Interview - Andy from Storm the Sky

Storm the Sky are a 6-piece metalcore/post-hardcore act from Melbourne, Australia. They recently completed a New Zealand tour with American hardcore punk act Stray from the Path and have also been over to America since. Having only formed in 2011, they have played with other acts in the hardcore scene such as Iwrestledabearonce, Oh Sleeper, Vanna, Fit For a King, The Plot in You, House VS Hurricane, Confession, In Hearts Wake and Dream on Dreamer. In a ever congested scene, the band manages to stay fresh by finding ways to always add their own special touch. When you turn on a Storm the Sky song, you know it's them! 

The band recently took part in the Fist2Face Farewell show at TLC in Bayswater. Fist2Face is an independent record and merch store located in Ringwood, Melbourne. It was originally started in 2004 by Elliot Davidson, originally as an online store run out of his bedroom. A year later, current owner, Gerard Pidoto bought the place out. After another 6-9 months it was launched as what some of us know it today. In the last 10 years the store has been a big part of the local music scene in Melbourne. It saw band signings and instores from acts such as: All Time Low, Beneath the Rising Tide, Calling All Cars, Dream on Dreamer, D at Sea, Escape the Fate, Northlane, House VS Hurricane, Of Mice & Men, The Bennies and more.

I got the chance to speak with Andy Szetho (guitar) about the band's past achievements 
aswell as hopes for the future.

First off all, thanks for taking the time to do this interview

Our pleasure!

How did the band originally form?

Alex, Billy, and I (Andy)  went to school together about 5 years ago and we just started jamming and playing rock covers before we started to get a bit more serious. We then recruited Will, who we knew through mutual friends and Daniel who responded to an advertisement we put up on a music community website.

Where does the name come from?

One of the hardest parts about starting a band is always finding the right name that everyone agrees on. After brainstorming names for a long time, our drummer Alex was sitting in a Uni course (most likely bored out of his mind) and had an epiphany. I remember he messaged me "Storm The Sky" and I instantly loved it. A couple of the other guys were a bit skeptical, but it grew on us and we really liked the positive connotations associated with the name. Metaphorically, it was a strong statement about what we wanted to do in terms of making a big impact on the heavy music scene (we wanted to take it by storm haha). You would've heard of the saying "the sky is the limit", that kind of thing.

You guys are certainly unique with two lead singers in the band, how did that come about?

Honestly, we initially wanted Will to sing and play bass, but after trialing it for a while it became evident to us that Will was able to sing a lot better without playing bass, and we wanted to utilize his talent as much as we could to make sure he was using his voice to the best of his ability. Daniel was already in the band at this stage so we decided to do something a bit different and roll with two front-men!

What are some of your main influences as a band, drawing mainly from local or more international acts?

The thing with our band is we all listen to all different genres of music, and I think you can definitely hear that in our music. Our older stuff (Vigilance EP and earlier material) was probably more influenced by bands like Memphis May Fire, The Amity Affliction (who are also Australian), The Devil Wears Prada, and bands similar to those, but in terms of newer stuff we're working on now, I'd say a few bands we've taken influence from are 30 Seconds To Mars, Bring Me The Horizon, AFI, and at the other end of the spectrum bands like This Will Destroy You, Sigur Ros, and even some shoegaze/dream pop bands like Slowdive. Our overall attitude with our newer material is to try and make the songs sound really atmospheric, dark, and I guess a lot more wide-scope than our earlier songs. We've gone for a more textural approach to writing the new material at the same time, but our sound is always very accessible which isn't a bad thing at all. 

What has the experience been like recording your first EP?

Recording our first EP was a very new experience for us. I don't think we were nearly as prepared for it as we were with recording our Vigilance EP a year after that. It was a great learning experience for us and for what it was at the time, it turned out pretty good!

Now the 2nd EP Vigilance has done very well!

Thank you so much! The Vigilance EP did do extremely well for us, and it's always so humbling to see kids screaming the lyrics back at us at shows. The fact that people went out of their way to buy our CD was just so overwhelming. This EP also opened a lot of doors for us and led to many great opportunities so we couldn't be happier with how it all unfolded. We also had it mixed and mastered by Will Putney (Northlane, The Amity Affliction, Stray From The Path, Like Moths To Flames) over in the USA which was really exciting for us, especially because he has worked with so many bands that we really looked up to at the time.

You have a few music videos out, what has been your favourite so far?

All of them were heaps of fun to make, but at the same time extremely hard work involving A LOT of time and stress. We had our close friend Ed Reiss do all of them, and he is just such a gifted guy so we owe him a lot for those videos. If we had to pick a favourite, we'd say the Common Kings live video, because all we had to do was do what we do best (or at least try haha), and that is put on a captivating and energetic live performance. If I had to choose between the Giants and Vigilance videos, I'd say the Vigilance video, because we sort of had a better idea of what we were doing! Also, it was indoors, so we didn't have to deal with freezing cold weather, and rain! 

Are you currently working on a follow up release?

