Interview with Yours Truly

Hello! It is Adam. Welcome back to bringing it backwards. A podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we had a chance to hang out with McKayla of the band, yours truly over zoom, video, McKayla, born and raised in Sydney in Australia, and talks about how she got into music. She tells us about meeting the other members of yours, truly how they early on would put their songs up onto triple J's website, which is the big radio station in Australia. And then what they do is they'll sift through those songs, put some of the songs if they like them onto their online stream and even onto the big station, triple J, they talked about having some success that way we hear about the first EPS that they released, the huge success of their song. 3 (2m 18s): High hopes, all about their first studio album called self-care and all about the new music that they're releasing with the song called lights out. You can watch our interview with McKayla on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at bringing it backwards. It would be awesome if you subscribe to our channel like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and tick-tock at bringing back pod. And if you're listening to this on Spotify, apple music, Google podcasts, it would be amazing if you follow us there as well, and hook us up with a five star review. 4 (2m 52s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, 3 (2m 58s): We're bringing it backwards with yours, truly I'm Adam and this podcast is about you and your journey in music. And we'll talk about the new record that's out and the video for lights on as well. 5 (3m 10s): Cool. Sounds good. 3 (3m 11s): Amazing, amazing. I did read the bands from Sydney. Is that where you were born and raised as well? 5 (3m 18s): Yep. Always been from Sydney. Yeah. 3 (3m 20s): What was it like growing up in Sydney? 5 (3m 23s): Really good. It's like, it's beautiful. I'm like, it's really safe. It's really it really nice. So it's not a very big sort of very big city, but yeah, I'm very, very grateful to, you know, have just been fortunate people in some way, like there. 3 (3m 40s): Did you grow up with music in your household or anything? 5 (3m 44s): No, not really. I can't really remember like how, like, I think I've just always loved music, like just growing up. So I just remember my parents obviously, like, you know, my dad loved bands, like kiss and ACDC and stuff like that, but they were never musicians or anything like that. And I think that it's just something like that I liked and that I wanted to do. And then my brother also started playing music as well. So I think we were like the two to bring music into the family. 3 (4m 14s): And is your brother older or younger than you are? 5 (4m 17s): He's younger than me. He's he's 22 this year. My brother, his name's Jacob. He was actually an Australian X-Factor when he was 14. So yeah, he's a good singer. 3 (4m 30s): Yeah. Did you guys ever collaborate together? 5 (4m 32s): We've done. Like, we've done like little covers together and we used to like sing at school together, but that's pretty much it never, never much else. 3 (4m 40s): Never put them on a record. 5 (4m 42s): No, I would love to though. 3 (4m 44s): That'd be cool to have your brother on one of the songs. 5 (4m 46s): It would be really cool. 3 (4m 48s): So how well? Wow. Okay. So he lives on that show. And how much older are you? How many years old are you then? 5 (4m 54s): All 3 (4m 54s): Your age. Okay. 5 (4m 56s): Tuesday. Oh, the names. So it was a couple of years ago now it's like, 3 (5m 4s): But you must've been still in what? Like in high school and then that would happen, right? 5 (5m 7s): Yeah. I was like, yes. I was like 16. He was 14. And I remember we had just moved schools as well when it happened. So it was the, I was very hectic and yeah, and he was just known as that kid. That was an X factor. And I was his sister. I was the sister of the guy that was on. They, I had just started us truly at the time. It was just kind of around the same time that I had met Teddy and they had just come off the show, they had signed to a label and they went on their first Australian tour and they took us as the support. So that was our first ever tour. It was with my brother 3 (5m 42s): Really that's 5 (5m 45s): My parents, my parents were on the two or my parents came like, it was like, it was like a whole life family touring experience. 3 (5m 54s): Oh my gosh. I want to get into that. But I run a here real quick. Did you play piano or did you pick up any good lessons like that or guitar that early age or? 5 (6m 5s): I started learning. I started playing guitar when I was maybe like 12, I think. Yeah. But it's something that once I met lucky, I just stopped playing guitar because he's just so good that I just feel like I never have to play again. Yeah. Like he, I w I would have asked guitarists, like, I just like, because I've got two guitars, my band, I just don't ever play guitar anymore. Cause I just, I'm not as good as them. So I'm just like, can you guys play blah, blah, blah. And they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm like, cool. So yeah, 3 (6m 32s): I should have an understanding of it. Right. I mean, to be able to speak the language to them. 5 (6m 38s): Yeah. I usually just sing it to them. Like, I'm not like classically, like I don't have, I don't have much. I'm very much. That sounds good. And that's how