Bad Absalom Interview
Bad Absalom is a 4-piece rock/ metal band from the inner western suburbs of Sydney. They have been around the Sydney scene for a few years with different members coming and going but have really made a name for themselves in the last year having solidified their members.
The band consists of Jeremy- the founder and lead guitarist, Arthur- the lead singer, Richie- the bass player and Harrison- the drummer.
Bad Absalom is in the process of recording and mixing their first official EP, of which the title is a secret but will be announced soon. They have recently been accepted to play largerfest and they are ready to play gigs and festivals on a domestic and international scale.
Bad Absalom are also in the process of making merchandise and they ran a competition on Facebook to see who could come up with the most Awesom design. Bad Absalom would like to congratulate the winner Timothy Devine for his artwork based on one of their tracks.
Bad Absalom are ready to shake things up and Rock like the masters they are.
TM- What can fans expect from your show at Lagerfest?
HB- They can expect a fantastic show! We are so lucky to be included on this years Lagerfest line-up. I have been a fan of Lagerstein ever since I saw them open for Alestorm back in 2015 and have been to every Sydney show since.
It is going to be an amazing festival and the fans can expect a face melting experience! Whenever we take to the stage, we go up and give 110% and leave nothing behind and we are just the first band on! There are 8 bands on the line-up and they all give it their all, so it will be incredible!
TM- What can fans expect from your new album?
HB- This is the first time we have released anything and it’s all original music. They can expect an amazing sound from people who love what they’re doing and put all their passion and talent and dedication into their craft.
TM- What was your writing and recording process for your new album?
HB- A lot of the lyrics are written when drunk, Jeremy and Arthur come up with the lyrics. I’m in the middle of writing something new right now and the main lines came to me as I was drifting off to sleep.
Jeremy often comes up with the guitar riffs by sitting down with his guitar for a few hours and just playing and seeing what his fingers can come up with. If he comes up with a riff or progression he likes, he will write it down and bring it to practice where he will play it for me and I will come up with a drum pattern to match and before you know it we have a new song.
The recording process was incredible! We spent a day in Adversary studios in St. Peters Sydney and laid down the tracks. The main reason for going into the studio was to record the drum tracks in a proper studio setting and have everything mixed up.
I was able to get everything I had to do done in the studio, but they boys weren’t happy with their playing on the day and thankfully our bass player is also an engineer and we fixed up what they wanted to at his place using his set up. It also gave us a chance to add in some extra vocals and sound effects which was a lot of fun!
TM- For people who don't know you, what are the theme of your lyrics and what inspired you to write these songs?
HB- A lot of the lyrics in our songs are about issues in our lives like alcohol and drug problems, relationship problems, nihilism, and coming to grips with mortality. For example; our track Decaying Madonna is about the battle with time and how we are all fighting that battle and getting older. The song I am writing now is about a person who hates their job but knows they must go and dealing with that, which I feel like a lot of people can relate to. I actually got inspiration for this song from the series on Netflix ‘Aggretsuko’. It’s a story about a panda who hates her job but lets out her frustration through death metal karaoke.
TM- What instruments do you use can you list the brands and model numbers?
HB- Well I love my Ludwig drums, I play a 6-piece element series. I also use a mix of Paiste pst5 cymbals, Zildjian Acustoms and Stagg as well. My favourite part of my set up are my sticks and pedals though! I use pearl demon drive double pedals and Ahead drumsticks. They are the best I have ever used, they can stand up to the intense level of playing I do without breaking or damaging my kit. I know Jeremy uses a Gibson SG and a Peavy Bandit amp. Our singer doesn’t have a specific mic, it is usually just what the venue has but I use my Shure super 55. Our bass player plays a Cort Artisan B5 and uses a Big Muff super deluxe distortion pedal, he also uses A Hartke HA3500 head and XL410 cab.
TM- How did you come up with your band name, what's the story behind it?
HB- There are 2 theories as to how we came up with the name, depending on who you ask. The first one is that it came from the story of Absalom from the bible, the son of king David and supposedly the most handsome man in the land. Our guitarist and singer dug the name because the story is full of revolutions and deception and battles. The second theory is it came from the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland that smokes opium, he’s a cool character and we thought it was funny.
What challenges have you overcome as a band?
HB- There are a few that we have overcome but for me I would say the biggest one is death, in late 2017 I lost my best friend to suicide and I was lost, if it wasn’t for my friends and family and my band and the music I don’t know where I would be. They all rallied behind me and helped me get through one of the most difficult times of my life, I honestly don’t know where I would be now if it wasn’t for all the support I had.
TM- If you could have any band perform one of your songs which band would it be, which song would it be, and would it be in your style or theirs?
HB- I have so many bands that I would love to hear cover our music, but if I had to pick one; I would love to hear Steel Panther do a cover of our song Huffin and Puffin. It’s a song about how the main character has a very busy and shitty life and he uses smoking to cope. What he is smoking is subjective and up to the listener to decide.
TM- What is your favourite song to play on your current setlist?
HB- We have this one song on our list called Deadweight, it was actually the first song I learned when I joined the band and it has this amazing section right at the beginning in which I play a drum solo that is so much fun! Also in the song I get to do a lot of stick tricks which look really cool and are really fun to do!
TM- Which bands influence your music style?
As individual musicians we all have different influences, one band we all love is Black Sabbath! Personally, I have a great love for Tré Cool from Green Day as a drummer, he has been an influence of mine for over 15 years. I also love and am influenced by bands such as Sabaton, Amon Amarth, AC/DC, Lamb of God. We all draw influences from different artist when we play as I think every musician does. For example, I draw my inspiration from fast-paced intense drumming like Tré and Mike Mangini from Dream Theater and our bass player draws his influence from bands like Electric Wizard and Sleep when it comes to his style of playing.
TM- Do you have anything you would like to say to your fans?
HB- Be prepared for a fucking brilliant night! Come down and have a few rums and enjoy some of the greatest music Sydney has to offer!!! Party times Ahoy!