The WorkingHorse Irons

We had a hefty 2014/15 summer with the release of our Green EP that included some really fun shows like Halloween at Cherry Bar and a slot on the Brunswick Music Festival. So we’ve been taking a well deserved break while our guitarist Nick tears it up with his other band, Holy Serpent. We’re itching to get back on stage.

You guys have Night of the Living Shred scheduled for August. It’s a good local line-up. What can we expect from The WorkingHorse Irons on the live front?

We do our best to provide people with a good honest high energy punk rock n roll show.

Band merch seems to be one area where artists can make a profit these days, which allows them to finance shows, tours and recording. I see on your Facebook you have posts mentioning items. How important is an outlet like a merch store to ensuring locals bands survive?

It’s really essential these days and especially if you want to do a bit of interstate or international touring that money from local shows and merch can help tip the scales and enables us to get out and play more than just Melbourne. And to be honest, it’s the difference between drinking good beer and shit beer at practice. I guess what I’m trying to say is we couldn’t get as drunk (or classy drunk) without t-shirt proceeds. So cheers to everyone who bought our last run of shirts.

For yourself personally, what’s it like balancing band commitments with outside priorities like work? Is it easily managed or sometimes the two conflict?

It’s been really hard in the past trying to juggle everything and I’m not saying it wasn’t worth it because it was. But I think now, more than ever, it’s about fun and being a part of the local scene. You really have to just take it for what it is and get stoked on playing music.

There are plenty of sub-genres represented locally from the melodic hardcore upstarts to the often-maligned deathcore, and everything else in between. How significantly do you think punk and psychobilly is represented on the domestic front?

It’s quite a small scene, a lot of the following has died off since the resurgence in the 90’s and to be honest we mainly just play with punk bands cause essentially we’re just a punk band with a double bass. The Rockabilly side of things will always keep a following because the cars, fashion and lifestyle enables it to reach a broader audience. Hopefully events like Grease fest and the like will be a bit of a gateway for new fans because there’s some really great talent out there that goes unnoticed, and all it really takes is for one kid to see a guy thumping away on a double bass or a hollow body guitar and he/she’s off in a garage trying to start a band of their own.

Speaking of the local scene, what would you like to see improved to help up and coming bands?

Get rid of these pay to play promoters taking hold of venues. You know the one’s, the “sell 100 pre sales to all your mates and when you can’t you have to pay for the one’s you haven’t sold?!” It’s not good for the venues or the bands. They’re just taking advantage of young bands promising dreams of grandeur. If you want a show get out there and make it happen. That’s what shitty iPhone recordings and Facebook are for. Hell I saw a grindcore band play in an oversized drain pipe the other day with 100 people watching them (laughs). Acoustics were so so but the beer was BYO.

What’s planned for the rest of 2015?

Whole Lotta Love on the July 31st, [the] Brunswick Hotel on September 11, and our annual Halloween show at Cherry bar.

Favourite album of 2015 so far?

Canadian band Pup’s debut, 2014 self titled album.

Album(s) you’re looking forward to in the second half of 2015?

Is Flume still a band?

Thanks for the interview Scotty. Appreciate your time.

Cheers.

Catch The WorkingHorse Irons performing at Night of the Living Shred this August: