Interview + Live Track :: Zeahorse

October 30th 2013

FBi Radio

zeahorse

There are few bands that flood your ears and veins as fully as Zeahorse.

With the recent release of their debut full-length ‘Pools’, they’re finally complementing their adrenalising live show with the meaty studio release it deserves.

Grab a free live version of ‘Pool’ below and relive the band’s thunderous performance at FBi Turns 10 while the Flog’s Harry Domanski asks all the burning questions we know you’ve been dying to ask yourselves… you know, the ones about hedgehogs and the apocalypse.

Zeahorse :: Pool (Live at FBi Turns 10)

HD: I always struggle explaining your sound to mates, I usually settle on something like ‘psychedelic grunge’. How would you explain it?

Ben (Zeahorse): That’s a righteous description right there, we are kind of noisy and raucous but have a fair few psych freak out’s at the same time. Although we tend to be a bit heavier than most people consider grunge – perhaps we could be called “post apocalyptic psychedelic nu grunge”?

Are there any other bands you dig out there at the moment treading similar ground?

That’s a hard one as we don’t normally listen to similar sounding artists. I would have to say local Sydney act Narrow Lands are killing it at the moment, they would fit nicely in to our new genre we just invented, “post apocalyptic psychedelic nu grunge” (they actually just released their debut LP called Popular Music That Will Live Forever). Internationally we would have to say Part Chimp, True Widow, Autolux & Wire are the kind of bands we have been listening to, but we pretty much dig every type of music. Sorry about that, isn’t it annoying when the interviewee has no opinions?

You guys have been floating around in some musical form or another for about five years. Getting an LP out there is no doubt a milestone, can you feel any weight being lifted?

It has taken roughly three years to get Pools out, not because it took that long to perfect, it actually only took a week to record! Recording an album is the easy part, getting it out and as accessible as possible for the right crowd is the hard part. We are just happy people can finally hear the songs we have been crapping on about for so long. I mean it feels like we achieved a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games for an equestrian event: it’s not a gold medal, it’s not the Olympics and really the horse won the medal not you. Nah kidding, we are just modest, it feels awesome and we are tickled pink that people like it!

Amongst the pools of jam, you have some real chunky riffs going on. Where do they fit in the birthing process of a track?

That’s how we write the songs, someone has a filthy riff and someone else has an even filthier one. All we do is put them together to make a song, its that simple kids… don’t do drugs! Riffs get you way higher. No but seriously, it’s just way more fun to hoe down on some chunky riffs than watch the bass player do a slap solo.

You’ve done your fair share of touring by now – it’s pretty difficult to check out entertainment guides and not see a Zeahorse gig or two. Do any Sydney venues stick out as being particularly decent? Why?

We like to play different venues, they are way more fun – Black Wire Records, The Record Crate, any warehouses and house parties etc. are always a raucous good ol’ time. Speaking of that, we play house parties for a slab of tinnies and a packet of beef jerky, hit us up (especially if you hate your neighbours).

As far as normal Syd venues go (that are still open and haven’t been shut down because the yuppie neighbour’s poodle gets upset when it hears any noise after 7:00pm and vomits up its organic dog food on the polished recycled huon pine floor), Club 77 has been a favourite of ours since we can remember (our record launch is happening there on the 1st of November). They’ve got a good PA and cheap drinks and always seem happy to have us back (we are black-listed from a few certain venues because we are too loud… sorry).

There’s definitely bitterness in the album but I can’t help feel some of it’s tongue-in-cheek; perhaps more of a light-hearted approach to human tragedy. It’s the end of the world as we know it, should we feel fine?

Yep of course you should, bring on the apocalypse! We can’t wait for the end of the world, at least we wouldn’t have to go to work on Monday, won’t have to pay that fine for not voting, won’t have to pay our HECS debts, wont ever have to look at Tony Abbott‘s face again, you won’t ever have to avoid those pesky charity collectors again, you won’t ever have to floss your teeth again and most importantly you won’t ever ever have to see Lara Bingle on TV again! There is a lot that can only be relieved by death, getting pretty tired of waiting around quite frankly.

If I were able to choose my post-apocalyptic companion, it’d be a hedgehog named ‘Buddy Holly’. How about you?

It would be a seagull named ‘Steve’. He would be able to sniff out all the chips, plus he would just be a blast to hang out with. You ever partied with a seagull? They go skitz.

pools