Australia’s progressive music scene is in the best shape it’s been for years.
The early 2000s saw the first massive rise of Australian prog, with the charge led by the likes of Karnivool and Cog. But by the turn of the decade, the seemingly indestructible bubble of prog and alternative rock had burst, leaving venues absent of 6/8 time signatures and pedal boards the size of pool tables.
However, in the last five years, a new generation has risen to pack out venues not only at home, but abroad as well. The success of bands like Sleepmakeswaves, Voyager, We Lost The Sea and Dumbsaint – to name a few – is testament to the resurgent strength and public interest in a style that is now stronger than ever.
“It’s something I give a lot of thought to, because it’s something that affects us a great deal,” says Jim Grey, lead vocalist of Brisbane’s Caligula’s Horse. “The scene’s had its peaks and lulls, but there’s always been the people pushing to make the music, and the integrity is still there. The integrity of the writers is still there, whether or not there’s a powerful following.
“Right now it’s very strong – you can see that with the return of Progfest [in Melbourne], which we are headlining and is a part of our tour. There is definitely a flavour for that kind of music here. The success of bands and the hype that’s built around bands’ success here in Australia echoes and reverberates around the internet and people start picking that up overseas, and so bands like Ne Obliviscaris, Twelve Foot Ninja and Dead Letter Circus, they’ve all gone and kicked doors down overseas for bands like us to follow through. It’s a really good time for prog music right now, especially in Australia.”
In a matter of days, Caligula’s Horse will be embarking on a headline national tour, the first with their new drummer Josh Griffin. The Hands Shape Stonetour will visit all major cities, coalescing some of Australia’s best progressive acts as supports, as well as up-and-comers – a decision that Grey says is more about camaraderie than ticket sales.
“Obviously we care about ticket sales, and I’m not going to say we don’t. [But] this tour is really an opportunity for us to give some of the bands we like a shot on the lineup. We are in a unique position right now, in that Caligula’s Horse has reached a point where it can tour the country and we can sell out shows; we have support everywhere. So it’s cool to give some younger bands the opportunity.”
The tour follows on from the band’s successful Turntailtour of April this year. This time around, Caligula’s Horse will bring along a few songs from their next album. “The setlist for this tour is going to be a little different,” Grey reveals. “We didn’t want to be playing one album over another like you normally do when you’re touring an album. We wanted to bring this new stuff with us but also wanted the setlist to reflect the band and its journey. There’s going to be stuff from every album. We wanted it to be as exciting as possible for the fans.”
Their last release, 2015’s Bloom, saw Caligula’s Horse drawing heavily on melodic elements, whereas the new record may take a darker approach.
“At the moment it’s sounding a little darker than Bloom,” says Grey.“We’ve returned to a conceptual basis for songwriting; everything fits into a story. There are characters within the conceptual framework, and although it’s about other characters, it still comes from a very personal place.
“What we’re bringing with us [on tour] is the arc of one of the characters, so it’s going to be interesting to see how it translates live.”
Caligula’s Horse hitNewtown Social Club onSunday November 20, with Hemina and Sevsons.
