1. Growing Up

I had a great musical upbringing. My dad was really into rock’n’roll and blues and I spent a lot of time with my older sister and cousin who were really into ’90s punk rock, and my grandfather who had a huge jazz and swing record collection.

The first show I ever went to was to see AC/DC with my dad – as an 11-year-old kid, it was the greatest thing I had ever seen; I was hooked instantly and never looked back.

2. Inspirations

There are so many – there’s constantly songs/bands I hear that can inspire me for a time or can help bring me out of a funk, but there’s always the mainstays;the bands that initially sparked something in you to go pick up a guitar or explore your voice. Definitely as a teenager becoming obsessed with Metallica – I still remember the first time I heard Master Of Puppets in full; it gave me chills, it demanded my attention and jumped out of the speaker. It still has the ability to do that today.

3. Your Band

Bare Bones is Tom Kennedy, James Dean, Chris Blancato, Chris Breedon and James Clarke. Formed in 2013 in Sydney, we’ve all played in bands together and ran in the same friend circles for years, and came together as Bare Bones connected by our drive to make music we want to hear for ourselves, and to have fun doing what we love.

4. The Music You Make

Bare Bones is high-energy rock’n’roll with a strong punk and metal influence. We have released 2 EP – Villains and Cut Throat Living (available on iTunes) – and are working on our debut album, all of which were recorded and produced by our drummer Chris Blancato.

5. Music, Right Here, Right Now

It’s an interesting time. On one hand, numbers across the board are down, and venues are closing left, right and centre as a direct reflection of that, but I think the music scene is in the early stages right now of a great transition period. People are growing tired of seeing the same thing rehashed over and over; there are lots of fresh-sounding bands coming through getting the attention they deserve. You can go down to a venue like Frankie’s Pizza, Newtown Social Club or Black Wire Records on any given night and you’re bound to find a hidden gem. There’s something really exciting happening at the moment.

Bare Bones playFrankie’s PizzaonSunday September 13.

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