Formed in 2016, Australian surf coast rock act The Burbs are now making waves internationally. Here in the interview that follows they discuss their career thus far, what motivates them, and their plans for the future, all while fitting in some good old Aussie humour along the way.
How long have you been writing/playing/performing for?
The Burbs: We’ve all played music since we were young. We got together and started doing shows as The Burbs in 2016. A lot of the music on Sunlight Spills Across The Swimming Pool was from around this time.
How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before?
The Burbs: Rock music for everyone in the backseat to sing along to.
Your new song has just been released. What’s it about? Is there a story, or the message behind it? What’s the inspiration behind it?
The Burbs: With ‘Ladder To The Moon’, I’d just had a friend pass away and had to get some words out. It’s a nostalgic recounting of our time spent together as well as a reflection on not getting to say goodbye properly. It’s this simple five chord song, but the band brought it to life in a way that was interesting enough to take to the studio.
Can you tell us more about the lyric?
The Burbs: The opening verse refers to playing as kids in the bunkroom. “Built a ladder to the moon. Hope you made it, come back soon” – It’s a snapshot memory of the fond times we’d had growing up together. The second verse is a jump to the present, and refers to a eulogy and a memorial plaque, and closes with the line “since we’re in the future now it shouldn’t be so dark”. We had filled each other with so much hope over the years… It was a hard pill to swallow.
How do go about go about creating your music? Is there a specific process for your songwriting?
The Burbs: We have a keyboard and a robot vacuum cleaner inside a rabbit cage down the sunny end of the house and we sit round reading fashion magazines while we wait for our tune to arrive.
Do you follow a formula when you write?
The Burbs: We begin strictly with the robot vacuum cleaner in the chicken pen, but after that its total chaos.
What else inspires you?
The Burbs: Sonic Energy, taxidermy, Cheese World, the Otway panther, and our videographer sensation and backflip king Loic Gaulier.
Who are your favourite music artists or musical influences?
The Burbs: Voiid, Dinosaur Beard, Select All, Something Krook, and ‘Happy New Year’ by Deloris.
How would you describe your vocal/musical style to someone who has not heard you sing before?
The Burbs: Loose.
Do you like performing live?
The Burbs: We’ve been known to enjoy it, sometimes too much.
Do you like recording?
The Burbs: We love it and hope that someday one of us will marry the owner of a wonderfully large and successful recording studio.
What do you hope to achieve with your music?
The Burbs: We want to usher in a new wave of decent and real music cos music fans deserve it and have waited long enough.
Have any elements of your personal background influenced your music?
The Burbs: For sure, visions of ripped jeans and used-to-death skateboards, urban myths, street hangouts, feeling too grimy for a surf town yet too different for the city.
Is there anything about your musical or personal history that you feel is important for your audiences to know?
The Burbs: Yeah, we’d just like to say that there’s no truth to the rumour Danny rides a RipStik as his main mode of transportation.
What do you believe makes you stand out as an artist?
The Burbs: Taste and work ethic. And there’s a signature thing we do where we all beat our chests and make gorilla noises – I don’t think that any other bands are doing this yet.
What are your plans regarding future releases?
The Burbs: We’ll drop a further couple of singles this year and then see how much we can get out next year.
What are your long-term musical/creative goals?
The Burbs: We want to be involved in shaping the type of music that becomes popular over the next decade.
What has been the best part of your musical experiences so far?
The Burbs: Touring up the East Coast with friends.
What has been the highpoint of your musical life/career?
The Burbs: Getting to play alongside some of our heroes like Elephant Gun, Vasco Era and Dinosaur Beard, and getting to know those guys. And getting to record at Sing Sing, which has a rich history within the Australian music scene.
