FRIGHTENERS

Bearing the terrible clichéd nature of this question, how would you describe your band’s sound?
In the past we’ve been described as moody indie rock and I think that’s a fair comment. When we started our sound had a dance/punk vibe to it but as we’ve matured as song writers our music has changed and opened up; we’ve become more melody-driven. Isaac (Smith, Guitarist and Synth) played a huge role in how melodic we have become though we’ve tried to keep a fraction of up-tempo beats in our current repertoire. For this EP we drew inspiration from a wide range of genres, from shoegaze to pop music each member’s individual music influences have shaped the writing of these songs.

What do you love about making music?
Freedom. We’re pretty privileged in what we do and how we do it. We had free reign on this recording from the start to finish and that’s been amazing. We haven’t had any outside forces saying, “no, change this” or, “get rid of that”. But that’s not to say we didn’t exercise any scrutiny. Our biggest critics have been and always will be ourselves. Playing live is also great. When you play a show that you’re all really happy with, you remember why you started playing music all those years ago. It’s like a head rush when you come off stage, and because of the adrenaline you can hardly remember what happened, but that it felt really, really good.

Out of all the local folks you’ve played shows with, who’s been one of your favourites?
A while back we had the pleasure of playing with Emperors at the Rocket Room. I really enjoyed their live performance, they have a simple seductiveness to their music. Voltaire Twins were a lot of fun too, as well as our very first gig with Lacey, those guys are crazy as hell. Bluesy outfit Zorbas Milk is another favourite and we’re lucky enough to have those guys play at our EP launch.

What can a punter expect from your upcoming EP launch?
Punters will be treated to some distinctive local acts at our launch. They’ll see the likes of psychonauts Stunning In Red, Zorbas Milk and the poignant Scott White supporting a very happy Frighteners. A rambunctious night will be had by all!

Frighteners launch their debut self-titled EP at The Civic on Friday, February 3. Doors open 8pm and entry is $10, or $15 with a copy of the EP.