Before they support Sleep at The Hi-Fi in Brisbane on December 11, we spend a couple of minutes with Frown and find out what’s new…
What’s going on in the world of Frown?
Well we’ve just released our first LP The Greatest Gift To Give and played a couple of live offerings around Brisbane and up in the sleepy town of Nambour with some of our favorite local hellions, Last Chaos, Black Deity, Shackles and Hobo Magic. Oh and a show with Methdrinker from New Zealand and Whitehorse from Melbourne. We’ve also been working some new material for some possible compilations we were asked to be a part of for next year.
What motivates you to make music?
I think a lot of it comes from hearing bands that really hit that heavy spot in us. An extension of that catharsis you get when you hear something for the first time, when your world gets shattered by an insane sound you’ve never heard before and all you want is more. So that inspires us to try and create a combination of visceral energy and mental transportation in our music making, bridge the gap between the visible and invisible.
What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
Since the incarnation of the band it’s been mostly high points. We’ve had the pleasure to support Church Of Misery last year for Doomsday Festival — they fucking rule — and Corrosion Of Conformity this year, that was real fun too. Just about every show we’ve got to played has been a high point and we have been lucky enough to play with very varied bands, from crust punk to black metal. And soon supporting Sleep! I don’t know if you can get higher thank that!
What music are you listening to at the moment?
Reverend Bizarre, Ruins of Beverest, Celtic Frost, Bong, Cosmic Dead, Black Cobra, Earthless, BL’AST, Beast In The Field and Sir Lord Baltimore just to name a few.
If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
I think that would have to Ben our bass player. We were a three piece (just two guitars and drums) for the demo cassette and then just after the recording of the LP Ben joined for a bit more bottom end snarl. So I guess we’re a bit less attached to him, haha. He kills it though, so only suitable that we should kill him, for survival off course.
Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
Hmm, that’s a big ‘ole can of witchetty grubs there and would take more than two minutes, there’s a lot of stuff going on in the world at the moment that pisses us off. But more people are starting to pay attention.
Musically there’s a lot of amazing new bands appearing in Australia, and internationals touring here to (thanks to likes of Life Is Noise, Heathen Skulls) so things are on the up for the most part, great bands are just sometimes underappreciated and end up going nowhere because of it unfortunately. But I suppose that just comes down to population and media. Often Australian bands have to make it big overseas before they get the recognition they deserve back home. That’ll do, no high horses, nothing too heavy. Things are on the up.
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.
Well think I’ll have to go for the fantasy line up on this one. Buffalo, Coloured Balls, Blackfeather, Mackenzie Theory, Masters Apprentices, X, Radio Birdman, Dirty Three, The Birthday Party and The Saints at something like Meredith or the Sunbury Festival… and maybe a necromancer to raise a bunch of members from the dead. That would make for a good show.
Frown join Golden Bats in support of the mighty Sleep at The Hi-Fi in Brisbane on Thursday December 11. Tickets on sale now from lifeisnoise.com.
