Musical Chairs With JACK & DYLAN From DEAD POET SOCIETY

Organisers of this years Good Things Festival have managed to find a way to open the showcase event up to an even larger percentage of Australian bands.Rather than select the final band to play on each of the three line-ups themselves, organisers instead threw that challenge over to fans who first voted on line to narrow the potential candidates down before pitting the best supported bands against each other in a play off to decide who walked away with chocolates.Emerging Brisbane progressive metal outfit Citadel were one of the many bands to have been enriched by the experience, with frontman Russell Miller joining HEAVY to share the love, unfortunately on the back of their narrow defeat at the hands of Apate the previous evening in the Brisbane heats. Rather than dwell on the negatives we instead ask Miller how the experience enriched his band."It was really cool," he offered, still obviously a little deflated by the nights events. "Even just being able to play last night with the line-up of Apate, Bad Neighbour and us was sick, just being able to play with two bands that we admire, two bands that have hustled and grinded their way to success. Both play very different music, really good music, so it was a lot of fun. We made a lot of new friends as well. It was good to be back at The Brightside. It's been a few years since I played there."In the full interview Russell explains the mentality of going into competitions like this where you are essentially competing against your friends in a situation where the victor gains a massive step forward in their careers, finding the balance between taking it seriously and having fun, structuring a set list to give yourself the best chance of progressing, who he would have liked to play alongside at Good Things, their recent debut album Decompose and the early reception, the themes of death and sorrow that permeate through the release, focussing on the music rather than the genre, future plans and more."Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

24 Nov 202217min

Early in their career Sydney rock outfit Chasing Lana managed to tap into that sweet spot of music that enabled them to appeal to a wide variety of music lovers.By embracing their heavier elements but balancing them with equal parts accessible rock, the band burst out of the blocks largely on the back of their uncompromising live show that dripped with raw energy and old school mentality.2016 debut EP Suffocate/Medicate showed glimpses of the boundless talent at their disposal, but it was the arrival of Chasing Lana's debut album The Fight in 2019 that demanded attention.So much so that before the band had even shed their metaphorical baby teeth they had forced their way onto support slots with international heavyweights acts P.O.D, Trapt, Theory Of A Deadman and Saliva.As to be expected for a band whose live sets are a major factor in their appeal, Chasing Lana stagnated somewhat during the COVID period. While the passion and fire still raged strong the growing demise of a world at war with the elements surrounding them stifled Chasing Lana's creativity and dragged them back to a pack from which they had led for the better part of half a decade.But, in true Aussie fashion, you can't keep a good band down with Chasing Lana finally regaining their voice and harnessing it into their new single Breaking Free which will be released on November 25.A product of its environment, Breaking Free also marks the next phase of Chasing Lana's musical development, with a harder edge and driving underbelly hinting at a more heavy handed approach to future music.Frontman Dave Cutting sat down with HEAVY to discuss Breaking Free and its harder exterior. "It's a lot different than what we usually release," he nodded. "We changed producers - we're working with Zak Knight from Earthtide Studios - to get something different. We thought we would try one track with him and the whole experience was mind blowing. It was a lot different to what we are used to and I feel that's what we really needed. It was good, man. I can't wait for everyone to hear it. It's definitely a different Lana sound to what everyone is used to, that's for sure."As Chasing Lana's first new music since The Fight, Cutting agrees that Breaking Free is somewhat of a statement musically, sonically announcing that Chasing Lana have returned bigger, stronger, and better than ever before."It's been three years," he sighed, "almost three years since we have actually released anything. We released The Fight in 2019 and did a bunch of shows for that but because of the whole COVID thing - like everyone - we just got into a whole bubble and did nothing. I wrote a few songs, but nothing too much to actually do anything. It was hard to motivate everyone in the band, including myself. Once all of that died down and everything started to re-open it was time to do something, and do something fresh."In the full interview, Dave discusses the heavier direction in greater detail, outlines the subject matter of Breaking Free, whether it is part of a bigger album picture, the modern dilemma of albums versus EP's, Chasing Lana's recent show at Frankies Pizza and the hole that venues closing will leave in the Sydney music scene, his recent catch up with manager Mark Dalbeth and what came out of those discussions, Chasing Lana's immediate future and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Nov 202213min

