in pieces ) Munster: Aside from the Mummies what else do you do with yourself.
Russell:auto mechanic it says on my tax return. future bippy manufactureer Munster: What else is coming on the horizon for the Mummies? Any new material?
Russell: more successful record shopping in your country i hope! im missing one purple hearts 45 Munster: Standard final question, favouirte LP by the Fall please. Russell: vol 3 the easybeats ha ha
Mummies play Max Watts, Melbourne Wednesday 09 March 2016.
Tickets http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=57919
Melbourne indie folk outfit The Paper Kites’ have a lot to celebrate with their song Bloom being officially certified gold in the US, and today announcing their new album On The Corner Where You Live (set for release on September 21 via Wonderlick / Sony Music Australia), the much-loved band’s melancholic, mid-tempo companion to the recently released album, On The Train Ride Home. Give them your tired, your lonely, your lovesick, your unsure, The Paper Kites have a song for each of them on this latest album. On the Corner Where You Live wafts evocatively with noir-ish saxophones, guitars, ambient traffic, even the languid sound of rain. It’s levitating and bittersweet; heavy-hearted stories that are resoundingly universal.
The first taste of this immersive record, Deep Burn Blue (released on Friday July 13) Stream: DEEP BURN BLUE, floats into the consciousness with heady guitars, driving percussion, and expressive vocals that twist, build and turn as the track drifts. It’s this gentle yet assertive manifestation that fans have come to expect from The Paper Kites, and they do it with undeniable class and sophistication. “Music is so much more purposeful and devastating when it makes you feel exposed,” says frontman Sam Bentley. Deep Burn Blue describes a girl who won’t leave her room, as Sam elaborates, “It’s that feeling of being so inside your own thoughts that it’s debilitating.” (If that weren’t gutting enough, the song even references Nick Drake with the line, “You like the sound of a pink moon cry/Lying on the floor as the day goes by.”) View video teaser: DEEP BURN BLUE
On The Train Ride Home and On The Corner Where You follow up their 2015 album twelvefour. The Paper Kites (which also includes vocalist Christina Lacy, guitarist Dave Powys, drummer Josh Bentley and bassist Sam Rasmussen) have earned a loyal, organic fan base. In the eight years since they formed, what’s followed is an impressive reach of their music with standout single Bloom (from their Woodland EP) certified Gold with nearly 700,000 tracks sold across America, which sees them join a small list of Aussie artists (including ACDC, INXS, Midnight Oil, SIA, Kylie Minogue, Flume and Silverchair) who have received GOLD accreditation in the US. The band has also been steadily touring across 4 continents, 24 countries with nearly 200 shows in just under 3 years. With over half a billion streams and nearly 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the band continues to amass new fans wherever they go. They’ve also today announced a 21 date North American and UK headline tour, kicking off in Los Angeles on November 6, before moving through San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnepeg, St. Paul, Chicago, Toronto, Waterloo, London, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, New York and finishing up in Washington on December 1.
On The Corner Where You Live is co-produced with Grammy-winner Peter Katis (Interpol, The National) at his studio in Connecticut – a 120-year old Victorian era home that the band lived and recorded in for 5 weeks. Sam spoke of the moment the album’s concept clicked together, saying “It’s a collection of stories about these characters all living in an apartment building; I wanted to capture moments, feelings, it’s about people and their stories.” This album is one best listened to from start to finish, as each story seeps into the next; meditative yet complex, On The Corner Where You Live will not disappoint The Paper Kites’ loyal fanbase, and will enamour new and existing audiences alike. Immersed in an aural diet of blues and jazz, the band collaborated with Los Angeles film-noir artist Gina Higgins on the album’s artwork, who also painted the cover for On The Train Ride Home and worked closely with the band on the concept.
For fans, the band will make both On The Train Ride Home and On The Corner Where You Live available as a deluxe double gold and silver coloured limited edition vinyl, out September 21.
Stream single: DEEP BURN BLUE Video: DEEP BURN BLUE TEASER Pre-order: ON THE CORNER WHERE YOU LIVE
On The Corner Where You Live track list:
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The Daily Chase have just released an epic music video for new single ‘Void’.
‘Void’ is the first single from the band’s forthcoming EP ‘Feel Live’.
The band recently teamed up with producer Troy Brady (formerly of The Amity Affliction) to record the new EP (set for release later in 2018.)
Check out ‘Void below (the group vocal will get stuck in your head for days and will have you all up in the feels!)
