Propagandhi Are Gonna Be Headbanging All The Way To Australia

Since their first trip to our shores way back in the early 1990s, Canadian thrash-metal enthusiasts and purveyors of ethical hardcore Propagandhi have enjoyed a special bond with Australian audiences.

“I’ve never been to Australia and I don’t intend to do any research before I get there. I prefer to be a blank slate and just make my own impressions when I get there,” laughs guitar shredder and relative band newbie Sulynn Hago. 

She is happy though to cast some light on what the fans can expect from the band’s latest national jaunt. “It will be similar to what we have been playing so far in other countries,” explains Hago. “But sometimes we don’t decide the exact set until really close to going the tour. I’d say for Australia we’ll be doing a healthy dose of Victory Lap with a taste of all the other records as well. But you know – we like to throw some surprises in, so we’ll see.”

When she joined the band back in 2015, Hago faced a number of difficulties. A native Floridian, she was dislocated from the Winnipeg-based Propagandhi by around 3250 kilometres. She was also the new girl in a band whose core had been together since 1997 (and in Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky’s case since 1986). The first challenge was mitigated when Hago and her wife decided to relocate to New York City – which given the extreme winters in Canada was an understandable compromise. The second, and much more daunting challenge, has proved to be no big thing.

“The guys have made it really easy for me,” reveals Hago. “They aren’t the type of personalities that are constantly reminiscing and living in the past – so I don’t feel excluded that way. They are forward-thinking guys, open to new things and new people, and you can see that mindset in the band’s catalogue and how it’s progressed over the years through how the music itself has changed.

“As for playing with the guys live, I obviously felt a lot of pressure at first because the band is so amazing. But I found just going into it with a positive mindset and a willingness to do the necessary work really helped. By focusing on what really mattered – putting on a good show and believing in the songs – I was able to slot into the band really easily in the end.”

"I was able to slot into the band really easily in the end.”

Even though Hago joined the band some time before the recording of the band’s latest LP, Victory Lap (2017), she entered a situation where a lot of the writing for the album had already been done. That said, she was still able to contribute to the final sound of the record.

“Most of the songs had already been written,” confirms Hago, “but I was able to write some parts – like doing some of the layering for the tracks – and I was able to contribute some other ideas as well. It was a record that really came at a time of transition between Beaver [former guitarist David Guillas] leaving and me joining the band. They were really fair about everything, and included us both in the whole process, which was awesome.”

Hago is already looking forward to writing for the next Propagandhi record, although she admits that the band is still firmly in the touring stage for Victory Lap.

“Even though we aren’t actively writing fully-fledged songs right now, I’m always thinking about ideas for new material,” she says. “Even when I’m practising I stick away things in my mind that could potentially be something and then I record it and put it aside.”    

Although they are punk rock to the core, Propagandhi are renowned for their love of metal – does Hago share the boys' love of old school Sacrifice and Bathory?

“I don’t think anyone can be as big a metal fans as these guys,” she laughs. “Don’t get me wrong, I do love metal, and it’s been important to my development as a musician, but I’m not in their league. For example, there’s a heap of different things on my travelling playlist, but for them I suspect they’ll be headbanging their way right through the 21-hour flight to Australia.”