1.Growing Up
I definitely think my ultimate music memory from my childhood would have to be waking up early every weekend and watching Rage. It was a simpler time then. There was no YouTube, so back in the day I would use my good ol’ VCR to record the best videos, followed by a quality morning of Couch Potato or Cheez TV. triple j was always playing in the family car which subconsciously influenced me and this got me into bands like NOFX, Silverchair, Stone Temple Pilots and The Dandy Warhols. I would also never turn down a classic So Fresh compilation. I basically write music I want to listen to and ’90s grunge is a genre I miss.
2.Inspirations
I’m inspired by heaps of musicians, including Daniel Johns, Kurt Cobain, Josh Homme and Liam Gallagher. I ‘borrowed’ Definitely Maybe off my teacher’s desk one year and had to hide the album from my parents. I just remember cranking the shit out of it when they went out.
3.Your Band
We are a two-piece band but play live as a four-piece. Adam Adams and I write all the music and then get our mates and local musos to play live with us. It keeps the show fun, unpredictable and keeps us from falling into the trap of having a set routine. Our producer Sam Vallen completely understands where we are coming from musically and what we want to achieve with this band. This makes working with him a breeze. He’s a legend.
Adam and I met at a festival in Brisbane – we were both wearing the same Tool shirt and just hit it off. We played in a few other bands together before forming Sassin Fras. We agree on almost everything musically except for Adam’s love of pop-punk… I don’t get it.
4.The Music You Make
Our sound resembles grunge/pop bands of the ’90s. People tell us that our music reminds them of a mix between Nirvana and The Dandy Warhols. I think this is just because of the music we have grown up with. Our new single ‘Madeline’ was recorded at Bedlam Studios in Brisbane. We start our tour this month playing in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Byron Bay. Our live shows are loud. It’s four dudes playing the shit out of their instruments with a lot of energy and a lot of spontaneity. We like to keep things new for every show we play.
5.Music, Right Here,Right Now
The local music scene is thriving right now. Brisbane has produced some radical bands – DZ [Deathrays], Violent Soho and Dune Rats… there must be something in the water. We have seen Dune Rats play heaps recently. Those guys are just having the time of their lives travelling the world doing what they love.
Sassin Fras play at Frankie’s Pizza onWednesday March 5.
