Johnny from Children Collide Stops In

Children Collide have released a corker of an album in “Theory of Everything” so naturally we were keen to have a chat about the band, the new album and their adventures on the road. Thankfully lead singer/guitarist Johnny Mackay was happy enough to stop by for a chat.

Theory of everything has been out for a week now, how are you guys feeling about it now the public has been listening?

Well, we’ve been touring it and plenty of people have been singing along, which is nice. They even do the ‘woo’ bits in My Eagle. Unless that’s just voices in my head. I’m not sure.

How long were you in the studio for and how did it compare to recording The Long Now?

Well…I guess it ended up being about 4-5 weeks in 3 different studios. It differed in the fact that we split it between a couple of different countries and that we attempted to make it twice.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your music?

From chewing gum that’s been trodden into the footpath.

When it comes to playing a show how do you get in the zone? Are there any rituals that are performed to psyche yourselves up?

I usually just slap myself in the face a couple of times and eat a lamington.

When you first started the band did you ever envision it becoming as big as you guys have? When did you first sit back and think “holy shit this is happening”?

Still haven’t.

What advice would you offer to young musicians trying to get their music out there?

Make good music. Make sure that is what you enjoy about it. If it’s about money or getting laid you aren’t going to feel very satisfied at the end of the day.

Do you have a favourite Children Collide song?

Yeah, whichever one we’re writing or playing at the time.

You guys have been playing a lot of shows over the past few years with a lot of different artists. Who was the most fun?

I particularly enjoyed playing alongside Tame Impala at the Groovin’ The Moo festivals last year.

What are the last five albums you listened to?

Right now I am listening to a solo album by a guy called Alex Macfarlane from the band Teen Archer who we are currently on tour with. Before that I’ve been listening to M.I.A. – Maya, Kyuss – …and the circus leaves town, a Vangelis record I picked up in L.A. And Tobacco – Fucked Up Friends. We’ve also had the Teen Archer “tour E.P.” on in the car today, but it doesn’t really count as an album as it just has three very rad songs on it

Theory of Everything is out in all good music stores right now, so get on out there and support these guys!

We Chat With Grinspoon

Mere hours before they hit the stage of the Traralgon Saloon Bar we talk to Grinspoon; one of Australia’s finest ambassadors when it comes to hard rock.

Grinspoon have been a functioning unit for over a decade now. When you first started did you ever dream you would be in this position so far down the track?

Definitely not we had absolutely no idea what we were getting into when we first started. It’s crazy to think we`re 6 albums down the track. We always had a lot of ambition and a big work ethic but we usually pretty unfocussed- and drunk ha ha…..

Six To Midnight was a return to the darker, grungier side yet still managed to showcase your other sounds. The album has been out for a year now, how do you feel about it?

I had a listen to it for the first time ages the other day and I reckon it stacks up pretty well- there`s a few songs in there that I`d kind of forgotten about which were really cool. Made me think we should be playing a few of the more obscure tracks off the album.

Grinspoon were the winners of the first ever Triple J Unearthed competition. How important was winning that competition to launching your career?

It was super important in giving us a leg up and bringing us some national recognition. The song that won was Sickfest, and it went on to become the most requested song on Triple J for the 12 weeks. Obviously that helped. Even with winning the comp we still had to work our butts off to make the most of it though- at first we thought we`d be instantly huge but it took us ages to get a record deal….

You guys are from a small rural NSW town. Do you find it important to get out and visit the smaller towns rather than just playing the big cities?

We`ll play anywhere, big or small. Being from a regional area we all know how cool it is when bands come into town- often the regional gigs are the best cause everyone is just so pumped to see a touring band. City gigs are cool to but people there get to see bands all the time- plus regional gigs gve us a chance to see heaps of Australia.

Do you have a favourite Grinspoon album?

If I had to say one it would be New Detention, but Six to Midnight is up there as is our debut, Guide to Better Living. iI like the hard fast, raucous stuff. All these albums have songs that are really energetic and great to play live.

What advice would you offer to young musicians trying to get their music out there?

