Tag: post-hardcore

Top 50 Albums of 2014, Part One: 50 – 41

Posted on by David James Young in Lists

It’s the most magical time of year — list season! A couple of days ago, I kicked into my top 100 songs of the year, which you can catch up on over here. Over the next month, I’ll be sharing that as well as my top 50 albums of the year. While there was a lot of controversy over the fact that no album went platinum this year, I feel it’s more a sign of the times than an indication of the quality of the music released in 2014. Across the 300-plus albums I experienced throughout the year, I completely ran the entire spectrum; from the uplifting and inspiring to the menacing and terrifying and back again. Let’s take a look now at the records that defined the year for me and see what you think. Love them? Hate them? Haven’t heard them? Let me know!

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HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Hilltop Hoods, Lanie Lane, Indian, Colossvs, Panopticon, Fishing, Swans, Xerxes, Sturgill Simpson, Collarbones, Mary Lambert, Cynic, OFF!, Shellac, Mastodon, The Roots, Woods of Desolation, The Magic Numbers, Spoon and Pharrell Williams…

50. La Roux – Trouble in Paradise
Spotify || Rdio

Did you honestly ever expect to see or hear from Elly Jackson again? After her universe of hype imploded in her early twenties, she’s made sure that if La Roux was to ever return, it was going to be precisely calculated and on her own terms. The hooks are just as sharp, the production just as crystallised and pristine – but it’s delivered with a smarter and more restrained look at broken hearts and ambiguous relationships. Think of Trouble in Paradise as less of a sequel to the project’s exceptional 2009 debut and more of a reboot of the franchise.

THREE TOP TRACKS: Silent Partner, Kiss and Not Tell, Tropical Chancer.

WATCH:

49. IDYLLS – Prayer for Terrene
Bandcamp

From the depths of Brisbane, a firebrand of heavy Australian music re-emerged with a new lineup and a new approach to their tactical, cacophonous grindcore. The introduction of squealing, churning saxophone mixed in a touch of the avant-garde, while the album’s longer songs allowed the band to explore their own musical surroundings with arresting, impressive results. Prayer for Terrene was more than just some sort of post-apocalyptic soundtrack – it was the sound of a band realising its full potential and making the most out of it. An essential step forward from a band leading the pack in their field.

THREE TOP TRACKS: PCP Crazy, Crashing Boar, Lied To.

LISTEN:

48. Behemoth – The Satanist
Spotify || Rdio

Everything about The Satanist is defiant. A band venturing into its tenth album should have none of the vitality and maintained-rage that is omnipotent and omnipresent within the tracklisting here. Furthermore, The Satanist is defiant in respects to to Behemoth itself still being here – frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski was struggling with leukaemia for a couple of years, a devastating blow in any context. Perhaps it’s this that has given the band the rush of adrenalin it needs – a scream to the heavens, a clear and open statement of unfinished business. The devil rides on.

THREE TOP TRACKS: The Satanist, O Father O Satan O Sun!, Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel.

WATCH:

47. Loudon Wainwright III – Haven’t Got the Blues (Yet)
Spotify || Rdio

At 68 years young, the senior Wainwright has a lot of grief with you people. His dog’s misbehaving, there’s nowhere to get a beer, the news is always awful and – to top it all off – he might have depression. Maybe. If he doesn’t, he will soon. At least, so we think. It doesn’t matter what subject he tackles – it’s always given a unique spin and approached with Wainwright’s distinct kind of wry, often black, humour. With The Blues, the Third remains one of the more underrated songwriters around. He just hasn’t had his respect paid – yet.

THREE TOP TRACKS: Harlan County, Harmless, Man & Dog.

WATCH:

46. Chumped – Teenage Retirement
Spotify || Rdio || Bandcamp

The cover art of Teenage Retirement is a photo of a dude on his lonesome, chilling out in his pool and watching the world go by. It’s reflective of perhaps the best way to enjoy the debut album from this exceptional Brookyln outfit who, in a way, are picking up where albums like the Speedy Ortiz and Waxahatchee records from 2013 left off. It all ties into forward-thinking alternative rock with an all-important and oft-ignored central female voice – and as far as that realm was concerned, few dominated with such aplomb the way Chumped did. We’ll all float on.

