Kisschasey "2023 Australian Tour" Review and Interview With Darren Cordeux

Attention United Paper People!

We all know Opinions Won't Keep You Warm At Night, but if you Turnaround and pay attention, this surely will! I,Brendan the blind guy recently caught up with Darren from Melbourne's immensely beloved rockers KISSCHASY at the start of their highly anticipated national tour of Australia! Darren and I chatted about how the band were getting back in the studio and back onto stages after being away for so long, what each band member have been up to in that time and general life in a rock band and the WTF moments that come with them!

Kisschasy @ Crowbar Sydney 03/05/2023 by Brendan Lewis

Opinions Won’t Keep You Warm At Night, but true-blue, high energy pub rock gigs surely will!

As Kisschasy’s lead singer Darren told me in our interview, seeing great bands in pub venues, venues where you can “smell the beer in the carpet” in a laid-back fun vibe is really special to Australia and Darren loves those kind of venues, and both Darren and I agree that it’s devastating seeing so many of these great iconic venues closing and being replaced with generic money-hungry venues with no soul.

So seeing a true-blue Aussie rock band of such quality in exactly one of those pub venues is worth getting excited about.

Darren told me that the bands energy on stage will mainly just be in the music as they’re older now and not as flexible to go rocking out too fiercely on stage.

The result?

There still was plenty of movement going around on stage, but that aside, you could just really tell they were having the time of their lives on stage being back doing what they love for their loyal fans after so long away! They might not have been jumping and causing mayhem on stage, but they gave the crowd everything in stage presence and musical energy. They were constantly connected with their fans.

Even being away for so long, the sound from the band was without fault, despite the band only getting back into the rehearsal studios recently, the only down side, was I thought there was slightly too much bass in the sound mix and it overbeared Darren’t vocals slightly at times and gave a harshness to the sound mix, but that’s me being hyper-analytical, I mean come on, I am reviewing the show after all. But I doubt the sold out crowd were paying too much attention to that, not with the way everyone was energized and rocking out with the band.

Even though this isn’t a reunion tour as such, and no new music is set to come out from the band as Darren said the band just weren’t on the same page musically towards the end of their last album, but who knows, after this long apart they might find themselves on the same page again? Either way I do hope to catch these guys at a show again hopefully soon as they definitely do give fans a night to remember!

DEVILSKIN 'Red' Australian 2022 Tour - Interview With Paul Martin

RADIOACTIV TEQUILA SHOTS!

RADIOACTIVE TEQUILA SHOTS! After postponments, rescheduling and frustrating long waits from COVID and border closure, Kiwi hard-hitters DEVILSKIN are FINALLY coming down under for their first ever Australian headline tour! The band are geared up, Red-hot with excitement and ready to reward Aussie fans for their patience and devotion with a rock show that fans won't forget! Brendan the blind guy had a chat to bassist Paul Martin about the tour and the band's latest album 'Red', plus the best recipe for making friends even with a language barrier and so much more to get your engine going!

“Brendan. You bloody legend.

I just thought I'd take a minute to say a sincere thank you from myself, Nic, Jen and Nail.

That intro you gave me was THE BEST I've heard yet! Awesome!!

We really appreciate your ongoing support of our band and music Brendan. Our Aussie audience is very dear to us and we absolutely love touring there. Touring is a hard slog these days and it would be a lot harder without the help of folk like yourself mate so thank you for keeping live music alive!! We appreciate the airplay interviews and support, it means everything to us.

I can't tell you how much we are looking forward to these shows, especially with the killer opening acts!! See you soon Brendan and again, thank you.

Paul”

Butterfingers 'Bad News' Q&A

BAD NEWS? HARDLY!

