Warbrain

6 March 2011 | 11:41 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

Melbourne hardcore outfit Warbrain started off as a outlet for the members to work on when they weren't busy with their other bands Carpathian and Hopeless, but they have quickly become a band to keep your eye on in the current Australian hardcore scene. The band is on the verge of releasing their debut 7" "Paranoia", through Trial And Error Records, and we caught up with the band's front man Lloyd to discuss the band.

Melbourne hardcore outfit Warbrain started off as a outlet for the members to work on when they weren't busy with their other bands Carpathian and Hopeless, but they have quickly become a band to keep your eye on in the current Australian hardcore scene. The band is on the verge of releasing their debut 7" "Paranoia", through Trial And Error Records, and we caught up with the band's front man Lloyd to discuss the band.

Start off by stating your name, your role in Warbrain and your favourite restaurant in Melbourne?


My name is Lloyd, I sing in Warbrain and my favorite restaurant would have to be Trippy Taco.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter


Can you tell us a bit about how the band was first formed?


Basically Josh and I wanted to do something different in some down time we had from Carpathian. Kain was our first choice for bass with Josh and I on guitar. We soon realized there wasn't anyone to play drums or sing so we asked Tim to play guitar, Josh got a drum kit and I started singing.


The band’s demo has been out for a while now, what was the songwriting process like for these tracks?


We all sat around with guitars until one of us came up with something we all vibed, then Josh would think up drums for it and I would demo it out on Logic for us to listen to and make changes if we wanted.


What were your main influences when you were writing the lyrics for the demo?


I had a bunch of different influences in my lyrics on the demo really. Some memories of my childhood on Morbid Attack to the apparent state of our planet on Temperatures Rising.


The band’s debut 7” “Paranoia” will be released next month, how would you compare the tracks on that to the tracks on the demo?


I think think we have basically built on the sound of the songs from the demo as well as adding a bit more structure to the songs and direction to the writing process.


Trial And Error Records will be releasing the 7”, how did that deal fall into place?


We were actually lucky enough to be approached by Nigel after one of our shows early in the piece so we had a chat with him about what we wanted to do and went from there.


What made you decide to release it on vinyl rather than a CD or digital release?


Well I guess in this day and age less and less people are actually listening to CDs. So we decided a 7" with a digital download is just as effective and convenient for people to listen to as a CD.


Are there any major lyrical themes that are featured on the new record?


Yeah I guess I've been through a bunch of shit over the last year or so that has really bought up a lot of distrust and doubt about everything my life so that has definitely come out in the lyrics. I do try to write in a way that anyone can relate too so I hope that is evident on Paranoia as well.


Have you got an exact release date or know when pre-orders will be launched?


We are actually finalizing the pre order and release date details at the moment.


You released one of the tracks from the record, “Alone”, on the Blunt Magazine sampler last month, how did you hook that up? Have you got any feedback so far from it?


We have had a lot of good feedback from it. We actually put Alone up on our myspace and Facebook last week and the response from that has also been really positive.


Early next month you will be heading over to Perth for some shows with Carpathian and The Broderick, what do you think the band can expect playing over there for the first time?


We really have no idea what to expect from Perth, but they do have a fantastic hardcore scene over there and cool venues so we are really looking forward to getting over there!


Are you planning on doing more touring once the 7” has been released?


Definitely. That is what this band is about, we never want to stop touring or playing shows. We are working on a tour for around April at the moment.


Do you think we can expect to see you release something else before the end of the year?


Haha I'm not too sure about that at this stage. However it has taken longer than we wanted to to get the 7" out so we are keen to back it up as soon as possible.


Considering that you and Josh also play in Carpathian, and Tim plays in Hopeless, how do you find the time to do things with Warbrain?


Well again, this band started as something to do when neither of those bands is doing anything, so we will always just have to do our best to find time, haha.


You raised an interesting point on facebook a few months back about the relevance for a band myspace page these days. Given that sites like bandcamp are improving and myspace is declining, do you think there is a point in even having a band account on myspace anymore?


Well I think it is important to have your music available to every audience so myspace definitely still a viable option, but in terms of usability the Facebook applications that are now available for bands are far superior.


Who are some bands you have been enjoying lately that we should be checking out?


To be honest I haven't been listening to a lot of hardcore lately as their hasn't been many new records over the last few months, but there is two new bands from Melbourne called Colossus and Ill Vision who have just put out demos. I've been jamming them heaps so I would 100% recommend checking them out!


Do you have any goals that you would like to achieve with this band?


I think a common goal for this band is to play the music we want to play. There is no point doing a band unless you are actually into what you're writing. I talk to a lot of dudes in bands these days who are just burnt out on what they're doing and its a real shame. Another goal for us is to play as much as we can and in as many different places as we can.


Thanks for doing the interview, any last words or shout outs?


That's cool! Thank you, and my apologies it me took so long to get back to you. Shout out to all Australian hardcore bands and everyone who supports those bands. It means a lot more than people know when you see new faces becoming regular faces at shows. Keep your eyes peeled for the Paranoia release date and tour!