LISTEN:

THREE TOP TRACKS: Hot 97 Summer Jam, Old and Tired, December is the Longest Month.

45. Miranda Lambert – Platinum
Spotify || Rdio || YouTube

Country’s crazy ex-girlfriend next door doesn’t do things by thirds. Her albums are always packed to the brim, with an A-team of producers, co-writers and instrumentalists filling each song. It’s this that has allowed her to rise to the top of the food-chain on her own terms – while her bro-down peers want any random girl up in their truck, she’s telling the same dudes that they “can’t ride in her little red wagon.” She may as well be saying that they couldn’t lace up her boots – and she has the songs to back it up. Giddy up.

THREE TOP TRACKS: Priscilla, Platinum, Old Shit.

LISTEN:

44. Vales – Wilt & Rise
Bandcamp

Sometimes, what you need is a record of furious, unforgiving post-hardcore. Not that fringe-flicking shit with the superfluous keyboardist and the neck tatts – we’re talking about the purest definition of the term, insofar as that it’s a progression from the standards and moulds set. Wilt & Rise goes beyond your average tough-guy shit and is completely devastating on its own terms, delivered with pure conviction and a seething, unshakable rage. The band are not only the most important new voice being heard above the drone in their native UK, they’re threatening to do the same on a global scale.

THREE TOP TRACKS: White Horse, Dead Wood, Wildfire.

LISTEN:

43. Copeland – Ixora
Spotify || Rdio

Immediately, there was a sense that Aaron Marsh and co. were headed far beyond any cash-in reunion territory when they announced their reformation – there was a new album on the way, six years removed from their finest hour, You Are My Sunshine. If Ixora did anything as an album, it validated their return to the fold. Copeland remains Aaron Marsh’s most important vehicle, with each new song delivering on stirring indie rock and heartstring-plucked balladry that stand up with any of their prior works. Ixora blossoms and blooms, reminding listeners to never take bands such as these for granted.

THREE TOP TRACKS: Ordinary, Erase, I Can Make You Feel Young Again.

LISTEN:

42. Neil Cicierega – Mouth Silence
Soundcloud

User:neilcic has been responsible for more internet sensations than you’d ever begin to think. Put it this way: If the phrase “Snape, Snape, Severus Snape” means anything to you, then there’s plenty more where that came from. Here, Cicierega delivers a sequel to his Smash Mouth-obssessed debut, and no-one is safe. He continues to terrorise the world of pop culture and 90s nostalgia with some truly nightmarish pairings – Soundgarden and The Carpenters, System of a Down and Elton John, Oasis and Oasis. It’s jarring, it’s bizarre and it’s hypnotising in its brilliance. Keep the internet weird, son. BEST!

THREE TOP TRACKS: What Is It, Wndrwll, Crocodile Chop.

LISTEN:

41. Mariachi El Bronx – Mariachi El Bronx
Spotify || Rdio

Barely a year after yet another exceptional record from The Bronx, their alter-egos have emerged in a fanfare of trumpets, percussion and enough sing-alongs to last until The Bronx V. Despite an all-too-simple game plan and a very specific stylistic palette to draw from, MEB have substantially matured their sound across three albums; adding in a much-needed personal touch to the traditional folk music. There’s a lot of introspection going on in regards to the album’s lyricism, which serves as a beautiful contrast to the outward and extroverted music. Their greatest achievement yet – it’s high-time you joined the procession.

THREE TOP TRACKS: Everything Twice, Sticks and Stones, Right Between the Eyes.

LISTEN:

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INTERVIEW: Rolo Tomassi (UK), December 2010

Posted on by David James Young in Interviews

I discovered this band by pure chance at a Soundwave some years ago and I’ve dug them ever since. A consistently weird and generally wonderful band that exist on the outside of every genre they blend into their music – and that’s just fine by them. I’ve met the Spence siblings from the band several times, including at their Australian tour last year. They’re incredibly polite and charming folk. That’s all I have to say on the matter, really. 

– DJY, October 2014

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There was plenty to see and do at this year’s Soundwave festival, but for those who managed to sneak in early, one new band was the talk of the early hours of the festivities. That band was arty British post-hardcore kids Rolo Tomassi, with a deceptively attractive frontwoman in Eva Spence who went on to screech and howl like some kind of rabid dog; as well as having at least half of the members leaping off the stage to crowdsurf at one point or another. Love them or hate them, they certainly generated a reputation, turning many perfect strangers into huge fans.

“For us, it’s the most important thing in the world to do good live shows,” says Eva’s brother James Spence, the band’s keyboardist and co-lead vocalist. “We started the band to play shows more than anything, and we strive to be as good as we can be – tight, as energetic and as aggressive and imposing as we can be without wanting to alienate anyone. We just want to be fun to watch and fun to be a part of.”

Working up from D.I.Y. shows and home-made cassette demos, the band evolved from a project between the Spence siblings to expand into the quintet that it is today. The band have two albums under their belt – the latest of which, Cosmology, was released in May of this year, produced by former M.I.A. and Santigold collaborator Diplo. In spite of Cosmology arguably being the band’s most technical and intrinsic work to date, the band were fully confident in their abilities to translate this to the live environment.

“It’s easier for it to be difficult to play than to worry it won’t sound good live,” Spence says. “Essentially, if something’s difficult, we can always practice it for ourselves. I think that’s the main difference between the first and the second record – there were some songs on the first record that we had to modify to play live, and none of us were really happy with that. We wanted to take what we’d done on the record and play that live and make a bigger energy, rather than change the songs. I think the difficult songs on the new album, we’ve mastered and can be realised in their full potential when we play them now.”

Ahead of its release, fans in Australia were amongst the first to hear cuts from Cosmology road tested properly. Despite only being here for just over a week, Spence still has incredibly fond memories of what was the band’s first ever Australian tour – even going so far as to describe it as a “headfuck.” His voice picks up and the tone of excitement is too outstanding to ignore.

“Flying that far from home across the world to play gigs with our band is just a very, very strange feeling,” he says. “I don’t think any of us ever expected or assumed that we would ever get the opportunity to do something like that, so a lot of the time we were just walking around wide-eyed – we weren’t really sure how to behave or what to do. After getting over the jetlag, we really made the most of the trip, and really explored the place. We could have really been taken aback, but we decided to make the most of it while we were there.”

The tour also saw the band paired up in some Sidewave action with what FasterLouder deemed one of the strangest support acts of all time – Rolo were the opening act for Jane’s Addiction’s headlining shows. “You’re kidding!” says Spence with a laugh when informed of the band making the list. “That’s amazing. I’ll be honest – I couldn’t identify a Jane’s Addiction song if you played it to me. But the name is just one that sticks out – I mean, I knew what Dave Navarro looked like, and I knew who Perry Farrell was – but I wasn’t really familiar with their music; though I knew it was an odd pairing. I consider them the last of the real rock-stars, and we’re a very humble band with really strong D.I.Y. roots – so to see the complete opposite end of the spectrum was something else. They were great shows, though – the crowds were really responsive and cool.”

After working through a tonne of festival dates, as well as coming off tour with a much more fitting support slot – opening for the band’s heroes, The Dillinger Escape Plan – the time is nigh for Rolo Tomassi to make their return to Australian shores as a part of a quadruple bill with other acts from this year’s Soundwave – This Is Hell, Comeback Kid and headliners Architects. The enthusiasm kicks up a notch once more as Spence gears up for his band’s imminent return to our “fair country,” as he puts it.

“Us, Architects and Comeback Kid were all on the same stage,” he recalls. “The drummer from This Is Hell is from England, too, so we got to meet those guys. I’m a fan of that band, so I ended up watching them anyway. It’s gonna be great to catch up with everyone – we all hung out a fair bit on that tour, and we all played some of the same festival dates in Europe, as well. It’s gonna be really nice – there’s gonna be that sense of friendship amongst all the bands, so it won’t be awkward the first few days.”

