Brendan : Hey, everyone. Brendan the blind guy here, today I'm speaking to Brendon Stockbridge from dairy-free Indie pop rock band, Almond Soy. How are you, Brendon?
Brendon : Not too bad, mate. Having a crazy Friday morning.
Brendan : Oh, nice. So, not too many New Year's resolutions broken yet?
Brendon : Not too many, mate. I don't know if I should even make one so. If you don't set the bar too high, you can't really fail at it so, that's it.
Brendan : Yeah, fair enough. Well you started off the year pretty amazing already with the release of your debut EP, which is named Social Misfit. So, that must have been pretty exciting.
Brendon : Yeah, that moment's a long time coming for the EP to come out, so I'm pretty stoked to chuck it out there and have everyone able to listen to it. So yeah, just kicks the start of the year.
Brendan : Yeah definitely. So tell us, run us through the story of the EP and you know, you said it's a long time coming so give us a bit of an inside on the making of the EP.
Brendon : Yeah, basically we started writing for it at the start of last year. And we released a couple singles before the actual ... we got into the EP, so, yeah, it was basically just a bunch of demo-ing and everyone going into the studio with Dylan Ollivierre from The Money War at his home studio and had about a week there and bummed around and checked out some new ideas and see what we could come up with in the studio.
Brendan : Nice.
Brendon : That's it.
Brendan : So was there a particular story and theme behind the EP? You know, the name Social Misfit ...
Brendon : It's essentially ... All the songs are break up songs.
Brendan : Oh, yeah.
Brendon : But Social Misfit's a line from the third track, Whisky. It's basically it's just realising that you might not be thinking about the world the same as everybody else. So, yeah ...
Brendan : Really? That's fair enough. I do love a nice glass of whisky, so I'm very, very happy with that song title.
Brendon : I'm sorry to burst your bubble but the song is actually about not liking whisky.
Brendan : Oh, well.
Brendon : There you go. But I've got a lot of people that have been saying that they do, do love the song and do like whisky, so you could take it either way.
Brendan : Oh, okay, well, cool. Okay, so, your new single off the EP, Happy Ever After, that's been described ... It's got ... It's full of dark undertones, addictive melodies and catchy indie hooks, so, yeah, I'm guessing that song's a little bit like there's no happy ever after?
Brendon : Yeah, that's essentially it.
Brendan : Yeah.
Brendon : That's essentially it. It's an ironic happy ever after, if anything. Yeah.
Brendan : Yeah.
Brendon : Yeah, but basically that's a song about moving on and finding a happiness and solace in things not being [inaudible].
Brendan : Yeah, okay.
Brendon : Basically that's it. Describing the end of a relationship and being content with being by yourself.
Brendan : Yeah, fair enough. Well, that brings me to the video clip for the song. I was watching it and it's quite entertaining, you know, you with your braided hair and everything. I did read on your Facebook page that you like braiding each other's hair.
Brendon : Yeah.
Brendan : So-
Brendon : No, that's-
Brendan : Yeah?
Brendon : Yeah, that's a bit of a joke from our drummer.
Brendan : Oh, okay.
Brendon : You know, when he gets a bit tipsy, he gets a bit predatorial as well.
Brendan : Well, yeah, no. So, okay, tell me about the video clip with the making of it. So, it's ... I'm guessing it's you-
Brendon : Yep.
Brendan : Walking through what I'm guessing is Perth, I've never been there before but I'm guessing it's-
Brendon : Yeah, it's basically one of the main café strips in Perth, in Mount Lawley.
Brendan : Oh, yeah.
Brendon : We had a show where we were supporting [inaudible] that same night and basically we had a bunch of people in the crowd who are the people that are actually in the video and they ended up ... We ended up going back to their place and having a couple of drinks and getting up to a bit of stuff and basically our mate came and we had an idea to do a one shot video down Beaufort Street and we did two takes and what you guys can see is the second take of it.
Brendan : Oh, yeah.
Brendon : Yeah, basically, yeah, they just followed us down the road with the camera and we kind of came up with the ideas on the spot and just churned out a video clip.
Brendan : Oh, yeah. So you thought what better way of describing moving on than walking through the city and doing weird dance moves before meeting up with the rest of the band and just grooving out?
Brendon : That's it. That's essentially it, mate.
Brendan : Yeah. Very nice. Okay. So I've got to ask, you said ... You guys put on your Facebook page that don't let the name fool you, none of you actually like almond or soy milk. So-
Brendon : Yeah, I'm a long, black man myself, mate.
Brendan : Yep.
Brendon : I can handle almond milk. Soy milk is a bit out of my league, to be honest. I don't really like the texture of it.
Brendan : Fair enough. So where did the name come from then?
Brendon : Basically it was hanging out with the drummer and we decided that we really like almonds, like ... And we were just like, "Oh, we can't really just call the band Almond." So we kind of needed to come up with another word and what better word than soy to chuck on the end?
Brendon : There wasn't too much thought into it but it gets a little bit of ... It gets people talking.
Brendan : Yeah.
Brendon : It gets a couple of questions chucked out there.
Brendan : Yep.
Brendon : A fair few vegans said they like it, which is always good.
Brendan : Yeah. Oh, well, I'm guessing the idea of coming up with the band name, it wasn't a sober idea, was it?
Brendon : It wasn't. No, it wasn't, mate.
Brendan : No. I had that feeling. Well-
Brendon : That's it, but that's the best kind made are that way mate so ...
Brendan : Some of the best ideas I've ever had is while I've had a few too many ciders. Or at least I think so.
Brendon : Well, I think ... I think that's the best way to come up with anything. A few too many ciders, mate.
Brendan : Oh, yeah, so you only did your first performance in March last year.
Brendon : Yeah.
Brendan : So that's pretty amazing, and now you're heading off on an east coast tour or a national tour so ...
Brendon : Yeah. Yeah. Basically we played four headline shows with a bunch of support and making a bit of traction over in Perth. I mean, people are getting around it and, yeah, basically sold out all the headline shows bar one, which was about 20 away from being sold out anyway, so ...
Brendan : Wow.
Brendon : Yep. Just basically, yeah, got a lot of support from the local scene and people who are interested and people getting around it, so start moving around, have a bit of a drink and have a bit of fun. Play a bunch of shows, we're playing a show tonight at the Grace Darling in Melbourne, which should be pretty good.
Brendan : Yeah.
Brendon : We're pretty stoked for our first show out over east and then playing at Wollongong at Rad Bar and playing in Sydney and Brisbane also by the end of the week, so, yeah, it's all happy days, yeah.
Brendan : Definitely happy ever after, for sure. Yeah. So what can we expect at your show? Like, I focus a lot on sound quality but apart from that, energy that you give into the crowd and how you interact with it and the flow of the set, et cetera.
Brendon : Yeah.
Brendan : So what can people expect at an Almond Soy show?
Brendon : It's high energy. There's a lot of dancing and it's quite a raw show in the sense we like to give across as much emotion as we can but also have a fun and loose vibe up on stage, and just, like, it's centres around everyone having a good party and having a bit of a drink, and that's really it.
Brendan : Fantastic. Well, you had a good ... No one wants to see a bunch of serious, mopey musicians up on stage banging out the tunes, you've got to have fun.
Brendon : That's the main thing, yeah, and it's about ... It's exactly about that. Just trying to get the crowd in the same level as the band, essentially.
Brendan : Fantastic. I'm keen to check you out in Sydney next week, so ...
Brendon : Beautiful.
Brendan : Righto. So, your tunes that I said earlier are full of dark undertones, catchy indie hooks and addictive melodies, what have been the musical and personal, well, you already said personal influences of break ups, but what's been the musical influences of your sound and songwriting?
Brendon : Basically 80s and 90s post funk has been massive influences, as well as a lot of, like, just pop music. There's a couple of bands from Canada that I get into a lot, that just basically write good indie pop tunes and, yeah, they're just a massive influence to my songwriting and listen to it every day because it's still filters through with what I need, essentially.
Brendan : Yeah. So is one of those indie, indie pop bands from Canada Metric?
Brendon : I have never heard of them but I will check them out.
Brendan : Oh, definitely. Yeah. You've got to. You're missing out.
Brendon : Missing out, right? Oh, yeah.
Brendan : Yep.
Brendon : I'll check it [inaudible].
Brendan : Good. Do it. Okay, so you guys are still quite a new band, only forming in 2016 and just releasing your first EP, so what's been the biggest challenge for you guys so far?
Brendon : The biggest challenge for us so far is ... To be honest, it's been pretty smooth sailing apart from we had a member leave and we just had to kind of reform the band and reshuffle the band, but that's about it. That's been about the only thing, everything's been smooth sailing so far.
Brendan : Wow. Well, fantastic. I was-
Brendon : I know that not many bands could say that also.
Brendan : No. I mean, most bands are a little bit like, "Oh god, it's been so tough, you know, on the road and barely sleeping." and all that and you're just like, "Nah."
Brendon : That's all part of the fun, I reckon.
Brendan : Yeah. Fair enough. Well, it's good that you're flowing with it and it's going well. Righto. I love asking this question to artists I speak to. Now, you guys being a bunch of young, fun, wild, indie pop, indie pop band boys, what is the most hilarious WTF moment on your journey so far?
Brendon : On our journey so far?
Brendan : You don't have to keep it PG rated. It's all good.
Brendon : You don't have to keep it PG rated? I'm just ... Just trying to think of ... I can call a friend now, our bass player's just called me ... Nah. Oh, yeah. He's just reminded me of one. We played a big show at our house and we had about 150 people come through inside of our living room.
Brendan : Wow.
Brendon : And it ended up with us leaving our bond through our rental property.
Brendan : Wow.
Brendon : Got a little bit serious but, yeah.
Brendan : Yep. Wow. Nice. It's like ... Yeah. I'm just ... I'm pretty keen to see what your wild shows are like next week, so, oh yeah, bring it on. So, okay, last question to wrap it up.
Brendon : Yep.
Brendan : After your east coast tour and you get off the high from the release of your first EP, what's your goals and plans for 2018?
Brendon : Basically we're going to be touring twice next year and releasing another EP. We want to have a quick turnaround, essentially, with our EPs, so hopefully we will have another one out by just half way next year and be able to tour around and have some more fun. That's essentially it. On top of a bunch of headline shows, maybe a couple more secret shows also.
Brendan : Nice. Yeah. I'll be keeping a keen eye out of all that stuff.
Brendon : Beautiful.
Brendan : It's been an absolute pleasure talking to you, Brendon, and I'll check you out in Sydney next week and try and get a little bit more sleep.
Brendon : That's it. You too, mate. Have a good day.
Brendan : You too. Cheers. See you.