1. Growing Up
SH: Dad bought Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers for my brother James because he thought he might like it. That was significant; it kicked off our obsession with music. James’ and my musical tastes grew together, and it led to us forming this band.
2. Inspirations
SH: Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Karnivool, At The Drive-In, the ‘Seattle Four’, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fugazi. “Music that makes your Honda feel like a Ferrari,” in the words of our bass player Carlos. They just make me feel good.
WC: I have an obsession with the Dave Matthews Band that I’m not supposed to talk about.
3. Your Band
WC: Sam, James and I played together throughout high school. We eventually started jamming some material Sam had written. We tried to overcomplicate our music in the early days, but over time we became less self-conscious and more collaborative. James moved away for work last year, but he’s rejoining us for the tour, and Will Scutt from Hobart band Rhino has recently come in as our second guitarist to make it a four-piece; he’s added an amazing fullness to our live sound.
4. The Music You Make
SH: We’re a rock band. Energetic, heavy but not so heavy that your sister won’t like it. Drums that groove. We recorded our debut LP Punching Bag with Jake Long at Red Planet Recording. He is a weapon, and the results are awesome.
WC: How to describe our live show? Loud, raucous, fun, enthusiastic regardless of room emptiness.
5. Music, Right Here, Right Now
SH: The best thing about the Tasmanian music scene is that there isn’t a particular crowd. Rather than have a style that everyone is trying to fit into, Tasmanian music is super varied, and it’s a tight-knit and supportive scene. We’re new to the Sydney scene, but we’re excited to be playing at the Lansdowne. As for local bands, we’re big fans of Born Lion, and Rick Dangerous and The Silkie Bantams blew us away live last year; we’re stoked to be playing with them!
WC: The last gig that blew my mind was Karnivool earlier this year. To be able to see their first album Themata played start to finish live was a huge deal. That album was, and still is, a huge inspiration and influence for us.
Punching Bag is out now through Firestarter. Verticoli play the Lansdowne Hotel on Saturday August 8, with Rick Dangerous and The Silkie Bantams, Narla and The Knowgoods, then Frankie’s Pizza on Sunday August 9.