I think you should be played. I'm not like you should play blah, blah, blah. And this fifth, and I'd have no idea about that stuff. Like, I don't know a lot of, I don't know, a lot of technical things about music, which I probably should learn, but yeah. 3 (6m 59s): But it might be a blessing not to cause then you might get like too caught up in it. Like, well, technically it's not supposed to, you know, sound good this way, but you're like, I know I like what it sounds like, so let's run with it. Like I could see that kind of becoming a, a hinder or like, you know, affecting it in that way too. 5 (7m 18s): Yeah. I think there are people that like, I've worked with a like, oh, technically that note's not supposed to be with that. And I'm like, yeah, but it sounds sick. So like, yeah. 3 (7m 27s): That's what I mean, like okay. Right. But I like the sound of it, so we're going to go with it. Okay. 5 (7m 32s): Exactly. 3 (7m 33s): All right. Well that's, that's cool. So 12, you started playing guitar. Did you start writing songs pretty early on as well? I mean, it sounds like you were in this band at 16. 5 (7m 42s): Yeah. I've been writing songs. Like I think I sort of writing songs around when I started playing guitar and like, that was kind of like when, when it started. Yeah. And just kind of like, you know, you learn a couple of chords and you're like, oh, I can, I can sing things too now. And I would just kind of play chord progressions and seeing things over them to see kind of what, what came out of it. I guess before that, I used to say, you know, as a kid, I would just like sing. Like I would have these like songs in my head and I would just sing them all the time. And my mom would be like, what is that? I'm like a song. She put some, I dunno, I just made it up and she'd be like, okay, maybe you do want to go singing lessons or something like that. Like, it was like that, that's kind of how I got into it because I just would always, like, I'm always like constantly hearing things in my head kind of thing. 5 (8m 27s): Like there's always a song going on, but I can always imagine music, but I guess my main thing was that like, when I started working in the band, it was something that I was able to like bring, you know, Intel into being able to, you know, work with people that were a lot better skilled than I was, and actually playing instruments or it's, it's, it's cool to kind of like hear something in your head and then finally hear it come out. Yeah. Just because I, you know, as much as I like playing guitar and stuff like that, I think it was cool to like, like I said before to work with someone that is so good that they just know exactly what you're talking about and it just all comes to life. 3 (9m 3s): Yeah, sure. Wow. What was the, was there any artists or artists that you were kind of influenced by that won? It made you want to play guitar and then when you did get a guitar or anyone you were trying to learn their songs up first before you started to tinker around and write your own? 5 (9m 20s): Well, I learnt a lot of them. I'm like power more. I also like, I love hailstorm. So that's their song, familiar taste of poison was like the song that I was like, I'm going to let him play that and sing it. Like, and I would, I would do like little, like, like before I was in the band, I would do like these like solar, like shows and competitions and stuff like that when like I did lessons and they would put you in and be like, judge you against other kids and write you out of a hundred, which is absolutely brutal. But apparently when you go to like schools, like, like dancing instead foods, and then I would always go and I play guitar and I would sing film testifies by hailstorm. So that for me is like, like, it was 3 (9m 58s): Like a go-to. 5 (9m 59s): Yeah. So yeah, like songs like that, like bands like that, like, you know, inspired me to kind of get into it. 3 (10m 6s): Was that a how, like, what was that like being in, you know, those types of competitions where it's like, okay, you're going to go up and you're gonna do a song and we're all gonna judge you. 5 (10m 16s): Yeah. I just, I think that it's stupid, but I think it kind of everyone that does the, these competitions, they're all children. Right. And I think it's serving the wrong example of music, like music isn't about what you're rated out of a hundred music is about art and creativity. And it's like, there's no right. And there's no wrong in music. And I think that something like that, you know, I would do these competitions and I'd be like, you know, 13 years old and I would get a certain number out of a hundred. I'd go home and I'd be like, oh, why didn't I get a high, a number? Or like, and they'd write down like these criticisms of like, even things like you could won a better outfit or, you know, this and that. 5 (11m 2s): And I was just thinking like, I get that there's like this whole world of competitive dancing and singing and stuff like that. But I just think that kind of teaching, you know, teaching like learning musicians that all their worth is out of a number of a hundred and where they place in a competition. That's not really, that's not real the real music industry, I think anyways, like, No, it's like as an adult, I've never once gone and played a gig with my band and someone being like, oh yeah, I give that a 90 out of a hundred. 3 (11m 38s): Is it going to say they're like the outfit? I mean, if you would've, you would've had a hundred, if the outfit was a different, you know, it's like, how does that have anything to do with my musical ability? And I didn't know that we're being judged on what we're gonna wear and why is your opinion rating 10 points or whatever it is like, it's crazy. 5 (11m 54s): Yeah. I think it's just one thing that like, I wish I could go back to myself and be like, that person that sat there and like, mark, do you even, they gave you like a 70 out of a hundred and said that, oh, your, you know, this part could be better or your pitch was bad or your control. Wasn't good. Like you're a child, you're literally a child. Or you've only been singing for like a couple of years. And like, you know, these, these things are just for calm. Like these things, they say they're for confidence, but they ruin people's confidence at the same time. 3 (12m 26s): Because if you're told that early on, you're going to be like, oh, well, I guess I suck at this. I'm not going to continue 5 (12m 32s): Totally silly. And you know, and then there's the whole thing of like, yeah, well, like if you don't have the confidence and you shouldn't be doing this, and it's just kind of like, oh, we're not really giving people a really good pants here. And yeah, it's just, it's completely brutal. But I guess it's just, I've obviously one day I turned around and I was like, I don't want to do this anymore. Like I, you know, I obviously I got to a point where I was like, oh, you know, I'm not going to do lessons anymore. Like, you know, 3 (13m 0s): It's all done through lessons. Like, I guess I'm confused where the, where the competition comes in. Like, is it like, if you're in, if you're in guitar lessons, then you go to what, like a recital that ends up being judged by people. 5 (13m 13s): Yeah. It's kinda like that. It's like, I guess I, like, I came from like a, you know, just a small, it wasn't, it wasn't small. Like, it was like, it was a music school, obviously that you do. But they, it was run by like a dancing school. And I guess, as you know, you see like those, like those dancing TV shows where they go to competitions and they like, you know, 3 (13m 33s): I understand 5 (13m 34s): There's competitions like that, but then they have these little sections where it's like, oh, we have some singing now, like kind of thing. And then I think that obviously, like when you go to like these schools, they're like, you have an opportunity to go and perform in front of people. And you know, when you're not playing gigs and you're looking like you're young and you starting out, that's really your only opportunity to get up in front of people and to sing for them. But then the bad part is that you get judged for it. Like it'd be, I think it'd be cool to be like, here's opportunities, play people. Like, I think that's more of a positive Thing to do, but I guess it was one of those things. It's a gig is a gig kind of thing. And if it gives you some experience to get up there and perform for people, unfortunately just with everything, sometimes things, there are some not nice things about the bad stuff, but I haven't done one of those things that absolutely is. 5 (14m 22s): So I hear certain songs the other day I was in a restaurant and I heard mercy by Duffy. And I had like a, it was like a, my friend was like, what? And I was like, last song as this song had a competition a couple of times when y'all 3 (14m 35s): <inaudible> yeah, yeah. Some trauma. Oh my gosh. Well, your brother must've been really good at those types of competitions. If he ended up going on to X-Factor, 5 (14m 51s): He did one of them. He's the first one you got like a hundred out of a hundred. 3 (14m 56s): He's like, I like these, what what's what's your deal with? 5 (14m 59s): The first one came first a hundred over a hundred, but that's another thing is like, he was, he was 14 when he was on the X factor. And then, you know, being in front of all those people and, you know, being so young, coming off the show and then having so much thrown at him. And so many people on the internet saying things to him and everyone having an opinion, obviously Australia is not a big place. So lots of people watch the show and, you know, people are so brutal to, you know, two young kids are trying to get into music and I just, I don't, I don't get it. 3 (15m 33s): That's awful. Did he ended up winning it? Is that what kind of farm to the tour or no, 5 (15m 37s): No, they came eighth. So they were like, you know, every teenage, like teenage girl in Australia, it was like following them on Instagram and come to their shows and the play huge venues and yeah, it was like in a boy band, so yeah. 3 (15m 53s): That's awesome. And then you got to open up for them on that tour, on a tour right after the show. 5 (15m 57s): Yep. And then we did that. It was us. And then there was another band called forever ends here, which was quite like, they were like, you know, quite a big pop punk band in Australia, like around that time. And then we ended up touring with them off to that. And then we met a whole bunch of bands on that tour. And then actually on that tour is where I met Stevie Knight, who I actually went and worked with him and sung on a forever NC song. And then Stevie ended up becoming like, just out produce on, he did off tickler self-care and this AP now. 3 (16m 27s): Wow. Okay. That's cool. So how did you get in the span? Like you were still in high school when you joined the band? 5 (16m 34s): Yeah, I started, sorry. I, I was, I was in a band like in high school when I was around like 14 or 15, I think I was, I was in this band and then I think we went, I went on a couple of tours with them 3 (16m 52s): At 15. 