Music Feeds: As well as recording and writing for your sophomore release Animal, you also produced it. How did this technique affect the EP?

Mario Spate: Well, the main thing was about us being in control. Therefore we had a lot more time to work on it, I guess. We weren’t looking at the clock and thinking OK, how can we get this music recorded in 5 days or whatever you normally have when you’re in a studio and under time and money restraints. It gave us the opportunity to take our time a little bit more and really give the songs a chance to percolate and time to grow on us and, you know, you go through these stages when you go about things that way. Two weeks later you might hate the track, then in another 2 weeks you’ll love them again. It’s really important to have that time I think, you know?

MF: It must have been a lot of work on your behalf; is it something you would be interested in repeating for your next release?

MS: Well, we are kind of coming to the opportunity to work with a producer in the future now; we are just building that relationship now. So chances are we will be bringing someone else in just because it never hurts to have another pair of ears in the room, especially if those ears belong to someone awesome! But I would have no problem producing again, we are going to keep demoing that way anyway.

MF: You guys have had so many experiences already, Big Day Out, sharing the stage with Die Antwoord, Crystal Castles; what’s been the highlight so far?

MS: Hmm, I’d have to say the fringe show was pretty amazing, have you ever been down to Adelaide during the Fringe month when its going on?

MF: I haven’t dude, what’s it like?

MS: It’s massive and it’s kind of the time where every person in Adelaide wants to come to town and see some art – very different to the other 11 months of the year – but during that time everyone’s out, I think there were actually almost 50,000 people in this space. We were backstage watching more and more people turn up, just more and more kept coming, we couldn’t believe it was happening. We finally got out there, and yeah it was a good show.

MF: I saw videos of that show! It was massive; there were so many people

MS: I know! It was like we had stumbled into an alternate universe and we were ACDC or something; maybe they’d probably pull a few more people though, haha.

MF: You’ve shared the stage with Die Antwoord previously, there’s so much buzz around those guys at the moment; did you get a chance to meet them?

MS: Nah, unfortunately we didn’t get to meet them. We were all a bit too shit scared…I don’t know if you’ve seen what they look like, they look very, very imposing. Yolandi Visser is quite a short girl, but they look so imposing. We just watched on from the side of the stage, but it was amazing, I really like that band – they’re doing so many different things.

MF: So you guys have recently announced you will be heading to New South Wales for a bunch of shows; what can we expect to see at these shows?

MS: We kind of make a habit of never playing the same set over and over and over; there’s always a lot of tweaking that takes place between shows. So I guess what we’ll be bringing over is, you know, two year’s worth of tweaking, including obviously the new shows and a lot of energy, that’s the main thing we try to get across when we’re playing live, we don’t want it to be this thing where it’s just a bunch of people standing there playing their instruments. We really like to get involved with what we do and I know a lot of people say that, but I guess we are just also some people who say that!

MF: Towards the end of 2011 you toured with Dead Letter Circus, which must have been a cool experience! What can you tell us about those shows?

MS: We did 4 dates with them over in Western Australia and yeah, that was the first time we’d been over there. It was a great experience; it’s so much fun playing music in the first place, but when you get to do it night after night with a band you respect and obviously everyone in that band, they’re great guys because they wouldn’t be in their situation if they weren’t good guys. It was really lovely to spend that time and watch a professional band and see how they do it night after night, it was really great, they were really welcoming.

MF: So, Mario I’ve been avoiding this question long enough, what’s this story that’s been going around about you guys finding yourselves on the wrong side of the Adelaide Special Police Force?

MS: Haha, oh yeah, that came out of this online treasure hunt kind of RPG thing we ran. We got really inspired by the publicity company that pulled those stunts for when The Dark Knight was released; did you hear about all of that?

MF: They printed a whole bunch of newspapers labeled ‘Gotham City Times’ right?

MS: Yeah! It was stuff like that. If people followed clues, they would end up at a secret advanced screening or something like that. We managed to pull it off pretty well, we managed to kidnap 5 people – they were all taking part in the hunt and they all kind of knew what was going to happen, but to people on the street, it would have just looked like people in a van wearing ski masks kidnapping people off the street. That night at about 2am we got this knock on our door and the police where out there with like, no uniforms but all the guns drawn. It was extreme. They apparently spent 5 hours tracking us down. They called the van rental company and got our address and yeah…so if you were considering kidnapping someone I would recommend against it because they’re pretty good.

MF: Which was a more imposing sight – Die Antwoord or the police pointing guns at you?

MS: Haha, shit, you know, Die Antwoord definitely had the look, but when you see dudes with guns at your door, there’s a certain amount of just natural fear that comes out. I’d have to say, the cops.

MF: So, are you worried about the world ending this year? And if it doesn’t, what can we expect to see from you guys later in 2012?