AUSSIE HIP HOP LEGENDS
DROP NEW ALBUM BAD NEWS TODAY
ANNOUNCE NEW OCT/NOV/DEC DATES FOR POSTPONED NATIONAL ALBUM TOUR

MEDIA RELEASE:: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, WEDNESDAY APRIL 8

Australia’s favourite musical misfits and legends of noughties Aussie hip-hop, Butterfingers are back with their outrageous and fittingly titled new album Bad News, out today, April 8.  Confident and with more rapturous energy and piercing lyrical wit than ever before, the band’s first album in 14 years is bold and adventurous, while still retaining that classic, clever, inimitable Butterfingers sound.  To celebrate the album’s release today, they have very kindly delivered another gold nugget of true blue entertainment in the form of a video for their new single – the album title track - Bad News, directed, filmed and edited entirely by lead singer and songwriter, Evil Eddie.
 
But wait, there’s more, Butterfingers have today announced their postponed national tour dates for later this year, set to kick off at the Prince of Wales in Bunbury (WA) on October 29 before moving through Perth, Scarborough, Fremantle, Hobart, Launceston, Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane, Burleigh Heads, Adelaide, Melbourne, Frankston, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and finishing up at Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns on December 12.
 
“What a time to be releasing an album called Bad News!” Jests Evil Eddie.  “It’s crazy to think it’s been 14 years since our last album, cause it doesn’t feel like it all. We are super pumped to finally be getting it out there, but the actual process - eventhough it’s been so long - feels like it’s our regular routine, and it will be from now. The new album is out today and we’ve got waaaaaay more to come straight after, we’ve got a lot to say right now.” 
 
True to form, the Bad News album encompasses hip hop, punk, reggae, drum & bass, stoner rock, electronica and just about anything that makes you want to shake your bones, into a cohesive mash-up all of their own creation.  From potty-mouthed gutter rhymes to heartfelt crooning odes to love lost, this is an album that will keep old fans happy and will entice new followers at an alarming rate.
 
Inspired by the film Anchorman, the video clip for Bad News is downright bonkers and offers fans some further insight in to just how weird and hilarious the workings of Evil Eddie’s brain really are. “Being that the album and the single are both called Bad News, it made sense to us to dress up as news readers and deliver the bad news in a proper and professional manner, crazy timing too with everything that’s going on in the world at the minute. In a weird way it feels like somehow it’s meant to be,” explains Eddie. “Anyway, hopefully it can serve as a lighthearted distraction from all the gloom we’re drowning in within the media at moment. This really is the time that people actually need entertainment just to keep them sane. We’re probably not the heroes you asked for, but we’re the ones you’ve got!”
 
Having rediscovered their unified passion, and with an impressive haul of new material under their belt, Butterfingers are officially back to blow minds, bend genres and push the boundaries of good taste with their rare blend of obscenity, wit and charm on stages across Australia. “The great news is that we have rebooked the Bad News album tour to run over Oct, Nov, Dec, and your tickets are still valid in most cases and we are absolutely fanging for these shows,” Evil Eddie enthuses. “The silver lining with the Covid19 postponement is that now you guys will actually have a chance to get familiar with our new bangers before we show up on your doorstep. Keep your ears peeled folks, we’re coming to get ya.”
 
Butterfingers is Evil Eddie (vocals, guitar), Olly Thomas (keys, samples, percussion), Bradzilla Cochrane (bass) and Tony McCall (drums).
 
Bad News is released today through Bewilderbeats
 
Tickets to the Bad News Tour are available now.  Hit up the band’s website for more information: http://butterfingers.info
 
STREAM BAD NEWS ALBUM
VIEW BAD NEWS VIDEO
 
DISCOGRAPHY
2003 – Everytime EP
2004 – Breakfast at Fatboys
2006 – Deeper You Dig
2010 – Welcome To Flavour Country (Evil Eddie solo release)
 
