Paleface Swiss On Why They Can't Wait To Return Down Under

After almost completely selling out their last Australian headline run, Paleface Swiss already had plenty of reasons to come back Down Under. But according to frontman Marc “Zelli” Zellweger, it’s not just the packed rooms that keep drawing the Swiss heavyweights halfway across the globe – it’s the attitude of Australian crowds.

Speaking with Music Feeds ahead of the band’s newly announced 2027 Australian tour alongside Counterparts and Fox Lake, Zelli says local audiences have a refreshing approach to live music that stands out from almost anywhere else they’ve played.

PALEFACE SWISS – ‘WITHERING FLOWER’

“Australian people treat a show like it should be,” he tells Music Feeds. “They go there to experience something and enjoy something – not as critics.”

“They don’t go in thinking, ‘Let’s see if they’re good enough.’ They’re there for the same reason I am – to have as much fucking fun as possible.”

It’s a mentality that’s left a lasting impression on the vocalist, particularly after Paleface Swiss’ last Aussie headline tour saw every show except one sell out.

“It’s stupid,” he laughs. “You travel across the whole fucking globe with your best friends and everything is sold out. It’s like, ‘What the fuck?’ Obviously it’s the best feeling ever.”

One show in particular still sticks with him.

Despite battling illness and nearly losing his voice before taking the stage in Melbourne, Zelli says the crowd carried him through what could have been a disaster.

“I was really ill that day. I lost my voice and I didn’t feel good at all,” he recalls. “But the people gave me so much energy. It was literally magical.”

“I’m so sad that I couldn’t give more of myself, but I’m so thankful people understood and still went fucking crazy and helped me out. That was definitely a very special day.”

That experience has only fuelled the band’s excitement about returning next January with a larger production, fresh material and two heavyweight support acts.

“We play new songs that we’ve never played in Australia before. We play old songs we’ve never played in Australia before. We bring a bigger production and we bring two amazing fucking bands. We’ve got Counterparts and Fox Lake.”

And for anyone thinking January 2027 is too far away to commit? Zelli has a hilariously blunt message.

“People say, ‘I don’t know if I’m available then,'” he laughs. “Look into your calendar. Is there anything planned?”

“No? Then buy the ticket and now you have a plan. Stop waiting for something better. This is the better thing.”

Away from the stage, the frontman says Australia is also one of the few places where he intentionally builds extra downtime into the band’s schedule.

“I always try to build our tours so we’ve got enough time to go to restaurants, bars, the beach and actually experience the country,” he says. “Especially in Australia, where you’ve travelled 100 billion hours to get there. I want to enjoy it.”

The band’s return also arrives as Paleface Swiss edge towards their first decade together. Rather than chasing lofty career milestones, Zelli says his priorities have become surprisingly simple.

“Everything I always wanted to do with this band, we’re achieving,” he says. “We’re travelling the world with our best friends, playing crazy shows, making music and smiling every day.”

“I’m literally having the best life I could have ever asked for.”

While new music is already underway, fans shouldn’t expect the band to force another album just for the sake of it.

After admitting recent EP The Wilted was written because the band felt they “weren’t done” exploring the world of Cursed, Zelli says he’s now taking a far more instinctive approach.

“I’m sitting in my little music room right now just writing,” he says. “I don’t have a goal of making an album. I just want to channel everything that’s happened this year into music.”

“If the song ends up on a Paleface album? Fuck yeah. If not… we’ll see.”

For someone whose band has become one of modern heavy music’s fastest-rising live acts, it’s a surprisingly grounded outlook.

Asked what he’s proudest of after nearly a decade with Paleface Swiss, Zelli doesn’t mention sold-out tours, streaming numbers or festival stages.

Instead, he points to the people around him.

“Every single person that’s with me on the tour bus is a very close friend. They’ve proven so many times they’re friends first and work second. That’s what I’m most proud of.”

Paleface Swiss will hit seven stages across Australia with Counterparts and Fox Lake in January 2027. You can suss all the details and grab tickets down below.