Little Wise has today announced the new single Don’t Hurry Back, a delicate, narrative-based tune, out October 28. Accompanying Don’t Hurry Back is a visually stunning clip that celebrates the beauty and the grit of rural Australia, directed by Agostino Soldati (Liz Stringer, Saint Jude, Sal Kimber). Don’t Hurry Back is the second single to be lifted from Little Wise’s debut album, the first single Under Water was released in August and will also feature on the full length Silver Birch, out November 11. To celebrate Little Wise will be hitting the road with her band in November and December on a massive national tour, kicking off in Byron Bay on November 11, then moving through Fingal Head, Brisbane, Alexandra Headland, Nambucca Heads, Sydney, Canberra, Seymour, Melbourne, Deans Marsh, Adelaide, Margate and wrapping up in Mayberry in Tasmania on December 11.
Don’t Hurry Back is an elusive piece, characterised by its sparseness, and evocative of the broad, dry landscape of a regional town. Pedal steel guitar howls in the background while Sophie Klein, the woman behind Little Wise, warbles sweetly atop the harmony. Don’t Hurry Back is a warm nod to country and roots, while still crisp, invigorating, and refreshingly Australian. Of the single, Klein says, “I wrote this song with a depressed rural town in mind; one that has had a previous mining boom that’s now shutting down. Those who are left have little prospects. It is fictional, written from the perspective of a man who is ageing, writing to his ex-lover telling her, Don’t Hurry Back.”
The debut album Silver Birch offers much more of the nostalgia and bittersweet storytelling that encompasses the lead single. Recorded in Klein’s empty childhood home and at Woodstock Studios in Balaclava and features special guest performances by Ben Franz (The Waifs), Megan Bernard and Rosie Burgess among many others. Silver Birch is the result of a stellar crowdfunding effort of over $8,000 and MATCH funding from Creative Partnerships Australia. Klein collaborated with the production team MEJU (Megan Bernard and Kaliu Tonuma (Neil Finn, Crowded House, Hunters and Collectors)) on the record and tackles life cycles, grief, relationships and self-discovery in this remarkable collection of expertly crafted songs. Klein reflects on the album, “Many of the songs on the album are about the grief of losing my dear mum to cancer in 2013. Silver birch trees are representative of the cycle of life, in terms of the changing of the leaves throughout the seasons. The album title is also a reference to the silver birch trees in the front yard of my family home, where the recording began, and is a recurring motif throughout the album. Amazingly poignant; you can even hear the birds chirping from those trees in the title track.”
Klein and the band will be heading out on tour in November and December to celebrate the release of Silver Birch. Excited to be hitting the road, Klein enthuses, “Fans can expect a raw and uplifting performance, where the veil between me as the performer and them as the audience is as thin as ever. People can expect to be taken on a roller coaster of emotion, leaving uplifted and connected. I often have deep lasting connections with people who come to my shows, and find the songs resonate with peoples’ personal experiences. That connection is one of the best parts of being a songwriter.”
Little Wise is Sophie Klein.
Stream single: DON’T HURRY BACK Watch the video: DON’T HURRY BACK Stream album: SILVER BIRCH Preorder album: SILVER BIRCH
LITTLE WISE ‘SILVER BIRCH’ NATIONAL TOUR
FRI 11 NOV | THE TREEHOUSE, BYRON BAY NSW | 7.30PM
Free Show | Full band
SAT 12 NOV | SHEOAK SHACK, FINGAL HEAD NSW | 2PM*
Free show | Duo
SAT 12 NOV | PADRE, BRISBANE QLD | 8.30PM | 18+
Free show |Duo | with special guest Phil Smith
SUN 13 NOV | BLACK BUNNY KITCHEN, ALEXANDRA HEADLAND QLD | 3.30PM *
Free show |Duo
TUES 15 NOV | HOUSE CONCERT, NAMBUCCA HEADS NSW | 7PM
Solo show | Tickets available from www.littlewise.com.au
THURS 17 NOV | PETERSHAM BOWLING CLUB, SYDNEY NSW | 7.30PM | 18+ *
Duo show |Tickets available from www.trybooking.com/NHYC | with special guest Alana Bruce
FRI 18 NOV | SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE, CANBERRA ACT | 7PM *
Duo Show |Tickets available from www.smithsalternative.com
SAT 19 NOV | COMMONGROUND FESTIVAL, SEYMOUR VIC | 12PM
Full Band Show | Tickets available from www.common-ground.org.au/tickets
THURS 24 NOV | THE BELLA UNION, MELBOURNE VIC | 7PM |18 +
Full Band Show | Tickets available from www.bellaunion.com.au | with special guests Gallie & John Flanagan Trio