We definitely are. I can't really say much about it at the moment, but I can guarantee what we've been working on is our best work to date (even though every band says that), and we've put literally everything we have into it. There are a couple of surprises as well. It'll all come to light soon enough, and we can't wait to share the exciting news with everyone! 

2013 was a big year for Storm the Sky, how is 2014 shaping up to be so far?

Funnily enough, we've only played 3 shows in 2014 so far. This time last year we would have just finished our 4th Australian tour! We've been working extremely hard behind the scenes writing new material and working on some stuff. Although on the surface it may seem as though we're not doing anything, we guarantee we've actually been very productive and have been working our asses off. The 2nd half of 2014 is shaping up to be pretty huge for us so keep an eye on what we're doing.

What do you think of Australia's hardcore scene right now?

If I'm being completely honest with you, and I might cop a bit of brunt for this, but although it is thriving, I don't think Australia's hardcore scene is at it's best right now. I feel as though the scene is over saturated with bands sticking to the same formula doing the exact same thing, following trends so as to impress their friends. I'm not discouraging young people to play music or anything because I would encourage every single kid out there to pick up an instrument and have a good time with their mates. It's more so the attitude of a lot of people. There are way too many kids who will stand there watching a band with their arms crossed, thinking they're being really tough, and who talk crap on bands because they don't have enough breakdowns, or aren't heavy enough. For example, something we get a lot of the time is "You guys suck because you have clean vocals, they're so lame", or comments along those lines. Sure, you might not like us and that's absolutely fine, because everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but instead of using your mental energy talking crap on bands, why don't you use that mental energy to talk about and praise the bands you do love, and support them instead. There is also just a lot of close mindedness in the Australian hardcore scene, and I know for a fact that in other genres in Australia it's not half as bad. It's because of this that there are so many bands that are too afraid to step outside the box and do something a bit left of field. With all that being said, and on a more positive note, there are definitely some outstanding heavy bands in Australia, and the fact that you can look at the ARIA charts and see a heavy band up the top is a very motivating thing. As a result, more and more people are starting to pay more attention to what Australia's hardcore scene really has to offer, as well as an incredible amount of shows being put on and tours coming through our country, which is also giving younger bands the chance to live their dreams. Go Australia!

  

What was it like playing Fringefest?

Having just come back from America after 6 weeks, and having not played a show for about 3 to 4 months, it was so amazing to see how many people were actually still interested in seeing us live. Also, having attended Fringe Fest in the past and going to them as young kids watching our favourite bands to headlining it this year was really very humbling. The crowd looked like they had a great time too! Our mates in Void Of Vision and Elegist also played, and they absolutely killed it as per usual!

You guys recently headlined the Fist2Face Farewell show, that must have been an honour! What was that like?

This was also a great show for us. When we were first asked to play this show, we didn't even think twice and said yes, as we really wanted to help out Gerard as he has done so much for our local music scene here in Melbourne. Fist2face did the pre orders for our Vigilance EP, and have been hosting shows and helping bands for as long as I can remember. There was a real community spirit, and everyone dropped their egos and close mindedness for the day and united to be a part of a great mixed bill show. The turn out was great, and everyone looked like they were having a great time! 

Would you say Gerard and Fist2Face have become quite a large part of the local scene of the past 10 years?

Definitely! They have done so much for the local scene, and have given so many bands a platform to release their music and merchandise, and reach fans that they otherwise may not have been able to reach. The music scene, Melbourne in particular, would not be as thriving as it is now without the help and support of Gerard. We wish him all the best with his future endeavors!

What have some of your favourite tours/shows to play on? Having supported the likes of Blessthefall, House VS Hurricane, Vanna and Dream on Dreamer, Stray from the Path and Fit for a King.

We always get asked this question, and it's usually the same answer! I would say our favourite tour as a band was our New Zealand tour with Stray From The Path, and our Aussie pals Stories. It was the first time we played outside of our own country, and it was just mind blowing that there were actually kids that knew who we were. The Stray From The Path guys were also some of the best people I know in the music industry. Everything they do is so genuine, and they are all insanely talented, innovative musicians. This doesn't take away from any of our other tours at all, as each one of them has their own memories and what not, and we became pretty close with most bands we toured with!

You guys are now managed by Jayden Roy of the Artery Foundation, what has the journey been like so far?

To put it simple, Jayden has done SO much for us. He picked us up at a time when not many people were interested in us, and he gave us that chance. He has also become one of our/my closest friends and a lot of our success can be attributed to him. We can only look to the future!

What are your thoughts on his Band Rescue project, can you explain a little bit about that?

It really is a great opportunity for young bands to get some insider knowledge on how the music industry works, as well as getting some valuable and honest feedback on your band. Jayden is one of the easiest guys I know to talk to, and he will help your band achieve your full potential. Shoot him an email at bandrescueaus@gmail.com if you're interested in working with him on this! 

What are rehearsals like, any funny stories to share?

As much as I'd love to tell you we are always very serious at rehearsals, and we get heaps done all the time, I'd probably be lying haha. Sure, we work hard and what not and we are productive (most of the time), but we don't take ourselves too seriously. We figure if we're not having fun anymore, then what's the point of doing it? If I have to single out one funny story (or at least we thought it was funny haha), the only thing I can think of is the one time we all switched instruments, and covered ACDC's Back In Black with Alex on vocals. Alex's real name should be Tamika, because his pipes are niiiiiiice. 

What are some long term goals you have as a band?

I know most bands will tell you this, but I know for a fact that everyone in our band would say Warped Tour is one of them. We just want to be able to travel the world and play our music. We want to leave our mark on the heavy music scene. As a band our next goal is to hopefully sign to a label, release our debut album, and see where that takes us. A personal long term goal for me would be to play Reading/Leeds Festival one day, or even Coachella (probably wishful thinking).

Any last words or advice for the fans?

I feel a bit bad about my rant on the music scene before, so don't take me too seriously haha. If you want to start a band, do it because YOU want to do it, and forget about all the cool tough guy kids. Just play what YOU want to play, regardless of whether it's "cool" or "trendy", and you'll find that there's a lot more self satisfaction and longevity with what you're doing. In terms of Storm The Sky, keep an eye on our page over the next couple of months as we will have some of the most exciting news of our musical career to tell you guys, and we hope you're all as stoked as we are. Thanks so much for all the ongoing support as you're helping us do what we love, and we honestly really appreciate it! Word.  

The Wolfpack are back! Wolfmother at The Corner Hotel, Richmond (17/12/13)

Wolfmother are a band that have been through a lot since the departure of their founding members. Chris Ross and Myles Heskett left the band in 2008 and multiple line-up changes have happened since then. After a brief break-up they are back with a vengeance! The new line-up is comprised of lead singer/guitarist and founding member Andrew Stockdale, bass guitarist/keyboardist Ian Peres (who joined the band in 2008) and former rhythm guitarist, now drummer Vin Steele. 

It was a very short notice show, with no support bands, but that didn't matter.

After a 30min wait, Tommy Franklin from Australia's Got Talent took to the stage to get the crowd nice and warmed up, asking everyone to high-five eachother, before screaming out here's Wolfmother as the band took to the stage.

The Corner Hotel is one of Melbourne's most respected medium-sized rock venues, and the perfect setting to breathe new life into Wolfmother as a live band. Back down to a trio, the interaction between the members  on-stage was superb. As they say, sometimes, less is more. The band sounded as tight as ever and only needed minimal lighting effects to accent the performance. Of course you can't go without a smoke machine! By the end of the performance the crowd was eating them up, singing along to almost every word. It was like I was transported straight back in my bedroom, listening their self-titled album when I was 11 years old. 

The set included hits such as Dimension which almost sent the crowd into another one as the mosh pit went into a frenzy. Other tracks such as: White Unicorn, New Moon Rising, Mind's Eye, Woman and Joker & the Thief made an appearance. Tommy even came back on stage to dance during one of the songs. The rest of the set included some songs from Andrew Stockdale's solo album, and some new tracks that were greeted quite warmly from the crowd. One of the tracks even had a couple of people singing along after the first chorus. 

I went to this show as a bit of fun and can honestly say it was a great time, everyone really got into it and the band played like it was the last show they would ever play. They meant every note, every drum beat, every vocal line. It's a testament to how they've lasted so long and how long they'll be around. You know what they say; just keep on moving. There's a new energy to this lineup, something un-explainable. It's as if its they have a new lease on life. Big things may be just around the corner.

Another Inside Reality interview

Inside Reality is a group of friends who like to have fun and their music reflects that quite well.

First this question is for Tom. What has it been like joining as the singer of this band and what has the experience been like so far?

Thomas Hore: Its shit theyre all horrible and mean especially sam
Nah
(Dont put that in i just want sam to know how much i hate him)


I'm putting it in!  Needs to sound natural.

Thomas Hore: Fuck ....

Sam De Lorenzo: Love you too Tom.....

Anyway, how was it joining, and how do you find performing the new songs you were a part of write compared to the old songs?

Thomas Hore: Its actually been really good opening up my ideas; that otherwise would stay in my head or forever be on paper. Being able to express those ideas is really pretty mad. On another "note" I feel the band have really warmed to my style of vocals as you've probably heard, I sound nothing like Sam and its been a real challenge to match him with older songs. I'm doing the best I can...Whether they sound any good is completely up to the listener. The first few gigs have been brilliant besides being bashed in the head mid headbang with Mitch's headstock at Kates [Party]. We've really meshed as a group to make really unique sound and it excites me that I finally have a few fans other than my mother!

Was there a bruise after?

Thomas Hore: Not a big one, just a little lump, don't think Mitch even noticed.

Mitch Dalzotto: (laughs) No clue!

Thomas Hore: There you go.

How did the 1st gig compare with the 2nd?

Thomas Hore: Well, I could hear myself at Kates for a start and I didn't have the plague... So I think I prefer Kates [to Karralyka Centre]

Yeah, ailments are always bad.. Because you know you can't give the crowd your best performance

Thomas Hore: Exactly.

This one is for mitch, what has it been like coming in as the new guitarist in the band?

