In Conversation With #242 - dust
Australian alt-punk outfit dust have just released their debut EP ‘et cetera etc’ via Kanine Records.
Produced alongside Wade Keighran (Polish Club, Hockey Dad, Sarah Blasko), et cetera, etc is a transportative listen, filtered through stumbled-upon voicemail message interludes, warbling saxophone solos and electronic ambience dispersed through driving punk rock in all its forms. et cetera, etc is a window to dust’s genesis in real time - friends jamming to their idols and experimenting for the first time, unknowingly piecing together a debut project - consciously guided by each other. dust's debut EP is in that way, a one-of-a-kind time capsule of the perfect storm.
Of the release the group share, "Edwardsville offered a place of solitude in nature, of bringing people together. et cetera, etc as a title is to show all the different angles and styles we take on writing music while still sounding like us. To introduce ourselves as a band and our sound. Recording and living in the farmhouse all together made us comfortable and uninterrupted. We had no time restrictions and often were recording and revising late into the night. We’d play Twin Peaks cuts and Blade Runner scenes projected on the walls, contributing to the mood in the overall recording. We want our music to make people excited and provoke thought and introspection. Listen and find out."
Recorded in its entirety on guitarist-saxophonist Adam Ridgway’s family farm property in Edwardsville, together with guitarist-vocalists Gabriel Stove and Justin Teale, bassist Liam Smith and drummer Kye Cherry, dust bear fruit to an impressive listen that distils their influences into a novel, playful sound of their own with an innovative vision that ensures their promise. "It’s cemented our friendship and given us the foundation to build upon our relationships with each other," they continue. "et cetera, etc is a step in the direction of the sound we’d like to carve out in the future."
They took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there dust - how are you? So your EP is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Just arrived in Antwerp, Belgium for our first EU show for the Hockey Dad tour, our bodies are still adjusting to the cold.
Having the EP out has been a relief since we’ve been sitting on it for so long. We’re all so happy for it to be out for everyone to hear.
It is called ‘et cetera etc’ - what is the meaning behind that?
Wise words from Adam’s Uncle Paul on the first track. We thought that the voice recordings added a nice texture and that was an excerpt that stuck with us. We compiled them all and they became a mix of some contrasting ideas.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
We recorded at Adam’s family farm in Wollombi, NSW. We stayed out there for a week and recorded the whole time. We would go for walks in the dark when we finished recording for the day and that was a fun way to have a break from recording the music. We also made time each afternoon to have a BBQ with ourselves and Wade to have our time away from the music process and reset after a big day.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
Family, mortality and friendship.
We like to balance chaos and calmness through our music. We also try to incorporate themes of intensity and lightheartedness when writing lyrics. Joy (Guilt) and Ward 52 are more of a representation of personal struggle, whereas Alternator formed to be the perspective of a story.
If the EP could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
The next Blade Runner. We recorded vocals with the original Blade Runner being projected at night. We all liked the colours associated with the landscape and building structures.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the EP - if so, which one and why?
“Oat Cappuccino” in Alternator. Justin gets really bad headaches in the morning and won’t stop sooking until he’s had some form of caffeine. Kye also makes a banger Oat Cap (best served with honey).
Now the EP is out there - what next?
We plan to keep writing and improving as musicians. We want to play as much as we can this year as well as taking adequate breaks to work on new material. We’d love to continue touring Australia and come back to the UK/EU. We’re planning to get to the States at some point too.