FRI 25 NOV | MARTIANS CAFÉ, DEANS MARSH VIC | 7.30PM *
Full Band Show | Tickets available from www.martianscafe.com.au
SUN 27 NOV | THE WHEATSHEAF, ADELAIDE SA | 4PM *
Full Band Show | Tickets available from www.wheatsheafhotel.com.au
FRI 9 DEC | BASEMENT DISCS, MELBOURNE VIC | 12.45PM
Free show | Duo
SAT 10 DEC | BROOKFIELD SHED, MARGATE TAS | 8PM *
Full Band Show | Tickets available from www.arelmedia.com.au | with special guest Isla Ka
SUN 11 DEC | MARAKOOPA CAFÉ, MAYBERRY TAS | 2PM*
Full Band Show | Tickets available from www.marakoopacafe.com.au
* With special guest Rosie Burgess
Aussie rock royalty Sarah McLeod has today announced her new single Wild Hearts, a laid-back, content ode to finding fulfillment through creative endeavours. Lifted from her self-produced new album, Rocky’s Diner – her first solo album in 12 years – released on August 18, the talented vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, who first found fame in the late 1990s with 3X ARIA Award winning rock band The Superjesus, has also dropped a gorgeous video for Wild Hearts, encapsulating the simple beauty in what at first appears mundane. And due to high demand from fans wanting a piece of the action, Sarah has extended her national Rocky’s Diner tour into November and December, set to swing through Adelaide at Jive on November 5, then moving through Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Fremantle, Bunbury, Bulli, and finishing up in Sydney at The Lansdowne on December 16.
Wild Hearts is a fine example of Sarah’s storytelling abilities; those that hooked so many from the very beginning of her career. The simplicity of this track, and the narrative that drives it, is where the beauty lies here; a lone voice accompanied by understated guitar slowly swells into a full rock-band arrangement and just as quickly recedes again. Sarah paints a picture for the audience, and with just a few choice words she develops a character with a depth that demands multiple listens. She explains, “I wanted a lead who could show fulfilment within a scenario that to most would appear to be failure. I was going to start by describing what my character was, but I decided rather to describe what she wasn’t, and let the listener imagine the rest: ‘She’s not 18, living on guts and coca cola, she’s never been on train, or felt the ocean’s salty water.’ I was imagining a woman around my own age, not oblivious to the world around her but not an active participant either. She’s not flighty, she’s a thinker. She has a repetitive life and she enjoys the routine, and she would find fulfilment through creating stories about fictitious characters doing fictitious things. This writing was her release and it made her happy and noone in the world could touch that.”
The video documents seemingly routine moments in time, like passing buskers in the street – but rather than rush by them, like you might if you were on your way to work or similar responsibilities, the clip allows you to stay a while. With the help of Tribal Apes (Jessica Mauboy, Tina Arena, Havana Brown), Sarah has created a little time capsule of a creative moment in her life, alongside her canine companion Chachi, and invites the audience to share it with her, as Sarah says, “The clip is basically about depicting the beauty in what appears to be the mundane. Observing people in the street connecting with each other, finding joy in simplicity, all through the eyes of me and my best friend, my dog Chachi…and now I’ve got a little movie of me and Chach to watch when we’re older! That clip will make me smile forever.”
The recent South Australia Rock’N’Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Sarah McLeod has extended her already-massive national tour, adding nine extra shows in celebration of the new album Rocky’s Diner. Performing as a two-piece band alongside drummer Mick Skelton (Baby Animals), the powerhouse and self-confessed lover of touring has some seriously unique and impressive plans for the shows, explaining, “I have designed a guitar whereby I can play bass and regular guitar at the same time. It’s been a lot of trial and error because I didn’t really know what I was doing – but it seems to be working now! It’s a very ambitious live show, but super fun to perform. Chachi comes with us as well, she wears little headphones and sits on stage. I love touring so I don’t even care where I am or where I am going, as long as I am playing every night I am happy. I feel I am at my best when I’m touring.”
Tickets to the newly announced Rocky’s Diner tour will be on sale from 9am Thursday September 21 from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/
“(McLeod) delivered a brilliant performance… left us all in awe” HeavyMag.com.au
“Sarah McLeod instantly ignited the night with her beaming rock swagger” The Music
Stream: WILD HEARTS Watch: WILD HEARTS Stream: ROCKY’S DINER
FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE
SARAH MCLEOD ROCKY’S DINER TOUR – NEW DATES JUST ANNOUNCED
SUN 5 NOV | JIVE, ADELAIDE, SA | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
WED 29 NOV | THE CURTIN, MELBOURNE, VIC | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THURS 30 NOV | THE BASEMENT, CANBERRA, ACT | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 2 DEC | THE FOUNDRY, BRISBANE, QLD | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THURS 7 DEC | THE HEN HOUSE, BADLANDS BAR, PERTH, WA | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 8 DEC | THE ODD FELLOW, FREMANTLE, WA | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 9 DEC | PRINCE OF WALES, BUNBURY, WA | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 15 DEC | HERITAGE HOTEL, BULLI, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 16 DEC | THE LANSDOWNE, SYDNEY | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SARAH MCLEOD ROCKY’S DINER TOUR – PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED AND ON SALE
THURS 5 OCT | SOL BAR, SUNSHINE COAST, QLD | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 6 OCT | SPOTTED COW, TOOWOOMBA, QLD | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 7 OCT | MIAMI SHARK BAR, GOLD COAST, QLD | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SUN 8 OCT | BYRON BAY BREWERY, BYRON BAY, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THURS 12 OCT | 48 WATT, NEWCASTLE, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 13 OCT | THE BAROQUE ROOM, KATOOMBA, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SUN 15 OCT | MIRANDA HOTEL, MIRANDA, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
WED 25 OCT | PELLY BAR, FRANKSTON, VIC | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THURS 26 OCT | SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE, VIC | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 27 OCT | KAROVA LOUNGE, BALLARAT, VIC | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 3 NOV | WARATAH HOTEL, HOBART, TAS | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 4 NOV | CLUB 54, LAUNCESTON, TAS | 18+
Tickets available from http://sarahmcleod.oztix.com.au/ | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
You know the Dwarves invented Rock n Roll? Well thats what there 2014 LP is titled, why would they lie. For over 30 years the Dwarves ave kept the good fight going for dirty outta control garage/punk. Lead by merry mad man Blag Dahlia, the band return to Oz for the first time since 2014 to play Cheery Rock Sunday May7 and The Curtin On Friday May 5. I spoke to Blag in a quite alleyway in the city while he was in the States.
Blag: Im in Denver all the way from Colorado
Munster: Is that the homebase.
Blag: No im from San Francisco, the band is in LA so I spend a lot of time down there. Im out here on a pleasure trip seeing the family doing some regular human being stuff.
Munster: Must be a nice change of pace from the rock n roll lifestyle.
Blag: Well absolutely, you know you just can/t keep constantly committing acts of sex and violence and drug abuse. Sometimes you need a slice of mums apple pie. Whats the mum dish in Australia like a kangaroo pie? I don’t know you tell me.
Munster: Well we ave meat pies here, no idea whats in em, but I guess apple pie is like a desert so maybe a Pavlova?
Blag, perfect i/ll take both i/ll sit down with ya mum and ave a meat pie when I get there.
Munster: ill drive you to Dingley. So the upcoming tour is this tour four or five for the Dwarves?
Blag: Its our fourth tour and I also did a solo thing once, I like to do them once in a while as long as the audience can speck some kind of English, and they usually do in Australia so it usually goes over pretty well.
Munster: well I remember when you were down here in 2014 you did a solo gig at the Old Bar then two days later played with the band at the Evelyn
Blag: Yeah I loved that. That was really fun, the Old Bar is a cool spot and I like doing the acoustic stuff because its a lot different ,when you see a Dwarves show we don/t usually say anything we just power through it and its gets wild and chaotic and thats the usually Dwarfs thing, with the acoustic stuff is kind of the opposite we talk a lot of shit and ave some fun singing some harmonies you can actually hear.
Munster: Ive seen the Dwarves twice and your gig set up Is like the perfect structure for a band I can think of. Last time I saw you played just under an hour little talking the band never stopped and you played pretty much everything I expected and no encore as the job was done
Blag: Yeah I always hated encores who are you fooling whats the point? Just play your shit. Also bands talk a lot more and there pacing is differeent we try and knock it down put a lot of energy in a small amount of time?
Munster: Is HeWhoCannotBeNamed coming this time?
Blag: well you never know thats the thing he is a very mysterious character his appearance is unknown to me. He occasionally reveals himself to me. Hes like Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormons you know, how an angel would appear to him sometimes. Thats the thing we ave, he was with us in New York then he wasn/t with us in New Jersey, he will be with us in Austin then he won/t be with us in Dallas and I wander whats up with him. He might appear in Geelong but then he won/t be in Perth, hes a kook so you never know with that guy.
Munster: Im in an ally way right now so theres a chance I might see him on the way back to work?
Blag: he might be there, he could be eavesdropping on our conversation, I heard a rumour that hes part of national security administration so he could be listening in as we speak.
Munster: I loved your last LP The Dwarves Invented Rock n Roll can you tell us the making of that?
Blag: I loved making that record it was a lot of fun. I ave an old friend Brant Bjork from Kyuss who has his own studio in the desert and we did the basic tracks then went back to Orange County and did the overdubs and it was a real Frankenstein record it started in one place and ended in some place reallyl different but it was a great time. The newest batch of stuff that we recorded, but it won/t be out til next year was the easiest LP we ever made it all just came together, it was the first easy record I can remember in a long time. The title is called the Dwarves Take Back the Night. It won/t be out when we/re in Australia but we/ll be doing plenty of songs from that album when we come down. Its cool when you see an old band with new tunes I think there is something for everybody. Sometime you get bands where they just want the old stuff not the new stuff but our new stuff gels well with the set. We/ve had so many records we just play a few songs from every LP and everyones pretty happy. Im really looking forward to it, Australias one of my favourite places to go I love playing there, its like old America, we/re people like each other, the crowds are good and its fun.
Munster: Ive never heard a nicer description ive ever heard of this country
Blag: (laughs)
Munster: You guys ave always been playing punk and garage rock but it seems the record ave become more pop punk as time goes on is that intentional?
Blag: I don/t know I would push back on that, for the last 20 years, since (The Dwarves are) Young and good looking we/ve prided ourselves putting hardcore stuff next to poppy stuff. You can always look at a record, most bands start off with a loud hard sound then they get poppier with each record trying to get a record deal or hoping things will go better and more people will like them. With the Dwarves it is really different every album, it has a bunch of extreme nasty punk songs but then they ave some poppy stuff next to it, so its a more eclectic record all round, on the last record we did a song called Bleed all Right you got Nick Oliveri screaming about murder and mayhem and then we sample this surfer guy who was in the Bail bombing screaming about seeing all the torn corpses so theres nothing really poppy about that. Then the next song is Trailer Trash which is a cute pop song about dirty girls living in trailers. The records really run the gamut, if you think somethings too poppy just wait a minute and the next one won/t be if you think somethings too hardcore and will hurt your ears just wait a minute and it will go back to pop.
Munster: You mentined how the Dwarves shows are chaotic and Maximum Rock n Roll gave you guys massive coverage in the late 80s early 90s saying your shows where outta control, where they that over the top?
Blag: absolutely they ddin/t go far enough, we were chaotic as fuck. But we still are, and chaotic still follows us around. Just when we do a few shows when nothing happens something insane happens. Its like this band really feeds off the energy of the audience, we work they crowd and feed off them, but we ave a great crowd, happens all the time.
Munster:back in the 2000s the so called Garage revival happened, do you feel cheated as you/ve been making garage rock since the 80s?
Blag: One hall mark of the Dwarves was we were in the wrong place at the right time. We made 60s garage records in the mid 80s when no one was paying attention, then in the 90s we made hardcore records when no one cared, then we started making really amazing produced records and everyone turned around and said “hey garage rock”. Ive always loved American garage rock from the 60s that’s what inspired me to start playing and was my introduction to rock n roll, and punk as well because it offered a more liberating place.
Munster: I was listening to an interview you did with Dexter from the Offspring and you mentioned you work as a producer, I know you do all the Dwarves stuff but do you do any other production stuff these days?.
Blag: I don/t do much production work anymore, on top of doing the Dwarves, playing recording and touring I don/t really ave much time.But i do a lot of writing, i love writing songs its a joy of mine so i do a bit of that when im not working on the Dwarves but if a production gig comes up i/ll consider it.
Munster: Well one of the songs you wrote was Do the Sponge for SpongeBob Squarepants.
Blag: yeah and that was in the first season of SpongeBob so there was nothing before that. It was written by the original Dwarves bass player. Its kind of what we/re best known for (laughs)
Munster: How did you become to sign with Fat Wreck Chords?
Blag: im been buddys with Fat Mike for a few decades, there a great bunch of people, we just do the odd 7 inch for them. I think its a deal where they like me more than the Dwarves.