Mitch Dalzotto: At the start I didn't really know what to expect as the only person i knew from the band was Zac. But after 10 mins everything was cool and now its just like second nature. All the dudes in the band are cool, so being the "new guy" has never been an issue.

How does your playing style compare the previous guitarist Corey?

Mitch Dalzotto: I come from a more metal/hardcore based style of playing, so the riffs I write are just that little bit heavier. Which I think adds that little more something to the songs, but for some reason my leads come from a more jazz style so I have no idea how it works, but it does (laughs a bit)

It would be a bit of a contrast to his hard rock style then? Do you play mostly rhythm or lead would you say?

Mitch Dalzotto: Pretty much. There's quite a difference between GnR and Parkway Drive (has a good laugh)
At the moment; mostly rhythm, but when we get into the writing process I'll be able to throw some lead stuff in.

I'd be interested to hear some jazz interludes.

Mitch Dalzotto: Id love that (laughs)

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: 37

Zac Bell: That's bass player for potato.

Yeah Zac, bass players, speak their own language dont they

Thomas Hore: same
as in for the jazz interludes not the language

Why not have both?
*plays El Paso ad in background*

Thomas Hore: ...and i'm a drummer....

Would you guys say you have good presence while on stage?
knew it!
So you speak drummer then?

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: Thomas is NOT a drummer.
He pretends he is.

Mitch Dalzotto: Yeah.

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: And it annoys the shit out of us.

Zac Bell: arh the language of the grey beards
(skyrim reference)

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: <3

Does he always get on the kit at practice?

Thomas Hore: Me? Not always.

Zac Bell: Lies!

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: Preferably never.

Thomas Hore: I'd love to be a drummer, if only i had the mental capacity...

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: Well, Tom is not gonna be the drummer lets get that out of the way

Mitch Dalzotto: Enough drummer talk let the man do his interview

Maybe Zac could try out for vocals?

Zac Bell: Nah, too easy.

Tom could be the new drummer.

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: Fuck no.

Zac Bell: I'd just get really drunk and yell at the audience

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: True!

Thomas Hore: Do I sense a Marilyn Manson coming through?

Have you ever thought about having one song where you all swap instruments?

Mitch Dalzotto: (laughs) Yes!

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: No.

Mitch Dalzotto: That would be awesome.

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: But we should.

Zac Bell: Yeah that'd be dope.

Mitch Dalzotto: Although tom would have to leave the stage

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: Yes!

Mitch Dalzotto: Couldn't play a triangle.

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: Mitch, I want to kiss you.

Thomas Hore: I play bass too lads...

Mitch Dalzotto: Yeah, but keeping time isn't one of his strong points.

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: I know something he can play!... His ****...

Mitch Dalzotto: (laughs hysterically)

Damiean Dutchy Fogden: That always cheers him up...

As far as stage presence goes, how would you guys rate yourselves?

Thomas Hore: Average. Dutchy needs to move more
and so does Zac...

(laughs) Yeah, Zac just sits there the whole time...
Drummers...

Mitch Dalzotto: I think Dutchy needs to take the pole out of his ass and move around (laughs).

Thomas Hore: I think he should do some crab walks.

Mitch Dalzotto: Oo yeah.

Thomas Hore: That would be masa

Get his Rob Trujilo on?

Thomas Hore: Mad, yeah!

How's has it been recording your demo?

Thomas Hore: So far we have drums...

So... It's going quite well then?

Thomas Hore: Getting there.

Where are you recording?
And when do you think the demo will be out?

Thomas Hore: Sam?

Mitch Dalzotto: Next couple months its should be done.

Sam De Lorenzo: What Mitch said.

Which songs are you recording? Mostly new. many old tracks?

Sam De Lorenzo: Got a mix of old, new and old/turned new.

Will older tracks like The Disease or Out of My Head make an appearance?

Sam De Lorenzo: Not on the EP, but I would love to play The Disease live again and maybe one day record it. Brings back a lot of old memories of when it was just mem Zac and Corey [sic].
For now those tracks will be sitting on the back burner to the new stuff we have.

Maybe at the next gig?
OK!

Sam De Lorenzo: Probably not, but never say never, if Corey ever again made it to one of our shows I'd put my money on that song being played with him as a guest (laughs).

Would you or Thomas sing lead on the oldies?

Thomas Hore: Sam.

Sam De Lorenzo: I'd force Tom! Nah, I don't mind singing that song, I like it.

Would you just take a rest Tom?

Thomas Hore: Now you know why I hate Sam..

Sam De Lorenzo: The bitch can sing backup...

And play tambourine?

Sam De Lorenzo: He hasn't got the timing...

Maybe just triangle then...

Thomas Hore: Yeah, i'll just play the siting down and relaxing instrument...
I have the timing just lack the effort.

Thomas Hore: Chair... I could be our first mosher...
Mitch and I.

You could crowd surf!

Sam De Lorenzo: Mitch can guitar it, song is simple.

Thomas Hore: Off what?

Mitch Dalzotto: Mad!

Thomas Hore: Do you suggest we go round jumping on people?

Sure, why not!

Thomas Hore: Fair enough.