NEWLY ANNOUNCED NATIONAL BAD NEWS ALBUM TOUR DATES
 
THU 29 OCT | PRINCE OF WALES, BUNBURY WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 30 OCT | BADLANDS, PERTH WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 31 OCT | INDIAN OCEAN HOTEL, SCARBOROUGH WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SUN 1 NOV | MOJO’S, FREMANTLE WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 6 NOV | ALTAR, HOBART TAS | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 7 NOV | ROYAL OAK HOTEL, LAUNCESTON TAS | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 13 NOV | CAMBRIDGE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 14 NOV | LANSDOWNE HOTEL, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
FRI 20 NOV | THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 21 NOV | MO’S DESERT CLUBHOUSE, BURLEIGH HEADS QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THU 26 NOV | CROWN & ANCHOR, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 27 NOV | HOWLER, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 28 NOV | PELLY BAR, FRANKSTON VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 4 DEC | RACEHORSE HOTEL, IPSWICH | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 5 DEC | NIGHTQUARTER, SUNSHINE COAST QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
FRI 11 DEC | OTHERWISE, TOWNSVILLE QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 12 DEC | TANKS ARTS CENTRE, CAIRNS QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.ticketlink.com.au | 1300 835 855 | All Ticketlink Outlets

Q&A With Evil Eddie

Q; What’s the inspiration behind your new single and album? 

A; As much as I hate concept albums, this is kind of a concept album and the concept is basically like a film of all the major things that have happened to me/Butterfingers between the last album and now. Every song is like a scene but it’s not super literal so if you didn’t know it, you could happily enjoy the record without being necessarily aware of the concept. I guess it grew from the fact I’ve been doing some study into script writing techniques of late. Can you tell?

Q; Who are your greatest musical influences?

A; The real base layer would have to be all the blues and heavy rock that my parents listened to when I was a kid (like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Black Sabbath and Led Zep). The next layer would have to be all my 90’s influences from Beastie Boys to Nirvana to NWA to RHCP. On top of that is all the stuff that’s circling around now. I put it this way because I feel that even when approaching newer genres I still filter everything through the lens of all my past influences and I think that serves to bridge some gaps which is really what this band has always been about. Bridging the gaps between old and new, rock and hip hop, underground and pop.

Q; What do you bring to the live stage? 

A; Energy and good vibes. I know that sounds super hippy and that’s not really the image of the band but I’ve always felt that creating that feeling of ecstatic fun is the goal for nearly everything we produce. Songs can have a positive or negative focus but laughing at all of it while you’re dancing, sweating and surging with energy is kind how I like to view it metaphorically.

A; How was the recording process? 

We’ve done it all ourselves with a little help from our friend Matt (from the band Loathing Sea) when it came to the initial drum tracking and it’s coming up really well so I’ve found the whole thing challenging but mega rewarding. I’m mixing the album as well the learning curves have been steep but it’s nice to have control of how your vision is executed.

Q; What was the inspiration behind the music video? 

A; I dreamed the whole thing. Start to finish. I just woke up and wrote the whole thing down then turned it into a shot list, bought some costumes, put it out there on Facebook that we needed extras and boom, it was happening.

Q; How would you describe your writing process? 

A; Feeling my way around in a dark room til I find something that feels nice. Sounds gross but it seems to work for me.

Q; Give us an interesting personal fact!

A; My regular job is skydive instructor. No deaths as yet so gimme a call if you’re keen to have a jump.

Cloning 'All Rise' Single Q&A

ALL RISE!

              CLONING ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE & VIDEO ALL RISE

+ LAUNCH SHOW ON MARCH 13 

Emerging WA band Cloning have today released their ethereal new single All Rise, an introspective track that questions morality and is influenced by Nordic mythology.  The group have also released an impressive self-made cosmic claymation film clip to accompany the song.  To celebrate the release of All Rise, Cloning will be playing an exclusive show at the Indian Ocean Hotel in Scarborough on March 13.

All Rise pays homage to triphop auteurs Portishead while also evoking influences from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds to Radiohead.  Recorded and mixed by Dave Parkin (Gyroscope, Karnivool) and mastered by Brian Lucey (Cage The Elephant, Arctic Monkeys, Royal Blood), this atmospheric track is the perfect soundtrack to a warm, hazy summer, with shining synthesisers, ample mandolin, cinematic guitar and idiosyncratic vocals.  Speaking on the intricate meaning behind the track, guitarist and lead vocalist Felix Parker says, “All Rise is about how groups of people can think their intentions are purer than they actually are, and end up committing morally questionable acts in the name of their chosen cause.  It's also about what gets left in the wake of pursuing a goal and how noble intentions can be corrupted by the pursuit of this goal.  The imagery in the lyrics is influenced by Nordic mythology and stories about the Yggdrasil which is a mythical ash tree at the centre of the cosmos.  I read way too much as a kid and a lot of that just seems to naturally flow into my lyrics.”

