Relentless

Sydney hardcore band Relentless are set to have their biggest year yet in 2013. The band's new album "Turn The Curse", which was recorded and produced by Terror drummer Nick Jett, is set to be released on January 25, and the band will be touring the globe this year in support of it. We caught up with the band's vocalist Trent Baldock to discuss what the band has in store for us this year.

Start off by stating your name, your role in Relentless, and what is the record you are most looking forward to hearing this year?

Trent, I am the vocalist for Relentless. Umm American I’d have to say the new Rotting Out record and Australian would definitely have to be the new Outsiders Code full length.

The band’s new record “Turn The Curse” will be released at the end of this month, how excited are you to finally get these songs out there for everyone to hear?

Honestly words can’t express the anticipation we can been feeling, we wrote these tracks over the past few years and had the whole thing written in April/May 2012 and we recorded beginning of June 2012, so we have be sitting on these songs for a long time now and all we want to do is get it out there for kids to spin and listen to, it’s hard not to be impatient when you work real hard and the final copy is there but its in limbo until released hahaha. Hope kids enjoy and haven’t gotten over us cause we have made them wait.

At the start of last year the band went through a bit of a line up change, do you feel these changes reenergized the band?

Umm the two new members Kane and Owen are both like 19/20 so it’s definitely brought some youthfulness back into the band hahaha. We had most of the record written when they joined but they were both able to add little touches on the record that we might not of ever thought of with the old line up. I think the best thing is we have five level headed dudes now that not only love playing hardcore and being in a band together but all five of us are at every local Sydney show hanging out, so having your best mates in a band really makes you want to push the band and do as much as you can with it.

What was the writing process for this album like compared to previous releases?

Was exactly the same as far as Relentless goes, we chill at Dean’s (our drummer) in his bedroom beat lab with an electric drum kit and heads running into the computer, just lay out an idea, record listen back, and then try to jam them out in a jam space, which is how we came up with the tracks. The difference was we then sent all the tracks to Nick (Jett) and when he got here before we hit the studio we chilled in a jam space for three days and Nick had done some homework and written a bunch of ideas that he wanted to add or try or change up. After the three days we had changes made and ready to lay. It was a different experience but a good one as well, we had never done pre production like that before with an actual producer and I can say it shows on the record for sure.

You recorded the new album with Terror drummer Nick Jett (Backtrack, Down To Nothing, Rotting Out). What was the reasoning behind wanting to work with Nick?

Well I’ve been good friends with Nick for a bunch of years now and we were kicking back Soundwave 2011 I think it was when Terror played, and I was talking about the new record and I knew he had been doing a heap of recording bands and mixing them and also producing and I was like we would love to get you involved with this project and we talked it over for a year and a half nearly trying to find time and it wasn’t until he said Terror were touring and that he had like 3 weeks off before that we were able to fly him out early and put everything into play, so glad we made it happen though.

Structurally yes, Nick didn’t change any riffs but we did play with different ideas of time changes and the structure of songs so intro, verse chorus, verse. We cut everything back to real basic structures and he just really wanted to work on the chorus’s and make the whole song around them really. We broke them all back built off the chorus and were very happy with his input. When the same five sets of ears hear the same songs over and over you go numb to being able to add anything extra so when a fresh set of hears steps in and goes well that is you slow this down, speed that up, double that part and cut that out, its was an amazing experience and we learned a lot from Nick.

Do you have a favourite song on the record? If so, why that song?

Oooo that’s a hard one, there are a heap. I would have to say either the title track ‘Turn The Curse’ or ‘Justice For None’ lyrically, and ‘Undefeated’ just over all which we are shooting a film clip to in the next week which we are pretty siked about.

For the release of this record you have teamed up with labels all across the world, including 6131 Records in America. How important was it for you to have a worldwide release for this record?

Straight up, it wasn’t important when we were writing the record, international releases were the last thing we were thinking about, when they all fell into play over the past few months we couldn’t believe they were actually happening. It’s definitely going to make bridging the gap of an Aussie hardcore band to international touring band that little bit easier having a record out there and known about. But international release or not wouldn’t of stopped us from venturing over into their countries at all.

To launch the release, you will be doing a run of dates at the end of this month and early February with Adelaide’s The Weight and Melbourne’s Thorns. What made you want to tour with those two bands?

Thorns as a band and the members have been good friends of Relentless for a long time and The Weight who have just released a new killer record which everyone should check out had yet to tour off the back of it. I think we were over the same hyped 6 or 7 bands from every city getting every show and tour, I’d rather take out on the road two up and coming bands that are working hard to get there music heard and that never get the opportunity.

It’s coming up close to 12 months since you have done a proper tour, are you stinging to get back out there on the road?

Yes!! There is no questions there all we did last year after the TUI tour were a few one of shows in Melbourne and QLD and recorded. We need to get out on the road and up on a stage ASAP. It’s been too long!

After those dates you will be heading back to South East Asia for the second time, which includes a show with Madball. How excited are you to be playing with them?

How do you put into words the feeling of sharing the stage as main support for the band you grew up listening to and idolising, not only that but that the show is in another country as well. Shit is mind blowing!

What are some of the fondest memories that you have with the band so far?

TUI tour 2012, Hardcore 2010, there are to many to name. I am just so grateful that I get the opportunity to travel with 5 of my best mates playing the music I love and am so passionate about to other kids who feel the same way, worldwide.

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

Survival’s new 7’’, Endless Heights and Civil War’s new 7’’, Outsiders Code’s new full length when it drops, Warbrain’s new record and two up and coming bands from Queensland, Vile Eye and Deadlift, both doing good things.

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

Not really, I am just overwhelmed with how far this band has come over the years and will take any opportunity we are given with open arms and an open mind. My goal is do exactly what I’m doing for at least another 10 years.

What are the band’s plans for the rest of 2013 after you return home from South East Asia?

We have some things on the cards, nothing concrete or ready to be announced yet, but I can say Relentless will not be having a quiet year in 2013 hahaha.

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

Support any and every Australian hardcore band, don’t just sit back waiting for the big bands from overseas to hit your shores. Our bands over here are just as good! Peace.

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