Once you get bigger crowds it might a bit better (laughs)
Umm any funny stories from band prac to share?


Thomas Hore: Jeez do you think we're that fun....

Well any unfunny stories then..?

Thomas Hore: There is always Sam's incredibly slow eating.

Sam De Lorenzo: We caught Tom listening to other bands while he was pretending to be sick at practice (laughs)

Thomas Hore: I was sick... still listening to Sabbath is better than Inside Reality if you ask me.
By the time Sam finishes one slice of pizza each of us have eaten about 5.

Sabbath is the best cure!

Thomas Hore: Amen to that.

(laughs) I think I've almost run out of questions here, umm marvel or DC??

Sam De Lorenzo: That my friend is an entire interview in itself.
It's no secret I am very passionate about the Superhero genre.

It may be a secret to people don't know you personally. Does it influence your songwriting at all?

Sam De Lorenzo: Not yet, but maybe it should? We could write Superhero songs instead lovely emotional ones? (laughs)

What superhero would you write about?

Sam De Lorenzo: All of them, they are all great!

Except aqua man..
Would you invent your own?

Sam De Lorenzo: Guitar Guy? Featuring Bass Boy; his sidekick.

What are their powers?

Sam De Lorenzo: Bass boy? No talent... He just slaps people!.

And guitar guy must have the powers of super awesomeness!

Sam De Lorenzo: Yes, indeed, stronger that Superman! Don't forget Guitar Guy's arch nemesis Mr. Vocalist! Or the once sidekick of Guitar Guy, who inexplicably returns from the dead as The Byron Bay Soldier!

And Mr vocalist's friend Drummer Dude?

Sam De Lorenzo: Oh, don't get me started on that mad scientist.

I think you're onto something here!

Sam De Lorenzo: I really think I am (laughs)


You read it first here (laughs)
Any tips for people who wanna start a band?

Sam De Lorenzo: Find people who you genuinely like, enjoy spending time with, and that are committed as much as you are to the said band.

And ...Mac or PC?

Sam De Lorenzo: All true musicians love Mac

Because of Pro Tools?

Sam De Lorenzo: Just cause Macs are great.

Thomas Hore: PCs for gaming, Mac for anything else.

Any last last words?

Sam De Lorenzo: I support gay marriage?
I dunno felt I should say something meaningful...

Oedipus Rex interview

If you don't know who Oedipus Rex is, you're not the first. With their explosive live shows and undeniable energy the word is bound to spread. Oedipus Rex are a 4 piece hardcore//insanecore band from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. They are brought together by Shane Watson (lead vocals), Josh Cuss (guitar), Nathan Cuss (bass) and Matt Francis (drums). Having formed in 2012, the band have released a demo, split EP with fellow Melbournites Break the Wall. They are blazing are trail in the local scene; leaving a trail of destruction, partying, chaos and good times in it's wake. If you build it they will come, as someone once said.. We recently got the catch up with Josh.

Firstly, this might seem like the most obvious question. How did you band form and where does the name Oedipus Rex come from?

So the band formed early 2012 when I started writing some tracks after my old band went to shit. I wrote a couple of tracks and showed them to my mate Shane, who I knew has always been keen to be a vocalist for a band. He dug the tracks, we made a drunk phone call to Dave, the ex guitarist, and within one night we had half a band. Then the ex bassist Daniel jumped on board and we found Matt on Melband[ausband.com]. The whole process went really quickly, within a couple of months we had a 6 track demo and we were playing our first gig!
Daniel came up with the name. Dave and I were chatting, and came up with Oedipus Complex. For people who don't know; it's an old theory that Sigmund Freud came up with, which is pretty much the theory that at a very young age a boy wants to have sexual relations with his mother, so he kills his father. Daniel then found a play/story about it called Oedipus Rex and we thought that sounded more hardcore, so we went for that! (laughs)

As far as influences go, who do you look up to?

It varies a fair bit between members. Personally, a few that really influence me with this band are Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, The Chariot, letlive, Between the Buried and Me, Converge, Trash Talk etc. The list could go on for ages but they're the first that come to mind. All those bands have really pushed themselves to make interesting music in a genre that can be very bland at times and flooded with bands that are just doing the same thing time after time.

Also Freud was a bit of a nut job, but I think it fits in well with the chaotic nature of the music. How would you describe your sound?

Yeah he was a bit of a nut job, but as you said, it probably represents us well (laughs). I'd just call it hardcore. You could sub-genre it as much as you want because it's pretty bipolar in parts, but as a general over view i'd just call it hardcore.

You definitely have something unique going on, striving not completely fit in with the pack.

Thanks man, appreciate it. I think that in a way it wasn't really a conscious decision to be "different" from the outset. The music I write just comes out and our stage presence pretty much came to us naturally. Standing still on stage is boring (laughs). It just evolved over time but it is a bonus that we're set apart the tiniest bit from the general run of the mill hardcore band(s).

I was about to ask whether it came naturally or if you practiced the way you act on stage... but there you go!
Any unusual influences outside the hardcore area some people might not expect?