Following the Nordic mythology theme, the video for All Rise was cleverly and masterfully worked in-house by the band, from conception to completion, excluding the editing which was completed by Jake Crawford (Psychedellic Porn Crumpets). From set making, to directing, to filming – the band did it all.  With over forty hours of footage filmed over one very long weekend, and after almost setting fire to Felix’s living room twice, the video was taking shape.  “We wanted to create visuals that complemented the lyrics and the myths they were influenced by. We came up with the concept first and were trying to think about how we could pull it off. We thought about hiring an animator to make an animation video at first, but we couldn’t afford it. Bevan made stop motion videos as a kid and does photography in his spare time, so we decided to make the video ourselves using Claymation,” explains Felix.  “And we are really happy that we decided to do it ourselves because we ended up making something that is way more us than if someone else had done it,” adds guitarist Bevan Green, “But it definitely pushed the limits of our sanity. We spent ages gluing fake leaves to sticks to make trees which is really finicky when you’re dealing with things this small. And we had to be careful when filming not to move the clay figures in the wrong way or knock the camera, because one dodgy photo would ruin the hundreds of photos we had already taken up to that point for the scene.” 

Cloning formed among friends Nic Rollo, Felix Parker and Jack Brett during their final years at school.  The untimely loss of a close friend and musician around this time drove them to invest heavily in their musical pursuits.  They were soon joined by guitarist Bevan Green, who grew up in the goldfields mining town of Kalgoorlie; joining the band when he moved to Perth.  Though in relative infancy, Cloning have already been notching up some impressive achievements - touring nationally and scoring a WAM Song of the Year nomination last year – it’s safe to say 2020 is set to be a big year for this talented alternative act out of Perth!  

All Rise is out February 3.

Cloning is Felix Parker (lead vocals and guitar), Bevan Green (guitar and vocals), Nic Rollo (bass and vocals), Jack Brett (drums).

Listen: ALL RISE

Watch: ALL RISE

CLONING ALL RISE LAUNCH GIG

FRI MAR 13 | INDIAN OCEAN HOTEL, SCARBOROUGH WA | 18+

Tickets from Oztix https://heatseeker.oztix.com.au/

 Q&A Interview With Felix, Jack & Bevan.

Q; What’s the inspiration behind your new single ‘All Rise’?

A; Felix - All Rise is about how groups of people can place a lot of significance on their beliefs, but be quite misguided in doing so. I was reading a fair bit about nordic mythology at the time and some of the lyrics are influenced by that. In particular the Yggdrasil which is a mythical Ash Tree was something I tried to incorporate into the imagery of the tune. 

Q; Who are your greatest musical influences?

A; Radiohead, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Portishead, The Doors, Everything Everything. 

Q; What do you bring to the live stage?

A; Bevan - I think theres something in there for everyone in our live shows. We like so much different styles of music and we try to make our music reflect that. 
A; Felix - We've spent a long time getting our live set tight so now we're just trying to have fun and give the audience a good experience. 

Q; How was the recording process?

A; Bevan - We recorded with Dave Parkin at Blackbird studios. 
Jack – Dave is great. He's so experienced and easy to work with. He fits in so well with our band band. The song took a couple days to record.
A; Felix - We spent the longest time getting the drum tones sounding nice before we recorded. They're the foundation of the song so once we're happy with how they sound everything else usually flows smoothly from there. 

Q; What was the inspiration behind the music video?

A; Felix - The video draws from nordic mythology like the lyrics. We tried to make a video which complemented the words in the song and gave some more life to the ideas they were influenced by.  

