FEATURE THE AMITY AFFLICTION } BEN CLEMENTS BEN By: | Photo BENJAMIN SOPHIE by: { Words

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he Amity Affliction are the worst-known NORTHLANE successful band in Australia. It’s been two T years since their breakthrough album Youngbloods debuted at number six on the ARIA chart, but shows on the launch tour for their upcoming album Chasing Ghosts have already SUCCESS VS sold out. Even Reece Mastin, the teenage winner of the last season of The X Factor, performs at SELLING OUT Westfield shopping malls around the country clothed in Amity merch. Troy: It takes so long for people to “I was getting Oporto the other day and the get anywhere in music and people get girl next to me was wearing an Amity shirt,” frustrated after a couple of years of doing Amity were one of the very first bands that I says guitarist Troy Brady, laughing. “She had no it. I look fifty and I’m only 28! I can’t get really got behind when I was a kid, I remember idea who I was, but that’s what happens when those long nights back. All that time seeing them play my local youth centre to you have a bass player as pretty as ours. I’m the we spend awake when everyone else about 50 people just after High Hopes came out. merch guy. Story of my life!” is sleeping … it adds up. We’re not fools, Back then they weren’t the juggernaut they are “I never thought we’d be the kind of band we see the internet, we see people that now but I did instantly realise how special they that sells out multiple nights at [Brisbane’s] The associate success with selling out or were as a band. Just a few years later they are selling out some of Australia’s biggest venues, Tivoli,” adds vocalist Joel Birch. “I still don’t! We doing things for the wrong reason, but I and coming from such humble beginnings this spent years doing entire tours where the best guarantee you: Everything we’ve put in, is very inspiring for somebody in my position. show of the tour would have 20 people show up.” we’re starting to see back. Bass player and vocalist Ahren Stringer agrees. Can’t wait to hear the new album and see “We did tour like that for years, but we weren’t where the future takes them! Ahren: Contrary to popular belief taking it as seriously as we should have for a lot we’re not rich and famous. Everyone just { Josh Smith, Northlane } of that time. We were pretty wasted and having assumes. Labels outlay a lot of money fun, but I think we wasted a lot of time. Maybe we and it takes a lot of time and money could’ve been where we are now a few years ago.” and record sales to recoup that money. The band spent the better part of 2011 touring There’s a definite misconception that THE BRIDE Youngbloods internationally, making a few quick bands make money. That said, I wouldn’t trips back Down Under to play Cairns, Perth, and want to go back to being a scaffolder. almost everywhere in between, including an Italian restaurant run by bikies in Rockhampton, } Joel: I’ve seen some bands that Queensland. Earlier this year the band decamped have been around for a minute and are to Orlando, Florida to record with Michael “Elvis” like, “Why doesn’t anyone come to our Baskette, a producer with a long history of shows?” We’ve done this for so long. We making heavy music sound radio-friendly. Birch

