Raw, Real & Gritty With LUKE GRUNTS From CLEOPATRICK

Interview by Angela Croudace
One of the most in-demand rising rock bands on the planet, Canadian post-rock act, Cleopatrick, will tour Australia for the first time ever this September, playing three shows only in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The tour follows the release of their bold and introspective second record FAKE MOON, a sonic journey blending lo-fi grit with expansive production and raw existentialism.
Sonically, Cleopatrick are what can only be described as the audio equivalent to Playstation 1 graphics, serving up gritty 8-bit guitars, minimalist synth lines, glitchy vocals and shoegaze-like refrains to create a sound that is both retro and otherworldly at the same time. With influences ranging from Radiohead’s experimental brilliance to the grounded surrealism of Dijon’s Absolutely, and the raw intimacy of Califone, Cleopatrick can take you on a journey of self-reflection or a voyage to the stars, depending on your frame of mind.
With the tour set to kick off in Brisbane on September 25, HEAVY sat down with Luke Grunts to bring us up to speed.
"I think (the best thing) has been just seeing the excitement coming from the fans," he enthused when asked how it feels to be finally coming to this side of the world. "We've had people asking us to come to Australia for a really long time, but it's never really been in the playbook because it's quite far away, and we're an independent band. But just being able to satisfy that request for some people has been really awesome.
And then the most surprising thing is finding out that we're missing a lot of the country. There's also a lot of disappointed people, which I didn't expect. I guess it's much like Canada in the way that it's vast, and the cities are separated, and it's not easy to just travel to a show when it's happening in the same country. So I guess that's a good reason for us to come back (smiles)."
In the full interview, Luke talks more about touring Australia for the first time and what he is expecting, what fans can expect from a Cleopatrick live show, how much influence social media has had on their career and how they have used it to their advantage and living in the modern age of the internet.
He talked about things he wants to do while he is here, their latest album and how/why it sounds the way it does, Scooby Doo and more.


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