MS: Haha, good question. Yeah, look…it would be really upsetting if the world ended. I’d feel a little bit cheated out of my life, a bit cheated out of working so hard in a band. We’re actually working on another record that we’re going to try and get out before December, just in case the world does end.

MF: Well, it seems like you’ve covered all your bases then! Thanks so much for chatting, Mario; look forward to catching you guys when you’re in town!

MS: Thanks man!

The Killgirls Upcoming tour Dates

Friday 17th Feb 2012
The Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor

Saturday 18th Feb 2012
Upstairs Beresford, Surry Hills

But in dark places people shine. Blazing up from the underground thanks to a potent mix of talent, determination and the guts to try something new, Kerser is the name on everyone’s lips for 2012. He’s the rapper you hear coming from that car next to you at the lights, he’s the sound spilling out of that kid’s mobile on the train, he’s the guy in ‘that’ battle watched over half a million times in two weeks. He’s controversial, cocky and careless. He’s your girlfriend’s favourite. He’s the sickest.

Teaming up with one of the country’s most exciting and original producers, Nebs, the pair have unleashed The Nebulizer, an album that has shifted the tectonic plates underpinning Australian hip hop, opening up uncharted territories with a fresh, new sound never seen nor heard in this country before.

Rave, rap, electro, funk and r’n’b are ganged together – raw, snarling and unstrained, Kerser’s music is free to roam wherever the fuck it wants through his own razor sharp account of a life with drink, drugs, parties, violence, abuse, dreams and achievements – sometimes brutal, sometimes desolate, but always honest and always told with heart.

As today’s kids continue to turn their back on sickly sweet, mainstream bullshit – the force of the underground backlash builds and builds. At its helm is Kerser, backed by a growing army of supporters, embracing this sound as their own and ready to back him all the way.

Hate him if you want. Put down who he is, where he’s from or what he stands for. But know that this name will not disappear, this sound will not go away and that no matter what you do or what you say, whether you like it or not – Kerser is the sickest

Kerser will be doing a run of Australian tour dates over February and March

With selected special guest appearances from:
That’s Them, Anecdote, Brundles & Alex Jay, Hyjack, Fortay, Tycotic, Dunn D, Prem Bedlam, Lariken, Dwizofoz, Noonie & C-Reks, 6.0 Krew, Fowl Mouth,Kaye One, New Breed, Lopez, Skae, Nhostic, Jay Dee, Gravity Ponds.

Drummer/keyboarder Dan Haggis and I are discussing our country’s weather patterns when the potential stage stunt is suggested.

And, as it turns out – it’s not the first time the Liverpudians have embraced the weather around them and incorporated it into their live shows.

“We did a Christmas show once in Liverpool and fired out fake snow into the crowd… so maybe we’re just a seasons band,” he said.

“The leaves are pretty long over there, aren’t they? People do confetti and all that, so maybe we can just bring out some leaf cannons.”

“I don’t know what we’d do if it was summer though… maybe we’d have to fire out some sunscreen.”

Haggis has just got home from having dinner at his mum’s place and is about to watch a few episodes from Season 4 of Dexter on a freezing Liverpool evening.

The show is quite a favourite amongst those who travel in The Wombats tour bus – alongside some more intense shows such as The Sopranos, Sons Of Anarchy and House.

“A few of our crew have been into it for a while, and I eventually succumbed to general peer pressure and became a fan of the show,” he said. “It just seems to be what we’re into recently… it’s a great show to watch to pass the time.”

And there’s a good chance their DVD’s will be getting a workout in the bus when the band make their way around the country for the Future Music Festival shows, alongside the likes of Fatboy Slim, New Order, Swedish House Mafia and Jessie J.

The Wombats will be making their third trip to Australia in 12 months for the Future shows – having previously visited for last year’s Groovin’ The Moo Festival and their own headlining tour.

Haggis said the band can’t get enough of the country and their ever-growing local fanbase.

“If someone says to you, ‘Come to Australia’ – it’s a no-brainer and we’re straight back over there,” he said. “I don’t know if we’re being asked more, but obviously the reaction we get is good, if not better than what we get in England.”

“We love it over there so it’s a pleasure to come back – plus we get to see New Order this time too.”

Haggis said another contributing factor to the band’s multiple return visits to Australia was the hard-partying, fun-filled lifestyle which they often enjoy over here.

“Australia for us has been a blur of just going to bed late, getting up early to catch planes, playing shows and partying on,” he said. “We had a severe night out in Townsville when we were there for Groovin’ The Moo… it got very messy and I think mangina’s were involved. It’s a very intense week or two, but it’s always manic and always good fun.”

As they aren’t playing any sideshows this time around – Haggis is looking forward to seeing more of the country and doing unique activities in his time off – including shark diving.

“I really want to try shark diving – I’ve never done it before,” he said. “We never have any time to do our own things – see the country really – but this time we do the first weekend and then get five days off,” he said. “So it’s going to be good to go see people’s sideshows and climb a mountain or something, and do something apart from playing gigs and getting shitfaced.”