Not really, most of our other influences that aren't heavy, I find that other kids that listen to the heavy stuff enjoy too. Gorillaz is one that I really admire, their album Demon Days is awesome. Panic at the disco!, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, you know, all those bands we frothed as teens. Nathan, the bassist really enjoys white man reggae, which I really cannot stand for the life of me (laughs). He also loves Aussie Rap, which kills me inside. Most of us sweat Kanye West, enjoy some Odd Future too, but what hardcore kid doesn't these days?

Personally I don't know Odd Future, what am I missing out on?

Yeah (chuckles). It took Shane a bit to get into a first, seeing as it was his first band. Have some footage of the first show we played, and it's hilarious. He looks so cute and nervous up there. But after he found his comfort zone, we can't stop him flipping off shit, breaking shit, jumping off anything he can find (laughs).
Tyler the Creator, Earl, Hodgy Beats? You're pretty much missing out on some dirty ass dank beats, with a touch of lyrical genius.


(laughs) I refuse to believe the man I saw do a back-flip off the stage and nearly got banned from a Youth Centre was ever shy.. Also, could you tell us more about what happened at EV's?

He was never shy as a person, just the first gig I guess! (laughs)
Not much really happened. We just played as we usually do, and the council guy didn't like Shane doing the back-flip. That was pretty much it (laughs)

These guys in suits just don't know how to have a good time.

They don't! Fun police were definitely out that night.

You have a split EP out with Break the Wall, have you done any shows with them to promote it?

Yeah, we held a split launch show on August 2nd at Gertrude's Brown Couch in Fitzroy. The turnout was amazing that night, every one was enjoying the music and we had some real rad support bands that we have played some shows with before too! Jurassic Penguin, Laser Brains and Loser Denial. They all killed it.
We've regularly been playing shows with Break The Wall since the start of the year, so there's always been constant promotion of it. We were always going to do a split together sooner or later (laughs)

Are they similar to you guys stylistically?

They're a lot more straight up punk compared to us, but it always felt right to do it with them, because both bands have the same mentality as far as the DIY approach comes to our music. They're also funny bastards with the same sense of humour, so everything matched up perfectly (laughs)

What is your stance on bands playing covers and what are your favourite songs to play live?

A cover in among-st a set of originals is fine, it's pretty useful when you're not that well known. Get's the crowd involved. Cover bands don't do much for the music scene, but they're fun when you're drunk and partying (laughs)
One of our newest songs off the split, Fuckable Messiah, has quickly become one of my favourites to play live. Winter Nights/Satan's Mum's Dick is always fun to play live too. We have a couple of new songs in the set that will be on our EP that are still pretty fresh and exciting to play live.

Do you like to honour the way the covers were originally played or find it necessary to breath your own life into them?

I like covers that bands put their own spin on, it's enjoyable to see what they come up with. In saying that, I've seen bands live that have played covers really well that are near to the original and it's just as fun when it's a song you really like.

I guess it can go both ways really. Your song titles are fairly tongue and cheek, what kind of lyrical ideas does your singer like to explore?

You'll have to read the lyrics to find out that one. All of our lyrics to the demo are on our Bandcamp page (oedipusrex.bandcamp.com). Some are about how shit religion is, money, loss we experience in our lives, whack dreams, the end of the world and much more.
Satan's Mum's Dick is actually about Satan's Mum's Dick though. That's how we described the band to Dave when we first convinced him to join, so we thought we'd write a song about it (laughs a bit)

I'll just go with that one even though I have no idea what you're talking about (laughs),
but in a way it does make some sense if you've seen this band live before.

Yeah, pretty much. To quote the almighty Shane, "A revolting atrocity not to be witnessed by the mortal". That pretty much sums up the band live (laughs a bit)
But as much as we take the piss live and with some of our song titles, the contents of the lyrics and music are both taken pretty seriously.

Yeah, in the end you need to take things seriously sometimes.. Having fun is always good though

Yeah definitely. I don't think there's much point acting like you're playing at Rod Laver Arena when you're playing in front of 20 people at a dingy little venue in Melbourne. Then again, it's always good to have some professionalism about you no matter where you play.

What was your weirdest gig experience and why?

Probably one of the weirdest gigs we've had to date was when we played the IDGAFF Bar earlier this year. We had a gacked as chick walk in screaming that Mick Malthouse was going to Carlton when he had already been at the club for quite some time. She then stayed for the whole gig, sinkin' Melbourne Bitters like a champ. She also tried to fill her whole back with demo's and other promotional material. Top sheila..
Pretty weird but also fucking hilarious (laughs)


Has your guitar every come loose when you swing it around like a madman on stage?

Fortunately not. The only thing that has gone the slightest bit wrong when I've tried to guitar swing is whilst I've been jumping off stage at the same time. It always seems to smash the the top of my head when I land, but I never learn (laughs)

That would hurt! Any other injuries or mishaps while on stage with the other band members?

Nathan cracked his bass on my face just the other night when we were playing at the Tote. Dave went to hospital twice when he was in the band, Shane has fucked up his feet numerous times as well as other cuts and bruises along the way. Y.O.L.O.

How have the crowds been so far? Any circle pits?

