Recurrent Verse

Sometimes you find new music in mysterious ways! I recently discovered Brisbane’s Deadwaves via a muddled-up conversation with BG Goodrich (Local Band Smokeout). Their first single ‘In Your Veins’ is out now and Tommy McKay and Beau Stevens, the faces behind Deadwaves, were kind enough to have a chat with me.

Thanks guys. Tell us a bit about Deadwaves and what the future looks like for you guys.

Tommy: Beau and I met 10 years ago. I moved to Brisbane to join a band which at that time was called Amberain we were basically a post hardcore alternative band we dropped an EP called Empires, it  went pretty well we toured nationally had some pretty crazy shows that were sold out. At around that time I personally was going through a bit of mental health stuff I was drinking too much and all that sort of rubbish and eventually became a bit too much of a burden for the band. Fast forward and Beau actually face timed me from a show and I just went fuck it we need to make music again, so we got together and wrote a few songs, well more than a few. This is the first one that we have been stoked enough with to go here’s something we really want you to hear.

Beau: I grew up playing piano and sort of going towards the more classical side of things and Tom has grown up with all his metal and that kind of stuff. I think the melding of those two sorts of mindsets can create some pretty interesting genre defying sounds which is what excites us, it’s what we like. Then we have to try and reconcile that with how we want to sound.

Tommy: I think for us one thing that we would really grab onto is that symphonic sound and Beau’s got the technical knowledge to be able to construct something like that for us, for me to then be able to sing over which I am really excited for. We self-produce as well, so all our music that we produce is done within the confines of this house, or where ever we are living at the time.  Part of the issue with that though is you get to the point where you are never quite sure if your song is finished because you haven’t got a 3^rd party to say stop.  We’ve had to hire someone to mix and master our music for us because otherwise Beau and I will sit there for nights on end tweaking. Once you’ve listened to it enough times your perception of the song changes you need to almost cleanse your palette with some classical music or a tv show so that when you go back its brand new and fresh again  

Beau: Just diving into the depths of our creativity and seeing what we can come up with. Being able to not be bound by having to spend time in the studio we can spend as much time as we want attacking it at our own pace and do whatever we want.  It’s really liberating to be able to write like that and its healthy for the creative process.

Realistically we would have to use backing tracks because we only have 4 hands and 2 mouths between us. Obviously, we’ll play everything on the record but when it comes to the live show we are going to need a few friends; we’ll figure that out when we get there! The silver lining of what is happening in the world right now is that we have all the time in the world to get ready for a live show and have an audience to actually turn up to it.

There are positive to take out of this situation. People are turning to social media and looking for new music because they have so much down time and once we return to some semblance of normal there won’t be international acts for awhile

Absolutely, if we can capitalise on that even just a little bit that what be really handy for us. I’m really excited to see the expression on people’s faces when you actually get to play the music live. That is the best part about it I think. Hearing people sing your own lyrics back to you, there’s not many better feelings than that.

There was actually some confusion between me and BG over your track! There was a band above you guys on his list called Deadlights, which I thought was the band from here, and that’s how I ended up listening to your song. My ears pricked up because it had a BMTH feel to the beginning!

We sent that one email to Local Band Smokeout and we’ve picked up a handful of fans already. We don’t care if we’ve got a 100 fans or 100,00 fans we just want the people that do care about us to really give a fuck about the music. We want to be able to play a show that even if it’s to 10 people they know the words and just want to be a part of it

Beau: We’re glad that you had that reaction to our track though. If we can just prick someone’s ears up like that and get them interested enough to try and suss out who we are I think that’s the way to go about it.

Tommy: Should I tell her a secret about that song… That song is actually about 4 years old!

We’ve been sitting on it for a while, but it was very heavily influenced by That’s the Spirit. We were super inspired by the sound. One thing we are a bit unsure about is what genre we are going to fit in to because In Your Veins is a pretty in your face song. We wanted a first release that kind of stood out. And we hope that’s what’s happened. But that’s only one arrow in our quiver I guess you could say. We’ve actually got dozens of songs that we have been working on.

Who inspires you?

We love soundtracks and soundscapes by people like Hans Zimmer. That’s something we want to bring to our music. We lean on bands all the way from Bring Me The Horizon to the The 1975 for inspiration when it comes to the overall production of our music.

We grew up listening to a lot of post-hardcore music like Escape the Fate.

