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Two Minutes With Inverloch

Monday, July 27th, 2015

Inverloch emerged in the wake of early 90s death/doom outfit diSEMBOWLMENT and the subsequent 21st century live tribute/reincarnation d.USK. Their thunderous opening statement came three years ago with the Relapse Records-released Dusk | Subside, a three track, 22 minute collection of pulverizing dirge and uneasy atmospheres. As they prepare to support US doom giants Yob in Melbourne on August 21, we spend a couple of minutes with Inverloch’s bassist Chris Jordon and guitarist Matt Skarajew and find out what’s new.

Describe your music in five words or less.
Chris Jordon: Heavy, atmospheric, death doom.

What’s going on in the world of Inverloch?
CJ: We’ve recently finished recording the follow up to Dusk/Subside; audio is mixed, currently being mastered. Artwork is being finalised. This will be released via Relapse Records.
There are a few killer shows on the horizon for us. In August we are honoured to be opening for Yob in Melbourne, late September we are looking forward to playing again at Black Conjuration in Adelaide, as well as opening for the legendary Boltthrower in Melbourne. Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for more updates.

What motivates you to make music?
Matt Skarajew: It’s very hard to quantify — I honestly thought at this age the desire to make this kind of music would have passed by, but I still hear new ideas in my head, and I get a buzz hearing the songs take shape and develop in the studio. Realizing the songs as a group amplifies the enjoyment, then hearing of the pleasure you have created for listeners takes it to another level again — and that is a very motivating force.

What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
CJ: Low point: Pulling out of Maryland Death Fest XIII in the US. It wasn’t a decision that was taken lightly, but unfortunately it was one that had to be made.
MS: High points: Definitely Roadburn & Europe in 2012, our new record is very satisfying, and the opportunities we get to take our music to new places.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
MS: Of late — mostly The Skull album For Those Which Are Asleep. Alternatively, lots of very dark, a-rhythmic ambience.
CJ: Evoken has seen a lot of rotations lately. The first two Asphyx albums. Thergothon. A lot of classic doom/death.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
CJ: Haha, you’re asking the wrong guy — if things were that dire then we’re all doomed!

Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
MS: Extremist view-points pushed onto others… that annoys me.

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.
CJ: List is too long! So many killer bands in the scene. In no particular order: Mournful Congregation, Stargazer, Portal, Impetuous Ritual, Grave Upheaval, Whitehorse, Cemetary Urn, Ignivomous, Eskhaton, Contaminated. Abominator… I’ve been blessed to play with some of the above already, some it’s yet to happen! Not sure what venue? The (olde) Arthouse certainly holds a special place. So many killer shows resonated through those walls.

Inverloch join Whitehorse in support of Yob at Max Watt’s (formerly Hi-Fi) in Melbourne on August 21. Tickets on sale now through lifeisnoise.com.

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Two Minutes With Thorax

Monday, July 13th, 2015

Before they support Yob in Sydney at the Manning Bar on August 22, we spend a couple of minutes with Thorax and find out what’s new.

Describe your music in five words or less.
Dark power from beyond time.

What’s going on in the world of Thorax?
We have just released our debut LP through excellent Sydney label One Brick Today. People seem to dig it, which is gratifying! In other news we are working jobs, looking after children, eating food, drinking drinks, living life… and in between all these things trying to play a bunch of shows! We are playing Adelaide/Melbourne in mid-August, and Byron Bay/Brisbane in late August.

What motivates you to make music?
The Great Old Ones. They speak to us. They speak through us. We bear the joy of their darkness. Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Fhtagn!

What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
I think the high point is just the continued experience of making something out of nothing with some good friends. The low point is lugging Lachie’s Orange amp to gigs.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
Right at this moment I am listening to the clacking of keyboards and the unsteady thump of my own pulse in my ears. And I’m humming the theme song to “Diff’rent Strokes”. The last record I listened to was Glow by Chris Abrahams.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
Probably Lachie… he has a mouth-watering rump.

Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
Forced closure of Indigenous communities is a good start. Violence against women and LGBT persons. Refugee detention centres. The rise of blinkered patriotism in the wake of heavily spun terrorist threats. Lockout laws. Nationalism. The state of the environment under the ceaseless onslaught of capitalism. THE HUMAN SPECIES.

