Bare Bones Take Us Track By Track Through Their Debut Album 'Bad Habits'

It’s not secret that Sydney’s Bare Bones can riff, and now the five-piece have finally channelled their unbridled punk rock intensity into a relentless, riff-heavy album, titled Bad Habits.

All crushing guitars and razor-sharp vocals, Bare Bones do not hold back on their debut album, its tracks inspired by life’s many vices and unexpected turns, as well as the consequences that inevitably follow.

To get a window into the stories behind Bad Habits, Bare Bones’ vocalist Tom Kennedy has shared a detailed explanation of each track on the album, out now. Stream the record here and delve into the story of Bad Habits, below.

Thick As Thieves

I knew this song would open the album as soon as we wrote it, musically it’s balls to the wall with a good groove, and one of the heavier tracks. Lyrically it’s a good starting point for the album, drawing on how bad friends, with bad habits, can be appealing while fuelling a sense of self-destruction.

Ravensburg

One of the more melodic tracks on the album, ‘Ravensburg’ dives into how quickly a single person or event can change your life completely upside down and being so caught off guard that you were not prepared for the fallout.

Deathbed Visions

One of the more driving and aggressive tracks on the album musically, ‘Deathbed Visions’ is about the feelings of fear and the unknown when I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, along with dealing with depression, being faced with your own mortality and looking inward to find you’re unhappy with your life and realising if it were to all end I knew I hadn’t achieved what I wanted.

Midnight Climax

The name is taken from “Operation Midnight Climax” which was a CIA mind control operation where they used prostitutes to give LSD to unconsenting individuals at CIA safe houses. The theme of the song is based on my interpretation of what it would’ve been like.

Skeleton Key

This song deals with trying to hold together relationships in life while your world is crumbling around you and inner demons cloud your judgement. It’s a more melodic departure for us.

Strange Brew

Is about somebody that has done wrong by others their whole life and those deeds catching up on them to become isolated and detached from their life. It’s a heavy track drawing from ’80s metal influences, it features our mate Jake from I Exist on vocals.

White Knuckles Black Tar

The first song we wrote for Bad Habits, it’s a good time tune about getting up to no good with your best mates. We made a music video for it where we went out for a night on the town with our friends, but we went to hard on the booze and weren’t allowed into any bars after about 11pm.

Forgotten Fear and Fury

Our tribute to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtracks. This song is about people who think they have power over you and can control you, and sticking a big middle finger up to that.

Diamond Cutter

This song is about being brutally yourself and not changing for anyone, it’s easy to get into relationships and situations where you don’t put yourself first and play into others’ ideas of who you should be. It’s also a bad ass heavy tune that we look forward to playing live.

Heavy Burner

One of the early songs in the writing process for Bad Habits that has seen a few incarnations, it’s high energy and a lot of fun to play live. It’s about letting your guard down and not being scared to do what you love, and a battle cry for being young and making bad decisions.

Deadman Walking

A song about the soul-sucking routine that everyone has fallen into at one time of working a job you hate, being stuck with friends you’ve outgrown and feeling stuck in a rut. It’s about breaking free from that.

Copper in the Cast

The final track on the album, this track carries a heavy and dark undertone. Lyrically the track deals with the father-son relationship, and as we mature as young men that bond is often tested and questioned. We also brought our good friend Josh, ex-Bare Bones bassist and current Junkhead vocalist, to throw in guest vocals which was good fun. For us this was the perfect track to end on.

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‘Bad Habits’ is out now. Bare Bones will launch the album at shows in Sydney and Melbourne in the coming weeks. See dates below.