Clowns are a hardcore punk rock band hailing from the Bayside suburbs of Melbourne, who slowly but surely are leaving a footprint in the sand that is the Australian music scene by making sure their kick-arse tunes (reminiscent of OFF!, The Bronx, Massapeal, and Trash Talk) are being heard through their relentless touring schedule and DIY ethos. Their debut full length CD/LP I’m Not Right is out Oct 10 via Poison City Records which is backed by a whopping 21 date national headline tour which will see them through WA, TAS, NSW, QLD, SA, and VIC.
Melbourne’s undisputed backbone of punk is Poison City Records, was there an aim amongst the band to be signed with Poison City in particular?
Yes and no. We did aim to gather up some label interest on this particular release as before this we had done a series of split 7″s, which we had released ourselves. So naturally the next step would be to find a new avenue for release. Poison City was an obvious choice and the deal with them came quite naturally and worked well for us, so we didn’t see the point in chasing any other offers.
Has the Poison City sound played much influence on I’m Not Right?
Not at all. If anything I’d say we are probably one of the more heavier bands on the label. But the good thing about Poison City and the bands associated with it is that everyone is very welcoming and the community that has stemmed from the label itself are all very open minded when it comes to discovering new music.
How did you find handing over the reigns to the esteemed Lindsay Gravina to produce I’m Not Right?
When we first went in with Lindsay back in 2011 to record our first single ‘Repeat After Me’ he scared the absolute shit out of us. We hadn’t ever worked with a real producer before and we were very young and probably a bit out of our league. I remember there were times we were at Birdland screwing around in the back lounge area and we kept getting told off for being too loud.
But eventually we figured out how he ticks and what he expected of us, and everything ended up fine, and we can safely say we made a good mate with Lindsay. He’s a man of fine craft and a bloke who you can listen to for hours tell you stories about all sorts of adventures he’s had through years of working in the music industry. We were real happy with how the record came out and all the hard work he put into it for us.
How would you compare your previous self-released EP’s such as March’s Powders to I’m Not Right?
The title tracks from each of those EPs are going to be on the album themselves, but with a fresh mix of each of them so if people have dug how they have sounded I’m Not Right should be right up their alley.
You’re staring down the barrel of 21 headliner shows in three months – how stoked are you to promote I’m Not Right across Australia?
So stoked. We don’t operate with a booking agency or management or anything like that, so all those 21 shows have been solely booked by ourselves and through mates of different post codes. So just that we actually managed to book something on our own of that size is a massive achievement. I guess the next goal is going to be actually playing them all.
Is there a favourite venue/location that you guys love rattling up?
In Melbourne we love Old Bar and Public Bar. Sydney we love playing at Black Wire Records. But I’m sure after this tour we’ll have a few more favourites to add to that list as well.
How about major set highlights? Surely sold-out sets at the chaotic esteemed Poison City Weekender could top recent lists?
Yeah The Weekender was a real thrill to be a part of. Our launch for Powders at the Old Bar, which ended up selling out earlier this year, was a real achievement for us as well. But playing with MDC and Guttermouth one night after the other in August this year was a big highlight and playing with The Hard-Ons, one of our all time favourites, in October this year is looking to be a major highlight as well.
How have previous gigs in Australia compared to your recent support in South East Asia? What was that experience like?
South East Asia was a completely different world to anything we’ve experienced as a band. Out of all 14 dates we played on that tour, I can safely say that they were all a tonne of fun and the response was phenomenal. If there was a main difference compared to shows in Australia, I’d say that the great thing about the SEA tour was the excitement, respect and gratitude that every person who attended a gig showed us. There aren’t heaps of international bands that tour out there, and their appreciation for our travels really showed.
Anything crazy you want to share with us?
When we were in Asia Stevie got kidnapped by a cab driver, James accidentally showered a new born baby with a beer, Jake was 20 for nothing in post gig games of skate and our old guitarist got malaria.
Tell us, what can attendees expect from these up and coming Clowns gigs?
Attendees can expect plenty of old and new tunes, beer-soaked mosh pits and ringing ears after the show. We will be bringing the vibes.
What can they not expect?
Any beers left on the rider.
‘I’m Not Right’ LP/ CD out now via Poison City
Clowns ‘I’m Not Right’ Tour Dates:
Fri Oct 11 – Karova Lounge, Ballarat
Sat Oct 12 – Crown & Anchor, Adelaide
Fri Oct 18 – The Public Bar, Melbourne
Fri Oct 25 – Yahoo Bar, Shepparton
Sat Oct 26 – Dive Bar, Geelong
Thu Oct 31 – Phoenix Bar, Canberra
Fri Nov 1 – The Lab, Wollongong
Sat Nov 2 – Riverfest, Moruya (AA)
Wed Nov 6 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
Thu Nov 7 – Newport Hotel, Fremantle
Fri Nov 8 – Amplifier Bar, Perth
Sun Nov 9 – Blood Rock Festival, Perth
Fri Nov 14 – The Royal Oak, Launceston
Sat Nov 15 – The Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
Sun Nov 16 – House Show, Hobart (AA)
Fri Nov 22 – Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle
Sat Nov 23 – Blackwire Records, Sydney (AA)
Fri Nov 29 – Crowbar, Brisbane
Sun Dec 1 – 4ZZZ Car Park, Brisbane (AA)