The Future shows are some of the last the band are playing before they start work on their third album – along with a festival in Kuala Lumpur and a show in Tokyo.

Haggis said he is particularly looking forward to performing in the city, which is the namesake of the lead single from their current record, This Modern Glitch.

“That will definitely be a moment,” he chuckles. “We’ve never been to Asia so I don’t know how things are going for us over there – but we’ll see! It’ll be a cool way to finish things off for the tour.”

The Wombats are playing around the country next month for the Future Music Festival. For more information on the festival and their tour dates click here. They’ll also be doing a DJ set at The Espy in Melbourne on Sunday, March 11 – grab your tickets here.

Swan, the latest release from the band was dropped in March 2011. We got chatting about this release and what it meant for the band that, back in the day, delivered a much more raw, punk sound. Over the years due to progression, experiences and all the usual suspects, they presented a much more modern rock sound. I asked Scott if Swan was, for want of a better term, Unwritten Law returning to their roots.

‘”I mean, I can’t say I intentionally choose to make a record punk, or not punk or anything like that, to me punk is such an overused word. I think punk can be so many different genres that it’s hard to say. To me it’s just a rock band, but yeah, we did start as a punk band. It wasn’t a premeditated decision to go back in that direction; I think this was just the album we wanted to make, then we made it”.

The band was obviously very happy with their current situation, retaining total sovereignty over the music they make. I thought I’d ask how the fans responded to a new Unwritten Law album with a retrospective flare to it.

“Well, I don’t really go onto the Internet and read a lot of shit, because I think a lot of people hide behind their keyboards. It’s also a bit of a double-edged sword because when I asked someone in person what they thought about it, I’m never too sure if they are going to tell me the truth. I can generally tell if someone is being straight up with me though, so far the people I’ve communicated with have loved the record, I myself love the record and I’m my toughest critic, so I think to this day in leaps and bounds it’s by far the best Unwritten Law album we’ve done.”

What struck me the most when chatting to Scott was his knowledge of Australia and all the cities. Having toured the country in support of Swan, and returning for Soundwave, I asked what he thinks about touring here.

“Australia is hands down my favorite place to tour since the band started. It’s the furthest place from home, the coolest people, the most wicked crowds, you know, it’s kind of everything that every country wants to be, you don’t have any beef with anyone, everyone’s cool, the majority of people are really good looking and you have beaches! Even for Americans, it not just me being in a band, for most Americans, they’re totally intrigued by Australia and Australians. I’m not sure what the allure is – I mean I know what the allure is because I’ve been there so many times, but Americans are just infatuated with Australia. Whenever we get shows booked there, it’s like fuck yeah, we’re going back to Australia. And it’s so shit when you leave because you’re never sure if it’s going to be the last time. I think that in a previous life I was an Australian, it’s my home away from home.”

I thought I’d steer the conversation to a somewhat potentially touchy subject. Being only 10 years of age at the time, I didn’t get to attend the one and only Australian Warped Tour, however Unwritten Law left a strong impression…causing a riot at Manly.

“Ha ha, Um…I mean, I wouldn’t call it a riot, it was more of a food fight that got out of hand. It was one of the last days of the Warped Tour in Australia and we were the last band on for the day. We were having a food fight and uh, FOOD FIGHT, I yelled over the microphone, LETS SEE IT! It wasn’t a green light for everyone to go nuts, but that’s kinda what happened haha…people were taking stuff out of the bins, when the bins were done people started ripping up the stage, then the rugby field and yeah, the whole place kind of exploded and it looked like something from Woodstock; the whole stage was covered in mud and grass and trash. The stage manager at the time came and smashed our guitars and slapped our guitar player, who ended up getting into a fight with him on stage…then we got asked to leave the tour.”

This may sound familiar to many people, as the next day Unwritten Law landed on the front page of some local newspapers

“It was pretty ironic, I mean we were kicked off the tour, which isn’t a good thing no matter how you slice it, but we were in the newspapers saying ‘punk band gets kicked off punk tour for being too punk’.”

I explained to Scott that Australians tend to have a habit of taking things too far

“Yeah, I’m not mad at that at all!”

This, however, will be the maiden Australian voyage for some of the band. Unwritten Law has experienced some serious line-up changes over the years, attracting a fair amount of press over the drama. This can spell disaster for many bands, let alone a band that has been together for 20 years. So what was it like being Unwritten Law with a new line-up?

