What was the beginning point for your music career? How did it all start?
Well I started playing drums very young, but I was never a drummer in a band. I didn’t start singing until I was 18. It only happened because my cousin, who was also a drummer, asked me to go along to one of his rehearsals. They didn’t have a singer at the time so they made me get up and give them a vocal guide, because it turned out I knew the lyrics to the stuff they were playing.
Were there any bumps on the road? What kind of challenges did you have to deal with?
In my first original project, the biggest bumps were just egos within the band. It was mostly between attention seeking guitarists, always trying to be louder than each other. It’s not easy keeping 5 people thinking along the same lines for years. We tried to keep things democratic, but I realise now it would have been easier if there was one person who knew what we needed to do and just led the whole thing.
What was the most fulfilling and satisfying moment so far?
My latest album is my proudest achievement. I never thought that I would ever be writing albums and also playing all the instruments myself. The fact that I’ve done that twice is even harder for me to believe, even now (actually 2 and a half times if you count half the songs on my first album released). Before I do it, it always seems like a mountain of work that I could never possibly get through, but somehow I do.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
It’s rock that is heavily influenced by 90’s grunge and alternative. It can occasionally have evidence of some of my other influences, like The Beatles.
What is your creative process like?
It always starts with a melody that pops up in my head. I record the idea on my phone. If I still like it a few days later, I start working on guitars, then the rest of the instrumentation follows.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
I’d scrap streaming platforms, or at the very least, regulate so most of the money is going to the creators.
If you were asked to give a piece of advice to upcoming bands, what would that be?
Do something else, lol. Seriously though, I would say never expect money from this. The odds of making any kind of living from it are now worse than they’ve ever been. I know I’ve spent 10’s of thousands recording music over the last 20 years, and I know I will never get any of it back. I do it because if I didn’t do something with the ideas I keep getting, I feel like I would go insane.
What has been the best performance of your career so far?
I played in a big Melbourne venue to over 1000 people with my first original band. That was quite a rush.
If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing now?
The same thing I am doing now. A career in tech (IT).
What is new with the band at the moment? What are you currently working on and would like to share with the world?
I have started working on new ideas for another recording next year. I’m aiming to record and release 5 new songs.
