Remember these Australians from our February feature? DE MEMORIA have returned from the States where they recorded their brand new debut album with DEFEATER‘s Jay Maas at the Getaway Studios. It’s available for free, streaming below. Taste this fine piece of melodic hardcore, read all about it in my new interview below and tell us what you think!
Hello again, gentlemen :) The last time we talked you were about to hit the studio with Jay Maas. Now the record is up for streaming on your bandcamp and I can’t wait to find out how it turned out. Are you satisfied with the final product?
To say we’re satisfied is to say the very least. We are so happy with how this record came out. Recording with Jay was such a positive experience, he helped us so much as musicians and the short time we spent with him at his studio was absolutely incredible. I don’t think we have any gripes with the production of it. The mixing and every in between was so interactive, he tried out all of our ideas and even pitched in a few of his own.
Did you succeed at putting a certain spirit in it? Do you feel pressure to discover a new type of innovation in modern hardcore sound? Or was it pure fun?
I think a lot of the fun comes from creating a unique character to the music, and being able to acknowledge and utilize your own writing styles. But we didn’t feel any sort of pressure, we wrote what we wanted to write. I don’t think we are a big enough band to have any form of external pressures.
What were your emotions like once the record was finally available for people?
I can’t speak for the others but I know I was a tad nervous. But so far all the feedback has been positive and peoples support has been incredible.
Tell me more about the lyrical sphere of the album. What “Tales” are you serving on this plate?
Tales really is just that – a collection of short writings that are all part of a bigger story. Ultimately, people will find their meaning in our lyrics and hopefully everyone latches on to something different. It is a continuation and expansion of the themes covered in Conversations, namely depression, anxiety and alcoholism. We write songs like this and hope everyone finds something that helps them through these hardships.
What’s that building on the cover art?
That building is in West End, Brisbane. We had our friend Adam Brunckhorst do the photography for the album, we pitched to him a few ideas , we wanted an older feel to the artwork and he went out and created what you see now. He did an incredible job and we are so stoked to have had him work with us.
Who’s putting it out? Have you been approaching some labels in the US?
We’re putting the record out independently at the moment, we haven’t really been approaching any labels yet. Getting it distributed by a label would be great, but we’re biding our time and seeing how independent goes.
I saw some cassettes on your facebook profile. How did you come up with the idea to use this format?
We wanted to do a very limited run as a one-off sort of thing. Cassettes are a heap of fun whilst still being relatively inexpensive. We only had 30 dubbed, so they feel very intimate.
Back to the States. Apart from the time spent in the studio, how did you like the rest of the trip?
The time we spent outside of the studio exploring the new england area was absolutely incredible. It was such a beautiful area, and luckily Jay told us a lot of sweet places to go to. We spent a lot of time eating of course, and we all bought A LOT of records. The price of vinyl in the states is half of what it is in Australia. I think 1/4 of the weight in my bag travelling back was from all the records I purchased.
Did you attend many shows during your stay in NYC and LA?
We didn’t get to any shows in NYC and LA but we did get to see SHAI HULUD at Anchors Up! in Haverhill, with local supports. There were so many incredible locals on that show, not a single band let us down. SHAI HULUD, MANNERS, FOXFIRES, GREAT AMERICAN GHOST and MONARCH all ruled.
What did you learn watching USHC scenes from up close?
That we’re not so different haha. All it seemed to be was a bunch of friends hanging out and playing and enjoying music that they are passionate about.
Any cool bands you met?
We recorded the piano on track 10 with a guy named Mike Moschetto who runs a studio called The Office. He’s in a band called Aviator who I now sweat very very hard.
Was there something that has been pissing you off while cruising their road?
Sales tax changing from state to state, red indicators on cars, NEW HAMPSHIRE, and American cheese.
What do you miss about America?
Hanging out every day with my best friends, waking up every morning to Jay hurling obscenities at us from a separate room, and the crazy cheap goods. The Australian dollar was worth more than the USD when we went over, so we went a little crazy. I (Jasper) spent $2200 on a new bass, and Kev spent $1200 on a new snare, not to mention everything else we bought.
Being back from the US, what are your future plans for the band? Last time you promised a move on playing more gigs. Any shows coming up soon? Have there been any record release parties?
We’ve got two release shows planned very soon, and a tour in Australia and New Zealand at the end of the year and start of the year hopefully. It’s hard to find contacts being based so regionally, but we’re slowly chipping our way through.
No plans for Europe? :)
Oh Europe would be awesome, I doubt any of us would say no to something over there, but we’re yet to gain contacts.
Alright buds. Thanks again for the chat. Hope everything’s good at your end. Feel free to shout out or add anything you want. Cheers!
Please download our album for free from http://dememoria.bandcamp.com/ and check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/dememoria.
Tunnel Snakes Rule!!
DE MEMORIA Facebook
DE MEMORIA Twitter
DE MEMORIA Bandcamp
DE MEMORIA Tumblr
[email protected]