“Well, of coarse it was a challenge, and of course it was saddening on all levels. However, it’s really been a cleansing. Obviously the boys will be missed, but playing the music and playing for our band will be missed even more. There’s a new energy in the band; everyone wants to be there, no one has kids, no one wants to be home – everyone wants to tour. The energy level is back you know? It’s like when I was 21 playing in Unwritten Law, everyone is amped to be there, whereas in the last 10 years people started having kids, no one was making money, everyone wanted to be at home, which is completely understandable, but for me, it’s like, my life and my family is Unwritten Law and my music, my catalogue, that’s what I’m attached to. I don’t like change at all; I hate change. I won’t even break up with a girlfriend even if I hate her guts because I hate change. So it’s like, when Steve and TK where done touring and it was a wrap, it was definitely a hard blow. Honestly, I felt naked and totally alone but there was no other option other than doing what I know best – Unwritten Law and playing rock shows. For me that was a no-brainer, I guess it was for them too, but they really wanted to stay at home and raise their families, which is totally respectable, but my kids are all grown, and Unwritten Law is my life. Despite the massive personal shift, Unwritten Law still holds tight on stage, there are no cracks and it’s like you’re watching the original crew.”

I asked Scott if this is something he too felt.

“There hasn’t been one person come up to us and tell us it sucks or it wasn’t good, the only thing we’ve heard, literally, is that it’s better. It’s not like I’m going to carry on with people who aren’t as good; at the moment Unwritten Law is vibrant, live and up-and-running”

Scott is clearly very motivated, organization and vision shows through everything he does. As the conversation came to an end, I asked him ‘if the world doesn’t end this year, what can we expect to see from Unwritten Law in 2012′?

“Well, we’ll be playing Soundwave in Australia in February. We’re looking to come back again later in the year. We got to Japan after Australia then we come back to the States, then recording a new live record or maybe an acoustic one! We haven’t decided which we will do next, but we plan on being back in Australia around Christmas time.”

Twice in one year! Normally our little island gets neglected but with consistent, authentic bands like Unwritten Law still alive and breathing, we are guaranteed to be the recipients of awesome tours and awesome releases.

You can see Unwritten Law on this year’s Soundwave 2012 line-up, as well as playing their own Sidewaves.

“I haven’t sat down and looked at how much I’ve achieved since putting the album out. But it’s been amazing playing around the world and seeing the reaction from fans and people coming to the shows.”

“I suppose from the position I was in before the record came out to now, has been pretty incredible.”

Perhaps the primary reason behind SBTRKT’s successful debut is that it doesn’t play like a typical electro record. Not one to stay within the norms of any chosen genre, Jerome has constructed an album that is just as likely to reach into your soul as to make you dance carefree.

“In dance music, obviously you get people that want to create something which sounds exactly like what’s come before. It seems like there are set rules on certain thinking or saying ‘well that’s it, this is the mould’.”

“But I think what I’ve always loved about it (electronic music) is that continual evolution of it, never sticking to one thing. And that’s the way I create music. Just doing what I love and what I want to make”

What Jerome is making at the moment is a whole lot of buzz as a headlining act for this year’s St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. Playing the festival for the first time, SBTRKT’s energy has been matched by the crowd’s enthusiasm.
“It’s been pretty good. I didn’t really know what to expect … we did Auckland in New Zealand and that was totally nuts! It was staged on the harbour with all the boats and the sea and the crowd went mental to be honest.”

Laneway has also afforded Jerome the chance to watch some of his fellow festival musicians, the likes of which would not normally feature alongside SBTRKT. An assorted collection of folk and indie acts, Jerome hinted there may be some potential future collaborators on the line-up.
“There’s a lot of cool acts and great voices. I imagine maybe Anna Calvi or someone like that; Chairlift as well. They played before us in Brisbane; I’d never seen her play before. They’re on the same label, so you never know I might try something with them.”

While in Australia, SBTRKT will also be playing two sideshows. The first solo show will take place on Friday February 3rd 2011 at The Metro, Sydney; followed by The Prince of Wales, Melbourne on Thursday 9th February 2011.

When asked about the difference between playing a solo show and headlining a festival, Jerome said it basically boils down to a variation of pressure and audience captivity.

“(A solo show) is slightly more nerve-racking to be honest because … there’s such a high expectation of what they’re (fans) going to see or receive that night. If you let them down, then they’ll be disappointed forever. So you have to be careful or they may not ever listen to your music again. So for me it’s kind of like that pressure of having to outperform ourselves.”

“The great thing about a solo show is that generally you’ve got 100 percent of the audience really there to enjoy themselves or really like a particular song; compared to a festival where you may get 60 or 70 percent of the crowd and the rest are just there because there’s a tent or something.”

So whether you have tickets to one of SBTRKT’s solo gigs or just happen upon his set during the Laneway Festival, be sure to savour every moment of the music. Jerome’s philosophy on continual evolution may mean the show you see is once in a lifetime.

“For the live shows we make it up based on our feeling on the night. It’s like DJing I suppose… If you don’t think people are feeling your direction, the primary thing is to make people enjoy it as much as possible, then you kind of change direction, if people are really into the dance thing then you do that”

“The way we play songs live, we generally add a much more live interactive element with all of them. Even with Hold On the beginning’s very much like the original, but then we go into a much more dance kind of sound at the end, using much more percussion and drums than anything else, then we delve into a couple of big techno things.”

“You kind of wing it, keeping what we’re about but then involving the audience as much as possible. It’s always what you chose and how you play it.”

Music Feeds chats to the band as they prepare to bring their high-voltage live show to our shores in February.

Music Feeds: Excited to be coming back and tearing up dance floors in Australia?

The Slips: Can’t wait, you guys know how to party! Our last Sydney show was our best yet, so we already have amazing memories playing here.

MF: Any memories of the country previously?

S: Quad bike trials, great home cooking, and four walls of a Studio. Our last time here was mostly spent in a recording studio a few hours out of Sydney. It was awesome though, they had a quad bike and a course where we’d do timed laps, a swimming pool big enough for half of Sydney and the best chef in the world. It’s surprising we actually got any work done.

MF: What can we expect from your shows? Apparently you’ve got a pretty full-on setup?

S: We always wanted to make our show as live as possible for a dance act so we’ve bought in Jimmy Cooper on drums and also have guitars, keyboards, vocals and sample triggers running live too. Our MacBook Pros both run Ableton so it can become a bit of a technical nightmare sometimes trying to get everything to sync up, but hopefully the result is great dance music with a live look and feel.

MF: You’ve remixed the likes of Kylie and previously collaborated with Phrase – what is it like playing around with tunes by Australian artists?

S: There are some amazingly talented artists here. We love getting the opportunity of putting our own style to the other artists like Kylie, Flight Facilities and Kimbra. Normally we just take the vocal parts and build a new track underneath these – it’s always fun not knowing what you’re going to end up with. We’re hoping to do lots more Aussie artists this year so keep an eye out on our soundcloud and website.

MF: If you had the chance to remix a track by your favourite artist – which one would it be and why?

S: We’ve actually just finished a remix for Yuksek who’s definitely up there as we’ve been big fans for years. We saw him play at Field Day this year and was blown away with his set. We also recently completed a Bjork remix that proved interesting. The song is in a 17/8 time signature so it certainly messed with our heads a bit! But we’re really pleased with how it turned out and hopefully we’ve done her genius justice.

MF: Finally, what are your plans and goals for the rest of 2012?

S: We have a single due out on EMI soon and are working towards an album this year. We’re also concentrating heavily on live and DJ performances. We’ve found the audiences are always so positive to live music here, so we’re excited to get out on tour and hit a few festivals.

The Slips play Upstairs Beresford Saturday, February 11th

After a brief chat about how cold it was in London, how hot it was in Sydney and the potential plan to send some sun and surf his way, Ben and I began to talk about 2011 to when Australia became a massive part of The Smoking Hearts lives. What has been rumored to be an arduous, painful and tediously long process, signing to a record label that is, I asked Ben how it all went down with signing to 3Wise. “The 3Wise deal went pretty smoothly, I didn’t know much about it, then AJ [Maddah] who’s behind Soundwave, shows up at one of our shows in London, this was after we’d gotten announced to Soundwave, and we’d already agreed to speak to 3Wise but none of us really knew what was going down, and yeah, AJ showed up…and he’s the coolest guy I’ve ever met! He was really interesting to talk to and yeah, he told us the whole deal and after the next 2 weeks we were signed to 3Wise and had a release date for the album. That was it really; there was no hassle involved! They wanted the album, we let ‘em have it!” Describing what has got to be one of the easiest record deals ever! Ben continued “But yeah, because it was only an Australian record deal, there wasn’t too much to worry about” It seemed like such a lucid process, and what was even more relaxed was Ben’s attitude towards all this commotion. “It was kind of weird though, Calvin [Roffey], our bass player and AJ met backstage at Download Festival in the UK. They’ve met a few times because Calvin worked [as a bass tech] for Bullet For My Valentine, and Aj went ‘oh you’re in a band? Let’s hear it then” Calvin showed him one track, AJ got 1:30 into it and agreed to sign us!”

Clearly very humbled and grateful for all the attention his band is receiving, Ben explained how it’s all still a bit of a dream for the boys “It’s all pretty unbelievable, especially the Australian thing with Soundwave and everything, We didn’t think how quickly it would go or how many people would care, every day we’re getting tweets from people in Australia who can’t wait to see us and want to know if we’re playing extra shows…it’s all so unbelievable, but it’s such a great feeling to have people on the otherside of the world just…interested” It was at this point that I reminded to Ben that these are all just the consequences of being in an awesome band, he laughed. “Well, thank you!”