Munster: Ive seen recently you/ve done a few joint headline shows with the Queers and the Vandals thats pretty cool these bands that could easily pack a place themselves do a joint tour.
Blag: everybody can do their own tour but its a matter of do you wanna pack the place and ave a great time, The Vandals and the Queers both ave big catalogues of greats songs and thats what im interested in. Id rather shear the night and shear the glory. We don/t drone on forever, some bands want to drone on and play all night and not let anyone ave the spotlight. Id rather do a great show then see your great show.
Munster: whats on for the rest of year
Blag: we/re doing a tour with Richie Ramones then an east coast tour which will end at punk rock bowling, im pushing 80 years old now so its a bit odd being on the road this long.
Munster: I/ll wait and see if HeWhoCannotBeNamed will be there but is Rex Everything (Nick Oliveri) coming?
Blag: yeah hes coming and we/re gonna make it happen and thanks to Australian immigration for letting Nick in
Munster: Blag thanks for your time and will ave a meat pie by on standby
Blag: You got it and tell everyone to go to the Dwarves.com
Dwarves play Cheery Rock Sunday 7 May
John Curtin Hotel Friday 5 May
Melbourne based Indie Rockers Reel Tapes have just released their new single Deep Space and we’re loving it!
Reel Tapes draw from an eclectic influences such as Wavves, Jack White, The Doors and Rory Gallagher.
Catch Reel Tapes live at Bar Open in Melbourne for the Deep Space single launch on July 21st.
Check out Deep Space below!
Sunshine Coast’s Dubarray recently released their new album ‘Inner Sanctum’ and are currently touring around Australia.
We recently caught up with Brett from Dubarray to find out what’s good!
How did the band form?
The band formed as a side project from another band we had called Kindread. Dubarray’s music quickly became more the direction we wanted to persue plus we had a dream to take the music and launch it in Europe first which we did.
What motivates your writing in Dubarray?
Life and everything going on in and around it. We are also super inspired by other artists and hearing new music from our friends.
What is the inspiration behind your new album Inner Sanctum?
The album’s theme was inspired by our research into the innate healing mechanisms of the body & the power of food being thy medicine. There are some light and shade’s throughout the whole album but the heavy stuff was also fuelled by personal experiences of our loved ones being challenged with health issues such as cancer. This also opened us up to the capitalist agenda behind the big pharma that is now our “health” industry. We named the album after the track ‘Inner Sanctum’ as we felt it summed up the album’s journey and the timely importance of the message behind it. The track was also the oldest standing track on the album as we actually started writing it four years ago but it only grew wings recently.
What song off the new album would you recommend first-time listeners of Dubarray check out?
Definitely ‘Inner Sanctum‘ but then maybe a close second would be ‘Vast as the Sky‘ which is a taste of where we came from. I would also suggest ‘DMT‘ for the bug dub heads, ‘Catching my Breath‘ is a little new in direction for us but we feel it kept its integrity to our sound. Personally we are fans of the opener ‘Here & Now‘. We also have a few special guests on track ‘Luminate our Soul‘ & ‘Paradise‘.
You guys have an impressive festival repertoire under your belts. Tell us about the most memorable festival appearance and why?
We definitely have some festival highlights. One would be Woodford 2016/17 when we performed 8 shows in 5 days. 4 of the shows were Prana Sessions and the other 4 were late night concerts. It was definitely a test of endurance to cover the late night sets and wake up for early morning yoga sets. The new years eve concert was definitely a highlight for us though. The other highlight would be Landjuweel Festival in Amsterdam where we performed in a decommissioned church. That was an amazing show.
What is your favourite part about touring?
Catching up with all our friends and fans of the music. We feel like we have created a family far and wide now so its always great to reconnect and share our new tunes live.
Where is your favourite touring destination and why?
Don’t really have a favourite but Byron always stands out for us for obvious reasons. Its also nice and close. We also like to get down to Sydney and Central Coast a bit. Plus the West Coast is always a second home destination.
What is your proudest achievement as band?
Always the release of the next album. But it was definitely a highlight being asked to perform at Splendour in the Grass and pulling off the first live music Prana Session at that event.
What is some advice you would give to young musicians starting out?
Always remember it’s about the music. Concentrate on writing good songs that connect with the crowd you want to attract and don’t worry too much about the rest as it will fall into place.
What is the plan for the rest of 2018?
Keep touring on this new album and spread the word about the new music. We are looking forward to the summer festival season already and seeing the reaction once the album has sunk in a little more with our listeners. Other than that we are already writing the next one.