Beau is influenced by Post-Punk bands like The Cure and Nick Cave.

We are also influenced by synthwave and retrowave music. We love the cyberpunk sound and aesthetic. I hope that gives people some idea what’s going on inside our brains haha.

What’s the story behind the song?

Tommy : I’m a pretty dark person I write a lot of dark lyrics about the thoughts that bounce around in my brain and the struggles that I have had. I try to empathise with other people that have mental health struggles. I feel like I can relate to them so hopefully they can relate to my story

Beau: Musically I think we are very inspired by the likes of film soundtracks by people like Hans Zimmer and that kind of stuff, so we try and emulate that kind of structure or sound with our chord progressions and that kind of stuff whilst still being exciting and obviously our own take on whatever we are doing instrumentally

Tommy: I suppose the title of the song In Your Veins kind of implies drug use. What it implies for me is someone who is not themselves because of an outside influence.

When I listened to it again today that was what I took out of it. Someone who has been infiltrated by somebody else

Beau: Yeah a toxic relationship, it’s almost open to interpretation.

Tommy: I don’t sit down and go this is what my song is about. I try to think about the showmanship of the lyrics. I write very metaphorical lyrics, like for example someone who does it really well is Jared Leto I really love the way he writes lyrics. Someone who is completely different to what we do who I take a lot of inspiration from is actually Matt Healy from The 1975. Something he said really resonated with me is “I want to write a song that sounds like ‘I wanna Dance with somebody’ by Whitney Houston but have the conviction of Morrisey”. I have a similar philosophy; I want a powerful impowering song. To be honest we are probably just a pair of Brisbane sad boys!!  It helps me get this stuff off my chest and deal with things and I hope that it can do that for other people too. I know that so much music has done that for me. I’m actually really excited to see what people think of our music and their reaction.

Beau: Writing music like this is a cathartic experience

We actually recorded a grand piano live and compressed the shit out of it for In Your Veins and used reverb to get the sound. Beau’s brother does a lot of the post production on our stuff too. He’s a wizard. He helped make it sound a lot bigger than what it was when we were finished. His takes on our music is what will give us our own sound aesthetic too. Genre aside we feel that over the next couple of tracks we will be defining the aesthetic of our sound. The whole anti-genre movement is a great concept. Just do what you love and what you feel at the time, then make it sound good and put it out there.  

It’s great to see so many bands experimenting with their sound.

Yes. The tides are turning in that sense. The way the world is going with the internet and social media it’s so easy and accessible to make music and put it out there. All the passion projects come out of the woodwork and they get more light shone on them and I think that is great

For sure! Social media is a fantastic way to get your music out there and for music fans to find new bands.

Tommy: These days most fans become your friends and in 2020 social media is the easiest and cheapest way to grow your audience. And to have people similar to you that care about what you’re doing that genuinely care about what the bands are doing.  It’s a 2-way street.  

Beau: We did say that we don’t care if we have 10 fans or 100,000 but the later would be better! But really it’s genuine fans that we care about, people we can interact with at shows or online. It doesn’t matter we just want to be able to connect with the people that dig our music

Tommy: People saying that your music has helped them is the best feeling in the world and seeing the look on someone’s face standing in front of you and having them sing the words back to you is a feeling that I can’t describe

Beau: That’s what keeps you writing music.

Deadwaves first single In Your Veins is out now

https://www.facebook.com/deadwavesofficial

https://www.instagram.com/deadwaves_/

https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/deadwaves

The country may have been in lockdown but that hasn’t stopped new Melbourne pop-punk band Paperweight from releasing their debut single Waster which comes out tomorrow. I had a chat with them to find out more.

Who are Paperweight?

Paperweight was born in 2020. We are a band of 5 humans with pop-punk roots and a shared passion for music. We’ve all been in bands before (some of us even in bands together) so we’ve taken all of that musical experience and poured it into a band that we really believe in! We’re all about having fun – it’s cliché, but what better way to do that than to play music with your best friends?!

Where did the name Paperweight evolve from?

It actually kind of stemmed from a song we wrote called ‘Paper Anchors’ – it symbolises those things that you think are weighing you down but help you realise your own strength. Then that kind of translated into a band name and we landed on Paperweight!

You’re about to drop your first single “Waster “(which I’m really digging by the way) – is the writing process a shared project?

Thank you so much, really glad you dig it! It is absolutely shared – we’ve found that a mix of everybody’s writing strengths is the best formula. We love working together – we vibe really well as a team and I think that shows through our music.