used to get wasted and then realised CLEMENTS BEN was determined to get better performances down people actually liked us and thought we on this record. should put more effort in. “At the start of recording Youngbloods my voice I was introduced to The Amity Affliction in ’06 gave out and I’m still not happy with how I sang on By: { Photo that record. This time around we’d come off tour a when they supported now defunct Sydney outfit The Valley on their first headline tour. month earlier and my voice was still warm. That’s Amity’s second EP, High Hopes, felt unfamiliar how I’ve always wanted to record, but I wasn’t and refreshing—we all ate it up. We watched “We’re all really good friends, but there are provoke a very different reaction to singing about along to them in their cars, they scream them out that kind of band and I don’t think it will ever be really able to make it happen until now.” over the years as their following two full Brady and Stringer emailed song fragments certain things we don’t need to talk about and it. The new album’s artwork shows a man’s body at shows. He gets emails and private messages played live, but it’s something I really wanted to lengths saw them become a national treasure, back and forth between tours before spending a my weird depressed lyrics are one of them,” says next to a tree. It’s unclear whether he’s hanging or from people all over the world who say they know write.” and anticipation couldn’t be higher for their few weeks putting the final ten demos together at Birch. “I mean, it’s not like they don’t care about floating, as the neck and head are out of the shot. exactly what he means. latest offering Chasing Ghosts! Brady’s house. how I’m doing, but it’d be like if Troy started Birch took to Twitter to voice his frustration: “Write “It’s nice to read them, but it’s really hard * * * “Troy and I have been writing together for so talking to me about guitars and effects pedals. I’m an album about trying to kill myself and failing because I do care and it can get a bit overwhelming. { MATT GRAVOLIN, THE BRIDE } long now that we know what we want out of a stoked when he and Ahren write stuff that sounds and that’s OK. Put someone floating in the air on I do my best to write back if it needs a reply. I think BASKETTE CASES & BEEF song and don’t have to stress about it too much,” great, but I’m not really that interested in how a cover and it’s a problem.” the main thing I want people to know is that there says Stringer. “I want every song to work. I want they got to that point.” “There’s a cloud of secrecy that hangs over are places where they can get help if they need The band tracked the album as a four-piece breakdowns, I want sing-alongs, I want heavier Birch is responsible for nearly all the lyrical mental health in this country,” he explains. it. I try with music and I hope that that’s enough. (more about that later) and finished ahead of PIERCE THE VEIL bits—just as much diversity in each song as we content, even though he and Stringer share lead “There’s a lot of pride, particularly with males, Maybe it’s not.” schedule. can manage.” vocals. Youngbloods’ lyrics saw Birch wrestling in that if you can’t see an injury then you’re not Birch says maintaining his mental health is still “I’m so proud of how we worked together,” says “I think this time around, we wanted to write not just with dark thoughts and depression, but injured—and that’s nonsense. The stigma is still a struggle, particularly with the weird hours and Brady. “We’ve pushed ourselves to the best of our something more aggressive and based around the consequences of turning those thoughts into there and that’s what drives people towards disjointed living situation that comes with being abilities and we love the album we’ve written, a live scenario,” Brady agrees. “The heavier bits actions. The album’s opening couplet Seems like killing themselves It’s the lack of support around in a full-time touring band. but ...” He sighs, then laughs nervously. “Well, we are always the most fun to play live, and we’ll be forever since I tore myself apart/left my friends them. If we can help reduce that, then I think we’re “I’m definitely in the clear in terms of suicide, finished tracking more than a month ago. It’s a doing plenty of that over the next year or so.” in the wake just about sums it up. Birch says doing a good thing. I’m not talking about violence but it’s a constant thing,” he says quietly. “I still little over a month out from the release date and “When it comes to writing, I don’t think a lot he’s kept a hold of those ideas and continued to and killing people. That sort of shit happening in get bad anxiety sometimes, but I’ve got better we haven’t heard the final mixes.” has changed,” says Stringer. “We have got better explore them on Chasing Ghosts. music really grates on me and I’m disgusted by it. at managing it. There are people with great lives Um, what? at doing it though, as well as figuring out what “It’s the same topic, but I’ve approached it from I’m glad there are kids out there latching onto our who are depressed, but I try to think about the “It’s been a nightmare,” he groans. “We heard each other’s strengths and weaknesses are.” a completely different angle. I usually write lyrics music and maybe realising that bands can have extremely positive things I have going on around Baskette’s early mixes and weren’t happy We love those guys—they’re awesome. We completely for myself and don’t really explain substance and not just, ‘breakdowns-singing- me.” He chuckles. “I really have a total cracker of a with them, so we decided to get them mixed pranked them on the last day of tour. We * * * them to anyone, but this time around I really breakdowns-singing-kill-your-parents.’ life, and I’m glad I’m able to appreciate it.” elsewhere. He hasn’t exactly been co-operative brought on stage an entire table and cups and wanted other people to connect with what I’m Everyone latches onto music in some way and if Things are going so well for him, in fact, that and now the whole thing is around a month late. we played beer pong while they were playing— SPEAK UNEASY singing about—even more than they maybe did I can write lyrics that have a profound impact on Chasing Ghosts will contain Amity’s first-ever You basically trust someone to be part of a really during their whole set! with the last album.” someone’s life, then that’s amazing.” love song. personal thing that you’ve worked really hard on One of those strengths is knowing when to The band found out the hard way that talking Plenty of people do connect with Birch’s lyrics. “Yeah, that was pretty wild, putting it out there,” and it’s really beyond business. Music is more { vic fuentes, PIERCE THE VEIL } speak up, and when it’s better to stay silent. openly about suicide and mental health can They tattoo them onto their bodies, they sing he says, almost embarrassed. “We’re not really than just business when you’re being creative

