Regular John moved to Sydney from rural New South Wales in 2006 and released an EP, named after their adopted new hometown of Marrickville, in 2007 to great acclaim. In the years since, the band has forged an inimitable live reputation and supported some big names, and finally drop their debut album, The Peaceful Atom is a Bomb.
yourGigs (YG): Is it a relief to finally have the album come out?
Regular John (RJ): It's great. We basically took a year off to write new material, record the album and also to deal with personal reasons. So it's definitely a relief to have the album out that we're all very happy with.
yG: How did the finished product compare to your initial expectations and aims for it?
RJ: We had expectations on what we wanted but working with timEbandit [album producer and the church member Tim Powels] helped the initial expectations expand.
yG: The album seems to have really captured your live power onto tape - was that something you were trying for?
RJ: We recorded it as live as possible with out to much layer[ed] over the top so the energy can still get through. A lot of the songs were done on the first or second take.
YG: What do you hope this album finally being out can achieve for the band?
RJ: It would be nice to pay my rent.
yG: When we last spoke to you, you had just arrived in Sydney from Griffith - how have the last couple of years shaped and influenced you as people and musicians, and how did it affect your sound and has it afforded you better opportunities as a band?
RJ: Playing with bands such as Dinosaur Jr. and Hard-Ons over the last couple of years, and seeing the longevity and passion they still have definitely influences you.
yG: The title of your album will obviously cause a reaction in people one way or another - was that deliberate? What were your feelings behind it and how well do you think it reflects the issues you sing about on the album?
RJ: The title is just supposed to make people think. It doesn't immediately really make sense which is a good thing. It's both war and peace which is kinda what we are like. We felt it was a good description for our music in that whilst there might be a lot of violence and chaos in the music, we feel calmer and more peaceful from playing it.
yG: Do you still think there is a place for musicians to make a difference with their lyrics?
RJ: Music is about expressing yourself and also brings people together, so as long as music does that I think with or without lyrics, a musician can make a difference.
yG: You have spent a lot of time on the road playing with a variety of artists - did any stand out and have you noticed your profile growing on the back of your live shows?
RJ: Being on the road and going to places you have never been before and seeing and playing with bands that you have never heard of before - such as Lady Strangelove, Veya, Stature::Statue - is great. Playing as much as we can [has] helped make us grow.
yG: What are you expecting from the upcoming shows with Talons - do you think there will be any friendly or otherwise rivalry between your two bands and your competing debut albums?
RJ: Talons are radical cats, especially Benny [James] the drummer; I think that will be the only competing going on.
Andy Ryan
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