Bands that influence you guys?

We have a pretty broad range of influences -we’re obviously heavily inspired by Sum 41, Blink 182, all your pop-punk Lords… but we love anything from Elvis to Iron Maiden to The Beatles to Maroon 5 to Neck Deep and everything in between

Have your release plans had to change due to Covid?

We were sort of lucky, in a sense – Covid launched itself before we had the chance to, so we had a bit of a head start. We saw the way the world was changing so we adapted our plans to suit – we are actually happy with the way it’s turning out (minus the covid) and just can’t wait to finally jump on a stage!

What’s up next for Paperweight?

Well, like every band right now, we’re keen to play some shows and tour with our friends! We have all been iso-writing so hopefully we can get some recording done when we’re allowed out again. In saying that, we do have a few tracks lined up and ready to release so stay tuned!

To stay tuned to what Paperweight are up to jump on their socials

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgLupXCr7k6Xy1CI2cpDvqQ

https://www.facebook.com/paperweightaus

https://www.instagram.com/paperweightaus/

https://twitter.com/PaperweightAUS?s=20

While gigs aren’t happening we are lucky to still have bands dropping new tunes. Gippsland’s Alt/Punk rock band Doonie Way have just released their latest single Stumblin’. Be prepared to find yourself singing this one even when its not playing!!

I caught up with the boys to have a chat about the single and what’s up next for them post lockdown.

Who are Doonie Way?

We are a four piece alt rock band from Gippsland. Our line-up consists of Tim Irwin (Vocals, Guitar) Blaike Murphy (Drums) Bryce Robinson (Lead Guitar) and D’Arcy Connaughton (Bass).

Getting our name from a street sign near a family members house, the band originated as a two piece between Tim and Blaike and later recruited D’Arcy and Bryce to form the full band. Combining our shared love of alt and surf rock, including bands such as Dune Rats, Hockey Dad and Dear Seattle, we established our sound, playing shows around Victoria and releasing a couple singles in the last few years.

You have a new single dropping, it’s a real ear worm. I’ve found it stuck in my head since listening. Tell me the story behind it?

It was definitely intended to be stuck in people’s head! We felt that the catchy and simple chorus was a great idea for both fans and for people who haven’t heard of us before to have a sing along song at gigs.

The song was created one afternoon after Tim had showed us a demo he’d been working on, it was pretty bare bones but had good structure and potential. After a few drinks and some fiddling around with the demo, “Stumblin’’ was born.

The lyrics are a reflection on one of our band mates past relationship, who was struggling with it at the time. It’s about the feeling of ending a relationship and having to deal with the hardships of letting go of that person while still caring about them.

The track is a little more ‘pop punk’ than our previous releases but we definitely think it was the right direction to go with it. It really does sound huge thanks to the production work done by our long time friend and producer Darcy Handley, complimented by a wicked guitar solo that was smashed out in a single take by legend Christopher Vernon, who also did the mastering for this track.

How has covid affected your plans?

Its been an odd feeling having gone from a big year playing gigs every other weekend to this lockdown shutting down every show. We were planning on continuing playing as many gigs as we could, including a couple of release shows to accommodate the release of Stumblin’.

We also had a music video sorted for Stumblin’ that was set to film right as the lockdown begun. That’s when we all came up with the idea of asking our fans to film themselves singing our song while in lockdown and compile all submissions into a music video, making the best out of a strange situation this virus has put us all in.

What’s next for you guys?

At the moment we’re all really just itching to get back on stage to play some shows again. We also want to get back into the studio as we’ve got a few demos in mind for release. As far as future plans go, we’re hoping to do a couple of interstate shows.

You’ve supported some cool bands lately, what would be your favourite to date?

We’ve been so lucky to have the opportunity to play with some amazing acts these last couple of years. Opening for The Bennies was our first ‘big’ show and being support for both of the Hands Like Houses Melbourne shows were probably our wildest gigs to date.

A big highlight and probably our favourite was when we supported The Smith Street Band at the Pier Bandroom in Frankston. That was our last show before the lockdown. It was a surreal feeling opening for the band that had been one of our biggest influences on our music. The crowd were great to us and really made our presence feel welcomed. We were invited on stage to sing and dance with the Smithies during their final song which is a memory none of us boys will ever forget.

