High Tension

After wrapping up a successful Push Over spot last month, Killyourstereo.com caught up with bassist Matt Weston of emerging local outfit High Tension. Featuring ex-members of Young and Restless and the Nation Blue, we had a brief chat about all things music. 

Just wrapped up Push Over, how was that performance?

It was fun…[and] fucking hot. Think we split the audience in half though – [we] scared a few and won over a bunch of kid…Or should I say rescued?

And on the topic of shows, the East Coast dates, how have they been too?

Everything has been awesome. There have been great turn-outs and sweaty and brutal shows.

Obviously when your in a band in its infancy, you can only take care of things from your end in the beginning, but now that debut EP is out, how has everything been received?

Really positive.

Can you tell us what it was like working with Shihad’s Tom Larkin?

Once you get past the piles of Livestock magazines, lambs wool seat covers and funny accent, he is great. In all seriousness though, he really knows his shit – and it was great to work with someone who manages to get killer performances out of people so constructively. His attitude is really positive and it’s infectious.

When you start out as a band it can be a hard period finding your feet, but all of you have been in established local acts previously. How much did this help when it came to writing and recording, and functioning as a collective?

It was a huge help. There was still that awkward nervousness that comes with four random people standing in a room and having a crack, but I guess the instincts that each of us had developed from years in other bands pretty quickly made the whole process really quick.

Now that the wheels are in motion, what is the plan for 2013?

An album late in 2013.

What’s one band – doesn’t necessarily have to be a direct influence – which you’ve heard lately that has impressed you with their innovation and different take on things?

Kvelertak is probably the most exciting band at least me.

What, in your opinion, is the biggest mistake a band can make starting out?

Becoming a carbon copy of your influences maybe? Saw a fair bit of that yesterday at Pushover. That being said, its not a mysterious thread to trace who I’ve ripped off my bass sound from, so people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones I guess.

Albums you’re most looking forward to this year?

Kvelertak - Meir

Favourite album so far in 2013?

Night Marchers – Allez Allez

Best gig you’ve been to in 2013?

Einsturzende Neubauten – The Palace, Melbourne

Which festival would you prefer a spot on – Soundwave or Big Day Out?

I’ll take either – but its probably more likely we’d fit on Soundwave

Dream venue to play?

The Forum in Melbourne is probably one room I haven’t played with that I’d like to, but then again I don’t like big stages. So probably it would just be on a boat. When The Nation Blue, my other band. started playing Brisbane shows in the early 2000’s we did a few shows on tiny boats, maybe 100 capacity, and they were mental. That was the most fun to play I reckon.

Three essential albums to play in the tour van?

DIO – HOLY DIVER

AEROSMITH – GREATEST HITS (power ballads please)

IRON MAIDEN - POWERSLAVE

Worst CD ever purchased?

Salt N Pepper – A Salt with a Deadly Pepper.

This was actually a cassette tape, I got that and my cousin got 1927 – ISH at the same time, and when we got home I pretty quickly realised that PUSH IT was the only good song on that Salt N Pepper album, meanwhile 1927 was wall to wall hits, and I’ve forever regretted it.

AFL or NRL? And which team?

Seattle Supersonics (RIP)

http://www.facebook.com/HighTensionBand