Yeah the crowds have been relatively good so far! Our split launch was awesome, a few people there all gettin' rowdy. We've had circle pits a couple of times consisting of three or four people, including members (laughs vigorously)

What is your dream venue to perform at?

Don't really know man. A small venue packed with a fuckload of people losing their minds would be plenty (laughs)

What advice can you give up and coming musicians?

I think the best advice I could give to musicians/bands these days is to get some sort of music out there and start playing shows ASAP. It's no good having thousands of likes on Facebook before you even play your first show or release your first song. I feel those bands tend to explode onto the scene and die just as quick. Obviously some hype around social media is good because that's the main focus for any band these days, but it will grow over time if you keep persisting with local shows and putting out music.

What will the future bring Oedipus Rex?

The future for Oedipus Rex is looking pretty good at the moment. Heading to Adelaide to play with Statues, Life Pilot, Mara Jade, A Ghost Orchestra and One In The Chamber. That show will be our first show interstate so we're stoked about that! Then I guess we'll keep playing shows and writing more music. We're in the early stages of sorting out our debut EP, which we'll hopefully start recording early next year if it all goes to plan.

HOLLOWS Interview!!

Its an unusual way to figure out the running order for the night, all the bands are told to pull their names out of a hat, as it turns out Hollows have picked the headlining slot. That could be been seen as either a good or a bad thing. If the bands opening the show are great then you can expect the crowd stick around for the full night, if not then there may only be a handful of people left by the end of the night. 

With most of the previous bands and friends of the band in the crowd; Hollows take to the stage and blast through punk fueled set of high octane hardcore. There's a stage presence you can really feel emanating from front-man Kieran and the rest of the band members all compliment this in their own way. Even with drummer Zach Cummings having to sit out the latest performances (Transit Gloria guitarist Nick Sayers filled in) the band still delivered.

Having formed back in 2011, the lineup originally consisted of Cian Marogos - bass, Lucas Cronin - guitar, Kieran Bowkett - vocals; they took a break to study during year 12. In the summer of 2012/13 they started practicing again, a show that took place in Cians backyard was the first performance in quite a while and this time Lucas and Cian had the idea to swap instruments, Kieran stepped up to play guitar and a new Hollows was born. The guitar thing did, however, turn out to be a short stint as former Frontline guitarist and current Void of Vision lead vocalist (you can you read our interview with Frontline here:http://
bit.ly/1aa3pDp) Jack Bergin stepped in to umm, fill the void.

A few days after the performance we got the chance to catch up with the guys for a chat. 
 
Are you guys ready? 

Cian Marangos: Whenever you're ready boss.

Jack Bergin: Hold on, i'm not ready yet.

Cian Marangos; Okay sailor, are you wearing socks? make sure you're wearing socks.

First off, how did this band form and where did the name come from?

Jack: I'll give this one to Kieran, take it sailor!

Cian: I got dis.

Lucas Cronin: Yeah, go on Kieran.

Cian: Kieran and Cronswag started I believe, or came up with the first idea,  then i was asked to do a join of band and we asked Jack to do a playing this year. I think we had a list of names we liked and we just went for this one, and probably because we're all heartless beasts, empty and void on the inside.

Would you say Jack's vision is a bit void?

Cian: He's clinically blind yes… I think that's where their name (check out Jack’s other band Void of Vision on Facebook) comes from.. But that's another story (smiles with a crazy grin).

That must make moving around on stage rather awkward.. but yes, moving on. How would you describe the music the band plays and who are your main inspirations/influences?

Cian: Ye Jack’s weird. We play hardcore/rock/punk vibes with aspects of Motown. As for influences probably letlive, defeater, heights and danzig. But we all have different influences that come up when we write, like in KYD theres some jazzy and mathy influences coming through. Our genre of music though i'd have to say is Medio-core.

What do you think of the local scene right now?

Cian: Local scene is rad, plenty of grouse bands out there and each of them getting the recognition they deserve!

Do you think popularity of hardcore is peaking, or is it continuing to grow?

Cian: Hardcore’s still popular, more kids are getting into heavier music these days i reckon and then from there they're taking a bigger interest in local hardcore which is good stuff because it means more shows!

What are some of your favorite shows/places you’ve performed at?

Cian: Favourite place would be Bang and my house for sure.

And what is the worst venue you’ve played?

Cian: We haven't played anywhere bad, every shows been stacks of fun, having said that we haven't played in many different places yet.

Lucas: Just that, we're always trying to get on more shows so hit us up if you like our sounds.

Cian: Yeeeeee.

Does the band like to add interesting intros to shows for a bit of tongue and cheek? I noticed you played the opening part of Eye of the Tiger at Saturday's show. Would you say humor is a key ingredient into what makes Hollows?

Cian: I think we like to make jokes and not take ourselves too seriously. Jokes are fun and we like fun.

That's a good attitude, some bands seem to take themselves way too seriously these days.

Kieran Bowkett: There is a pretty fine line between taking the piss out of everything and taking things too seriously. We're all good mates and enjoy having a laugh especially in that sense. But our music and lyrics are totally serious so having a sense of humor helps make us not look like a bunch of super serious dudes that write sad/emotional songs.