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} AHREN When it comes to writing, I don't WHEN BORED think a lot has changed. We have got better at doing it though, as well BEN CLEMENTS BEN IN THE VAN as figuring out what each other's strengths and weaknesses are. Joel: I actually started taking film Photo By: { Photo photos purely because we had Hartley { STRINGER } [James, photographer] on tour with us all the time and he was so good at taking digital photos that it was like, what’s the point? But I still wanted to keep what I’ve experienced with me. I only picked up a camera out of pure stubbornness of not JOEL wanting to shoot digital. I don’t think I’m a pro at all; I don’t have any grand I think the main thing I want people illusions, and I like take pictures of weird to know is that there are places things and circumstances … where they can get help if they need Ahren: Painting is just kind of a hobby it. I try with music and I hope that of mine. I’ve been drawing since I was that’s enough. Maybe it’s not. a kid and a couple of my friends are tattooists and I got inspired that they { BIRCH } were making prints and so I thought I’d give it a go. I’m passionate about it and I really enjoy doing it. It gets me money on the side, too. Maybe after the band’s done and in that kind of environment. In the end it got another band member,” Birch says wearily. “It’d and dusted I might pursue it. stripped back down to business on his end and be like being married and deciding to bring in that was incredibly disappointing.” another wife!” TROY Stringer says the sour ending was unexpected. “I think we’re better off getting fill-in guitarists We've put our entire “We all felt pretty comfortable with Elvis and all as we tour,” says Stringer. “That way we’re not the songs were already written before we went in. getting anyone’s hopes up about becoming a well-being into this band and built It was probably the easiest recording we’ve ever permanent member and then having to deal with what we have now from absolutely done.” another headache when it doesn’t work out.” nothing. “I feel that we did our job and did it really well, The group is a little territorial, and rightly so. and as soon as it was out of our hands things “It’s like, you’re in a band for ten years— went wrong,” Brady continues. “We weren’t someone doesn’t just join and start throwing { BRADY } reliant on a producer to write our songs or play their weight around,” says Brady. “As stupid as our instruments for us.” it sounds, it’s a bit like a bikie club. You do your Was that part of the problem though? time before you’re allowed to patch in. I feel like He winces. “I don’t know. It’s a really touchy if someone came in and gave me five years of subject. I’ve kind of said all I can to him and I have their life I’d be like yeah, you deserve it ... but to let the dust settle. The lesson that I’ve learned is it’s about getting what you put in. We’ve put our that something this personal, you don’t let it get entire well-being into this band and built what out of your hands.” we have now from absolutely nothing. So for These latest dramas are the latest in a long someone to come in and claim part of this thing line of beefs and blues over outside influences. that all of us hold so dear, it’s an uncomfortable Brady and Stringer have been in bands together situation.” since they were 12 years old, starting Amity in Brady says they’ll bring a friend in to play their hometown of Gympie in 2003. Birch joined second guitar on the Australian launch tour, but in 2004 and around half a dozen other musicians it’s unlikely they’ll take an extra person on their have played under the Amity name since then. overseas dates. “See, it looks like there’s been a lot of people “We still kind of do everything ourselves, through the line up,” Birch says testily, “but there because when we’re overseas it’s too expensive hasn’t really. There’s been the same four dudes to have a team with us. Touring Australia means for the last six years and a few guitarists and a we can bring our friends with us—people who’ve keyboard player. That’s it.” been around for seven or eight years. We’re still Brady is a little more blunt. pretty self-reliant, but it’s always nice to have “It’s been a pain in my f@#king arse! You have people around you who care about what you do. no idea how frustrating it is to be teaching people It’s a real treat.” songs you’ve been playing for seven or eight There’s an excellent chance Chasing Ghosts will years. That said, we got to spice things up with debut higher on the charts and bring in another some new experiences and have some different round of award nominations for the band. Not that personalities come through the band. Sometimes Birch cares. it was great, but often it didn’t really work.” “What is that kind of stuff worth, really? It’s The latest departure is second guitarist Imran nothing. Seeing kids at the end of the show like, Siddiqi, who broke the news on Twitter—of course. f@#king crying and genuinely elated—they “We’re a weird band with weird chemistry and make it worth it. We are absolutely nothing at all I honestly think it’s too late in the piece to recruit without the people who come to the shows.”

The Amity Affliction's Chasing Ghosts is out 14th September through Roadrunner.

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