We each have the identical tattoo of a piece of the Yarra River from the place we grew up. Mine’s on my forearm and Sam’s is on his shoulder. We began taking part in music collectively after shifting to a Steiner highschool. I used to be about 15 and Sam 13. I jumped straight into singing after which performed guitar, however Sam centered on the guitar, practising continuously, and rapidly turned a whizz. He obtained super-fast. Now he’s very a lot a minimalist and performs with a lot soul.
We’ve got an identical artistic imaginative and prescient. We see songs just like the desires in Roald Dahl’s The BFG, floating round. Should you’re acutely aware of 1 and prepared, you catch that music however you don’t actually know the place it got here from. I provide you with issues faster and within the second, whereas Sam will get in there deep, working in a poetic method.
Sam is music obsessed. His best time without work on tour is engaged on music within the resort room. Whereas, once I’m doing music each evening, it’s the very last thing I wish to do when I’ve day without work. I convey a fold-up bike with me and experience via the cities.
After we’re away, I get to hang around with my finest mate every single day, so there’s consolation in that.
After we have been doing personal gigs over the previous decade, I used to be the one who chatted about the way it’s going to run, whereas Sam sorted out all of the sound, ensuring the factor would really get off the bottom.
Folks usually mistake Sam because the older brother. He speaks his fact extra, whereas I’m a bit extra of a folks pleaser. The band turned in style in Australia just a few years earlier than it took off abroad. It wasn’t till February final yr, after we have been filling massive venues in Europe, that I used to be like, “Wow, that’s a whole lot of tickets … hey, we’re form of a bit well-known.”
Our hardest moments are being away from household on abroad excursions. Sam’s a implausible father. He’s extremely affected person, and enjoyable. Sam by no means will get flustered; he simply says, “What’s the issue? How can we repair it?”
Loading
It may be a pressure attempting to maintain your life collectively again house whereas preserving the momentum along with your music going, performing each evening. Nonetheless, after we’re away, I get to hang around with my finest mate every single day, so there’s consolation in that.
SAM: Josh has all the time been very social, very loud. Whether or not singing or telling tales, he’s all the time the point of interest; persons are drawn to him. After we have been youngsters, he was the chief in our video games and I used to be completely happy to comply with.
It’s the identical now. I’ll be right here taking part in alongside, writing songs and getting issues taking place, however you go up entrance and do your factor. Being quieter than Josh, folks did see me because the extra accountable one. However I actually grew up after having our son. When Josh and Hannah have been pregnant, my recommendation to him was, “Don’t e-book a tour proper earlier than the due date.”
I learnt that the laborious method once I was in one other band. I needed them to have that bonding time with their child that I didn’t actually get. Josh turning into a dad and adjusting to household life has related us on a deeper degree. It’s a great factor to have as we navigate this new world of getting followers and followers.
We launched our first album in early 2017, planning simply the one Melbourne present, but it surely turned clear we have been going to need to play extra exhibits to satisfy demand. There was a bizarre time when administration took over, however we have been nonetheless taking part in some gigs we’d booked ourselves. We’d play to about 15 folks swimming round at Carlton Baths, then head to a packed-out Nook Lodge. It stored us actual.
The ARIAs, Bluesfest and the presents which have come since have blown our minds. However Josh and I are calm and picked up. We all know issues like this could simply as simply fade away. Whether or not it’s 15 or 15,000 folks, it’s all simply taking part in music, and we love that a part of it.
After we toured nationally in 2018, then went on to the US and the UK, it was an enormous yr. We needed to experience that wave. It was a very massive wrestle for us, being away, attempting to handle relationships and feeling like we have been letting these folks we cherished down.
Josh has all the time had an incredible voice. For a very long time, I used to be afraid to sing. However now I can see that my voice enhances his. We add layers to one another. I see our collaborations as one thing like Duane Allman and Wilson Pickett.
Loading
We write songs in very alternative ways. Josh struggles to write down on tour whereas I thrive. I’m good at staying centered, however Josh doesn’t sit nonetheless lengthy sufficient for that. I used to be the one who pushed to file an album [the band also includes Brendon Love and Liam Gough]. Josh would have simply been completely happy plumbing and singing for enjoyable. [Josh is a plumber; Sam is a carpenter.]
Josh has been serving to with an extension I’m placing on my home. We love working collectively, creating, making issues with our palms. I’ll name him and he’ll say, “I’m about quarter-hour away, I’ve simply obtained to choose up this and that and drop this individual off right here …” And I’m like, “No worries, I’ll see you in a few hours.” He’s not nice at saying no.
We love getting out in nature, mountain climbing and tenting. We would not do our hen calls for a very long time however then, if you hear that decision, you drop all the pieces.
We don’t need to say a lot to know what the opposite is pondering; our connection runs deep.
To learn extra from Good Weekend journal, go to our web page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.
Most Considered in Tradition
Loading