Check out “Stumblin” below

https://www.facebook.com/dooniewaytheband/

https://www.instagram.com/dooniewaytheband/

One of Adelaide’s metalcore favourites, Mauvais, dropped their latest single “I Feel Nothing” last week.  I’m a pretty big fan of Mauvais. I’m a massive fan of their new track. Mauvais never fail to deliver and anyone who has seen them live can attest to that. To hear the growth and maturity of the band in this single was a pleasant surprise.  Jaycob Page (vocals) was kind enough to catch me up on what the boys have been up to.

You’ve just released “I Feel Nothing” (Damn it’s good!) It’s been awhile between releases what have Mauvais been up to?

Thank you we are glad you like ‘I Feel Nothing’ it really does mean a whole lot. As for what we’ve been up to, we’ve had members finishing uni degrees and starting new careers which lead us to take more or less a break from our play first, ask questions later mentality. We spent a lot of time writing and thinking about what was working for us and what wasn’t. We also sat down a lot and thought about our goals and operations as a band e.g. marketing, merchandise etc.

You worked with Scottie Simpson and Lance Prenc on this single. How was that?

So for this we bounced ideas back and forward with Scottie for a while which was difficult in ways as Alpha Wolf were taking over the world and always on the road but he always did his absolute best to make time for us and for that we will always be grateful. After bouncing idea’s, we set a date to record with him and I’m not sure how to put it into words other than we loved it. He was great to work with, yet firm with what he felt worked and didn’t. He made the whole experience an easy one for us to adjust to. As for working with Lance we reached out and let him know we were working with Scottie on a track and how much we loved the sound he produces, went back and forward on some test mixes and instantly knew we’d made the right decision for our sound.

Mauvais songs always touch on subjects that need to be openly talked about. What influenced this track?

This track is about the struggle of the unknowns that come with anxiety and the mistakes you can make because of this, but it’s more so about owning that blame and acknowledging the situation. It’s mostly all a self-reflection. However, there are counters to this throughout the song as certain memories bring up anger, again the song is about embracing your own mistakes and not everyone else’s. I think it really shows a growth in character overall. 

And the big question …is this part of an EP?? 

I Feel Nothing is not part of an EP. It will remain a standalone single, as it steers the ship towards the new sound and direction. We feel proud with how we have stepped up on the track and have set the goal of topping that with an EP in the not so distant future (hopefully).

Covid has affected the music industry heavily, so it’s been good to see so many bands still go ahead with releases. Do you think the industry will be different post covid? 

I overthink a lot, I think the industry will be clearly different in a few ways e.g. internationals and travels, the distribution of music and merch etc to a degree. However, I think there is room for a lot of positives to come out of this all, depending on whether or not people choose to embrace them. Nationwide support could reach an all-time high for Australian artists I feel if people truly decide to come together and fly the flag, however music is also a business and there can be a lot of risk involved. 

https://www.facebook.com/MauvaisBand/

https://www.instagram.com/mauvaisband/

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Deftones, A Perfect Circle & Twelve Foot Ninja, their melodic approach to modern heavy music is driven by crushing riffs and dynamic soundscapes.

Having endured the ebb and flow of life in original bands with several members, vocalist Casey Dean and guitarist Tim Chilman decided to record and produce their music independently and remain a two piece. – Warnings Bio

I’m starting to think there is something in Melbourne’s water… The number of talented bands that have appeared over the last 2 months just keeps growing.

Tim Chilman and Casey Dean have merged their creative forces to bring Warnings to life. Their first single “Fan of Flames” quietly made its appearance a few weeks back and on the eve of their second release “Waterboy”  I caught up with Tim to find out a little bit more about them.

You and Casey have a new project, Warnings, how did you guys end up on this together? I know Casey has been around the music scene for a long time. Had you guys played together prior to this?

Not until a few months into this project. It started with a demo I was working on that was missing vocals. I asked a few people around town, but they were either not keen or too busy. I didn’t expect Casey to be interested as I had him on a bit of a pedestal from Engine Three Seven, but I had nothing to lose so I sent it to him and he rang me back saying how keen he was. We arranged a vocal session at his joint and after 3 late nights in the studio we had what became our debut single ‘Fan of Flames’. When it was done, I asked if he wanted to sing on another song that needed vocals and it gradually built from there. We did a couple of gigs together (not as Warnings) during this time though – One with E37, and an acoustic gig at an Irish pub. We left about 3 hours after it closed…..

