Last week we reviewed West Thebarton’s debut album Different Beings Being Different giving them their first spot on CelebMix. It’s only right we introduce you properly to the Australian band, ready for introduction time? Read on.
West Thebarton hail from Adelaide in Australia, with a garage-rock twang to their sound they’re stepping away from the scene already packed with cliché sounds and trying something new.
Prior to the release of their debut album singles Moving Out, Bible Camp and Stuck On You were unveiled showing three different yet intriguing takes on the album material. What was in common was that each makes you visualise being in the middle of summer singing along to the tracks whilst having the time of your life. The video for their latest track Stuck On You sees them trying to shake off the cobwebs from the night before whilst working at their day jobs, what a familiar tale to many.
As a seven-piece, it might seem hard to organise everyone to create a superb set of material but West Thebarton have managed to crack this with ease. Gravelly vocals, gritty guitars and driving drumlines which get beneath your skin work towards the perfect live and recorded sound. Their music led them to be nominated for Six South Australian Music awards last year which is definitely a sign of just how great West Thebarton are.
The band are heading over to the UK in August to play Boardmasters Festival alongside Reading and Leeds. We’ll definitely be trying to catch one of their sets as we have a feeling Different Beings Being Different might be one of our most played albums of the year.
We had a chat with the band to find out a little bit more about them, here’s what went down.
Your debut album Different Beings Being Different is released on the 18th May, can you tell us a little bit more about the recording process?
We pooled together eleven of the best songs we’d written over the last couple years. Plenty of heavy hitters and a couple of slow burners (like Reasons and Set It Straight) which took a few of us by surprise but hold up as standouts on the album. The record was tracked down at Twin Earth in our lovely city of Adelaide with Dylan Adams. He was an absolute guru that really helped bring out the best takes from the band. For the most part, it was tracked live and others laid their parts over the top once we pushed out some solid tones. The energy and passion of seven people is there and you can feel it which is something I’m most proud of.
When you were growing up which artists did you listen to, do you feel they’ve influenced your sound at all?
There’s seven of us so it’s a little tough to speak on behalf of the rest of the band. I wouldn’t say the music I listened to growing up influenced my playing or songwriting currently. I did to a lot of emo-punk and heavy rock from the 70s though. I suppose earlier bands like Rage Against the Machine and Refused instilled a thirst for hard-hitting and aggressive moments but most of the learning which has dictated my approach to music has really taken shape over the last ten years rather than my first ten years on Earth. I‘ve recently dove into artists/guitarists like Neil Young, Rowland S. Howard, Paul Kelly & the Coloured Girls. A less is more approach, which sounds pretty rich coming from a band with four or five guitarists, but it’s about picking and choosing your moments.
The video for your new single Stuck On You sees you trying to shake away the cobwebs after a wild night and get back to your jobs. What’s been the wildest thing you’ve done under alcohol’s influence?
You know the Johnny Cash song “Ring of Fire”? I literally fell and went down, down, down.
Which of your own lyrics sums up your time in West Thebarton so far?
Sometimes I think Ray sings one thing but actually sings something totally different. It’s happened a lot of times, especially with my interpretations. Let’s put it this way – I love being in this band and playing music with the people in it – “the West is the best”.
What’s next on the cards in 2018?
Now that this album’s out, the seven of us are prepping up for the big album tour. It’s a relief to have this thing out and get to some cities we’ve never been to. After that, we’re heading up to Europe to play a few shows during their festival season. I’ve never been and I get to spend my birthday overseas so it’s safe to say I’m real stoked on this.
Keep up to date with West Thebarton on Facebook, Official Website, Twitter and YouTube.
What do you think of West Thebarton’s sound? Tweet us @CelebMix to let us know!