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.