INTERVIEW: Alexisonfire (CAN), February 2010

Posted on by David James Young in Interviews

I miss this band. As much as I love the other projects they’re all involved in, there’s no denying how special it was when these five were together. I went to both the farewell shows at the end of 2012 and it was such an incredible experience – I will never forget this band and the impact they had on my life. This interview, however, came before all of that was out in the open. AOF were still very much a band at this stage, full-swing into touring and promotion of the Old Crows/Young Cardinals record. I spoke with George, who was lovely. It’s not crazy insightful or anything like that, but this turned out pretty well. I wonder if he knew at that point that it would all come crashing down within 12 months?

– DJY, April 2014

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George Pettit is a man with a lot on his mind. On a crackly, occasionally indecipherable line from his native Canada, the frontman of multi-faceted post-hardcore quintet Alexisonfire speaks in a tone that’s not so much distracted as full of thoughts and ideas about what’s going on. It’s nearly the end of 2009, and Petit finds himself reflecting on a year where he not only became a husband and expectant father, but also delivered his band’s fourth and easily most divisive record yet, Old Crows/Young Cardinals.

In spite of the controversy surrounding the band’s change in style (particularly in regards to George’s vocals), he still bestows his full confidence in the record itself.

“I was always happy with it,” he comments. “We took a lot of time to make it – we usually just come off the road, spend a month writing, spend a month recording and then go back on the road. This time, we took about six months. We set up our jam space, wrote all the songs and recorded there – we even had the songs in our cars to listen to. It had a lot of room for air.”

Discussing his influences when putting the OC/YC sound together triggers an interesting tangent of its own. He lists bands such as The Hot Snakes and Rocket From the Crypt as major influences, as well as determining the style he aimed to go for.

“When I decided to make the change from screaming to singing,” Petit explains, “I knew I couldn’t croon and I couldn’t sing pretty like [guitarist] Dallas [Green]. I thought I could probably try something like Chuck Ragan or someone like that. These kind of singers – they’re not crooners, but they’ve got that edge to it, which is what I wanted to go for.”

Interestingly enough, the idea of what Pettit doesn’t like also came into play. “It’s not like I was looking at singers and thinking, ‘I wanna sing like that,’” he muses. “It was more looking at screamers and thinking, ‘I DON’T want to scream like that.’ I didn’t want to sound like that anymore.”

“You’re kind of influenced by the things you don’t like,” he continues. “I feel like most of the time when I’m listening to something I fucking hate and I can’t stand it, I want to be the opposite of what that is. There’s a lot of reactions to what we found to be absolutely detestable on the record.”

Despite this seemingly negative inspiration, George insists that the album was not an exercise in hate. Rather, the album was a challenge to push the boundaries of what Alexisonfire could sound like. As George himself puts it: “I think all of our records sound like Alexisonfire; but at the same time, I feel like none of our records sound the same.

“I wanted to shake things up as opposed to just falling in line,” he notes when outlining the band’s intentions. “We just wanted to make something that we liked and move forward. I’m still really happy with the record, even at the end of this year.”

Following OC/YC’s release, Alexis have been touring all across America. Despite labelling the process as “kinda gruelling”, George maintains getting satisfaction from doing so. “We just did the Warped Tour,” says George. “That was fun. You’re only actually playing for thirty minutes tops, and the rest of your time can just be spent hanging out.”

When talk turns to the set-lists of their recent tour, he can’t help but raise a chuckle when it’s said that, even with a new record out, the band must still have fans craving older material. As it stands, Pettit outlines, the band’s current set-list works as follows. “We’ll do at least one off the first record, then one or two off Watch Out!, then we split the rest between Crisis and the new record.” He also adds that it’s in the band’s best intention to “try to put together a set that can please everybody”.

As for the band’s upcoming appearance at Soundwave 2010, Pettit is audibly hot in anticipation for returning to Australia. “This is a really cool festival to be a part of again,” he mentions. “We’re really excited to see Isis, Emarosa, Faith No More, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Weakerthans… it’s really cool. Jane’s Addiction is another one I’m interested to see.”

No matter what your stance on Alexis’ more recent studio work, anyone who’s seen the band live will guarantee you a powerhouse performance. Don’t miss history repeating as George and the rest of the guys from Alexisonfire become the unlikely heroes of the Soundwave festival.

