Drop The Debt

Anyone who's seen a set from The Spitfires can attest that it's a high-energy, all-or-nothing, take-no-hostages, primal colour affair, full of punchy guitars and vocals. There's something of a throwback to their nature – not in a retro sense but in the ethic of the band. It's an outspokenness and directness in their songwriting that underlies the record. Take current single Suffer Kate as an example: a diatribe on the English Royal family caring nothing for tact or apology. Although they might seem like a punk-rock band, it's best not to mention that in ear shot of the band themselves.

“I think the punk scene should be flattered that we're even being associated with it,” says frontman Sean Regan, with all the modesty you'd expect. “I've started rolling my eyes every time people say we're punk. That's not because I think it's inaccurate, we do have that in our sound and a bit of an anarchistic streak in us. It's just a pain in the arse being lumped in with a bunch of bands I personally consider to be rubbish. Mind you, we've mixed in a lot of garage, surf and thrash into the new album to help set us apart. It should be a bit trickier for people to put us in with that lot.”

So what's happened to all the punk rockers in this damned year of our lord, 2012? “Buggered if I know,” says Regan. “I expect they've all become greasers or gotten into hardcore. I think punk's still irreparably tainted from all that '90s crap, so it's a long way from being anything that the general public will take seriously. Shame really, as a punk revival would be quite handy for us right about now.”

While some of the record, by the band's own admission, is little more than throwing a brick through a window, there are other tracks where the riotous social commentary is much more purposeful. Their second EP, Dead? Good! featured a track satirising Fox News, amongst other things. Songs From The Debt Generation continues that social commentary. Suffer Kate might fall into either category, but it shows why it's an integral part to the songwriting of Regan and bass player Paul Bovenkerk.

“It's a big part of why the band continues to do what it does,” Regan confirms. “Whenever we see something we disagree with or think people should know about, we write a song about it. I think it serves as a release valve on the frustration we're feeling at the time; it's always good to get something off your chest and we hope that it resonates well with the public.”

They're hardly preaching here. There are likely to be few loyal monarchists or subscribers to Fox News' version of world events front of stage at a Spitfires gig. Regardless of your position on that, there's a humour in The Spitfires' songs, and it spills into their shows. Whether their interviews are an extension of that, or just their outspokenness, remains a mystery. “I think a band trying to write songs about political issues who don't incorporate a bit of a sense of humour into it will end up coming across as too self-righteous or, worse than that, boring,” says Regan. “Besides, does the world really need another Strokes?”

Their viewpoints and songs have been greeted with a level of backlash at some points, but then that's always been the whole point of being in a rock'n'roll band with any sense of punk lineage. “Yep, all the time,” he confirms, “but we're just lashing back ourselves. Either way we couldn't give a toss, just more publicity for the band as far as I'm concerned. If we weren't ruffling a few feathers here and there I'd be a little disappointed!”

And that brings us back to their throwback nature. That's not to say they're retreading the same ground. Songs Of The Debt Generation is noticeable as a growth from the previous EPs, particularly with the writing of hooks and choruses that wouldn't be amiss in those heady days of Britpop. It's not an abstract mix. Lest we forget that Parklife was a diatribe on British culture in the early '90s.

“I don't think there was a concept behind the album to be honest,” Regan says. “We had twelve songs written which we thought were the strongest and gave the album a bit of variety. We're very much a band who write a song from scratch and record it when it's finished, rather than trying to fit together bits and pieces recorded in the studio.”

The length of recording – the band went through three drummers over the recording time – let Regan and Bovenkerk work out how to join the live Spitfires to The Spitfires who were in the studio. Dead? Good! sometimes sounded far too removed from the sweaty band on the stage. This record goes someway to bridging the gap. “I think they're starting to become a lot more aligned,” he says.

“The album's got all the energy of the live show due to the fact that we do most things in one take and we've figured out the sound we're after, whereas the live Spitfires have become a lot more polished and consistent from all that touring we've been doing.”

Whether it's polished or not, the video clip for Suffer Kate is just too bizarre to summarise. It starts, like the subject matter, around a wedding, and then goes to some bizarre places. Drum asks Regan to explain the clip. “I honestly couldn't,” he admits. “You'd need to speak to our director Stefan Radanovich from SAR films. I believe he's making a video to try and justify the concept behind it, which will be very interesting to hear. We're just happy to see it being well received, so good on him!”

After being a regular staple of the Perth scene for so long, The Spitfires are packing their luggage and taking to the skies. The album launch will be one of the last chances to catch them for some time. “We're relocating to Sydney so that we can start touring the East Coast more regularly,” Regan reveals. Many Perth bands are lost to the streets of Brunswick and St Kilda, but The Spitfires are hardly going to follow other bands to Melbourne. “We could have gone to Melbourne, but to be honest it's a bit of a cliché. The time feels right for a move. We want the band to be as best as it can be so heading to a new city should help keep us on our toes and writing new material. It's a gamble, but it needs to be done.”

The rest of the year will see The Spitfires placing their landing gears on the East Coast. However, there will be more to hear from them before 2012 is out. “Well we're touring for September and October, then maybe a new EP before Christmas. We've got a lot of work to do establishing ourselves on the East Coast so I expect we'll be busy doing that. Just trying to keep the wheels from falling off as usual!”