Just write as much original stuff as you can and be prepared to take any gig, anywhere. Work hard and have fun and the returns will come along. Don`t be to big for your boots when you first start, remember everyone starts somewhere. And if your a band stick together through thick and thin- don`t start sacking band memebers over little jealousies and stuff, your band mates are your best asset.

You guys have been playing a lot of shows over the past few years with a lot of different artists. Who was the most fun?

Shihad, Unwritten Law, Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, Snowdroppers, the list goes on.

What are the last five albums you listened to?
Eels- Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, Calling all Cars, Them Crooked Vultures, Holly McNarland, The Bronx.

Thanks guys, looking forward to seeing you rock the Saloon Bar stage in Traralgon!

Yeah we will!

Chat With Hungry Kids Of Hungary

Hungry Kids of Hungary are one of Australia’s best when it comes to Indie music. Since release of their self-titled EP in 2008 things have been constantly on the rise for the Brisbane lads. Local festivals, international shows and now they are ready to unleash their debut LP “Escapades” on the world. We check in with Kane (Keys/Vox) to find out a little more about what makes Hungry Kids of Hungary stand out from the rest of the bands doing the rounds right now.

October 1st sees the release of Escapades. How are you guys feeling about it?

We are really pumped and can’t wait to show you! There’s a bunch of new tunes on the record, some of them we haven’t played live yet, so we are quite excited to be road testing them on the album tour.

How long were you in the studio for and how did it compare to recording Mega Mountain?

We spent almost 6 months this year (on and off) recording our album with Brisbane Producer, Matt Redlich (he also recorded Mega Mountain). This time we did pre-production on the tracks and recorded some of the songs to 24 track tape, something we did not do on Mega Mountain. We have explored some new territories on the album and really tried to push ourselves in both the recording of the songs and musical arrangements. It feels more cohesive, and to me, the band makes more sense now when I listen to the album.

Where do you draw inspiration from for your music?

We are influenced by loads of international and local acts, past and present. I’ve personally taken a lot of influence from the work of classic bands like The Zombies, Stevie Wonder and The Beach Boys and more contemporary acts like Ben Folds Five and The Shins.

How was it to play overseas for the first time?

It was an exciting and exhausting trip all in one. It was funny for me as I had to carry round an Upstepper converter for the my keyboard which changes the voltage level – so i don’t blow up shit. The converter was kind of heavy haha. But it worked! The actual shows were great. My favourite show was in Philadelphia – a great little room, receptive audience and amazing bbq ribs.

Triple J offer a lot of exposure to bands through their Unearthed competitions. How important was winning the competition for Hungry Kids of Hungary?

Winning the Unearthed Comp was priceless in terms of getting our band name out beyond Brisbane city. It opened many doors for the band. We’ve been able to play all over Australia in the last 18 months which has been a great adventure.

What advice would you offer to young musicians trying to get their music out there?

You can always upload your demos to sites like Unearthed. It’s a powerful platform for new artists. I think it’s good to get out to lots of local shows and meet people – find musicians you have something in common with. Who knows you might just meet your new drummer.

Do you have a favourite Hungry Kids of Hungary song?

I’m really enjoying playing our newer material at the moment- namely Wristwatch and The Window Shopper. You do go through phases with the older material, and there are certain songs that are more fun to play in certain venues too.

You guys have been playing a lot of shows over the past few years with a lot of different artists. Who was the most fun?

We had a lot of fun on the Little Birdy tour last year. Not only are they a kickass live band, they are an immensly likeable bunch. They were very kind to us (shared their rider) and we were able to take away a lot from them (their rider). But on a serious note, that kind of experience makes you want to get back out on the road again.

What are the last five albums you listened to?

The Bank Holidays – Sail becomes a Kite (This is an incredible album!!) The Weakerthans – Reunion tour, Arcade Fire- The suburbs, Dr dog – Shame, shame, Kings of Convenience – Declaration of dependence

Escapades is released nation wide October 1st. Check out a song that will be featured on the new album “Wristwatch”