So going back to their position on the Soundwave 2012 line-up, Ben explained “Well we never had a formal offer, we never got asked to be on the show we just got put on the poster! So it was kind of a shock, me and Calvin, I think we were on tour – everyone was asleep but me and Calvin were up, and I got an email saying ‘Soundwave Announcement’ so I thought alright, let’s see who got picked up…I went through the line-up and saw heaps of our friend’s bands and heaps of people we knew such as I Am The Avalanche, and good friends of ours Your Demise…they were all on there…got further down…The Smoking Hearts? And we were like Jesus Christ dude, we’re playing fucking Soundwave!” In a wave of excitement and confusion, the guys then Googled their band name to make sure there wasn’t a second Smoking Hearts gigging somewhere. “It was all a bit…a bit bizarre ha ha” What great ways to find out you’re playing an international festival! No notice, no waiting around to see if it gets confirmed…”we celebrated with a lot of alcohol” Ben added.

Hearing the excitement in his voice for our little Australian festival, I asked Ben how Soundwave compares to other festivals he has been exposed to such as Download Festival the famous Reading, and so on. “Soundwave shits all over Download. Yeah man, that line-up compared to this year’s Soundwave line-up, it’s just ridiculous, and it’s all in one day as well so you don’t have to fuckin’ sit around at a camp site with loads of idiots. Festivals in the UK can be hit or miss…like I love Reading Festival, I’ve had some of the best moments of my life at Reading, I also joined The Smoking Hearts – I met the guys at another festival…but the line-up this year has got nothing on the Soundwave line-up…especially with Slipknot headlining that’s just ridiculous, such a great band” This will mark the first journey of the band to Australia, who, apart from Calvin, have never even been close. “It’s still an unreal feeling” Ben said of losing his Australia virginity “It’s so bizarre that we’re going to tour and play shows in another hemisphere”

Also in 2012, The Smoking Hearts will be celebrating the release of their sophomore album Victory! including some of the same team behind Enter Shikari, Sikth and Young Guns, I asked Ben what he’s willing to share about this release “It’s the most fun to play, the most fun to do live. It’s just super fun, I gave it to someone at work yesterday and he said his wife loved it…ha ha so she said it sounds angry but is really good” The Smoking Hearts harness a sound that can only be described as high voltage rock with hefty injections of punk, we don’t see too much of that down here so I wondered if this was a new trend kicking off in the UK “I want to say yes, but I think really only bands doing what we do…there’s a lot of bands with delay pedals, with these weird melodic singing break downs, auto tune and all that…there are a lot of great bands in the UK but comparing many of them is hard…there’s a lot of them doing great things but not too many of them are doing what we’re doing, I guess you could say we’re burning a smoking heart-shaped hole in the music scene in the UK! It’s taken its time for people to take notice, but when they watch us, they enjoy it because it’s fun! We’re serious but don’t take ourselves too seriously”

And to wrap things up, what is he looking forward to the most about Australia? “Oh man…walking around and not being cold” Straight off the bat, he must have been thinking about this for a while now! “I’m going to be your typical English tourist…no t-shirt on that whole time and I’m going to be drinking furiously” An excellent strategy I told Ben, He should blend right in!

MF: Hey how you doing? Thanks for talking to me today …

Rob: Great to talk to you …

MF: New album is out in a matter of days now … you excited or shit nervous anticipating people’s reactions?

Rob: (laughs) Yeah, we’re terrified – no seriously we’re really excited. We’ve made the best album we can at this point and we’re really proud of it. It’s like having a little baby and bringing it into the world and then you’ve got to let it go into the big bad world.

MF: The video for the single Venom is going off online at the moment. What can you tell us about the concept behind it?

Rob: The guy who directed the video, Bob Harlow, is an amazing Director and he comes up with amazing ideas. We were heavily involved in that side of things before but we’ve built a really good relationship with Bob and when you do that you learn to trust people more creatively. He really takes the reigns on that stuff now and it’s amazing. The Venom video is based on this thing called Idle Hands – by a guy called Seth Green. It’s kind of a horror film where a guy is cursed and what happens to him because of it. The whole thing is all a bit metaphorical – like taking control of your destiny and not letting anyone put a ‘curse’ on you to take control of your life.

MF:You guys have done pretty well since your debut in 2010. This follow-up album is lyrically bang on PULLED APART BY HORSES, but the sound has grown pretty noticeably. Do you reckon you’ve become better players having toured so much and that’s now translated to what we hear on Tough Love?

ROB: Yes, that’s exactly it. When we first started out, we just got together for our own enjoyment. We never had any ideas or ambitions to become a big band or to do it professionally. Over the years, we’ve learnt how to play so much better. That’s the biggest challenge to becoming a ‘real’ band in that sense – to play really well and keep getting better. We’ve been touring so much over the last 3 years and in that time we’ve played for each other and really worked together to hone it.

MF: What was it like working with Gil Norton of Pixies and Foo Fighters fame?

ROB: It was like a dream come true. We were kind of nervous at first because there were a few horror stories about him firing drummers and that – like being a bit of a hard ass. But you know, that’s what we wanted … someone to kick us in the ass and give us a real challenge and improving us as a band. But then we met him, and he was a really nice guy. We got on really well and became good friends and hung out loads. It was an amazing experience working with him.

