Speaking to Airbourne drummer Ryan O’Keeffe about the band’s brand new speaker-blowing album Black Dog Barking, he’s on the phone from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the band have just finished a gig.
The first thing many rock and roll bands love to do when they leave a stage is dive headfirst into some backstage debauchery. The dedicated O’Keeffe, however, goes straight back into doing interviews. Luckily there’s still time to fit in a beer as well. “I’m enjoying a cold one right now,” the drummer says. “I’m just having a yarn talking with someone about the new album at the same time!”
The rockers from Warrnambool describe Black Dog Barking as their “most definitive album,” perhaps as a result of the pressure the boys put on themselves by recording it in the studio where AC/DC’s Razor’s Edge and Aerosmith’s Pump were produced.
This raising-the-bar strategy has apparently worked out well: “We really feel it is one of those rock albums that can hold up to the ‘big guns’, the all-time classic rock albums,” O’Keefe proudly states.
The title of Black Dog Barking belies a metaphorical concept that seems quite deep for a no-frills rock band. It delves into old English folklore to dig up the legend of the Black Dog, the personification of everything that gets in your way.
“These descriptions go way back with old stories of the black dog coming at you in your nightmares, and you feel like it’s about to crush you,” O’Keefe explains, confirming that the title track is indeed about overcoming obstacles in the path of a rocking band. “We really feel it is one of those rock albums that can hold up to the ‘big guns’, the all-time classic rock albums.” – Ryan O’Keeffe
“The title song is lyrically quite heavy and it really draws a line in sand: this is how we are, you either live rock and roll or you don’t.”
The boys from Airbourne have also referred in previous interviews to Winston Churchill’s ‘Black Dog’, the term the former British Prime Minister used to define the depression he suffered from.
Surely an optimistic rock act who are all about good times wouldn’t mean it that way? When questioned about it, O’Keeffe reiterates that it’s more a reference to obstructions than negative feelings.
However, there is another way to interpret the Black Dog of the title. Ryan’s older brother Joel (Airbourne’s frontman and lead guitarist), described the barking dog that’s about to jump off the album cover as “the last thing you see before rock and roll rips your head off.”
With that in mind, can Airbourne can be seen as rock’s guard dog, ready to bark and bite at anything that gets in the way of heavy music? “Absolutely!” says O’Keeffe. “We have had that mentality since we played our first gig: Go hard or go home, play every gig as if it’s your last, give a hell of a show no matter what, and no matter what venue we’re playing.”
The band’s collaboration with producer Brian Howes was a specific factor that took Black Dog Barking to another level, and O’Keeffe couldn’t have more praise for him. “We had meetings with producers in 2012 and as soon as we met Brian we knew this was the guy.”
“We wanted to make an album with a very classic sound and he always wanted to make a great rock record, so he knew exactly what we were talking about. He is translating what we are today.”
Proud as theymight be of their new album, a look at their setlists over the past few weeks reveals that “‘Live It Up” is so far the only track from the album being played live.
“We’re not playing those until the record comes out because we want to give you the full experience,” reveals O’Keefe. “I remember the first time I heard AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, that was really an experience. And we want the album to be like that… To play those songs live now would be like giving someone a half-finished videogame”.
Speaking of videogames, the band have received a lot of promotion thanks to their songs being used in several huge titles, like Need For Speed and Guitar Hero. “We have had that mentality since we played our first gig: Go hard or go home, play every gig as if it’s your last, give a hell of a show no matter what, and no matter what venue we’re playing.” – Ryan O’Keeffe
Their new single “Live It Up” will also be introducing the band to a huge new audience in the US as the official theme song of the brand new Full Throttle Roller Coaster, opening up in the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park just outside Los Angeles.
Naturally O’Keeffe is pumped. “We went down there last month to see what it looks like. It’s going to be the highest and fastest roller coaster ever. Everyone from Australia who is going to the US should go check it out when they’re in LA!”
The video for “Live It Up” shows Airbourne playing in front of some female car mechanics who are having a face-off. Of course we’re curious to discover if these women were qualified mechanics? “Yeah, absolutely!”, laughs O’Keeffe. “They were very qualified and they maintained all the cars, they were great.”
Throughout the last few years Airbourne have opened for and played with some of the biggest hard rock bands around, such as Mötley Crüe, Motörhead, KISS, Rammstein, and The Rolling Stones. Obviously it’s hard for O’Keeffe to pick a particular highlight for the band, but he has his own personal standout: “One of my favourite tours was with Iron Maiden in the UK.”
When asked if there are any other headliners on his wishlist yet to be checked, O’Keeffe reveals: “we’d love to tour with Black Sabbath or Slash, and although we’ve been on a festival with Metallica but haven’t done an actual tour with them yet.” Concert promoters, take note!
The boys are now finishing a US tour with fellow rockers Shinedown, after which they head over to Europe for huge summer festivals like Britain’s Download, Germany’s Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park, and Holland’s Fortarock. In July, Airbourne return down under for a headline tour and an appearance at Splendour In The Grass.
Although the band will be touring Europe like superstars, O’Keeffe is just as excited about heading back to Australia. “We always love to play back home and we love playing in front of every crowd, whether it be a little pub or a big festival with 80,000 people”.
Black Dog Barking is out now on Roadrunner Records/Warner Music Australia. Buy a copy now and crank that stereo up to eleven; you know your neighbours will love you for it. Airbourne will be touring Australia in July, dates below:
Airbourne 2013 Splendour Sideshows
Friday, July 19 – Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool
Saturday, July 20 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Friday, July 26 – ANU Bar, Canberra
Saturday, July 27 – HiFi Sydney, NSW
Sunday, July 28 – Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay