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.
OK, it would be a festival at Midnight Star, headlined by the ghost of Rowland S Howard. The rest of the lineup would be Nunchukka Superfly, Dead, Unit 11:74, X, Brain Resin, Agents of Abhorrence, Us Mob, the Bee Gees, The Drones, Price of Silence, Flycop, Subversion, S.M.U.T., Lawnsmell, Lentil Soup, True Radical Miracle, Navel Graveyard and Scum System Kill. And about a hundred more bands, too many to list here. The festival would run for a whole year with free beer, single malt whiskey and tofu burgers.… And nangs at the bar.

Thorax join Sumeru in support of doom lords Yob on August 22 at the Manning Bar in Sydney. Tickets on sale now through lifeisnoise.com.

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Two Minutes With Hobo Magic

Monday, June 15th, 2015

Hobo Magic deal in grooves: thick, fuzzy and bathed in a smoke of haze. There’s only a smidgen of Sabbath worship built into their self-titled debut and it’s skillfully hidden behind masterful riffage and a supersized rhythm section. Before they support Pallbearer at Crowbar next week, we spent a couple of minutes with the trio to find out what’s new.

Describe your music in five words or less.
Groovin’ spaced-out sonic ride.

What’s going on in the world of Hobo Magic?
A shitload of train hopping and drinking moonshine. Yeaaah, nah. We’ve been vibing out hard playing some rad shows in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast with killer local and international bands, jamming new tunes for our next album, meeting some gnarly people and working on our first ever Australian tour and release in August which is going to be wild!

What motivates you to make music?
The state of the world today, major issues that most people choose to ignore, music is the perfect way to push a message and speak some truth! We also have such a rad time playing together and vibing with everyone at shows, listening to good music, seeing people have a good time and all share that connection at shows also is the best! There’s loads of inspiration through the bands we play with and that always keeps us wanting to groove harder… Brisbane has such a killer music scene!

What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
A kinda low but funny point was at one of our first gigs at the Salvos Youth Club in Noosa. We had a group of frustrated teens throw glow sticks at us as we grooved out. We found it hilarious but I guess they just wanted a campfire jingle instead of a Sweet Leaf cover. High points for me have been putting out our first release, playing in Melbourne to so many rad people, supporting Red Fang and Windhand and pretty much every time we play together rules hard!

What music are you listening to at the moment?
Besides the old school Classics, the past few weeks new music I’ve been digging is Bill Withers, loads of Rush, local Brissy groovers Black Deity, Curtis Mayfield, Miles Davis and a new favourite band of mine Danava who tear it up.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
I’d say Carter… unless hes upped his wrestling game.

Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
When you get keen on the rider beers but there’s none left, the state of the Abbott Government, the fact that all Australians don’t have the right to get married, mining, dredging in the great barrier reef and when I break a new string at band practice is a killer!

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.
There are so many rad Australian bands past and present so this is a hard question, but right now I’d say Black Deity, AC/DC (Bon Scott era), Buffalo, Hydromedusa, Smoke, Prowler and maybe a cheeky Hobo set at the end, set up by the side of Lake Weyba in Noosa!

Hobo Magic join Lizzard Wizzard in support of Pallbearer on June 21 at Crowbar in Brisbane. Tickets on sale now through lifeisnoise.com.

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Two Minutes With Looking Glass

Thursday, June 11th, 2015

Before they support doom giants Pallbearer in Sydney, we spend a couple of minutes with Canberra metal stalwarts Looking Glass and find out what’s new.

Describe your music in five words or less.
Cosmic, ephemeral, guitar, bass, drums

What’s going on in the world of Looking Glass?
We’re just finishing up recording our fourth album and working on tunes that might end up being on our fifth.

What motivates you to make music?
Life would be desolate without it.

What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
Lows — when Clinton moved to Perth for two years.
Highs — heading to NZ three times and supporting Saint Vitus.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
The Birthday Party, Graham Central Station, Goatsnake and Rush.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
Lachlan. He is the least thin and vegan anyway.

Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
Josh from I Exist having his guitar stolen by scum from a gig on the Central Coast last week.

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.
The Birthday Party, Hard-Ons, The Easybeats, Tigerflesh at the Terrace Bar, Canberra (RIP).

Looking Glass join Hawkmoth in support of Pallbearer at Hermann’s Bar in Sydney on Saturday, June 20. Tickets on sale now through lifeisnoise.com.

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Two Minutes With Merchant

Monday, June 8th, 2015

Before they support doom metal giants Pallbearer in Melbourne, we spend a couple of minutes with Merchant and find out what’s new.

Describe your music in five words or less.
Fumes off the tar pit.

What’s going on in the world of Merchant?
Oh boy we have heaps of stuff coming up! Just last week we were anounced to take part in one of the Melbourne legs of the Pallbearer tour, which is a huge acheivement for us. We definitley look up to those guys an their music alot, so it feels awesome tocnsidered worthy enough to join them in the bill. Otherwise, we have been lining up shows for the rest of the year, which is always exciting. Even more exciting is that after this Pallbearer gig, we will be diving back into the writing, to conjure up some more crushing riffs for all the boys and girls.

What motivates you to make music?
I guess the main thing is spending time working with some of your closest and oldest friends. But other than that, I guess it’s just because we love to play and write! To try and follow in the footsteps of our idols and torch bearers of the scene, both locally and overseas. Personally, I just love playing shows, to see everyone having an awesome time rocking out to your music, it’s a pretty humbling feeling.

What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
Oh man, there have been plenty of highs and lows. I can really only speak for myself here, but there have been times when I’ve been stuck in bands where trying to make music is like trying to draw blood from a stone. That was probably the lowest point for me musically, we all wanted to write and play, but not making any headway eventually led to commitment and perseverance levels to drop into unfortunate disbandment, but what can you do really? Music has to come naturally, to paraphrase a quote from Mike Sheidt of Yob. If writing is becoming something that you have to force, there is no point trying to write, as it’s not going to be genuine. That being said, there have been heaps of good times too, having the chance to record in a brewery, also playing a fundraiser for the Sea Shepard crew was pretty awesome too. But again, for me, its all about the rush of live performance.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
As much as we all have our similar tastes in music, mostly metal, but our tastes are rather broad at the same time. But for me, I am currently spining some new releases from local bands such as Watchtower and Horsehunter. But, just by going through my iTunes ‘recently added’ there are bands like Torche, Thou, Kogn and the Wounded Kings. But my go-to’s would be Conan, Cough, High on Fire, Sleep, Windhand, Elder, Bongripper, Electric Wizard and Yob, just to name a few.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
I couldn’t say exactly, but it would either be myself or Mirgy. Being that Nick is a builder so he is most useful, Wilson makes beer so he would be next in line for necessity. But then there is me, who works in a guitar factory, and Mirgy who installs fridge systems, so I guess it would be me, as Mirgy can run faster.

Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
So we have all worked in bars before, and I think the unanimous decision between us and every single bartender everywhere, is people who put their money in the puddle of beer on the bar top, instead of putting into your open and waiting hand. I mean, how much of a dickhead are you? I’ve been working for 11 hours straight and now I have to grovel for your money. Jeez.

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.
The venue would definitely have to be the Metro/Palace Theater (RIP). The acts would probably be, Horsehunter, Watchtower, Grim Rhythm, Quiet Child and Matt Sonic and the High Times. Sick.

Merchant join Horsehunter in support of Pallbearer at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne on June 19. Tickets on sale now from lifeisnoise.com.

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Two Minutes With Warpigs

Thursday, June 4th, 2015

Before they support doom metal giants Pallbearer at their first Melbourne show later this month, we spend a couple of minutes with ambient duo Warpigs and find out what’s new…

Describe your music in five words or less.
Angelic, divine, cut throat blues.

What’s going on in the world of Warpigs?
We’ve just released our first full length, Natural Philosophy, on vinyl. It’s been a long time dream for us to have our music on wax and it feels great to finally have a product we’re not only proud of, but also feel represents so much of what we’re about.

What motivates you to make music?
Each other. A duo is much different from larger bands where there is always some element of compromise in music making. In Warpigs, we’re able to completely be ourselves, to completely create and play from our hearts. It’s a unique experience that allows us to draw from every and any influence.

What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
Playing live to air on PBS’s Pojama People was a great experience and one we’re truly grateful for. Playing live in general is always a high, the way we write our music allows us to embrace the moment and expand our songs to suit the setting. In this group I don’t think there really have been any low points, though that time Poly broke his foot was pretty shit.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
All sorts of stuff, it’s kind of hard to name anything in particular. Lots of local stuff, lots of bands we’re playing with. Melbourne/Australia has some awesome music.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
Probably Poly, he’s a vegan so he couldn’t eat me anyway.

Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
Scenes, seriously wtf?! My 21st was at the Arthouse, the bands playing were Dreadnought, Fuck I’m Dead, Running With Scissors and Alarum. It was awesome. That lineup would never happen these days, and that is shit. There is nothing ‘punk’ about dressing the same as everyone else in the room.

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.
We already did this at our recent vinyl launch at the Gasometer Hotel, just wish it was a warmer night so we could open the ceiling.
The line up was, Magic Mountain Band, Warpigs, Goodbye Enemy Airship and Bonnie Mercer. We would’ve added The Boy Who Spoke Clouds, but we got him to mix the night instead.
There are so many great bands in Australia and we’d be happy playing alongside any of them.

Warpigs join Child in support of Pallbearer on June 17 at the Ding Dong Lounge in Melbourne. Tickets on sale now through lifeisnoise.com.

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Two Minutes With Crypt

Monday, May 18th, 2015

We spend a couple of minutes with Crypt before they support Boris in Adelaide and find out what’s new…

Describe your music in five words or less.
Whiskey-soaked doom, occult rock ‘n’ roll.

What’s going on in the world of Crypt?
Heaps at the moment. We launched our debut EP at the beginning of the year and have been touring that. We played a couple shows in Melbourne last month and we’re headed to Brisbane at the end of May. We played with Space Bong and Horsehunter on the Adelaide leg of the Bonghunter tour, and we are fucking excited to be supporting California’s The Shrine, and also Japan’s Boris, which we are all big fans of! And somewhere in between all that we have a pile of songs we are trying to get finished for our 12-inch we have planned for early 2016.

What motivates you to make music?
Money and girls and drugs in no particular order… Actually, most of the band have partners, so I guess just the money and drugs!

What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
Lows? I don’t think we’ve been a band long enough to experience actual lows. It’s been pretty fun so far, maybe more frustrating than low is with six of us and most of us having multiple bands and projects it’s extremely hard and frustrating to bring it all together. its a lot of hard work. But having said that when the six of us are firing it’s fucking brutal! The live show is where it’s at for us and a definite high so far was our EP launch in January… middle of summer but we had some bullshit 30-year storm and it was pissing with rain, but well over 200 people came out which is huge for a local lineup in Adelaide. Worldsend hotel is a semi-outdoor venue so it was basically rock ‘n’ roll dance party in the rain. We worked pretty hard leading up to that night so the party went well into daylight! Good night!

What music are you listening to at the moment?
The soundtrack to our Melbourne tour was AC/DC and Turbonegro. Nothing like peak hour on the ring route into Melbs screaming she shook me all night long! So that has been drilled into our heads, but also Church of Misery , Midnight Ghost Train, Howling Wolf, Bongripper and Sleep,

If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
I know the diet of half the guys ain’t pretty — they are all smoked and pickled so whoever lands in the pan won’t be gourmet. Me and Steve are too old… tough meat. King sits in a recording studio all day so he would at least be tender, Tyson is way too pretty to be eaten and I’d feel bad. So that leaves Watson and Gully, who have been mates since school so I wouldn’t wanna separate them, so probably fry the two of em up together

Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
Ugh, this is supposed to be two minutes, so I won’t even touch our current government situation, ’cause we are fucking doomed. What pisses me off? How about the commercialization of the phrase ‘DIY’. Some bands, artists, whatever like to tack that on for credibility, but are in actual fact full of shit. There is a whole culture of genuine DIY people, getting it done with out the mainstream even knowing.

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.

There’s an small independent Adelaide festival called Scumfest. It’s put on in the old Queen’s Theatre which is this big run down warehouse sorta situation, with the theatre facade still intact. The atmosphere is is fucking amazing. Normally like 20 bands or something, art, screen printing, half pipe, food, booze. It’s a 12 hour party. So I guess if I could hijack that and and magic back some old bands… Bon Scott era ACDC in a warehouse? So fucking good! Um, awesome Aboriginal band from the 80s called No Fixed Address, Rose Tattoo, Cold Chisel. Man trying to think now… us, Crypt of course, Schifosi, Hydromedusa, Drowning Horse, The Jerks, Horsehunter, Whitehorse. If we can make it like a week long festival gig maybe we can fit in all the bands I’d wanna see!