A; Bevan - In the video a traveller is attempting to find ‘The Yggdrasil’, which is a sacred ash tree that features a lot in Nordic mythology. But on the way he has to face a series of challenges designed to stop him from reaching the tree. 

Q; How would you describe your writing process?
Felix - Usually a song starts with Bevan or I recording ideas at home. If we're vibing then we get Jack and Nic to come in to flesh out the song more. 
A; Bevan - Felix started 'All Rise' when he recorded a mandolin riff and some guitar chords on his computer one night so I came over a couple days later and wrote my guitar parts for the song. We thought it was sounding cool so we got Jack and Nic involved to finish off the song. 

Q; Give us an interesting personal fact!
A; We should win an award for most pizza eaten by a band. We eat a lot when we're together and if pizza could be a muse it would be ours. 

Atreyu - 'In Our Wake 2020 Australian tour' Podcast Interview, February 14 2020

THE TIME IS NOW!

What is your legacy? What will you leave in your wake? What if today is your last day? Well, the time is now to "find a place in the music" and "loose you s***", because U.S metalcore godfathers, ATREYU are finally back in Australia at long last, in celebration of their 2019 album, 'In Our Wake'! Brendan the blind guy was lucky enough to talk to drummer and lead clean vocalist Brandon about the tour, album, what he'll be cooking for Brendan and other fans and one hell of an epic stack, that no one can prove! Sign up to the Keen Eye 4 Concerts newsletter at www.keeneye4concerts.com

What is your legacy? What will you leave in your wake? What if today is your last day? Well, the time is now to "find a place in the music" and "loose you s***", because U.S metalcore godfathers, ATREYU are finally back in Australia at long last, in celebration of their 2019 album, 'In Our Wake'!

Brendan the blind guy was lucky enough to talk to drummer and lead clean vocalist Brandon about the tour, album, what he'll be cooking for Brendan and other fans and one hell of an epic stack, that no one can prove!

For the full 2020 Australian tour info, click here.

Walking On Cars - Podcast Interview With Patrick (vocals), November 26 2019

THIS MONSTER’S BACK IN TOWN!

This monster's back in town! Brendan the blind guy went chasing speeding cars as he spoke to Patrick, the lead singer from Irish alt-rock band WALKING ON CARS leading up to the bands debut Australian headline tour for their critically acclaimed second album 'Colours'. The two lads spoke about the making of the new album and the inspiration behind the songs, how the band walk out onto the stage at their energetic live shows plus a whole new meaning to a "wet dream". Follow Keen Eye 4 Concerts on all your socials and sign up to our newsletter at www.keeneye4concerts.com

This monster's back in town! Brendan the blind guy went chasing speeding cars as he spoke to Patrick, the lead singer from Irish alt-rock band WALKING ON CARS leading up to the bands debut Australian headline tour for their critically acclaimed second album 'Colours'.

The two lads spoke about the making of the new album and the inspiration behind the songs, how the band walk out onto the stage at their energetic live shows plus a whole new meaning to a "wet dream".

Head to the What’s On? page for full information on the bands Australian tour!

RACKETT - 'Machinations' Single Q&A Interview

READY OR NOT, HERE IT COMES!

Hey everyone, Brendan the blind guy here! Chatting to awesome musicians is like a drug, and even if I Tried To Quit… well, we all know I’d re-lapse, because like it or not, I Please Myself at the end of the day, and honestly, it makes me feel so Alive! If your brain hurts from the onslaught of interviews, well this will Kiss It Better for you surely! So Ready Or Not, ladies and gentlemen, RACKETT!

Brendan; Recently you recreated the name Rackett to be a solo project, and released your innovative new track ‘Machinations’, taking a more untethered electronic-punk approach to your previous pop/alternative-punk style. Apparently you’ve really found your happy place with this song, so what inspired the new direction/flavours? Has working with and promoting other artists with Beehive PR helped you with this?

Bec; I was inspired by pop music. I was listening to a lot of pop artists redefining pop and creating sounds and structures that seemed to push back against what was expected of pop. I was inspired by A.I and developing technologies and virtual realities and I wanted to create art music that was concurrent with a plastic future.

