Entertainment news and reviews
Mat Robins is one of the nicest guys in the Melbourne music scene and when he isn’t producing or helping other artists with their music he is busy with his own band – the might Cicadastone.
Well the boys have been hard at work over the past few months and the result is the magnificent new album – Cold Chamber. Recently Dave Griffiths sat down and had a chat with Mat to see what people can expect from the album.
Take a listen to the interview right here:
Sunshine Coast indie rockers Swimsuit Issue have had a pretty busy start to 2021 with the release of two singles and are now preparing for the release of their forthcoming debut album.
Recently frontman Danny sat down with Dave Griffiths to talk about their singles and of course the album which has everybody waiting with baited breath.
Take a listen to the interview right here:
If you are part of the Adelaide heavy music scene then you will have known that Heartline have been a band to watch for quite awhile now. The band exploded onto the scene at a very early age and very quickly made those stages their own.
With the respect of the local scene earned the band then surprised everybody with the release of their critically acclaimed debut album. Now the band return with their new I Call For Sinking Warmth EP and this week frontman Luke Taylor sat down with Dave Griffiths to chat about what fans can expect from this album.
Take a listen to the interview right here:
Last year should have been one of the biggest years in the history of post hardcore outfit Devil Sold His Soul. After back-to-back critically acclaimed albums the band had just spread their fanbase even further with their first tour to Asia in 2018.
But then Covid hit and the band had to put on hold not only a heavy touring schedule but also their new album which their new-found fans were so excited to hear. Not to be put off though the band kept things going in the background – they worked even harder on the material that would end up becoming their fourth album while also signing with one of the world’s most recognisable record labels – Nuclear Blast Records.
“Making the change has been the best thing ever,” says front-man Paul Green when we start to talk about what it is like for the band to now be signed to Nuclear Blast. “They have really nurtured us from the very start, and they made it clear that they wanted us to make an album that we wanted to make and also talked to us about what they envisioned. We were having big conversations but it never felt like we were being dictated to… which is amazing when you consider that they are a label that are the size that they are. Knowing that we have their backing and their nuritionment and support is amazing.”
Even with their new album Loss about to be released to their fans though the band are still very much entrenched in Covid hell. “We’ve been in lockdown for three months now,” says co-frontman Ed Gibbs as he joins the interview. “This is actually our third lockdown because nobody has had any clue how to deal with it because they are fucking idiots. We haven’t been able to socialise with anyone for three months so it has been mega frustrating. They say we might be able to start doing shows in July but to be honest I don’t see that happening.”
That time did give the band time to work on Loss, an album that has seen the band spend more time than normal on it. “We started working on it when we first got back from that tour,” explains Green when I talk to him about the Asian tour and the influence on the album. “We got back from Asia and we were just buzzing so we were just like “let’s start work on an album.””
“And everybody was just like “let’s do this” but there was a lot of negativity around us at that time as well,” he goes on to explain.”Our drummer lost his Mum and few people in our crew had people pass away and that started to shape what the album was going to about. We were generally in a positive place but we kept thinking about life and that really started to shape it all.”
As the conversation goes on I ask how the band puts aside that negativity to be able to sit down and be creative when they know that they need to be working on an album. “I think at the end of the day whether it be music or lyrics it is catharsis,” answers Gibbs. “Whether it be Alex bashing away on his drums or if it is writing it is really just a release of everything that you are feeling at the time. I think that we are really lucky to be in a band because being able to just let rip is the best kind of release there is for all the stress and bullshit that is going on. Then being able to sit down and write is that times ten. If you are going to sit down and write some emotionally charged music then it has to come from the heart. If you try to fake it then it becomes really obvious that the songs aren’t about anything.”
The discussion goes a little bit deeper into what was inspiring the band when they were working on Loss and Gibbs says, “Most of the album is written about grief to be honest. But we also looked into the things around that – things like mental health and all that loss your experience with your mental health around the grieving process. I think the general loss of your ordinary life really comes across in a few of the songs.”
The mood and themes explored on this album are really going to mean a lot to the band’s fans who have also endured a lot of the last twelve months and that is something that the band is more than aware of. “Some songs really strike a chord with some people,” says Green, reflecting. “That is the side of music that really makes you stop and think. You don’t realise the impact it will have until someone messages you and says what it means to them or how it has helped them… that means a lot and it is really humbling.”
Loss will be released through Nuclear Blast Records on Aprl 9th.