MF: Sounds like it was a productive learning curve … biggest lesson?

ROB: Oh yeah, we learnt loads, but you know one of the things he said: there’s a lot of ego in this band, a lot of personality and I’m here basically as a referee to make you realise that if you work together, that’s when you’ll be at your best. It’s something that we’ve always known … what we do as a band is something greater than the sum of its parts – no single one of us could have done it on our own and we were lucky to have met each other. It’s a real team effort … and he just asked us to appreciate that more and just hone it. It’s a very sort of psycological process (producing); that’s what we learnt as well. He’s (Gil) very much into the psychology of what each of us individually brings to the band and the best ways to bring that together to make the best music we can.

MF: Having said that, there is a lot of ego in a band – you must clash all the time …

ROB: Yeah, all the time. That’s a lot of what the album Tough love is about in a way – you know you could have all these arguments and individual egos and wanna get your own way, but at the end of the day, if you love what you’re doing enough then that’s more important … and yeah, you know we do love each other. We spend so much time together. We’re like brothers, and, you know, family/brothers fight … it’s not all easy … but we have a lot of fun.

MF:Speaking of ‘your sound’ – you’ve said before that you’re a “pop bastard at heart and if you peel away at the screaming, there’s a classic pop structure behind all the songs” … where does that come from? I’m sure most of your fans would never put the words pop and Pulled Apart by Horses together …

ROB: The honesty of it is when we grew up as a kids we got exposed to really cool music early on. All of our parents were playing Led Zeppelin and ACDC, but at the same time u get pulled in by pop music that’s on the radio, like Michael Jackson for example. Pop music is universal isn’t it – it kind of brings everyone together.

MF:It feels like there’s a stream of cryptic slogans in a lot of your songs, like you want fans to work hard to get it. Is there some kind of coded message that we should be getting from Tough Love as a project ?

ROB: What we’re writing about lyrically is what we’ve experienced and what’s affected our lives in the 4 years since we started out – it’s that idea to appreciate what you’re given. In some ways, it is a bit mystical – there’s some reference to pagan magic and spells (not that I’m involved with that) but I just find it really interesting, so I guess in some way it is metaphorical. The cool thing about having abstract lyrics and imagery or being a bit more cyrptic is people can have their own interpretation of your song, and that’s a creative process in itself – it allows the listener or the fans to get involved on the creative process of the song.

MF:I haven’t seen you guys live, but I hear you’re prone to injury quite a bit because there’s usually some stunt action on stage. Do you plan that stuff or does it just happen in the moment?

ROB: Yeah, John’s got his own little signature moves where at a certain point in songs he climbs right up on top of the speaker stack to jump off, and we’re all terrified every time he does it. It always feels like he’s gonna fall off and kill himself. When you’re playing live, you just get caught in the moment … none of that stuff is thought about beforehand.

MF: And even though it was a while ago, what was it like playing with big stadium rockers Muse ?

ROB: It was amazing. Like mind blowing. It’s so surreal that you go up there and you can’t see the back of the crowd. It’s so thrilling, but in a way you’re less nervous because it’s more intimidating sometimes playing to a small crowd of people you know. It was so surreal – like an out-of-body experience almost. We got off stage and we were in this weird daze.

MF:From afar and from what the music media tells us, it feels like the UK rock scene is pretty healthy at the moment … do you feel like the success of Pulled Apart by Horses has played a leading role in this resurgence of the genre …

ROB: I’d probably sound a bit arrogant saying yes to that, but if that was true, that would be amazing. That’s one of our goals with this band: to keep live guitar and rock music alive. We’ve been inspired by amazing rock music growing up and we just want to keep that alive.

Pulled Apart By Horses second album Tough Love will be released January 27, 2012

Fresh off a tour with 360 and straight onto a plane to the United States, he has been recording new material for his début solo album. Jetting back to Sydney for a one-off show this weekend, Grey Ghost will be dropping his new tracks, amongst his single Space Ambassador, which has literally taken off on the underground hip hop scene of Australia. We caught up with the man himself.

MF: What are your main issues with the rap scene in Australia?

GG: I’m mainly excited by the Australian rap scene at the moment. I think it feels like what the 90s would have felt like for hip hop in the States. A Golden Era of sorts. Hip hop’s been alive long enough in Australia now to split off into a bunch of awesome sub-sub cultures.

MF: You’ve just come off the back of supporting 360 in his Australian tour; are there any plans for a tour yourself? Or just some more recording?

GG: Many many many plans! I just looked over a 6-month plan this morning actually, and it looks HECTIC! I’m recording my debut album part here and part in NYC; we’ll be producing a bunch of film clips over the next few months, recording and releasing my mixtape (made up of all non-rap beats, i.e. loops from bands like Talking Heads, The Cure, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kasabian, etc etc). And, of course, I’ll be gigging and developing the live show constantly.

