Image: Sean Fennessy
Interview: Audrey Millman
“We describe it as ‘progressive punk’ - but
it’s really hard to pigeonhole. We think and
act like punks, but sometimes the music is
kinda removed from what a layperson’s idea
of ‘punk’ might be” says Liam White, singer/
guitarist for Hobart band The Scandal.
So, Liam, what are you plugging?
“We release our vinyl 7” EP Edges /
Seasickness on Monday 18 May on
Disconnect Records. The record will be
distributed by Melbourne label Poison
City Records. It will be our third release
on Disconnect Records and our first vinyl
release. We recorded it with Linc le Fevre
[Fell To Erin, Enola Fall], who recorded our
previous album, Never Hold To Shore, and
it was mastered with Chad Clark (Fugazi,
Jawbox) at Silver Sonya in Arlington, Virginia,
USA”
How would The Scandal solve this
bothersome financial crisis?
“Oh, boy. To start with, I think we need to
cap executive salaries. Money starts getting
really abstract when you’re taking home in
excess of $200k a year. When you get up
around a million, shit is getting ridiculous.
There are people dying on the other side
of the world because they don’t have the
30 cents per day to eat. It’s disgusting.
People also need to take responsibility for
themselves as well. We’ve been spoon-fed
for so long that we’ve forgotten how to be
self-sufficient. We’re in a position now where
enough things are falling apart that some
people are re-evaluating how they live, which
is awesome. We’ve been too greedy for
too long now. It’d be great if more people
stopped buying useless shit and started
behaving like we’re all part of the same
species. That’d be a pretty solid start!”
Sounds like a plan. I’m on it! How did your
musical career come to be?
“‘Career’, haha. I don’t know about the other
two guys in the band, but I definitely started
playing music because I wanted to have
something that was an outlet. You gotta do
something to stay sane when pretty much
the only way of being accepted in the town
you grow up in is to play football and /
or have a sick car. Music let me connect
with people and speak a common language
when almost everyone else in your town is
a scumbag. As soon as you figure out that
you can play shows in other cities, and
hook up with other like-minded bands, that’s
when you start to see a whole other part of
life, and it changes you completely”
How is The Scandal dealing with the
iRevolution?
“We are about to release a vinyl EP, which
some would say is completely stupid in the
‘download age’. We figured that we needed
to give people a way of being able to listen
to the songs on their mp3 player or their
computer, so we have included a bonus CD
version of the two songs with the record.
Hopefully this will keep the kids happy. You
can’t stop people downloading your music
if they really want to, so you have to figure
out other ways of appealing to people.
Having the neat packaging that you get with
vinyl goes some way towards it, I reckon”
What’s your stance on the Aussie scene
then?
“Within the punk scene, people can be
really supportive. There are of course still
people who are in it for selfish reasons, but
in general, people and bands in the punk
scene in Australia operate on a ‘I’ll help
you and you help me’ kind of thing. This is
great for bands that don’t ever have much
money, and need to tour on a shoestring,
like us, and most of the bands we play with.
It makes for close-knit touring companions
and I think gives you a healthy perspective
on shit. If you ever need bringing down to
earth, try driving eight hours to play a show
to under ten payers for no money, then
sleeping on a tiled floor. It’s a healthy thing
to do once in a while”
Is there much difficulty in being from Hobart
as opposed to the mainland?
“A little. It’s cheaper to tour when you’re
based in Melbourne or Sydney simply
because you have to fly everywhere when
you’re based in Hobart. Some people can
also be a little prejudiced towards bands
from smaller cities. But, you know what?
Fuck ‘em. If anything, it gives us a little
more of a point to prove”
Now, why should the punters come down to
a Scandal show?
“I like to think that we work pretty hard
when we’re on stage. We give everything we
have to give when we are playing. I think we
are pretty different to every other band, if
not in Australia, then definitely in Tasmania.
This tour may be the only time you’ll get to
see us for a while too - I’m living interstate
now, so we don’t get to see each other that
often. We’ll see what happens but as of now
we don’t have any shows booked after this
tour”
What’s for dinner?
“I just ate - pumpkin soup and garlic bread.
Winter’s kicking in again, and that means
warming food and being productive. Winter
can be depressing, but boy it makes for
some conducive songwriting environments”
The Scandal’s Edges / Seasickness is out
now through Disconnect Records.