Novacastrian quintet Safe Hands are gearing up to release their second LP Tie Your Soul To Mine on September 23rd – but we’ve got a sneak peek.
The album sees the band heading in new directions as they seek to ditch the hardcore tag of years past, embracing a new sound along with a new musical frame of mind. They channel all of this into their most mature, challenging and introspective bit of output yet, attempting to find an antidote to violence and misogyny, all packaged in undeniably Australian wrappings.
To give us a bit of insight into their musical development, Safe Hands have taken us through the album track-by-track, and you can stream the album with us now and read along.
Keep an eye on the group’s Facebook page for more news surrounding the record’s release on Friday via Lost Boy Records, as well as their upcoming Newcastle show with PUP, and national album tour in October/November.
THE COLISEUM 1921
The album begins with our State Of The Union address. The lyrics essentially describe how things are different now; that we’re older, have new lives, new responsibilities, etc. This was one of the first songs we demoed but one of the last to come together as I’d originally scrapped the yelled vocals in the main part of the song in favour of singing.
When that didn’t come out as I hoped, I tried just repeating the same one or two sung lines, which in turn seemed too sparse. Eventually we added the yells back in over the top but with a kind of megaphone effect to soften it up a bit. Turned out really cool and it’s a pretty interesting way to kick off the album.
TRAFFIC ISLAND WREATH
We released this song in November of last year as a taster for the album but mostly to remind people we were still alive. Easily the poppiest thing we’d ever done at that point. I remember being terrified at the potential backlash towards the song from our longtime listeners, but figured that if people liked it then it would leave the door open to get even weirder down the track.
Thankfully they did! I really love the post-rock guitar tones in the pre-chorus (for lack of a better term) and the fact that despite having a huge hooky chorus we still managed to sneak in a cheeky blast beat towards the end. Best of both worlds there.
MY VERY OWN GREY GARDENS
This one catalogues a period from a few years ago where I was living alone in this absolute hellhole of an apartment. I was basically a shut-in aside from working a few nights a week and I got quite sick for a long while as a result of the damp and mould I was dealing with.
At the time I had this misguided pride that I was being independent and this was how you had to live if you wanted to stand on your own two feet, which was complete rubbish. I love the huge sense of catharsis at the end of the song. Anthony used a Micro POG octave pedal tracked through Gareth’s custom Morgan bass head which gave the section this otherworldly amount of guts. From the first time I heard it I thought, “I don’t need to ruin this by putting vocals over it, it says everything it needs to already.”
THE GREAT AFFAIR
My favourite song to play live and one we’ve been closing with since we wrote it basically. I think the rhythm section really shines in this song. Isaac just goes to town on the drums while at the same time making the whole thing seem utterly effortless (as he does) and Gareth’s basslines in the verses just take it to a new level. Very hard for me to keep singing live and not just make “the bass face.”
This song is for my stepson Eli. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of his life since he was one and a half and in taking on that parental role and seeing the world through the rapidly developing mind of a child, it makes you take stock of the wonder you felt at the same age. Unfortunately it’s a losing battle to preserve that wonder against the horrors of the day-to-day modern world and I think every parent worth their salt would want to prolong that feeling as long as possible.
The tambourine at the end of the song was a gift to my wife Jen from the 2010 Revival Tour and was played by Tim Barry, Frank Turner, Chuck Ragan, Ben Nichols and more. We devalued it significantly.
SMALL FORTUNE
I wrote the lyrics to this one with the intention of it being the last song we ever released. Back in 2014, our longtime guitarist Mick had with a heavy heart told us he couldn’t put in the time he felt we deserved anymore and I thought that was it. Mick had helped write the music for two new songs (this one and “‘Til All The Birds…”) and I figured we’d record them for Bandcamp and call it a day.
Thankfully we linked up with Josh (the only person that could have even attempted to fill Mick’s shoes in my opinion) and forged ahead, but that dire mindset at the time resulted in probably the most negative lyrics I’ve ever penned. Basically about how we’ve been a band in some form for ten (!) years now and despite achieving a lot of cool stuff, I still feel like we’ve barely done anything. Very easy to feel like you’re just hitting your head against a wall a lot of the time.
PUSHED TO THE MOON
The music for this song was written very early on but it was the last song I finished vocals for. When the drums kick in behind the opening riff I’m reminded of latter-day Isis (the band, not the militant group). This song pretty much encompasses my mindset for the last few years; is it wise to struggle on in the face of common sense under the guise of creating “art” while also trying to establish a career to provide for your family before it’s too late to do so?
The lyrics say it all, “You’ve got some nerve to believe in yourself / At the cost of all comfort and wealth.” Gatsby’s American Dream’s 2006 self-titled record was definitely a touchstone here as far as making a statement against the industry goes. It’s still one of the angriest albums I’ve ever heard and there’s no screaming on it whatsoever.
BORN IN THE LAST SHOWER
Easily our biggest departure from the Safe Hands sound of old (until later in the album anyway). I’ve had mates tell me it reminds them of The National so I’ll take it. The music was the result of just jamming around Anthony’s opening guitar riff. I remember after the first practice session everyone asking, “Does this feel like a Safe Hands song?” and the answer was, “No, but that’s why we should do it.” It’s an exercise in minimalism as instead of having a hundred different riffs in a song like we used to, it’s simply variations of the one riff.
I’m in love with the little disco percussion break in the middle, so much fun to get sassy to. The title came from an acquaintance who inadvertently meshed together the phrases, “I wasn’t born yesterday” and, “I didn’t come down in the last shower” to create, “I wasn’t born in the last shower.” I didn’t have the heart to correct them but later found there was a strange poetry in the phrase.
THE PINCH
Josh brought in all the music to this one and the tasty riffs came together really quickly. My mental health and anger issues have been ongoing struggles in my life for a long time and the lyrics are basically apologising to all the people who are still in my corner despite everything I’ve put them through.
We recorded all the drums and percussion for the album in a single day at a holiday house in Smiths Lake and the handclap section in this song had a real chaotic and loose vibe as a result of it being so late in the day with much alcohol consumed which I was really happy with. The Micro POG rears its head again in the end section but my intention was to go against type and sing over it. Mat (Taylor, engineer/producer) and I are big Jesu fans and I just told him to take that vibe and run with it and it turned out great.
‘TIL ALL THE BIRDS FELL OFF THE ROOF
“‘Til All The Birds Fell Off The Roof” was my original name for the record before I was convinced otherwise as it was way too easy to get wrong which would annoy me to no end. The guys know me well. Isaac kills it yet again on this song, especially in the pre-chorus break which we still affectionately refer to as “the Ticks & Leeches bit.”
The lyrics revolve around my love-hate relationship with acting and music and taking stock of a life spent trying to fill imaginary personas rather than taking the time to better myself. There are people lost before I could meet them and people I wish I had never met as a result of my interest in the arts and it definitely weighs heavy on me.
WAGTAILS
This one is a love song and I’ve never been prouder to say that. I always say to Jen that we spent enough time suffering in our lives before we met so let’s just be happy for the rest of them. This song is also about how I never got a chance to meet my father-in-law before he passed.
I am assured he would have been fond of picking my warped brain so that’s enough for me. If I had to describe the song, it’s Brand New meets Cult Of Luna meets Deftones meets the last thing you ever expected from Safe Hands. Even if this is the last thing we end up releasing I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out.
