As one link in the ever-growing music scene in Australia, indie-rock trio Middle Kids have gained international attention for their energetic DIY-guitar sound, which is omnipresent in debut album Lost Friends, released earlier in May. Having just completed a successful UK and European tour, the rising trio consisting of Hannah Joy (vocals, guitar), her husband Tim Fitz (guitar), and Harry Day (drums) are now set to embark on a lengthy US tour which will surely prove to gather even more attention for the band. Impact caught up with the trio whilst they were finishing off their UK tour, to speak about life in Sydney, touring and their glorious debut record.
How did you first form as a band?
We have always been making music since we were young and as we got older we realised that that was all we could really do. So then we turned Hannah Joy’s solo project into a band.
“We love touring but we also love living in Sydney so we are keen to make it work”
What’s the dynamic like between being based in Sydney and being constantly on the road?
When you live in Sydney and are wanting to tour overseas it means you go on the road for long stretches of time because making the trip to the other hemisphere is not something you want to do often. We love touring but we also love living in Sydney so we are keen to make it work.
Did you find it easy fitting into the Sydney music scene?
The Sydney music scene is quite small but diverse. It’s a big city geographically and everything is spread out so there are cool little pockets of scenes. Sometimes it can be hard to find where to fit but I think that most musicians feel that in someway regardless.
You’ve supported Ryan Adams, Cold War Kids and Bloc Party. What was that like and what did you learn from those tours?
The CWK tour was amazing because it was our first big USA tour so we were able to observe them and learn from them how to have fun on the road and play shows day after day. And touring with Ryan Adams was incredible, watching him on stage was very inspirational.
The debut LP came out earlier on this year. How does it feel to have it out?
It’s very cool to have our first album out. It kinda feels like a blur really. The best thing is now playing shows and having people sing along to a lot of the songs because they’ve had a few months to get to know them.
What was the general idea behind the record?
We were intentional in creating a body of work that tied together thematically lyrically and then wanted to have tracks that differed in feels and intensities.
How do you approach the song-writing process as a band?
Hannah usually writes the bones of a song and then fleshes it out with Tim and Harry.
There’s been a resurgence in Australian bands over the past few years, do you feel the shift in attention over to Australia?
We don’t think there is a shift in attention, there’s just more opportunities for Australian’s to connect with international audiences, a lot because of streaming services.
Salt Eyes is your latest single. What can you tell us about that?
It’s a song of longing for something more meaningful.
What’s been your proudest moment as a band so far?
Getting really good at hacky sack.
How do you get into the tour routine?
We just kinda put our heads down and get in the zone. Playing the actual show is the best bit so we get energised from that then move forward.
How do you prepare when coming to venues and cities that are new to you?
Playing in new cities is super fun and we always love going to a new place. We like the sense of the unknown and then wandering around the city to try and get a vibe for it.
For Hannah and Tim, what’s it like being married and being part of a band together? Is it easy to separate your personal lives from professional lives?
Nope! But we’re learning and are thankful to be able to do it together.
“Playing in new cities is super fun and we always love going to a new place”
What can we expect from your new shows?
Back to back songs, beers and Aussie banter.
What is next for Middle Kids in terms of music?
We are currently working on a body of work but will have another single out early next year and will see then what we turn it into.
What are your aims for 2019?
Play some shows, keep all of our plants alive at home in the garden, and keep curious.
Middle Kids embark on an eleven-date US tour starting on 30 November. Their debut record Lost Friends is out now and new music will be available through all the normal sources.
Ben Standring
Featured image and article images courtesy of SonicPR.
Image use licence here.
Follow @ImpactMagazine on Twitter or like the Impact Entertainment Facebook page for more articles and information on how to get involved.