Brendan; As for the lyrics, I know first-hand you’ve got a copious amount of stories and experiences to write about, but what exactly was the story behind this track?

Bec; The track is about going out of my mind. Machination means to scheme. I had to go into the pits of myself, the illusions I had created, the delusion and find a way through the turmoil and into a future self. I had to scheme a way out.

Brendan; Currently you’re taking over the stages in Japan on quite an extensive run of shows, that must be such an amazing experience! AND THEN, after you get back from Japan, you’re hitting up Sydney and Melbourne only five days after you land home, barely enough time to shake off the jet-lag! So how are the crowds there in Japan responding? Is it a bit contrast to your Aussie fans? I mean, I can’t imagine the Japanese ladies would be as inclined to flash their boobs at you like the wild Aussie ladies here do?

Bec; Well I haven’t seen any flashing boobs, but I have seen a band give their lead singer a bubble bath mid-set. I’m actually only back in Australia for 1 day before my Australia single launch shows begin. I’ve learned so much and their are contrast in priorities here verss Australia. In Japan you must be on time for soundcheck and be present for a pre show meeting where everyone is introduced to each other There are no riders or free drinks, but the schedule is very proficient and support bands on this tour have been the highest calibre of musicians I have played with.

Brendan; I know I kind of gave a bit of a teaser to what a Rackett show brings, (you did say last time you see a lot of tits) But give us a taste of what this new Rackett brings to the stages? Will I still be compelled to flash my chest at you?

Bec; I think you’ll be compelled to dance. My new music is hyper fun, fast and nothing really below 128 BPM which is prime dance tempo. Its still punk in attitude but a future-punk that has those digital elements more present in dance music.

Brendan; Right, now I reckon it’s time we get exclusive Bec, just me and you… and all the readers. So, what would be an exclusive fun fact about yourself

Bec; A fun fact about myself? I don’t know that I can say I have fun facts, I guess that’s in the eye of the beholder. I love a random dance on the street, I love to Heely, I mix up names a lot. For example, there was a Japans band covering Blitz Screen Bob by the Ramones and I got up on stage and thanked them for their cover of ’Split-screen Bob’.

Brendan; Now for my favourite question of all, that’s right people, it’s WTF time! I know I’ve asked you this before, twice actually, and you said how early on you found a dirty nappy in your travel bag on the plane, and last year you told me how at one show, a girl you kissed during ‘Kiss It Better’ took you quite literally, to the point where you had to reluctantly pull away from her to catch up to your singing. But this time, has there been any WTF moments in Japan?

Bec; WTF moments for me have been pulling an all-nighter in Shibuya, doing the rounds of bars and ending up in a party in Love Hotel. Actually this tour has been an all-around WTF moment. Every night has been an adventure, seeing really weird support bands. Another one aside from the bubble bath one was a band that dressed as ‘Where’s Wally’ and sang Queen covers.

Brendan; As always it has been a pleasure chatting to you Bec, but we’ll leave it with one more. So, what’s next for Rackett?

Bec; What’s next is more music! I have another single out in January next year and will be reassessing more and more next year. I’ll be touring, working on my Heelys game and waiting for the future to arrive.

The Dandy Warhols - Podcast Interview with Brent (Drums), October 18 2019

“HORSHACK!”

All you girls and boys better listen closely, because if you like 90's psychedelic-pop, than this will make you get off! Brendan the blind guy got to live the highlife chatting to Brent the drummer from legendary psych-pop band THE DANDY WARHOLS, about their 25th anniversary Australian tour, their new album 'Why You So Crazy?' and its inspiration and much more! Listen and you'll feel like you're having dinner with some of music's greatest, and as if you're caught in a 70's TV show! Check out the official Keen Eye 4 Concerts website www.keeneye4concerts.com

All you girls and boys better listen closely, because if you like 90's psychedelic-pop, than this will make you get off! Brendan the blind guy got to live the highlife chatting to Brent the drummer from legendary psych-pop band THE DANDY WARHOLS, about their 25th anniversary Australian tour, their new album 'Why You So Crazy?' and its inspiration and much more!

