“There was absolutely nothing that happened tonight which sounded like it was supposed to sound when we were rehearsing.”

Forming in 1979, Severed Heads are heralded as Australia’s most influential and innovative electronic act. Their music uses tape loops, noisy arrangements of synthesisers and dissonant sound sources, resulting in a unique fusion of avant-garde industrial, electronica and pop.

The ARIA Award winning act were the first electronic outfit to play at Big Day Out, and have released over 20 critically acclaimed records. After officially disbanding in 2008, founder Tom Ellard reformed Severed Heads in 2010 with a new member, Stewart Lawler. Since then, they have only performed a handful of farewell & reunion shows.

For the first time in almost a decade, Ellard and Lawler composed an original piece and performed it live for an intimate audience at Ears Have Ears Live. Sydney music and arts writer Kate Hennessy then jumped into an in-depth discussion with the musicians. Watch highlights from the evening below, and listen to the whole performance and discussion on the EHE podcast.