The Bon Scotts are best described as a seven-piece folk-rock band from Melbourne. The band started from humble beginnings with 2 friends on a couch in the inner suburbs of Brisbane, who then moved to Melbourne and grew The Bon Scotts into the seven piece racuous music machine it is today.
We love touring, eating Asian food, and whisky. We’ve played various festivals around Victoria (St. Kilda Festival, Port Fairy, Cobargo) and reguarly play gigs within Melbourne. We’ve just completed a successful east coast tour promoting our new single ‘The Weekend Bends’.
Finally we’re back in our cosy studio (metal shed) in the suburbs of Melbourne to recording to complete the set of songs which will become our next album ‘Modern Capitalism Gets Things Done’ which is due for release sometime mid 2014.
Having been a little while since your last release (2011’s We All Die At the Hands of C.G.I.), it’s great to hear the new single ‘The Weekend Bends.’ Is there a new album on the way?
Of course, we are currently recording and working on tracks for it. The tentative title is ‘Modern Capitalism Gets Things Done’.
Listening to ‘The Weekend Bends,’ it would seem a huge variety in instrumentation and particular emphasis on backing vocals have lead to a fuller more rambunctious sound for you guys, is this a sound you were consciously aiming for?
Definitely. We are really aiming at capturing the energy of our live show more. We have so much fun on stage, and we don’t feel that previous releases ever captured that energy, so getting that feeling on tape is one of our main goals with this record.
Is it something that we can expect of future releases?
We have demoed about 25 tracks so far, and most of them have a big live feel. With seven musicians who all sing and shout we tend to lean that way naturally, but at the same time, we have a few really orchestral songs that are vying for contention. It really will come down to what makes the best record.
You’re halfway through a solid East coast tour, how do you go about getting the seven of you around the country? I’m picturing all of you plus your multitude of instruments piled into a Tarago, please confirm that this is the case!
Actually, we have a big, black 8 seater VW with a trailer… Taragos have no guts.
Which is the most annoying/difficult instrument to tour with?
Cellos just don’t pack down well. It used to be the harp, but we rarely take it on tour, being so fragile. It’s a bit of a Melbourne only treat now.
And which band member…?
No one really stands out. We all have our good and bad days, but most of the time it just sort of carries on from our live show. We all get along so well, and have an absolute ball on the road. I am already missing it and I have been home two days.
How have the shows been so far, is there any one that stands out – good or bad?
The Royal Mail in Goodna (QLD) was a blast… the publican, bar staff and rowdy audience really made for an awesome boozy day. We were a little scared when we first rocked up due to the rough looking bikies and the QLD totalitarian campaign against them….but really they’re just big, music loving teddy bears. If only every pub was like it.
Is it hard to keep up your trademark onstage energy during such a packed touring schedule?
Not at all, I think if we were faking it then it would be difficult, but we really just have that much energy, on and off the stage.
Are you road testing new material? If so, how has it been received?
We are trying out a couple of new songs… They have all gone down pretty well so far. We are finding we have favourites, so some of them get more stage time than others… We’ve also had a couple of lineup changes which has brought new ideas to old songs which have freshened them up and made them exciting and fun to play again.
After this weekend you have almost two weeks off before the SA and Victorian legs of the tour, will you stay together or get the hell away from each other for that time?
We have a couple of days off, but some of us are back in the studio already. We are really excited, and the buzz you get from touring gives you great energy for the writing and recording process. Jim (Horn/Synth) and I live together too, so we miss each other after not having breakfast together for two days.
How do you guys like to unwind when you get away from music?
I surf, drink whisky and eat Chinese food.
When can we look forward to more new material from you guys?
You can probably expect something from us in Jan or Feb. We are touring again then, and it is always nice to justify going on the road with a new single or album.
The Bon Scotts Tour Dates:
NOV 2 – Grace Emily – Adelaide
NOV 3 – The Surf Club – Glenelg
NOV 9 – The Grace Darling – Melbourne
Listen to ‘The Weekend Bends’ here
