For over a decade, Northlane have been one of Australia’s most forward-thinking and fiercely independent heavy bands, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.
Fresh off the back of their acclaimed Mirror’s Edge EP, featuring guest spots from Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall and Karnivool/Birds of Tokyo frontman Ian Kenny, the Sydney outfit have been relentlessly touring the globe, from playing mammoth European festivals like Download and Rock am Ring, to supporting Slipknot in New Zealand and debuting in India.
Now, they’re bringing it all back home, hitting the road for their first regional Australian run in three years. Joined by Ocean Grove, Mirrors, and a rotating cast of local supports, this tour marks the last chance to catch Northlane on home soil before they disappear into the studio to finish work on two major new projects — one a brand-new EP, the other a reimagined version of a classic fan favourite.
Tone Deaf caught up with guitarist Josh Smith from the road in India to talk about the year that’s been, standout moments on the road, and what fans can expect from the next era of Northlane.
Tone Deaf: It seems like the band has been constantly on the move since the release of Mirror’s Edge last year. Can you tell us a bit about what has been happening over the last year?
Josh Smith: A LOT has happened in the last year since we released Mirror’s Edge. We did the Good Things Festival, headline tours of the United States, Canada, UK, and Europe, two trips to Japan, our first foray to India and a few parts of Asia, supported Slipknot in New Zealand, and finished off with the European summer festivals in June.
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Some big shows in that time — any standouts?
Absolutely, the one for me has to be Rock Im Park in Germany. It was incredible to be a part of that after watching videos from that festival for years. That day, we had the biggest and wildest reception we’ve ever had in Germany to date. Slipknot in New Zealand was mind blowing, too. We received such a warm welcome from the Kiwi Maggots. I never thought we’d get the opportunity to play to 10,000 people in that country.
This will be the last shows before Northlane head back to the studio? Are you writing from scratch, has work already been done?
Actually… it wont. We are headed back to the US after these shows. But yes, we have been writing, and very excited about the songs that are coming out. Something we’ve been chipping away at slowly, making sure we are happy with the direction first.
Do you know the direction this new music will take?
It’s more experimental than Mirror’s Edge in terms of sound design, but it will slam harder, too. It’s probably more electronic, but also has way heavier guitar parts. Our big focus has been vocal top lines for this one, the songs are damn catchy.
Can we expect it to be an album or new EP?
It’s going to be an EP, BUT before it drops, we will have an album out. And that album is a ground-up redo of one of our classic albums from the catalog. I listened to the final mix today and it sounded absolutely bonkers.
After these shows wrap, how long do you think it will be before we see Northlane on stage again?
A matter of days… haha. We don’t stop!
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Northlane 2025 Australian Tour
With special guests Ocean Grove & Mirrors
Tickets on sale now via northlaneband.com
Thursday, July 31st
Harvey Road Tavern, Gladstone QLD
With Headwreck
Friday, August 1st
The Station, Sunshine Coast QLD
With Headwreck
Saturday, August 2nd
Powerhouse, Toowoomba QLD
With Headwreck
Sunday, August 3rd
Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast QLD
With Headwreck
Thursday, August 7th
King St Bandroom, Newcastle NSW
With Heists
Friday, August 8th
Panthers, Penrith NSW
With Heists
Saturday, August 9th
Uni Bar, Wollongong NSW
With Heists
Sunday, August 10th
The Basement, Canberra ACT
With Heists
Friday, August 15th
Shelters Brewing, Busselton WA
With Darkmatter
Saturday, August 16th
Magnet House, Perth WA
With Darkmatter
Thursday, August 21st
Beer Deluxe, Albury NSW
With Lune
Friday, August 22nd
Royal Theatre, Castlemaine VIC
With Lune
Saturday, August 23rd
Wool Exchange, Geelong VIC
With Lune
Sunday, August 24th
Chelsea Heights Hotel, Chelsea Heights VIC
With Lune