Listen and you'll feel like you're having dinner with some of music's greatest, and as if you're caught in a 70's TV show!

Carthasy - Q&A Interview

JOIN THE ASCENT OF ROCK GREATNESS!

Hey everyone, Brendan the blind guy here! We all know it gives me Endless joy and an Endorphin rush when I get to Connect with talented bands on The Ascent in the Aussie music scene! Today, ladies and gentlemen I have the distinct pleasure of chatting to an alternative rock band breaking down all Walls in their path, CARTHASY!

Brendan; Thanks for being here guys! First up, the name Carthasy, what’s the story and meaning behind this intriguing name?

Lindsay; Cheers Brendan, thanks for having us. I think we were going for something which reflected the idea of catharsis, of releasing strong emotions, of everything coming together in huge moment. I think that when we're at our best we can get there with our music. Having that name has unfortunately led to a 'career' of having it pronounced a hundred different ways by everyone we meet, but it's always fun to see what people come up with.

Brendan; You guys recently unleashed your second studio album ‘Revolve’, a dynamic power-house of booming angst and furocity accompanied by fierce driving riffs, cracking beats and confronting vocal edge. So, what does this album and the songs on it represent to you, individually and as a band?

Lindsay; For me the album is a really nice testament to what we can achieve as a band. We went into the writing process with a really clear idea of what we wanted out of it, the sounds we were chasing, and the end result that we wanted to achieve. Getting to that goal required taking a lot of things away. We wanted an stripped back, raw, aggressive album, which meant there was no room for ego on any of us. We wanted a really huge guitar sound, which meant everything else had to get out of the way. We wanted a really consistent theme and impact on the songs, which meant that we weren't able to indulge some of our proggier tastes. I've always thought that the hardest thing to do in music is to write a simple song that's really good, and I think that at our best points on the album we've achieved that. Directionally, "Revolve" was also another step down a much heavier road than we've taken before, which required a bit of a recalibration in the vocal delivery and the tones we were using. Our vocalist Garry did an incredible job of adapting his vocals to the sound we were seeking for this album, and for me his performance is the highlight of the album.

Brendan; When I personally listen to this incredible album, I’m treated to stylistic attributes reminiscent of Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus, Something With Numbers’ first album ‘Etiquette’ and even the mighty Tool. So, are these incredible bands key influences for you musically?
Man, 'Etiquette'! I absolutely thrashed that album in high school, I haven't thought about that album in years. There's definitely chunks of that album buried in Garry's and my DNA which are probably still coming through in 2019. I'm going to listen to it now, I bet it's still buried in my memory somewhere. 'Sunshine Showers' is an eternal jam. Born too late to explore the pop-punk universe...

Lindsay; Aside from forgotten and underrated millenial Australian pop-punk bands, our main influences on this album were Norma Jean, Rosetta and, for me at least, early Pelican. The album was also written during a period where I was listening to Architects' 'All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us' more or less on repeat so there are probably some thematic cues that have bled through there. We've also been trying to write a song with as much melody as an Oceansize track for some time. We'll get there one day.

Brendan; More exciting stuff that Revolve around the album’s release! You guys recently played an album launch show on July 12 in North Perth. How’d that go?

Lindsay; Playing live is always an absolute thrill and it was great to have a chance to play the new album stuff for more or less the first time. Being significantly stripped back, the new album tracks translate significantly better to a live environment, it was nice to not have to play 10 minute prog jams. We were lucky enough to be joined by our great mates in Altona who were launching an album on the same night and it was a pleasure to share the stage with them.

Brendan; For those of us who couldn’t make it to this show, tell us what we missed out on? Did you guys blow the speakers? Was there any brawls? Did you break everything in sight? Or was the atmosphere tame, civilized and full of elderly Bingo-enthusiasts complaining that it’s too loud?

