Brisbane three-piece rock act, Aerials, have just released their final single for the year, ”Patient Parades”. The track is a nod to their more down-tempo influences such as Radiohead and Massive Attack. The accompanying music video was an experiment with urban film projections that resulted in close encounters with law enforcement, overdoses on Nodoz and carbon monoxide poisoning. Aerial’s drummer, Brendan Chu, reports on what to expect for their November/December tour…
You’re currently on your Patients Parades tour, and have a big hometown show this week, do you have anything special planned to set this apart from other shows?
We intend to go out with all guns blazing! We’ve released two other singles this year, all which are accompanied by music videos, and the other bands have put in some hard work themselves – it’s just a big celebration! Oh yeah, and I recently purchased a see-through acrylic drum kit that makes me giggle like a girl each time I see it.
How would you describe Aerials to readers who have not heard your music?
Think the early stages of Muse with elements of Depeche Mode… and Interpol if they cranked it up a notch. Or as I like to describe us: soundtrack-inspired post-punk rock… or something like that?
What’s your earliest memory of performing and who inspired you to start?
When I was young, my parents made me take piano lessons. I hated it. My teacher was fat and mean. People think I’m rude when I say that but, dude, she used a cane on me when I hit a bad note at lessons and eisteddfods! Not wanting to play piano ever again, I was mostly inspired by my brother who played in high school rock bands so I took up the drums!
You must answer this question honestly. What and where was the first gig you went to?
Aside from school concerts, my first ‘gig’ was Big Day Out in 2001. Funny story actually… my brother Tristan (who plays guitar in Aerials) and I were massive Limp Bizkit fans at the time (I was 12!), so our Dad took us to the Gold Coast show. Our old man knew absolutely nothing about Big Day Out, so I think he was quite shocked when he witnessed bands like Mudvayne covered in blood and Rammstein with their ejaculating dildos…
How do you find new music?
As a music and vinyl lover, I’m always on the hunt for new music. I’d be lying if I said I don’t discover new music occasionally online through the channels of Soundcloud or Facebook, but I much prefer taking the time to find new music at record shops. I could write about vinyl for days, so let’s just leave it at that.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
As a drummer, I just want to be really warmed up and to be as relaxed as possible before a gig. In a perfect world, I’d love to play drums for two hours right before a show. Oh yeah, I must always drum barefoot. It’s the only way to roll, haha!
If you could curate your own festival, where would it be, who would be on the bill, how many people would you let in and what features would it have?
I’m not really a festival kind of person, but I must admit I’ve had nothing but great times at Splendour In The Grass. I guess I’d try to reinvent that experience as close as possible, including their variety in food, bars and markets. If I had unlimited funding and I could do whatever I want, I’d bring Depeche Mode, Dredg, Mew, Deftones, AIR, The Mars Volta (with Jon Theodore drumming) and Massive Attack to our shores. I’d also get as many of mate’s bands and Australian bands on the line up as possible. I’d probably spend most of the money to convince Cog to reform. All bands must have a game of scissors, paper and rock to determine who will headline. Brilliant!
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with?
Man this is a hard one. I’d probably have to say Paul Dempsey. He just seems like a really cool, depressed, but an all-round interesting guy! More importantly, I love his voice and lyrical content. Even though I see no resemblance between Aerials and Something For Kate, I’d still love to do some sort of electronic track with him, which incorporates trip-hop beats and layers of synth. He’d bring the track home with some miserable lyrics and a melancholy melody. Yeah, Dempsey for sure!
What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?
Tricky question. Some of our music can probably suit a film that has heaps of sex in it and some of our songs could suit people shooting at each other. Weird hey?
Where can we see you play next, what releases do you have available and where can we get them?
We’re currently touring our third single for 2012, ‘Patient Parades’. Our Brisbane leg of the tour is this coming Friday (30th November) at The Zoo. It’s a triple single launch with local lads Greenthief and Forever The Optimist. Presale tickets are still available through the bands and ‘Patient Parades’ is available as a free download via our Band Camp and Triple J Unearthed Page. Feel free to rate and review our track at our Triple J Unearthed page.
Friday 30 November
Brisbane – The Zoo
Doors 8PM / Tickets $15
Presale Tickets ($10):
http://www.aerials.bandcamp.com/merch
Friday 7th December
Melbourne – Spencers Live
Doors 8PM / Tickets $15
Friday 21st December
Toowoomba – The Spotted Cow
Doors 8PM / FREE ENTRY
Saturday 22nd December
Sydney – Oxford Art Factory
Doors 8PM / FREE ENTRY
For more info and links to Aerials bandcamp and unearthed page go to: www.aerialsband.com