Such has been the demand for tickets, acclaimed singer songwriter James Reyne has announced a further 6 dates on his national tour, THE BOYS LIGHT UP 41. There is a second show at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Sunday June 6 and five new shows for Palms at Crown, Melbourne with a show per month commencing August 7.
Australian Crawl’s iconic song THE BOYS LIGHT UP chalked up its 40th anniversary last year. With the accompanying tour postponed due to Covid, it’s now celebrating 41 years with 21 concert dates across the country!
‘The Boys Light Up’ was written by James Reyne, and featured on the album of the same name, released in 1980 on EMI. It was Australian Crawl’s debut album and also featured ‘Indisposed’, ‘Downhearted’, ‘Beautiful People’ and ‘Hoochie Gucci Fiorucci Mama’.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see James Reyne and his incredible band live on THE BOYS LIGHT UP 41 Tour – tickets on sale now at www.jamesreyne.com.au.
Tour Dates
Fri April 9 Mansfield Tavern, Mansfield
Sat April 10 Empire Theatre, Toowoomba
Sat April 17 Nightquarter, Birtinya
Sun April 18 Miami Marketta, Miami – SOLD OUT
Fri April 23 Anitas Theatre, Wollongong
Sat April 24 Anitas Theatre, Wollongong – SOLD OUT
Fri May 7 Palais Theatre, Melbourne – SOLD OUT
Sat May 15 The Gov, Adelaide
Sun May 16 The Gov, Adelaide
Fri May 28 Astor Theatre, Perth
Sat May 29 Astor Theatre, Perth
Sat June 5 Toronto Hotel, Toronto
Sun June 6 Enmore Theatre, Sydney – SOLD OUT
Fri June 11 The Tivoli, Brisbane – SOLD OUT
Sat June 12 The Tivoli, Brisbane
Sat August 7 Palms at Crown, Melbourne – NEW SHOW
Sat September 4 Palms at Crown, Melbourne – NEW SHOW
Sat October 2 Palms at Crown, Melbourne – NEW SHOW
Sat November 6 Palms at Crown, Melbourne – NEW SHOW
Sat November 27 Enmore Theatre, Sydney – NEW SHOW
Sat December 4 Palms at Crown, Melbourne – NEW SHOW
Twice Grammy-nominated band AUGUST BURNS RED — JB Brubaker [lead guitar], Brent Rambler [rhythm guitar], Matt Greiner [drums], Jake Luhrs [lead vocals], and Dustin Davidson [bass] — have been sharing previously unreleased tracks, such as a cover of System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” and their metalized rendition of the theme song for the HBO series Westworld, over the past several months.
Today, the Lancaster-based band revealed that these songs (and more) will live on the Guardians Sessions EP.
The EP features B-sides, covers, and reimagined tracks, which were recorded during the sessions for 2020’s full-length album Guardians and beyond.
The EP is being released digitally and on 10″ vinyl on April 16 through Fearless Records/Caroline Australia. The EP can be pre-ordered HERE.
To celebrate, the band has shared the track “Icarus,” which feature a clean vocal cameo from bassist Davidson. Listen here.
“‘Icarus’ was a b-side from Guardians because it just didn’t fit the vibe of the album,” says Davidson. “I’m happy that our fans can hear it now because it’s riffy and super fun to play on guitar. It’s the first ABR song that I’ve sang on, and for fans of my side project, Best Case Scenario, I think you’ll hear the influence sprinkled throughout this one.”
Brubaker explains how this EP came to be. “The Guardians Sessions EP was put together on the foundation of two songs: ‘Standing in the Storm’ and ‘Icarus,‘” he explains. “Those songs were recorded in September of 2019, when we were finishing up our album Guardians. Both tracks got cut from the record, as we had too much material and they were the black sheep of the group. When all touring was shut down in March of 2020, we began working on a couple of cover songs and re-imagined versions of some songs from Guardians. Those songs were recorded in the summer of 2020. We wanted to be productive with our downtime and work on a project that would be fun for both us and our fans.“
The Guardians Sessions EP is being released on April 16 through Fearless Records/Caroline Australia and can be pre-ordered HERE.
Milla from Black Rheno joined us for a chat this week about the band’s killer new single and tour.
Check out the interview right here:
Dave from Flaming Wreckage stopped by Subculture this week to chat about the band’s latest album – Cathedral Of Bones.
Take a listen to the interview right here: