Newcastle’s dust are making their debut today by way of their debut single ‘STARE’. Arriving before they’ve even played a live show, the track is a perfect example of how to kick off a soon-to-be iconic band’s career.
Ask anyone with even a passing interest in the music industry, and they’ll wholeheartedly agree that making a good first impression is imperative your future success down the line. After all, you don’t want to be feeding listeners half-baked content, only to promise it’ll get better, do you? Of course not, which is why when a band knocks it out of the park on their first try, you can’t help but stare in amazement.
That is exactly where we find dust, the nascent Newcastle quintet who are not only bound to dominate the world of rock music, but look set to do it on their own terms. Sharing their debut single ‘STARE’ today, the dreamy piece of fuzzy alt-rock undoubtedly harkens back to the shoegaze sound of icons like My Bloody Valentine and Ride, albeit with a much more modern take, inspired by the likes of Car Seat Headrest, DIIV, and Archie Marshall.
Featuring production from Sean Cook and the band’s own Kye Cherry, dust acknowledge that it’s something of an interesting choice to release new music without ever hitting the stage, but note that there’s a method to their madness.
“We made the choice to enter the recording process before playing shows because I wanted it to be a fully new creation that didn’t sound like anything I’d done before, and for it to be in its realised form before it was introduced to the public,” explains Gabriel Stove.
From a lyrical point of view, Stove explains that the song drawn on a mix of different insecurities and frustrations that he felt during the writing process of the track.
“‘STARE’ acknowledges the fact that sometimes I can be insecure when walking down the street or in public settings, as well as the feeling of relationship turmoil,” Stove explains. “The song was a good way to put all my thoughts into one box.
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“This is one of the first songs I wrote recently that made me want to continue writing music and inspired me to form the band.”
Of course, if you’re liking the sound of what you’re hearing, you can check out the track below ahead of its official release tomorrow. But if what you’ve seen and heard already isn’t enough, then keep on reading to learn more about dust before they make their live debut, release a new single later this year, and – eventually – take over the world.
Check out ‘STARE’ by dust:
https://youtu.be/PrwLSdv-HDc
Get to know: Newcastle’s nascent indie-rockers dust
How did your artist name come about?
We spent the first six to nine months of the band without a concrete name and after our final rehearsal before we were set to record, we stood out on the street until we all came to agreement on one.
We were pretty much just after something short, catchy and stirring.
How would you describe your music to your grandma?
Grandma: “What’s your music like?”
Me: “Don’t worry about it Grandma.”
I think it’d play out a bit like that.
Jk, would probably describe it to her as noisy, dreamy and intense; kinda like the sound of a burning Doc Marten.
Tell us a few of your tracks, their titles and what they’re about:
‘STARE’ – About relationship turmoil, maturation and feeling insecure in public places.
‘Ord’ – About the profuse feeling of being ordinary, perpetuated by contemporary culture.
‘Ward52’ – About ill health, monotony and the unjust nature of life.
What do you love about your hometown?
Newcastle is pretty great, there’s heaps of creative minds and a bunch of cool venues which make for an exciting and evolving music scene. A couple local acts we dig are: Craterface, E4444E, and Sonder.
What’s your biggest career highlight so far?
Shooting the music video for ‘STARE’ with our good friend Nathan from Two and Half Studios was definitely a highlight. Showcasing some of our favourite spots from around town and getting to visually represent the track.
What’s your favourite non music hobby?
Gabe: Skyrim – The Elder Scrolls and LEGO.
Kye: Yard maintenance and camping.
Justin: Running around and pesto pasta.
Adam: Digging holes and woodworking.
Liam: Cycling along the expressway.
What’s on your dream rider?
Cheese platters and beers would be ideal.
What’s your dream music collaboration?
Nick Cave or The Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Or both the same time.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Collaborating with Nick Cave and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
‘Rosanna’ by Toto. For sure.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Give love and care to everyone. But save enough love and care for yourself.
What’s your unexpected obsession?
I’d consider us collectively semi-professional Minecrafters.
Check out dust’s exceptional ‘STARE’ one more time:
https://youtu.be/PrwLSdv-HDc
