As proud as we are to bring some of the best heavy music on the planet to Australia, there’s also a wealth of world-class noise-makers right on our doorstep. We spent a couple of minutes with one of those noise-makers, Alex Gillies, whose credits include No Anchor, Savage God, and most recently with the newly formed noise rock trio Grieg, who’ll be supporting Boris at Crowbar in Brisbane on May 27.
Describe your music in five words or less.
Actually your description “industrial riffage” is the best one we’ve heard yet. Another answer in four words would be a “Caterwauling cloaked in melody.”
What’s going on in the world of Grieg?
Birth, birth, noise and more birth. We’re talking albums of which we’re just releasing one titled Retaliate First now. A seven-inch, which has just sold out. Babies (also a limited edition item) and plenty of sweet gigs with even newer songs planned.
What motivates you to make music?
I think for us it’s mostly about the practice room each week. It’s three hours where we get to hang, talk shit, laugh heaps, challenge ourselves and play music we really like. It’s time with spent with friends where we’re able to forget about all the annoying shit and responsibilities that fill the rest of our days.
What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
In Grieg there’s hasn’t been any low points over the last two years of the band. Well, maybe Tamara is a bit deafer since she joined – John and I find volume to be therapeutic. High points come with the completion of each new song, which to us sounds better than the last. We’re super proud of our album so with it hopefully more high points to come.
What music are you listening to at the moment?
We’re all pretty chaotic with our music, listening to something new almost every day. I think the fact that there’s almost no genre of music we don’t like helps the music we like making sound a little different. That all said though, Sumac’s debut album is the best thing I’ve heard this year and I know John’s been giving that a bashing too.
If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
We’re all too nice to each other and so would probably starve first. I’m vego so I’d have no intention of eating my bandmates plus I’m as skinny as a rake so of no use to them for food. Maybe I’d head to the hills and leave John & Tamara to fight it out.
Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
Just about fucking everything! In the practice room we rant a lot to each other about all kinds of shit. I guess that’s one reason why we make this kind of cacophonous noise and not happy pop music.
Still, this question is a trap! Negativity comes too easy and most of our whinging is manufactured. Turning your back on all of the moneymakers telling us our lives are shit without them is what is needed! Eradicate PR departments’ fairytales of some promised land and maybe then we’ll start to appreciate how great our lives and friends really are regardless of the latest phone, TV series or time-saving gadget.
You’re putting together your perfect gig featuring Australian artists. Who would you get to play and where? Feel free to include acts/DJs/bands/venues that no longer exist.
That’s easy and actually doable… can you please do this for us? Just get a decent sized pub and put The Hard-Ons, The Nation Blue, Front End Loader & The Meanies on a stage. Done. Australia really has some of the best loud, heavy/catchy, messed-up music ever made anywhere!
Grieg join Dreamtime in support of Boris at Crowbar in Brisbane on May 27. Tickets on sale now through lifeisnoise.com.au, Oztix and Crowbar.
Grieg’s debut album Retaliate First is available now on Bandcamp.
