Page 33 - Black Velvet Issue 90

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name Airbourne. If they don’t, they will this fall’. So tunes, so it was kind of in the midst of it all.” record, he had it stolen from a balcony when we
will this album turn Airbourne into that household He thinks that party inspired a bonus song were actually making the album. It was the balcony
name that they deserve? “I don’t know,” says Ryan. called ‘Bombshell’. “It’ll come out on the special of the engineer’s house, Mike Fraser, the apartment
“I just hope it’s received by rock ‘n’ roll fans who edition, I think. It’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s a he was staying in. Luckily, two days ago, he got
enjoy that kind of rock ‘n’ roll. I hope they get every- song about sex and all that!” he says. one that I think he loves more, in London.”
thing they need out of it. The response so far is that Since this motorcyclist helped a random
people are coming back with different kinds of side from other songs about sex on the stranger, catching the thief and getting her purse
favourite songs, which I’m really pleased to hear. It Aalbum, (‘Do Me Like You Do Yourself‘ being back for her, we ask what the most awesome thing
means the record shows a diversity for not just one one example!), there’s a song on the album called a stranger has done for Ryan. “When I was in
kind of rock ‘n’ roll fan but a whole genre of them.” ‘Rivalry’. Is rivalry in rock ‘n’ roll good? Ryan says, Japan once I was extremely hungry because we
As mentioned, the band announced their sign- “Rivalry in anything is good. Competition is good hadn’t eaten for a while and went downstairs to find
ing to Spinefarm Records in January 2015. They’re in anything. Competition is healthy and businesses food in the middle of the night and there was a
new to the label but not all of the team. Spinefarm wouldn’t boom if there wasn’t a bit of competition. Japanese fan standing there with a freshly baked
General Manager Jonas Nachsin had previously It keeps you on your toes.” cookie! So that was fantastic.”
worked with the band when they were signed to He tells us the song is about exactly that. “It’s Note to fans, Ryan likes getting cookies – al-
Roadrunner Records. He is proud to have the band about rivalry, whether it be sports, a kid in school though loves alcohol even more. “We generally get
now at Spinefarm. Ryan also tells us, “We’ve got who wants to listen to rock ‘n’ roll who doesn’t fit given gifts in Japan. We don’t mind a bottle of
Morgan who we’ve worked with… she’s helped us in, and sometimes even the teachers give him a booze every now and again, that’s always good. Or
a lot through the years. Morgan Thomas, with our hard time for being different. That’s a rivalry. It’s champagne. Or wine. Just throw it all down,” he
press. She looks after us when we’re out there wide open. The line is ‘this is between you and me, says, as if to down a drink... or ten. Beer is defi-
doing a lot of press, and a lot of scheduling to this is a rivalry’. Everyone’s passionate about nitely in the list of top pleasures for Airbourne –
make sure it all works well, photoshoots and the something and if you’re passionate about some- and their drinking has also inspired a couple of
shows, always making sure we don’t sacrifice the thing you’re willing to fight for it.” songs on the new album. ‘When I Drink I Go Crazy’
show, and make sure we talk to everybody.” He says there isn’t really any in-band rivalry is a particular favourite of ours on ‘Breakin’ Outta
The band set to work on the new album in with his fellow members. “Not entirely. Just my Hell’, while ‘Thin The Blood’ includes the lyrics,
2015. In October, they gave fans a writing update brother and I. Just day-to-day fights, but they’re so ‘start to drink, I just don’t stop, love the buzz, it
saying ‘hard day at the office’, posting a photo usual now they just fall on a deaf ear.” picks me up’. The long-haired rockers are well
showing the guys lay on the beach near Melbourne, known for their love of beer. They lent their song
working on some songs. Nice office! “We wrote ack in May, the band discovered the video ‘Live It Up’ from previous album, ‘Black Dog Bark-
them pretty much everywhere actually. The funny Bof a motorcyclist catching a thief who’d ing’, to a video that showed 100 Ways To Open A
thing is, we did go to the beach just to try it out. snatched a lady’s purse. The motorcyclist was lis- Beer – and were happy to discover new ways to
The weather was nice and we figured we’d go down tening to Airbourne as he was riding along a busy open beers after watching the video. The band
there and see if anything came out of it. We did get street, as you can hear in the video on youtube. have incorporated a similar thing on stage with
a few ideas. But we were always writing. Some- The band shared the video asking if anyone knows Joel banging a can of beer against his own head to
times at 3am at night, sometimes in a car, some- ‘this hero of rock ‘n’ roll justice’, saying he gets free open it. So when we end by asking what has been
times in a Bucks party in Queensland, just tickets for life. Ryan says they haven’t yet found the most awesome thing a bandmate has done for
depending on where we were at the time.” out who he is. “But I’m sure his name will come him, it’s no surprise that Ryan replies, “Pass me a
A Bucks party? Ryan explains, “We all went up across our path at some point and we will honour beer during the show, I guess.”
to the Gold Coast in Queensland. Joel and I were that for sure.” Go see Airbourne live. There will be beer, there
having a few drinks in our hotel room and we came He adds, “We’re glad there are people like him will be loud music and you may even find 100 ways
up with one of the song titles. I’m sure it was only that exist. It’s pretty gutless doing that.” to rock while you’re there.
a few minutes later that we were straight down- We ask if Airbourne have ever had anything Visit www.airbournerock.com for more info.
stairs to one of the bars. We just went up to drop stolen from them. “Joel had his leather jacket
something off at our room and throw on a few stolen before the tour. Before we were doing the Words By Shari Black Velvet
AIRBOURNE