In my entire concert going life I don't think I have ever been to a show where I didn't know one song from either the support band or the headlining act and still thoroughly enjoyed it.But, as is the case, there is always an exception to the rule which for me came in the form of the recent IDLES Brisbane concert with Melbourne punk brats Pinch Points opening the night.I had never heard of these guys before, which is yet another reason why people should ALWAYS try and make it for the full line-up of bands no matter what the event.Because you just never know what you might discover.Pinch Points grabbed me from the outset, with their unashamedly Australian approach to their music and structure making them instant stars in my eyes.They were young, brash, confident and respectful of their surroundings - despite the fact they were playing to a capacity crowd at one of Brisbanes largest indoor venues.Such was the strength of their 45 minute set, I felt compelled to track Pinch Points down for a chat - if only to congratulate them on a job well done.I was lucky enough to corner three quarters of the band in drummer Isabella Orsini, bass player Acacia Coates and guitarist Jordan Oakley, all of whom also lend vocals to the musical output that nestles somewhere between punk, rock and rockabilly with enough individual swagger to elevate their music into a plethora of contrasting genres that somehow manage to gel.Not wanting to heap too much praise on the young band too early in the conversation, we start by pointing out the bleedingly obvious fact of how great a live unit British legends IDLES are."They were phenominal," Orsini agreed. "They had another level to their performance that I haven't seen in such a long time, especially having a band from overseas coming to Australia to play a run of shows. It's really cool to see.""It was awesome," Oakley affirmed. "Everybody was loving it. It was so cool to see the passion in the crowd every night, you could see that they were a very special band.""I think we were all inspired by getting to watch them seven times in a row," Coates added, laughing.In the full interview, Pinch Points talk more about the run of shows, what sorts of things they learn as a young band from playing with established overseas artists, their use of Australian colloquialism in their music and where it comes from, having four members in the band capable of singing, how they work out vocal parts in the writing and recording process, the reception to this years album Process, how it was a musical leap forward for the band, their blending of genres and how they make it work, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Nov 202214min

Who would have thought an album dedicated to Migloo the White Whale would be the catalyst for a chain of events that has seen Melbourne rock/punk outfit Dune Rats sweep all before them in 2022.Since releasing their latest album the impossibly difficult to say out loud Real Rare Whale earlier this year Dune Rats have toured relentlessly, suddenly and unforgivably becoming the darlings of Australian music.They have recorded a classic song by The Angels - with both Rick and John Brewster appearing, played to 1000's of punters in one night, won the Bangalow Billy Cart Derby and been nominated for Best Hard Rock/Metal album at this years ARIA Awards.Not bad for a bunch of self confessed larrikins who don't even take spelling their own name seriously.This weeks release of album single Space Cadet and it's hilariously poignant film clip have ushered in the next chapter of Dune Rats quest for world domination, which early next year sees the battle lines drawn on a 45 date run encompassing the U.S.A, Canada, U.K and Europe.HEAVY tracked down frontman Danny Beus for a chat before his shining star becomes so bright that he no longer needs to bore himself with the trivialities of media promotion.We start by asking him about the latest single Space Cadet."It's one of those ones where it started off - like any one of our songs - the idea in general started off like when you're a kid and you wanna do a million things, but you either don't have the talent to do those things or really process what it takes to do them," he recounted. "Then the crushing realisation of your Mum and Dad telling you to go wash the fucken dishes up kind of brings you back down to reality (laughs). It started off as this joke between us when we were writing that someone has to go and do the dishes and it would be like 'go away, I'm trying to write a rock song here' but you've gotta do the dishes first mate and it all tied into that. That's where the genesis of the song started, and then like any of them we fleshed it out and did some good nah nah's and gave it a few ooh's and then, bang, it was a finished song. It was one of those ones where our producer liked the overall vibe of the song as well."In the full interview Danny talks about the film clip to Space Cadet and sheds some truth on the cash bonanza the band received from winning, the reception to Real Rare Whale, the downright nasty reasons behind naming the album as such, being nominated for the ARIA's, how their acceptance speech might go should they win, the cover of Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again for Triple J, having the Brewster brothers play on the track, the Dune Rats upcoming shows to round out the year, next years massive overseas tour, keeping it fun on the road and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

23 Nov 202213min

While most metalheads are loath to admit it, the correlation between EDM and heavy metal is often closer than you think.While being two completely contrasting styles of music, metal and EDM follow similar trajectories sonically in certain aspects, as evident by the amount of collaborations between the genres over the years.One of the main protagonists in this field is The Crystal Method - these days largely the baby of Scott Kirkland - who have released songs with artists such as Filter, John Garcia (Kyuss), Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit) Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) and Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots).Now, for the first time since performing at 2007's Big Day Out, The Crystal Method are poised to return to Australia for a run of dates starting in Sydney on December 9.Kirkland sat down with HEAVY earlier this week to discuss the tour and how EDM and metal make unlikely bedfellows."Definitely a lot of pent up energy will be released," he smiled. "I've been looking forward to this tour - I think we initially had this one booked for June of 2020, and of course we all know what happened from that point on - and then it continued to happen. We kept pushing it, and pushing it so I'm just so excited to finally be able to come back out there and hang out with the kind people of Australia. It's the perfect timing for everybody to get back out and have a good time and I've got a lot of pent up energy that I'm ready to exercise. I'm looking forward to performing and seeing the beautiful country."In the full interview, Scotty talks more about what we can expect from the shows, the mixing of metal and EDM and how he makes it work, how the genres co-exist in the music world, his collaborations with the above mentioned artists and how they came about, having Iggy Pop on his latest album and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Nov 202212min

Gaupa is a Swedish band described as “progressive stoner rock with doom, folk andpsychedelic rock influences”. At first that’s a lot to digest, however once you sit down andlisten to their music and really take it in, it all comes together. Heavy got to chance tointerview lead singer Emma Näslund and guitarist Daniel Nygren to chat about their newalbum ‘MYRIAD’ which was released recently on the 18 th of November.After making sure I got the pronunciation of “MYRIAD” correct – we got stuck into talkingabout their new album and what has led them to this chapter of their journey. I was curiousto know how they started and what influences are at play behind their music, and I reallyappreciated their creativity and openness answering my questions. Often I found myselfthinking, “Shit, I’m glad I asked that. What an amazing/ unexpected answer”.It's been a slow burner starting out for Gaupa. Covid did the Covid thing and cancelledshows left right and centre, making it near on impossible to play for anyone. I’m excited tosee what happens with the realise of their new album and the chance to perform for fans.When questioned about where they want to see Gaupa going in the future, their answerwas simply, “We just want everyone in the band to be happy and have lots of fun while wecreate together”. That response made me immediately want to see these guys succeed.Gaupa strike me as a very organic and creative band that isn’t doing it for anyone else butthemselves. I always appreciate that approach because that’s when you get the best musicthat’s straight from the heart and not accommodating what you ‘think’ people want.‘MYRIAD’ is best turned up full blast so you can really enjoy Emma’s beautiful and hauntingvocals, perfectly accompanied by the band to create a whole experience for you. Its veryemotion driven music and these sweet Swede’s sure know how to write a song and rock thefuck out. If you like your stoner rock with a touch of doom and psychedelic rock – thisalbum is for you, sink your teeth into ‘MYRIAD’.Gaupa have plans to tour Europe in May 2023 for any of our readers over that side of theworld, get out there and support them! Hopefully that means they will get the chance tocome to Australia soon and bring their music to our shores for us to enjoy.Have a listen to the interview in its’ entirety below. There is plenty of laughs and some greatstories told. I have to say that I really enjoyed getting to know Emma and Daniel, wemanaged to cover heaps of interesting topics. I certainly learnt a lot about the world ofGaupa.Now it’s your turn to have a peek inside, enjoy!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Nov 202219min

Sydney metal dynamos Flaming Wreckage will this weekend make the pilgrimage to the Old Kilmore Goal outside of Melbourne to play at Killfest 2022 alongside acts like Skeletal Remains, Psycroptic, Dreadnaught, Innasanatorium and more.Just being invited to play in such esteemed company is testament alone to the hard work put in by Flaming Wreckage in recent years, but when you consider they are the only act invited back to perform after last years inaugural event that achievement is magnified even more.Set down for November 26 Killfest is staged by Mick Quee from Quirky Sounds who aims to bring together the cream of Australian hard rock and metal talent under one roof for a day of music rarely seen in this country.For the first time Killfest welcomes an international act in Skeletal Remains but the focus predominantly remains on Australian bands.Flaming Wreckage vocalist Dave Lupton caught up with HEAVY only days out from the show to talk about Killfest and other things happening with the band."It's really sick," he enthused. "We had the honour of playing it last year but it's really cool to see so many regional festivals popping up around Australia and this one is one of the best. You can't go wrong with that venue. It's in an old jail with a really cool vibe and Mick puts on an awesome show. This line-up is pretty unbeatable as well. There's a couple of heavy hitters up the top so I reckon it's gonna be a ripper."In the full interview, Dave talks about the other bands on the line-up, who he is most looking forward to playing with, last years show and why it worked, life as a touring musician, what sorts of things the band learns about themselves and their music on the road, the follow up to last years album Cathedral Of Bones, what to expect musically from it, how Flaming Wreckage has changed musically over their three albums to date, future plans and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

22 Nov 20229min

Rock upstarts The Used have always approached life and music with a youthful exuberance that has translated to their massive fan base and seen their brand of music endure over nine albums since their inception in 2000.Following the release of Heartwork Deluxe last year, which featured collaborations with artists such as Travis Barker, Jason Aalon Butler and Caleb Shomo, The Used are now ready to release more new music, coming at you dripping with attitude in the shape of new single Fuck You.It is as much a statement of intent as it is a throwaway remark for The Used, but to find out the deeper meaning behind the track HEAVY tracked down frontman Bert McCracken for clarification.Needless to say we got none."It's basically a love letter to all of our fans from the heart," he said of the song, struggling to hold back the laughter. "There's a little bit of a fuck you inside of that, and I think it's good to release the demons, especially after the horrific time we had during the pandemic. It's cathartic to say it out loud."The film clip is another work of magic, featuring live footage, babies and the traditional bird, with McCracken explaining it is kind of a homage to the bands early work."Our very first video ever was for A Box Full Of Sharp Objects which had live video footage of us hanging out and playing live and we wanted to recreate that. I think it's a really awesome thing to see a band backstage having fun with each other and hanging out. It's a side you don't get to see."In the full interview, Bert talks about the warning that comes with the music video, the intended audience Fuck You is aimed at, new music, the deluxe version of Heartwork, why bands put out deluxe editions of albums, the collaborations on the album and which one he enjoyed most, playing the recent When We Were Young Festival, possible Australian tour dates and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

17 Nov 20226min