Crypt join Last Days of Kali in support of Japanese noisemakers Boris at Fowler’s Live in Adelaide on Sunday, May 31. Tickets on sale now through lifeisnoise.com.

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Two Minutes With Narrow Lands

Thursday, May 14th, 2015

There’s difficult listening and then there’s Narrow Lands. From the opening note on their 2013 long-player, Popular Music That Will Live Forever, the Sydney outfit stake their claim on a furious brand of industrial-strength aural brutalism that recalls the best of Shellac, early-Earth and Boris.

Fitting then that they’ll be opening proceedings for the second of Boris’ two Sydney shows on Friday, May 29. We spent a couple of minutes with frontman Alan Power to find out what’s new.

Describe your music in five words or less.
Toxic sludge with occasional choruses

What’s going on in the world of Narrow Lands?
We recorded an EP late last year which was then accidentally shipped (literally, on a boat) to England when our bass player moved overseas. So we just got that back and we’re in the process of deciding whether it’s shit or not. And also we are freaking out about supporting Boris.

What motivates you to make music?
Pretty even mix of the horrors of everyday life + a desperate and childish desire to impress people.

What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
Low point probably the whole first 3 years of the band where we weren’t very good.

High point probably YIL/NL, where we teamed up as a 7-piece with fellow Sydney noise-punks Yes I’m Leaving and somehow played a coherent(ish) gig without exploding the PA at Black Wire.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
Low Life.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
Probably me, Alan. Mutiny. I’ve been a tyrannical frontman these years, they’d turn on me pretty quick. Plus I’m diabetic, so I’d be the first to die anyway without my insulin. They wouldn’t even have to make the decision. Too easy.

Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
Hard to pick just one, but I’m gonna go with zxcvawergbr gret78675u6 @#4!!!#$ (that’s my brain exploding trying to focus all hate on one thing). Probably the way this country treats asylum seekers, and the way most of the population is apparently fine with it.

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.
Jeez, ok. I’m going with Mere Women, Low Life, Zeahorse, No Art (RIP), Tanned Christ, Nun, Yes I’m Leaving, Danyl Jesu, Total Control ’cause they hardly ever play and I’ve never seen em, Burlap, Forces, Multiple Man, Snakeface, Bone, Making, and for the token nostalgia band maybe ‘90s era Dirty Three so we could see Warren without his beard. Beardless Warren could be the MC as well. This would be held at the Lane Cove West Bowlo ’cause it’s about 150 metres from my house.


Narrow Lands join We Lost The Sea in support of Japanese noise titans Boris at the Newtown Social in Sydney on Friday, May 29. That show has sold out, but tickets for the Thursday, May 28 show at Newtown Social — along with the rest of the Australian tour — are on sale now through lifeisnoise.com.

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Two Minutes With Hawkmoth

Monday, May 11th, 2015

Before they support Boris at the first of two Sydney shows, we spend a couple of minutes with Hawkmoth and find out what’s new.

Describe your music in five words or less.
Molten, cataclysmic, meta-galactic, alchemistic sludge.

What’s going on in the world of Hawkmoth?
We’re busy writing our new album.

What motivates you to make music?
Hearing and seeing music done uniquely and done well

What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
Low point would be the extensive search for a new drummer that’s fit for the job.

High point would be finding a drummer that kills the job.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
Sumac — The Deal
Swans — To Be Kind
Mono — Rays of Darkness

If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
Brendan, purely because of the quantity of flesh.

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.
Buffalo, Dirty Three, Hard-Ons, The Birthday Party, Snowman, Laughing Clowns, Alchemist and King Salmon all playing in a lava cave.

Hawkmoth join Dumbsaint in support of Japanese noise legends Boris at the Newtown Social in Sydney on Thursday, May 28. Tickets are on sale now from lifeisnoise.com.au, Oztix and the venue.

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Two Minutes With Grieg

Thursday, May 7th, 2015

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.

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Posted in Grieg, Guitars, Two Minutes With... | Comments Off on Two Minutes With Grieg

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