Lindsay; Perth has its share of people moving into new apartments which overlook live music venues then complain about the noise, and Garry's amp does go to 11 (genuinely - Soldanos do for some reason), so I'm surprised the last one didn't happen. Nothing too crazy from us, I think most of the crowd we get down are now a bit past the brawling stage and guitars are expensive. I'm also tied to a laptop these days for samples and such so I can't even run too far from the drumkit. I think the whole big rockstar move of smashing shit is fun if your parents are buying your guitar or you're getting them for free from the manufacturer - neither are true for us yet unfortunately!

Brendan; Right, I reckon it’s time we get exclusive! So, what is an exclusive fun fact about each of yourselves?

Lindsay; Ha ha, we all have reasonably professional lives so I'm going to duck that question - nothing too scandalous or doxxable sorry!

Brendan; Now it’s time for my FAVOURITE question! That’s right people, it’s best cat-video on Youtube time!... just kidding, it’s W.T.F time! (although who doesn’t love a good cat video right?). So guys, what is THE MOST hilarious, priceless W.T.F moment on your musical career thus far?

Lindsay; It's gotta be our last album launch, where our bassist Jack launched himself off a cab and immediately shredded his ACL. He managed to get through the rest of the set on adrenaline and beer but realised what he'd done as he was trying to give me a hand carrying my drums out at the end of the night. The best part of a year worth of rehab and he was ready to play again without sitting on a stool on stage. He makes his living now as a stage manager in the UK for awesome bands like the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets so clearly he's still able to carry heavy shit. A credit to his physiotherapists.

Brendan; And last but not least, what else can fans look forward to from you guys lurking around the corner?

Lindsay; Life's getting in the way for all of us a little bit at the moment and we're spread across the world - I'm the only one in Perth most of the time - but we'd love to put out some more music when the time's right. Rumour has it there might be a few more tracks from 'Revolve' that were trimmed from the release, I'd love to get them out at some point - if nothing else because one of them has a pretty sick drum part. It depends on whether finances or my ego win out in the end I guess!

Lindsay; Thanks for having us mate, much appreciated.

The debut single from Carthasy's upcoming album 'Revolve'.

The Darkness - Podcast Interview with Rufus (drums), September 18 2019

“WE ARE THE KNIGHTS OF THE OLD WAYS”

This will make any rock fans heart explode! Brendan's nver givin' up on his love of chatting to amazing artists like Rufus the drummer from UK rock legends THE DARKNESS leading up to the release of the band's latest album 'Easter Is Cancelled' and March 2020 Australian tour! Check it out for how literally Rufus put his blood, sweat and tears into the new album and why to stay clear of being directly in front of Frank at their shows! Plus check out the official Keen Eye 4 Concerts website www.keeneye4concerts.com

This will make any rock fans heart explode! Brendan's nver givin' up on his love of chatting to amazing artists like Rufus the drummer from UK rock legends THE DARKNESS leading up to the release of the band's latest album 'Easter Is Cancelled' and March 2020 Australian tour!

Check it out for how literally Rufus put his blood, sweat and tears into the new album and why to stay clear of being directly in front of Frank at their shows!

The Cat Empire - Interview with Felix (vocals), October 3 2019

THE CHARIOT OF GREATNESS!

Hello everybody! Brendan the blind guy had the pleasure of chatting to Felix the lead singer from Australia's favourite jazz/pop partiers, THE CAT EMPIRE, before their first of three Sydney show at the Metro Theatre on October 3 2019! Do not lose your boarding pass to this tropical adventure!

Hello everybody! Brendan the blind guy had the pleasure of chatting to Felix the lead singer from Australia's favourite jazz/pop partiers, THE CAT EMPIRE, before their first of three Sydney show at the Metro Theatre on October 3 2019!

Do not lose your boarding pass to this tropical adventure!

For Brendan the blind guy’s review of The Cat Empire’s first of three shows at the Metro Theatre Sydney on the ‘Stolen Diamonds’ Australian tour, click here.

Check out The Cat Empire’s new album ‘Stolen Diamonds’ on Apple Music!