MF: What would you say is the biggest turning point in your life?

GG: I’d say the moment I met my wifey-to-be. I’m a big love-head so that’s the most important thing to me. And that inspires me to make my art.

MF: Now your genre isn’t restricted to one style of music in itself, you sort of combine an indie-electro backing track, which in itself would sell albums, and lay these epic lyrics over the top; how would you describe what you do?

GG: I’ve been calling it post-rap, mainly because I’m most inspired by the post-punk era, which in itself was a turning point from punk. I feel like I’m trying to be that turning point for rap. Although, it’s already happening around the world, so I also feel a part of a movement, which is cool ~ maybe we should gather together in a cafe in Germany and write a manifesto over some strong cups of coffee.

MF: Your single Space Ambassador has been likened to acts such as Miike Snow; how does that make you feel?

GG: Funnily enough, I’ve been meaning to sit down with some Miike Snow records; I’ve only heard random tracks here and there. From what I’ve heard, they sound really beautiful, so I’m happy with comparison. Also, I’ve heard they kill it live so hopefully we get that comparison with my live show.

MF: If you could go up against any artists from any time in a 1v1 rap battle, who would it be and why?

GG: Probably Vanilla Ice, so I’d win.

MF: Are you preferring life as a solo artists? Or do you miss life in The Melodics?

GG: I learnt so so much in The Melodics and I loved the experience and the songs and the boys in the band. But yes I’m MUCH prefering life as a solo artist. That said – it’s the experience I had in that band that brought me to this, so I’m very thankful to The Melodics. It just feels like the perfect time now as a solo artist and I feel like I’ve found what I want to do, end of story.

MF: The question that everyone is asking: when is your next release?

GG: Can’t tell you exactly when, but it’ll be some film clips and then the mixtape, which I’m pumped about – got some great tracks comin’ along with some killer feature artists, then the album later in the year.

Grey Ghost plays Upstairs Beresford this Friday 27th January

Update: 2011 Hottest 100 Countdown is here

The triple j Hottest 100: an institution that’s been blasting out of our Australia Day backyard radios for 21 years. Every year it counts down and celebrates the best 100 songs of the year that has passed by – as voted by triple j listeners.

In the past, there have been winners who have lived up to the station’s alternative nature (Queens Of The Stone Age’s No One Knows, The Cranberries’ Zombie), some local artist gems (Powderfinger’s My Happiness and These Days, Augie March’s One Crowded Hour), obvious songs which owned the year (Franz Ferdinand’s Take Me Out, Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl?) and some suprises (The Offspring’s Pretty Fly For A White Guy, Alex Lloyd’s Amazing and Bernard Fanning’s Wish You Well).

So who will take out the 2011 top choice?

The Obvious Choice

Wally De Backer – I hope you’ve got champagne on ice. You’re going need it around 9pm tomorrow.

Gotye (featuring Kimbra) Somebody That I Used To Know will be the clear winner.

Not since Kings Of Leon’s Sex On Fire in 2008 has there been such a hot and obvious favourite for the winner of the world’s biggest music poll. Sportingbet had a market going last month for Somebody That I Used To Know to win at $1.15 – with ‘Any Other Song’ at around $5.

Somebody That I Used To Know ticks all the boxes when it comes to being a Hottest 100 frontrunner:

- A Triple J-approved artist whose past releases got plenty of airplay on the station,
- A crossover hit which went from being played on the J’s to being flogged all over commerical radio.
- Scored industry acclaim and numerous awards (ARIA gave it Single Of The Year, while Gotye and Kimbra won Best Male and Female artists respectively).
- Recieve a whole new audience of ‘mainstream’ fans – who pack out your shows just to hear your new hit single (Gotye sold out four shows at The Forum in October).
- Had numerous people covering it on YouTube or in their live shows – (just look at Canadian band Walk Off The Earth’s cover)

Credit to Kiel Eggings’ blog write up on this. Read the full article here.

Other High Rank Picks Or Possible #1 Dark Horse

While it’s hard to decide whether any of these will actually take the top rank, here are a few that you might think would get a good placing.

- Boy and Bear’s latest album Moonfire reached #2 on the ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart, and could be a shoe in with their track Feeding Line.
- Love him or hate him Skrillex’s song First of the Year (Equinox) should come in somewhere, a possible top 10.
- 22 million view YouTube sensation Lana del Ray with the track Video Games.
- Florence and The Machine’s popularity has exploded since the release of her second album Ceremonials – First single What the Water Gave mM will rank highly.
- Other Aussie artists (with exception of Kimbra) to appear on the list could include The Jezabels – Rosebud, Kimbra – Cameo lover, 360 – Killer, The Grates – Turn Me On, Ball Park Music – It’s Nice to be Alive and Bluejuice – Act Yr Age, to name a few.

What’s your picks or thoughts on this year, do you think Gotye should take out the #1 spot?