Beloved Melbourne rockers Antiskeptic have returned after six years on the sidelines. It took no less than years of hard work, resilience, determination and sheer talent to see the guys returning to top form.
Formed out the back of a record store in 1999, Antiskeptic shot to the forefront of the early naughties’ rush of exciting Australian rock bands like Gyroscope, Kisschasy and Parkway Drive. Their impressive 9 year run saw the band release two albums, tour relentlessly and gather a dedicated fanbase.
It’s now time for the band to unleashing their huge independent third album Stare Down The Ocean this coming Friday September the 19th. To celebrate the release of their brand new LP, we chatted with the band’s lead singer Andrew Kitchen who gave us a track by track run down of the exciting new record, check out the run down and have a cheeky early listen below.
The Kids Aren’t Scared
“This song was written to explore the complex issues people face whose parents have died, who led abusive and destructive lives. The challenge for them is to learn from their example, but not repeat it in their own lives, and in the contexts of their own growing families.
How do you move forward from a place of destruction, not able to forget the past, but not wanting to repeat it. This song nearly made the Monuments EP in 2006! It’s been around a while. I’m glad it finally found a home on this record.”
Hey Dissident
“Possibly more interesting than the story of the song is that I wrote this song after Antiskeptic finished in 2008. I strapped on an old Telecaster that I found under my father-in-laws bed, pulled up a very different guitar sound, and started hitting chords.
Because the sound wasn’t powerful or over-driven, I relied on the rhythmic chord hits to give it life, character and strength. One of our personal favourites from the record.”
When The Night Comes In
“We live in a time where our compassion for others is low, and our selfishness and consumer driven attitude is at an all-time high. While we’ve thought for years that this place is where we’d find happiness, I don’t seem to see that happiness around me.
But I believe there will come a time when people will be unified and those who have been warring will forgive and forget. People will see each other as amazing creations and worth cherishing and protecting.”
New Horizon
“My grandparents, Martin and Stella were married for 65 years before my Nana died four years ago. My Grandpa had pretty bad depression when they met and she married a pretty broken man actually, but she saw the good in him, and spent her life (successfully) bringing that person out.
He served in PNG during WW2 and led a very successful life as a lecturer at Melbourne Uni in their communications and technology department. They were still asking him back years into his retirement! This song was written to celebrate their lives and to recognise and pay honour to the commitment that they had with each other through all of the seasons of their lives.”
I’ll Follow
“I am a Christian and I wish others could experience what it is to be in relationship with Jesus Christ. I do however get quite frustrated with other Christians who outwardly give a drab, boring or even judgmental impression as to what it is to be a Christian.
Relationship with Christ is the essence of what it is to be alive. To quote the great King Missile song, Jesus was way cool … I believe that Jesus IS really cool, and worth representing well and whole-heartedly or not at all.”
Stare Down the Ocean
“I wrote this song during a period when I was completely obsessed with INXS … I actually wrote the lead guitar part to audition to Kirk Pengilly (sax player for INXS) for him to play on the record. I couldn’t make it happen, so the part reverted to the talented and able hands of Jarrod (lead guitar).
The song is about depression and anxiety, something that I have had a few battles in over the last five years or so. Some of the lines of the lyrics were inspired by the INXS song ‘Devil Inside’, but our take, is that we can release our inner demons and that is within our control.”
Play in Reverse
“While I’m a happily married man, a few people around me, in recent times have seen the end of long-term relationships. I remember the heart-break of my younger years of love lost, and unrequited, so I thought I’d put the pen to paper and revisit that place.
I also wanted to write a song with more space, dynamics and sonic build, which I think it does. Here’s what I put on Facebook the morning I wrote this song: The irony that as a songwriter, I want space, time & inspiration … yet on my way into work this morning, on my bike, in peak traffic, running tight on time, listening to Biffy Clyro … I think I wrote the best chorus of the new Anti album in my head. #blissfulirony”
Empty Lungs
“I cannot believe that we’re getting to do this again. In 2008, we finished for good – so we thought. The rock and roll itch NEVER went away, and in fact spent the time off doing push ups, pull ups and sit ups in the basement. A friend asked me of late what I hope to achieve with this record … the answer is that the fact that this record exists and we got to write and record it is an achievement in itself.
We’re unbelieveably stoked with this record and despite the fact that some people in the ‘industry’ may view Antiskeptic as long dead, it certainly isn’t dead in our hearts and it seems isn’t dead in the hearts of the people that gave us money to make this project possible. Antiskeptic is back, and here to stay.”
Suffering in Silence
“In 1996 I did some court reporting for a project, and it just broke my heart to see these young people get up in court to face their charges. In some cases their back story was explored a little, and the horrors that these kids had been through was hideous to hear. Unbelievable that they weren’t dead already.
I’m a big believer in redemption, both in this life and the next, and it kills me to see cases where all hope was extinguished long, long ago. The crux of the song and the message is in the ‘Give up, give in, the shame and the rage forevermore.’ That would be my hope for these guys. Nick and Jarrod (who both work directly with young people) really identified with this song and thought it really worth putting on the record (despite the fact that I wrote it in 2005!).”
Reach for the Sun
“All of this band business wouldn’t be possible without the support of all of our wives and significant partners. A band really is a marriage of sorts, which can dominate and direct your life … and to be married into that, is a big sacrifice, so I wanted to write a personal song, that recognised all of that.
I also wanted to write a song that really had an ‘up’ party vibe at the end AND a song that had a significant tempo change (inspired by the Bloc Party song ‘Uniform). I’m determined to get a key change on the next record haha.”
Tour Dates
Thursday September 25th | Sydney – Newtown Social Club
Friday September 26th | Newcastle – The Small Ballroom
Saturday September 27th | Adelaide – Enigma Bar
Saturday October 4th | Brisbane – The Brightside
Saturday October 11th | Melbourne – The Evelyn
For tickets and info visit www.antiskeptic.com.au