Jack: Bonox.

Is there anything you’d like to add since you just got here Keiran?

Kieran: All answers are bonox

Okay! (laughs)

What songs do you like to put into the set most often and what do you think about bands playing covers during their show?

Cian: Covers are rad, but cover bands aren’t

Jack: We play a bit of a different set everytime really, we have a bunch of songs, so we try to mix it up.

Kieran: My favorite is Visions, and I wish we could play Respite every show for Godwin but time doesn't always allow for it.

Cian: I really like to play Reflect/Revolt

Isn’t that a Void of Vision song?

Kieran: We've started playing a cover of October 27 by Break Even and that's heaps of fun. But Searching by Frontline is my fave.

Cian: Good covers get the crowd amped and its always cool to see involvement from people, rather than just wall huggers.

Any pre-show rituals?
Kieran: For pre-show rituals I drink/eat heaps of honey… and Bonox.

Cian: Bonox showers are a pre-show must

Jack: We call him Kieran Bee-kett. Coz we're funny

Cian: (laughs) lolhehehe

The real question is do you mix the honey and the bonox?

Jack: With my…

... Moving on. Who writes the songs and what kind of topics do they like to explore in the lyrics?

Kieran: We all write the songs, some individually and others as a band. But in every song there's generally an input from each member in one way or another. Lyrically it's all just speaking from experience, and representing situations in our lives through song. Aka Bonox.

Cian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJbmB9k2Y88

What comes first? Music or lyrics and which is more important to the band?

Kieran: Oh and on a serious note, music and lyrics are definitely equally important in our songs.

So you all write the lyrics, or is that mainly up to you as the singer?

Cian: nah we all have inputs for lyrics. I know when i write im trying to do it as a way of expressing how im feeling at that moment and im sure thats the same with the other dudes. We try to make all the lyrics have some kind of important meaning and for me theres always some emotional attachment to what i write.

Kieran: Half the songs I've written then kind of brought to the band for revision or to add to, but the other half either Cian or Jack have written them. Lyrics are usually fairly personal so it's hard to have 5 dudes sit in a room and pour their hearts out... As Cian said we all have an input. It's generally just a bit more personal than writing songs musically

Yeah I get what you mean; lyrics are probably one of the hardest things to really collaborate on.

Kieran: Yeah exactly.

What’s an average band practice like for Hollows?

Cian: FUN! Band pracs always a laugh and usually involves Dr Peppers and babs.

Kieran: …and sometimes music… But only sometimes.

Cian: Yee.

I heard Dr Pepper wasn’t very good? Maybe I'm missing out on something there.

Cian: Put it with a bab and band prac and you’re having a good time.

Jack: Dr Pepper is milked from God's tenderloins, it's is incredible

Don't want to sound like a fool here, but what exactly is a bab?

Cian: GARLIC ZAUSE. Kebabs!

Jack: GARLIC ZAUSSSSSSSSSS

Ohh... (laughs) ..What’s the big goal for the band? Fame, gold plated Hummers, fortune or just recognition?

Cian: I just want Garlic Zause showers

Kieran: Fame, gold plated Hummers and fortune would be nice… Nah fuck that, I just want some friends to sing along with really. That'd be the best thing ever, to have people to know the songs that we wrote.

Cian: Yeee definitely.

Kieran: And enjoy them for whatever strange reason. But we enjoy playing them, so hopefully people will catch on soon. That'd be all I want.

Circle pits?

Kieran: (laughs) whatever, as long as people are having fun. But for people sing along is what I'm hoping for. ..I'm not sure, I kind of become fairly oblivious to my surroundings while I'm on stage. Anyone else know?

Cian: Not as yet, but any type of involvement is always appreciated! I'd like to see more mic grabs, those are fun.. We had a dude throwing down the other night which was fun to see!

What has been one of the biggest challenges for the band so far?

Cian: But real talk, biggest challenge has been trying to get our music out there and getting bmth toanz ..And as for band goals, I think we all just wanna play as many shows as possible and get some tunes released.. Playing interstate would be stacks of fun too, i think that's something i'd want to do.

Ok, we're almost done here guys, any advice for people who want to start their own band?

Jack: Use a noise gate on your amp for fuck sake!

Cian: Do it. Have fun with it and make sure you're happy with what you're doing, fuck everyone else, just please yourself.

Where can fans find your music?

Cian: http://www.facebook.com/Hollowsband or http://hollows-aus.bandcamp.com

Any last words?

Cian: Hopefully we'll have some more tunes out real soon and more gigs coming up in the near future. So get down to a show and chuck a mosh cause we really appreciate it. And also if Dr Pepper or Jumbo Kebabs wanna give us an endorsement hit us up please.

Jack: HYPEHYPEHYPEHYPE

Zach Cummings: I like to play.

Cian: (laughs vigoruously)

You can catch Hollows at a gig for Emergenza in October, but they're always looking to play as many shows as they can so you may very well see them around before then (like their Facebook page for more info). Also some new music might be out soon so keep an eye out.