BRITTLE

Melbourne four-piece Brittle just released their second EP titled ‘The Owls’. With five catchy tracks including ‘Burn My Bridges’, this EP is sure to pave the path for these alternative rockers.

Alicia Bolton from Press Record had a quick chat to vocalist Ben Whiting about ‘The Owls’, their upcoming Australian tour and playing alongside Katy Perry!

First of all, I’m curious as to what Brittle means or what it stands for?

Brittle is just a name we came up with when we were seven years old and started playing together. It grew with us over the years. So yeah it has no real meaning, it was just spontaneous and seemed to stick after a while.

And how did you guys come together?

We were all childhood friends, and Billy the bass player is my cousin. We were all just playing for the same bands at the same time and kind of fell together. We met Geoff at high school and we were originally a three-piece band.

And you guys grew up in Ballina but moved to Melbourne to pursue your music?

Yeah we started off in Ballina (NSW) but moved to Melbourne because there’s only so much you can do in a small town like Ballina. We were playing at the same venues over and over and wanted to get out and explore the industry and you know, pick up our game. We moved two years ago and have been given a better crack at it and picked up management. So that’s worked out to be awesome.

For those who haven’t heard your music, how would you describe it and who’s influenced you over the years?

Well we’re a rock band. I hate relating to other bands and categorising our music and ourselves but we listen to all types of different music. We relate to various bands from The Academy Is all the way through to Nirvana. It really varies. We’re across and between there somewhere.

You guys have just recorded a new five-track EP titled "The Owls" which will be unleashed on June 14. What can fans expect from this?

Well it’s basically just five songs that show a snapshot of the band and where we’re at now. We wanted to go for a live raw sound and that’s what we achieved.

Is it similar style to your first EP ‘Chinese Whispers’ or have you taken a new direction?

You could say it’s a lot more organic, more real and a lot edgier. Yeah that’s the difference between this and the last, it’s organic.

You’ll be touring this EP around all Australian capital cities from June through to August. Where are you most looking forward to playing?

Well straight up I can say we’re most looking forward to playing in Byron Bay because it’s our hometown and we love it there. We’re also looking forward to playing in Brisbane because we haven’t been there for a while so that’ll be awesome.

What can fans expect from your live shows?

I guess since we’ve been together for so long, nine years, we’ve really worked on producing a tight show. That’s what we’ve got going on and it’s really exciting. So yeah, you can expect a really tight show.

Cool, we look forward to it.

Your producer Mark Opitz also worked with KISS, INXS and Cold Chisel. How was the experience of working with such a successful producer?

Yeah it was good. It was a massive learning curve for our band. He’s a really inspirational guy, not just with music but also with life in general as well. He really kicked our ass and helped us to develop a sound that we’re going for. I’m really happy with it.

I heard you guys played with Katy Perry…is that every dudes dream?

Hahaha yeah, that was a bit different. It was cool. The fans were not our average fan base but we still had a really good time and it was cool.

What’s behind the name of your new EP The Owls?

Originally we chose owls because of the artwork we wanted to create for this EP. I’m a massive artwork fan and good art relates to the sound. We thought owls would be awesome to play with artistically. Then there’s also the tie in that bands are like owls. We come out at night and do our thing just like an owl. I’m actually in the studio at the moment and have no voice ha-ha.

Which musicians inspired you to want to create music, and were you always interested in alternative rock?

Well our family inspired us because they’re really musical. We grew up listening to The Police and even reggae music so we never just wanted to play one specific style. We love jamming and basically we just love music.

I guess we started playing when the pop punk rock scene was really big and that’s what we were doing at the time. When we were 13 years old, Blink 182, Sum 41 and all those types of bands were our idols and that’s what drove our band.

Do you plan on going overseas anytime soon, and if not then where would you like to tour?

Yeah we’re planning a trip to America in March next year. We want to tour over there and record, as well as meet up with American musicians and gain experience. That’s our goal.

Do you have any festivals lined up over there or are you just going to tour and play gigs?

Yeah we have a few bands to tour with. I think first we’ll go to LA, because that’s where it’s all happening. Then we’ll jump on tours with American bands as much as we can. We want to go to New York and everywhere really.

What are you plans, dreams and hopes for Brittle in the future?

We just want to keep recording and playing music, build a fan base, all that sort of thing you know. We’re not in it for the fame, we just want people to respect our music.

Yeah that sounds great. On a final note….Do you have anything else you’d like your fans to know?

Make sure they come see us on tour!!!

Cool, thanks for your time Ben!

No problem Alicia, speak to you soon.

To check out the new EP and find tour dates in your area, head to www.brittlerock.com