Page 16 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 99

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and listeners are in. Maybe it does make it ‘nobody taught us that it ain’t weakness to each other snap out of it. I don’t think there’s
hard for them, but maybe it does also just open up and reach for help’, which made us necessarily one person in the band that does
make it easier for people that don’t necessar- think about today’s climate where mental it more so than others, I think we all have our
ily know us to then attach to an emotion of a health has become an important topic of moments for sure.”
song or lyric from a song. Maybe there are conversation. We can imagine some fans lis- “We get a little bit lost on tour some-
people who have been following us for a tening to the song and deciding to reach for times,” adds Joel. “I think it’s hard to even
while who may find it harder to, I guess, con- help after hearing that lyric. think at all. So there’s probably a bit of un-
nect some of these directly to Trenton or Matty P says, “I feel like a lot of people derthinking going on as well.”
with us as a band, but I think, in the grand connect really well with that song. I feel like, The making of the album didn’t require
scheme of things there are a few more doors no matter what they’re going through, if the band to overthink too much though. “I
being opened to people who may take it and those lyrics do connect to them in some way think, to be honest, this is one of the records,
have no idea who we are.” and it does give them a bit of confidence or probably the only record we’ve had where,
some sort of motive to want to do something not that it didn’t require a lot of thought, but
he door is definitely opening wider and reach out and speak up, then I think it’s things were flowing so much smoother than
Tfor Hands Like Houses, whose single a great thing. And I think it definitely is a any other record we’d done prior to this,
‘Monster’ was used as the official theme pretty bold and powerful lyric in itself. I know where I feel like in our first three records we
song for WWE's pay-per-view, the ‘Super there’s so much around that topic of people did have so much thought going into every-
Show-Down’, and has been heard on Mon- not being able to reach out, feel supported thing and meticulously demoing songs,
day Night Football as well. The album also or feeling like they can’t talk to someone making sure sections were right,” says Joel,
then entered the Australian ARIA charts at about how they’re feeling and it’s such a “but I feel like this time we were in such dif-
number 4, their highest chart position in massive problem that we have, so even if ferent headspaces that everything was just
their home country yet. Word is definitely that incites something or helps give them the flowing so much smoother that an idea
getting out that Hands Like Houses are a courage or give them anything to go, ‘OK, I would come up and everyone would be into
band to watch – and this album is one to pay can open up and ask for help,’ it’s massive.” it straightaway and there wasn’t a lot of back
attention to. While on the subject of mental health, and forth and trying to figure parts out. I
Matty P and Joel, who take care of the ‘Sick’ is a song on the album that does come think that things naturally progressed really
rhythm section in the band, find that they from personal experience. “To be brutally nicely and smoothly through this.”
personally take more of an interest in the honest, the original idea came from our ex-
rhythm of a song rather than the actual perience as a band,” explains Trenton, “with eing in the studio is so different to
lyrics. When asked if they pay attention to the entitlement some people have towards Bbeing out on the road – although
Trenton’s lyrics, Matty replies, “I paid atten- our own mental state, our own happiness or bands tend to love both. Some musicians
tion when Trenton started to sing love being on the road more than
the lyrics to ‘Bad Dream’.” This may in the studio, while others come
have been because the song was “No matter what hurdle is thrown at us, alive when creating in the studio.
about a couple of Trenton’s band While on tour, you never know
members. Trenton laughs, “Two of I feel like we’ve always tried to stay posi- what obstacles are likely to pop
the guys had been out all night tive and overcome and support each other up. Whether it be vans breaking
when we were writing it, so I only down or instruments not work-
had to look up from the page and it and that is inspiring and a very proud mo- ing, bands usually all have their
more or less wrote itself.” ment to me, for sure.” - Matt Parkitny fair share of frustrating mo-
‘No Man’s Land’, which Trenton ments. It was therefore no sur-
mentioned being about losing peo- prise that there were issues with
ple, is a more serious song, which the band (which is completed by
sees the frontman sing, ‘we owe it to our- our own worldview - like we belong to them Alex Pearson and Matt Cooper on guitars)
selves to be better’. He explains, “That - purely because they enjoy something that getting to the Birmingham show. But with
song’s specific to toxic masculinity, so in we have a hand in creating. It is such a hol- obstacles come strength and inspiration.
that context I think it’s important that we’re low and trivial relationship when you really “What inspires me is the other guys and
honest, pragmatic and respectful in engag- think about it in that context. It’s a song even our tech team, the guys we tour with,
ing with a world that is changing so quickly about being taken advantage of, but also tak- Jimmy, our sound guy,” says Matty. “We, as
that it’s easy to get sucked into the vacuum ing the power back; the cheekiness and a band, and a touring party, I feel like no mat-
between ideals and ideologies, as the social sense of sarcastic acidity are what provide ter what issues we come up against, we, as
and cultural norms swirl around to fill that the contrast. The working title as we were a band, can always overcome them, like
space and settle. I think that applies more writing it was ‘FMR’ haha - like ‘I’ve put this being together and being a collective. I’m
broadly than just through a gender-role- all out on the table to try sort my own shit out very proud of, for example, today, what we
based lens too - if we can actually engage in- and make a life for myself, and given you so achieved. No matter what sort of hurdle is
telligently and understand our viewpoints much of my life and energy in the hope you’ll thrown at us, whether a bandwagon breaks
instead of just recycling the same propa- see me and appreciate me as I am, not who down and we need to crossload something,
ganda and polarity as we’re fed, we might be you want me to be… but you just go ahead we’re two hours away from the venue, no
in a better place. It just takes tough conver- and take what you want because Fuck Me, matter what hurdle is thrown at us, I feel like
sations and even tougher love when you Right?’ I think that thought in itself is pretty we’ve always tried to stay positive and over-
can’t find common ground.” damn relatable, even beyond the context of come and support each other and that is in-
With the lyrical commentary pointing out music. So I guess the moral of the story is spiring and a very proud moment to me, for
that ‘everything is changing, but we are, we that that’s where the idea came from, but it’s sure.”
are the same,’ Trenton adds, “I’m pretty pes- not necessarily what the song is ‘about’ - On the day of the Birmingham show, the
simistic when it comes to humanity. We’re that’s up to whoever is listening.” band were driving down from Glasgow,
going to wipe ourselves out eventually, but where they’d played the night before, only to
whether that’s days, decades or millennia ith a song on the album called be stopped by the police.
from now, we have the capacity to make the W‘Overthinking’, it’s no surprise that “We were about an hour and a half out of
most of the present. That’s what makes us Joel initially picks Trenton as the band mem- Birmingham and we got pulled over by a po-
human - rising above our biology and nature ber that most overthinks things, before tak- lice officer, and they weighed our van, and
to create something greater than our individ- ing that back. “Maybe it’s not fair giving that our van was 750 kilos over the weight that
ual selves. We all want to be good, we all to Trenton. I think a lot of us tend to over- we’re legally allowed to have, so they gave
want the best for the people we care about. I think a lot of stuff sometimes. It definitely us a very expensive fine, and told us we
don’t think there’s a single person on this causes a bit of a… How would you put it, couldn’t move the vehicle until it was
planet who doesn’t see the way they live as Parky?” under… we had to lose that 750 kilos,” re-
right and good. So, in that way, we’re all the “I think we all have our moments of just counts Joel. “So we ended up pulling out
same. The challenges are when the mean- thinking way too much into something and most of the gear that we didn’t need and we
ings of ‘right’ and ‘good’ are often so diamet- going… I don’t know… we find ourselves sent two of the guys to drive here to start
rically opposed.” doing that from time to time,” says Matty. “I setting up the show. Myself, Matty and Tren-
‘No Man’s Land’ also includes the lyric think it’s nice to sometimes… we try to help ton stayed with all the rest of the gear, and I
HANDS LIKE HOUSES