The Art

“We reassessed everything and we just needed a break,” he says. “We needed to see our families and friends and just be in one place and stay sane. Also, we had an American visa and our guitarist [Ronnie Simmons] stayed back and [the visa] ran out, so he got married and he can’t leave America for six months or he’ll lose his green card. So we had to find a new live guitarist. It’s a bit of an adjustment.”

Originally named The Follow, the band was started by Byrne almost a decade ago. It’s essentially been a non-stop run of activity ever since, which culminated with the signing of a US record deal in 2012, and subsequently repositioning themselves in the Northern Hemisphere.

“In the last few years most of our shows have been sitting on tours, playing 100 shows in America and then going over to Europe,” says Byrne. “And then coming for like one show, or maybe doing a festival if we’re lucky, here in Australia.”

Given this hefty workload, it’s fair enough that feelings of exhaustion necessitated the recent rest period. On top of this, slowing things down for a while gave the band a vital opportunity to reflect on its creative standing.

“[Weirdo Superhero] was just a small thumbprint,” Byrne says. “It wasn’t going in the direction that we wanted – it was going too ‘rock’. We were supporting bands like Steel Panther and Faster Pussycat. That was influencing us a bit, but I don’t think that’s what The Art is. It’s a bit more indie and experimental than Marshall stack glam rock.”

While Byrne isn’t entirely rapt with Weirdo Superhero’s riff-heavy rock stylings, he’s not eager to bury the release. “I’m proud of that EP as well. We just never toured it, so it’s just sitting there. We didn’t do anything with it, really. It got played on [LA mainstream radio] KROQ a few times, that’s about it.

“Having that break has allowed us to focus in on what we’re doing,” he continues. “Honing it all down instead of having a bunch of random songs around. We can look at the hundred or so songs that we’ve written and [decide] which ones would serve best the band and what our voice is. You need time to do that.”

Having relinquished lead guitarist Simmons to glamorous LA living, The Art are now officially a three-piece featuring Byrne, bass player Kara Jayne and drummer Jordan McDonald. At its outset, the band was completely Byrne’s brainchild, but these days creative responsibility is shared evenly among the group.

“Over time I’ve been lucky to have great musicians,” he says. “KJ has written a bunch of new stuff that I think is very strong. Everyone writes their parts and everyone throws in songs as well. It’s good to have other colours in the sonic painting. That’s the point of being in a band – it’s a collective distribution of ideas.”

Parting ways with a key member could poke a gaping hole in the band’s canvas, but Byrne is assured he can make up for Simmons’ absence in the studio. However, he has no desire to reclaim creative dominance.

“The first album I ever did, I recorded everything,” he says. “To be honest, that was a real lonely experience. I’m glad I got it out of my system and realised that wasn’t what I wanted to do. A lot of bands start off as a band and then they get all controlling later in their career. I think it’s a bit opposite from my perspective.”

The Art are now ready to share the outcome of this year’s creative reassessment. This Saturday they’ll launch the new single ‘Dead Inside’ at Oxford Art Factory. To enhance the festivities, the event will feature nine other bands, as well as pop-up stalls and exhibitions from local artists. Byrne reveals that ‘Dead Inside’ is the first taste of a forthcoming follow-up to the band’s 2011 LP, Here Comes The War.

“I think we’ll have the new album complete by early next year, then release it and tour our arses off again, which is the fun part after all the work. It’s a bit more [like] what we were doing when we started. It’s a bit more indie and has a real big chorus, soft/loud thing. It’s a bit more dynamic, instead of guitar-based totally.”

After a year away, Byrne’s confident that The Art are back on track stylistically, but it’s not as though he’s reached his definitive creative vision. “The more you live, the more you realise that the universe is endless,” he says. “I try to think that way when I approach music as well. It’s freedom. I try to stay as free as possible.

“When you’re a teenager you think you know the world, but all you really know is your shitty parents and your five school friends and your city that you grew up in. Life is subjective to the individual. We’re all experiencing the universe individually and subjectively.”