INTERVIEW: Jim Ward (USA), December 2008

Posted on by David James Young in Interviews

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Funny story about this one: I remember it was scheduled the same day as my orientation day at uni, but I was in no position to say no to interviewing Jim Ward. So, naturally, I got my lunch break and I did my interview at the Uni Bar out the front while a staff member looked on with confusion. Jim was a pensive, thoughtful interviewee; and ended up being a very lovely guy in his own right when I met him not too long after I did this interview at his show at the Annandale. That, fittingly enough, was my first ever Annandale show – I can’t believe I’ve been going to that sumbitch for nearly five years! I’ll always love Jim Ward, no matter what music he’s making. This experience simply solidified that love.

– DJY, July 2013

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Jim Ward is no stranger to Australian shores. Each time he has come, however, he has brought something different along with him. Back in 2001, it was with genre-defying quintet At The Drive-In, holding down the rhythm section whilst the future Mars Volta leaders Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez threw themselves across the stage.

A few years later, Ward was positioned up the front as his new band, Sparta, warmed up an audience in hot anticipation of Blink 182. Earlier this year, he returned without either band to perform solo and acoustically, as both the opening act for Incubus and one of the many artists featured at the 2008 Soundwave Festival.

Now, just over six months since that appearance, Jim Ward is set to play a number of low-key, intimate shows this month. This time, however, he will be showcasing tracks from his latest project, Sleepercar, and its album West Texas.

“This is definitely music I’ve wanted to make for a while,” he comments on the album’s rootsy, country vibe. “It’s stuff that I love, both in the singer-songwriter format and the band format as well. I’ve been working on it for quite a while, and it seemed like the right time to release it, with Sparta moving into a ‘vacation’ stage… it just seemed like something I wanted to do.”

The entire record is a notable change for Ward; not only as a guitarist (favouring a trusty old acoustic in favour of his Fender Esquire) but as a vocalist. His lower-range storytelling shows scarcely any resemblance to the high-octave scream of “Cut away! Cut away!” in the classic One Armed Scissor.

“It’s stretched my limits,” Ward confesses when asked whether the solo acoustic work has challenged him as a singer. He still remains positive that the challenge of creating entirely different music from his past has paid off. “It’s a good thing to be able to learn new stuff and better yourself,” he muses.

Despite having a new backing band in Sleepercar, with which he has toured with extensively this year, Ward’s visit to Australia is on his lonesome. He makes a point of his experiences of tours without a band, and what you take in as a result of solo touring and travelling.

When asked to comment on the life of the one man show, Ward describes it as “a whole new way of seeing things,” in a slightly weary tone (quite possibly the toll of his extensive tours). “It can get a little lonely at times, but it’s also good to explore your head and think about things… it’s a little selfish to do, but I think it’s an important thing to do sometimes, just to get everything together.”

Anyone who has followed Jim’s career to its full extent will note that he has evolved further and further in independence as a musician and songwriter, developing from a key band member to band leader, and subsequently as a solo musician. Each career step, one could argue that Ward has revealed more and more of his musical identity, his soul.

“Yeah, that’s fair to say,” he responds when presented with this thesis. “I think it’s given me a chance to find myself and explore other music, which you don’t normally get to do when you’re working with other people. Over the years, I’ve definitely found more comfort in making music. It’s definitely broadened my horizons.”

Ward’s work with other musicians, of course, has not come without in-band controversy. Huge creative differences were cited as the reason for ATDI’s demise; as Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala went on to form the Mars Volta. Even when the dust had settled on that one, another personal blow to the Sparta camp came when guitarist Paul Hinojos jumped ship… to join his former Drive-In bandmates in the Mars Volta. Despite such potential grudges still to be held, Ward emphasises that such conflicts of his past is water under the bridge.

“I still talk to them,” he states when questioned about his former bandmates. “They played in El Paso [city of Texas in which ATD-I was formed] the other day and I went to the show. Y’know, you grow up and you move on; but it’s still nice to be reminded where you come from.”

