Seeing a band continually on the up and up is what supporting Australian music is all about. A band, like so many others, who will play back to back shows, work to continually strive towards immense personal triumphs and absolutely kill it on the live gig circuit is really what Australian bands are known for and Tired Lion are no exception.

Currently dominating both the Triple J airwaves and playing huge stages all over the county, Tired Lion are about to take to the stage at The Plot festival at Parramatta Park on November 19, a standout act in a stacked lineup, so we took the chance to chat with Sophie Hopes about touring, festival gigs and strength through a connected community.

Although currently wrapping up a string of (epic) shows with Violent Soho, The Bronx and Luca Brasi, Sophie is a humble and grounded individual who’s really just taking the time to enjoy life on the road. As to be expected this tour was full of unconventional moments and picking a current tour highlight would be an exceptionally difficult task, but one particular, slightly left-of-centre moment jumped to the surface.

“I think when one of the members from the Bronx dressed up for a Halloween show as a poo emoji, that was pretty cool”. Antics aside, the entire tour experience has been crazy, as Sophie reflects on playing to huge crowds. “The tour has been just absolutely epic, just the best people to be around, no weird vibes at all, everyone is just so amazing. The shows have been incredible, there’s basically as many people as there are at festival but they’re all there to see Soho. It’s a huge crowd, it’s just phenomenal”.

YouTube VideoPlay

Reflecting further on the gravity of being involved with such an incredible lineup, Sophie adds, “I remember listening to these guys (Violent Soho) years ago, thinking ‘this is the genre I want to tackle’, and now to be playing with one of your favourite bands night after night… it’s pretty inspiring stuff”.

After this whirlwind of shows, the collective known as Tired Lion do not intend on slowing down anytime soon, with a regional tour announced beginning on November 18th in Dubbo. The importance of playing all ages shows during their regional tour prompted questions about personal influences and inspirations.

“It’s really important to get out there and do these sorts of shows because there’s a lot that people underage are missing out on, especially at that awkward cut-off point”. Continually on this point further, “I just remember sitting in my room pumping out songs on my radio or on my record player and thinking man, one day I’m going to be able to go to a gig and it’s going to be awesome”. And now, here’s Sophie, a fearless frontwoman of a truly incredible band.

The importance of playing an all-ages show and cultivating an all-ages audience is also more than providing kids with an accessible gig-going experience, with Tired Lion also tackling bigger issues with their songs, particularly with their latest single ‘Agoraphobia’.

“It’s a very personal track, it has a lot of very heavy topics on it. At this stage in my life I’m not really comfortable exposing everything, but part of the song does reflect my ongoing battle with mental illness. I guess this song marks the recognition of mental illness and the road blocks that we have to face because of it.”

YouTube VideoPlay

Continuing further about the themes associated in both the song and accompanying clip, Sophie adds, “(The track) reflects the constant battle with one’s head that we can never leave, and the extreme sacrifices that come with being in a touring band, and the idea that we need to accept ourselves for who we truly are.

“I found that pretending that I wasn’t ‘sick in the head’ made me feel more ill. But I guess there’s no way that we can click our fingers and just overcome these sorts of things so accepting that you do need help and remembering that you aren’t alone, is a very good start”.

Sophie is so incredibly articulate in her responses and the true meaning and purpose behind their music. Tired Lion as a collective are really presenting a safe space and in turn an associated platform for like-minded individuals by focusing on overcoming the stigma surrounding mental health.

Luckily for you, the tenacity and fearlessness of Sophie and of course her incredible band, will also be at the forefront on the 19th of November when the collective are set to bring their distinctively hook driven, addictive grunge sound to The Plot, ready to take Parramatta by storm. As well as wowing the crowd herself, it’s not just a matter of looking forward to playing the festival, but attending as a punter to catch some fellow incredible acts is also on her to do list.

“We’re playing with Luca Brasi again, we’ll never get sick of those dudes and we can’t wait to just hang out. I’m looking forward to seeing Thelma Plum as well, and of course the Belligerents – we love those guys”. But despite there clearly being plenty of bands to catch The Plot, Tired Lion are definitely ones not to be missed.

Feature image by Matsu Photography

Sydney fans will be able to catch Tired Lion as part of the stacked lineup of The Plot festival at Parramatta Park on November 19, and they’ll be following it up with an appearance at in WA for Southbound Festival on December 27 – 29.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine