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| Photo by Tae Young |
Brisbane-based band FeelsClub recently unveiled their debut EP After The Fall. Spanning five incredible tracks, their debut offering fuses pop-infused sonics with a FeelsClub twist. The EP is also home to poignant words about life's darker moments. The band take us through their influences and what they were listening to when creating the EP.
Season High – Little Dragon
After my first encounter, roughly in the month of May 2017, I stumbled across an album that would change the way I thought about drums forever. The use and insights of incorporating acoustic drums with electronic drums, triggers and effects blew my mind. Even to this day, I am constantly rejuvenated and inspired by Little Dragon’s drum patterns and the relationship the bass component shares. The influence on FeelsClub’s latest EP is evident through the deliverance of its raw smashing to its seamless transition to electric house beats. The first track off of Little Dragon’s album Celebrate was the most influential, specifically for the track ‘So Done’, giving the song a sense of breathe and flow through changes, like a lung.
- Pepe Mac (Drums)
Strangers in The Wind – Cut Copy
Throughout the writing process, I often found myself referring to this album. When we were putting songs together, we found ourselves thinking “Hmmm… what would Dan Whitford and the crew do here?” After hundreds of listens, to this day I am still finding new things in each song. Then there’s Ghost Colours... But that will be left for EP 2. Cut Copy are listed as one of my main influences purely because they have managed to fit so many different melodies, textures, left turns and right turns. Yet, the whole thing flows so flawlessly. Surprising twist and turns in songwriting is something we have developed during this process. Our exploration into these elements started on this EP, specifically on 'Forbidden Fruit' and 'Excuses'.
- DJLJ (Bass)
Sleep Well Beast – The National
At the end of 2018 around December, I was struggling with depression and self-destructive behaviour; I sought the need for sad music in a sad time. I have always been a National fan since high school but Sleep Well Beast’s happy-sad instrumentation got me through an incredibly intense period of my life. Next thing I knew I was repetitively sending National songs to Jonnie saying “Let’s write this song!” or “How do we make this sound?” all throughout our EP writing process, particularly the pensive guitar solo at the end of ‘Carin at the Liquor Store’ which had a huge hand in shaping the track ‘After The Fall’. This album has inspired me to be more subtle with how I record/write guitar and the patience I need for things that may not be going right for me both musically and personally.
- L Slip (Guitar)
Life, the band + St Jonnie
My role in the EP was more behind the scenes; consuming the process and songs, and channelling it into other areas like design, performance and what was next for FeelsClub. Being creatively motivated by the transfer of feelings and experiences; heavy influences for me consisted of 3 weeks in Japan that settled and opened up a lot of vulnerable realisations; the inevitable pull of adulthood responsibilities and the shift from a naive young adult to a woman; and finally, our one and only, St Jonnie, from his infectious energy on stage that lulls you into saying fuck it to anything that’s keeping you up at night and just dance, to his affirmations and encouragement towards the band to stand up for the things you believe in whether that be introspective or worldy. I felt that although musically I didn’t contribute as much, I know these guys wouldn’t have released anything if they didn't have me to pull them in order. No inspiration there, I just want that on record haha. As for a link to a song like the others? Unless you want me to link you to a screenshot of the million emails I dealt with booking the tour, planning recording, and PR etc I’m just going to leave you with this song I like.
- MKA (Abelton)
Modest Mouse/Talking Heads/Car Seat Headrest/Father John Misty/Neutral Milk Hotel
I can't really narrow my lyrical influences down to easily. Call it laziness or just an attention span as scattered as… something or other. Anyway, yeah aahh, that list above is where I really draw my admiration from. These people to me are amazing lyricists who I have listened to over-and-over-and-over again. I've picked apart their words song by song in amazement of either their frank candour to surreal metaphors or sideways views of subtle events. It's strange to say that they have inspired me though, as I was going to do it regardless of their existence. Writing music is a release for me so either way, it happens or my life gets skewed and emotionally top-heavy as a result. But yeah, I don't consider myself equal to that list in the slightest but hey maybe one day, right? In the meantime, though I don't turn to them for source, they continue to impress me with every listen and relisten of anything that they release.
- St. Jonnie (Vocals)
Listen to by After The Fall by FeelsClub:
Live dates:
October 26th - Bearded Lady, Brisbane
November 21st - Hamilton Station, Newcastle
November 23rd - Union Hotel, Sydney
November 29th - Yonder Festival
December 7th - The Esplanade, Melbourne
Listen to by After The Fall by FeelsClub:
Live dates:
October 26th - Bearded Lady, Brisbane
November 21st - Hamilton Station, Newcastle
November 23rd - Union Hotel, Sydney
November 29th - Yonder Festival
December 7th - The Esplanade, Melbourne
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