I love that you are staying as a 2 piece and recording/producing your own music. What factors played into that decision?

We have found this approach to be more productive and overall, more enjoyable. Our decision making and creative process is much easier with ‘less cooks in the kitchen’. We still work with mates who enjoy contributing here and there but it’s more of a no strings attached arrangement. We have also saved a lot of money recording and producing ourselves, but that will probably balance out when it comes to gigging. There have been some big hurdles learning this aspect of it, but we aren’t getting any worse at it, so for now we intend to continue this way.

Is there an EP/album on the way or are you just releasing singles?

There is an EP ready and waiting to be released!

What does the future look like for Warnings? Gigs when lock down eases?

COVID definitely forced us to change our plans but when the lock down eases we will re-book the show we had planned. Obviously, the EP will be out before then. We are writing new material at the moment so we can’t wait to continue releasing music and play live!

Any other influences you draw inspiration from?

I think you naturally draw inspiration from everyone and everything you encounter in life, but some key influences in our music lately have been Northlane, Deftones, Pantera, anything with Maynard James Keenan. Too many to pin it down to though.

Waterboy is set to be released live online on Friday 22^nd May.

Link to the live release : https://www.facebook.com/events/2581385985511944/

Pre save: https://ditto.fm/waterboy-warnings

https://www.facebook.com/warningsmusic/

https://www.instagram.com/warningsmusic/

https://twitter.com/warnings_music?s=20

Your channel would have to be one of the most unique music channels out there!

 How did you get started doing this? Where did your love of music come from?

I’ve been a music lover all my life as far back as I can remember. My dad would always play classic rock n roll like Deep Purple and Pink Floyd while my mother would always jam Van Morrison and Journey. The show started as someone telling me that it was a stupid idea and that I shouldn’t do it. I wanted to prove them wrong and did!

You’ve also been in bands yourself, what’s been your favourite/s?  Biggest band you’ve played with/supported?

H.I.T.M. was probably the most talented band I was in but in a different project, Michael Jackson’s dad was our manager. Wild lol! That same band opened up for DJ Mugg’s (for a Cypress Hill Party) that was a pretty fun show.

 What is the highlight moment for you with LBS?

Highlight moments would be when I get VIP passes to do Weed events. That never gets old 🙂

What issues/challenges have you encountered? What would you do different if you could start again?

Occasionally a band will have a change of heart and asked for their video review to be removed as they’re not wanting to be associated with marijuana anymore. I get it, but that shits lame to me lol. I probably wouldn’t do anything different up to this point.

It’s grown so much since I first came across your YouTube channel. What other areas do you cover apart from reviewing? Any other plans to expand on what you are doing?

I really wanna get more into streaming on a regular basis, but I’m forever working on a new computer build that just never seems to be ready. When its time to unveil it, I will.

You’ve been a great supporter of Australian bands. It’s so great to have another platform for them to get their music out into the world.

I get more Aussie submissions than any other country. This even includes USA submissions! Plus, nearly every Aussie band i hear is fucking awesome so it makes my job even easier.

What are some of your standout Aussie bands?

Windwaker, To Octavia, Virtues just to name a few but I could literally list about 30 that I love!

Favourite band you have reviewed?

This is too tough to answer. Anything that made the first compilation/Spotify tops list would def be considered a favourite though.

Most famous band that has sent in for a review.

The Used/Volumes/Currents/Dance Gavin Dance – the thing with those kind of submissions though is that Facebook always flags those video asking if I have clearance to use  their music. Sometimes I win that dispute, sometimes I don’t….even though the band themselves sent in music to me.

Have you ever had a submission and been like I can’t review that?

Nope. Even if its the worst quality song ever and contains no musical talent….I reviewed it.

You review bands from all genres. What do you listen to in your down time?

Mostly Post Hardcore or Metalcore probably. Though I do love jazz as well.   

Where do you see the industry heading after Covid given that big gigs are probably a fair way off?

I’m not exactly sure. I think were all kinda curious about that. I’m down to try a drive in concert though. I’m sure, in time, gigs will slowly get back to normal.

I love your pinned world map! How many countries have you had bands submit from now?

Unfortunately, the map had to be taken down during a recent move. I was around 30+ countries prior to taking it down.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/localbandsmokeout/

https://www.instagram.com/localbandsmokeout/

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5hVhIzfcrmoYlhdJOUREGn?si=pE7hjwvoRTCkJsJ0j26pKA