He’s certainly come a long way since releasing Hell Paso as a seventeen year old in At the Drive-In with his college funds. However, it seems very evident from the conversation that has just passed with an intelligent, thoughtful and humble man that his creative streak is far from running out. Ladies and gentlemen, please experience Jim Ward.

INTERVIEW: The Bronx (USA), December 2008

Posted on by David James Young in Interviews

It’s the Bronx, you guys. They impale weak fucks for a living. They don’t take no shit from nobody. They’re AWESOME. I learned the easy way – been following these guys and their music since 2004, and they just continue to destroy all in their path. I interviewed Joby Ford and it was… well, it was interesting. I kinda got the feeling that he didn’t like me at the beginning, with some curt and blunt responses. Eventually, though, he warmed up – and we got into a decent enough chat. I love this band, and it was super-cool to chat to Joby. Good times.

– DJY, July 2013

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“You know how when you put a CD into iTunes, it automatically categorises it?” Joby Ford says in a low-key, slightly bemused drawl. “Our records don’t do that.”

And why is that? “Because of that reason.” To not be categorised in iTunes? “Exactly.”

Odd? Certainly – but it’s what we’ve come to expect from the band Joby Ford plays guitar in, The Bronx. The band have just released their third self-titled record (hereby known as The Bronx III ), which sees the anarchic Californians beef up both their sound and their line-up, thanks to the addition of a second guitarist, Ken Horne. Ford maintains that, despite having a second axe on board, the songwriting process for III really was not all that different.

“Anything you do to a band – changing a member or instrument – changes the musical spectrum completely,” he readily admits. ”[Former bassist] James [Tweedy] is no longer with the band, either; so there was two new members and we had to try and figure out where we fit sonically now.” And did it work? “We took our time and made sure everything was the way it needed to be. And it’s great,” Ford states enthusiastically, before laughing, “Another guitar player means I only have to do half as much!”

The Bronx III is also a departure for the band in terms of the way it was released. The band released this record entirely independently, under their label White Drugs. Ford, especially, seemed especially proud to discuss the band’s independence in regards to the record.

“There’s a lot less crap you don’t have to deal with,” Joby confirms as he weighs up the pros and cons out loud. “It’s a lot easier to do what you want, because you have no one to answer to; but you also have to pay the bills too, which is not always fun.” Regardless, Ford remains largely content as he makes a statement very few bands can honestly make. “I couldn’t be more happy with our place in the musical world right now.”

On the back of The Bronx III, the band is preparing yet another visit to our shores. The band have returned on the back of every single release since 2004, and have even filmed their first live DVD here (Live at the Annandale). The connection that Australian audiences have with the Bronx is not only a boisterous one, but also a somewhat inexplicable one.

“To be honest, I have no idea. I couldn’t tell you,” Ford confesses when asked why Aussie audiences in particular love the Bronx so much. After a momentary silence, he forges a makeshift explanation. “I think, maybe, we respect music and that could be it. The pedigree of music that comes from that country is, pound for pound, some of the best rock, garage and punk I’ve ever heard in my entire life. So to be accepted into that country… I’m not gonna lie, it makes me feel pretty good.”

The band not only has a handful of east coast shows on their Australian agenda, but also an envious spot atop the Meredith Music Festival line-up. “Matt [Caughthran, vocalist] is especially excited about the race – The Gift,” Ford says. “I dunno if you know what that is, but he’s really stoked to see that. He’s got the video camera charged.”

Ford is also quick to praise down under, even with the music put aside. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful country full of very interesting things. You know what the funniest thing about Australia is? I don’t know if you’ve ever been to the UK, but the fact that Australia was deemed a prison island for that country speaks absolute mountains about that culture. The UK? Not great. Australia? AWESOME!”

Of course, the life-on-the-road touring schedule of the Bronx does have its drawbacks. “I’m the only one in the band with a family,” Ford explains. “I have a 17-month old daughter. It’s driving me nuts not seeing her.” Despite the time away from his family, Ford still bravely and admiringly shows dedication to his band. “I cannot wait to go home, and I miss her so much. But you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

So if you’re hungry for some sweaty, unorthodox and decidedly interactive punk rock from five guys who love our country, the Bronx happily welcome you along to their show.

INTERVIEW: Scary Kids Scaring Kids (USA), November 2008

Posted on by David James Young in Interviews

I don’t remember too much about this one. Hell, you probably don’t even remember there WAS a band called Scary Kids Scaring Kids. They were in that whole mid-2000s wave of post-hardcore. That was a time, wasn’t it. Hell, the guy I interviewed from the band was their KEYBOARDIST. Remember when keyboards were still a thing in post-hardcore? It was like how every nu-metal band in the late 90s and early 2000s got themselves a DJ, only to find they contributed nothing – they either learned how to play keys or they fucked off. Anyway, nothing too brilliant about this interview – or this band, for that matter, although they did have a couple of decent tunes. Just throwing this up here for completion’s sake. Mawsh.

– DJY, July 2013

***

Scary Kids Scaring Kids don’t exactly seem like the happiest of dudes – especially given their musical subject matter is frequented by despair, abandoned hope and the evil that women (and, occasionally, men) do. Thankfully, this kind of pained imagery belies them – today, at least. Keyboardist Pouyan Afkary is in high spirits as we begin our conversation.

“Feeling really good, man!” he enthuses. “Just got off the road with Anberlin and now we’re on our way down to Australia. Really looking forward to it!” You can understand why. The band are hitting our shores as headliners of the Versus tour, alongside those good Christian boys Haste the Day and Californian pop-rockers Halifax. Afkary definitely sounds excited to be on tour with two bands he is close with.

“We’ve known both bands for many, many years,” he comments. “It’s gonna be a pretty wild tour. Haste the Day are more like our bigger brothers who guide us in the right direction and have a very positive influence on us. Halifax, on the other hand, are the band that really bring out the party in us.” Which side of the line SKSK themselves will fall is anyone’s guess; even for Pouyan himself. “It’s like the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other,” he laughs.

The tour is not only the band’s second visit to our shores, but also their second visit this year. The band rocked the mainstage of the Soundwave festival back in February. “It was great fun; beautiful place,” Afkary says with great positivity. “Can’t wait to be back.” With this notion made, it must be asked why the band have returned so soon? “There’s a promoter out there who thinks our first headlining tour would be successful, and so far ticket sales have been great,” explains Afkary. “Obviously, his faith in us is paying off!”

Scary Kids have been on the road supporting their latest release, 2007’s self-titled release, for quite some time now. “It’s been great, man. The tours have been very different – we’ve toured with a lot of – œparty’ bands, we’ve toured with a lot of Christian bands, and equally we’re connecting with all of them a lot.” Asking for some of the best memories of the tour so far sees Afkary temporarily stumped. “That’s tough,” he muses out loud. “I’d say the first headliner tour we did on the back of the self-titled album was one of the best, but also the Versus tour we just did with Haste the Day. We have a real camaraderie with them.”

Scary Kids Scaring Kids is certainly a record that the band themselves are especially proud to be touring on. The band’s first record, 2005’s The City Sleeps in Flames, is described by Pouyan as being “really rushed”.

“We only had thirty days to write it, and we’d just gotten a new guitarist [Steve Kilby, who did not play on the band’s debut After Dark EP], who was just getting comfortable with our vibe,” he recalls, before adding, “I think in the two years between albums, he got the time to become comfortable with the band.” So what was the next step for Scary Kids? “We locked ourselves away for a month and a half in a secluded place and focused ourselves entirely on the record,” Afkary continues solemnly. “What we wanted to play had slightly changed in that past two years and we really wanted to grow. It was a very conscious effort to make growth from the last album.”

With such a positive state of mind that the band are now in (touring an excellent sophomore release, playing with good friends, seeing the world), certainly Pouyan must be exhilarated to be back in Australia? “I dunno, man…” he says cautiously. “I’m actually kinda nervous. I always stress myself out about making next time bigger and better, y’know what I mean?” Nerves aside, one can rest assured that Pouyan and his five fellow Kids are set to put on some memorable shows this week, with all shows close to selling out at time of writing. Having said that, Afkary is still not without his reservations. “I don’t think I’ll ever get really excited unless we’re, like… KISS or something,” he jokes. “Or AC/DC, in your case.”