5 (16m 54s): Yeah. 15. I was at inventorying since I was like, yeah, 14, 15. 3 (16m 57s): Wow. That's so cool. And Australia, isn't the easiest place to tour. You have to fly around everywhere, right? 5 (17m 5s): Yeah. Well, we drove, we drove a lot of places because you just kind of have to do it. It's just, you know, it's just really expensive to like fly all the time. But yeah, my mom would get in the van with me and we would drive all over the country with my, the rest of the band. They were like, there, they were like in there they're 24, 25. They would have been. So yeah, like there were a lot older than me and, but they were like, we need a singer, we don't have a singer anymore. And then at the same time we had, like, I was working with someone that was also working with them. So he was like, let me combine these projects together. So I did that for like about a year and then I was like, I just want to be in a band people Myron age. 3 (17m 44s): Sure. Okay. Well, real quick. So you had, you were already working with someone prior to joining that first ban then? 5 (17m 52s): Yeah. So I hadn't met someone at a competition that was 3 (17m 56s): How 5 (17m 56s): I'll manage you kind of thing. So that was kind of, you know, how that was, how that kind of started. But yeah, 3 (18m 3s): I joined this band that was already what is a little bit established that had, 5 (18m 7s): Yeah, they were a little bit established, like nothing like nothing big by any means. It was just, you know, like a local Sydney band. But to me it was like, wow, like this is like a whole bunch of guys in their twenties that like want to play music, wouldn't be in a band. And I was like, cool. And like I had diamond hip her purple and I was like, yeah, let's go. Like, I'm ready to be in this band. And then, yeah, I think it was really cool in the beginning, but I guess like, you know, I was, you know, I was so young and I had liner, no connection with them at all. And it was, to me, it taught me a lot, like about being in a band. And I met a lot of people and I kinda had an understanding of like what touring touring was like, you know, like I've got to see firsthand kind of like how, like how a day would go and like what happened when you get to the venue? 5 (18m 55s): And because I was so young, I was never allowed in the venue. So I would have to sit outside the venue with my mom. And then we went on, I come and they give me my stuff and they'd be like, okay, you ready to go on stage now? And I'd get escorted in by security of play on stage and then I'd have to leave. So yeah, I was doing that. And then when I met Teddy, when I was around 16 and I was like, I was in this band a couple of months ago, you know, I've written these songs, you know, I wanna, I want to start a band. And then I met Teddy over at Facebook and then he was like, oh yeah. 3 (19m 29s): Was he from the area? 5 (19m 31s): He's from Sydney, but from a kind of a different, a different part of Sydney, I had moved, I had moved close to the city cause I was glad my brother went to like an art school and we, yeah. So I messaged him on Facebook and he was playing like a Taylor swift pop punk cover. And I was like that guy. Yeah. So I'm becoming friends with him and then we decided like hanging out and then like, you know, I was like, I've got these songs and he's like, yeah, he's a really cool. And then, yeah. And then we ended up forming this, forming this band and Teddy and I, the only regional members of band. So a couple of, I think it was maybe like six months later, he introduced me to lucky and lucky he was playing drums at like a bad, like, so Teddy went to a music school as well, which lucky also went to and I went to go watch their battle of the bands competition. 5 (20m 19s): And Teddy was in one band and lucky was another one. And I watched lucky he was actually playing drums. And then I remember turning to Teddy and being like, I want him in my band and then look at him. And he said to me, yeah, but he's going to play guitar. And I remember being like, come on, look how good he is. Like a good, he's a great drummer. He's like, is that a guitar? It's like, he's gonna, he's gonna play guitar. Like, he's a good drummer, but like, he's an amazing guitar. So he, he was correct. And then, yeah. And then we, and then we ended up doing that toward my brother. At that time we had a drummer that couldn't do the two arm and then we advertised on Facebook for a drama. And then this guy was like, I live in Canberra, which is another city Australia, but I'll come up and I'll do it. 5 (21m 3s): And then this guy rocked up and like just went me seeing on a whole bunch of dates. Like we would play Brisbane. Then afterwards he'd be gone. He just rock up at three o'clock in the morning and stuff like that. And anyways, that was Brad. And now he's our drama. It all worked out in the end. That was 3 (21m 18s): Still in the band. He's 5 (21m 20s): Still in the band. Like, he's just, I think we've just realized, he's just, he's just done weird things from the beginning. Like not weed, but just like, he's one of the people that you're just like, like you just like, he just go and you come back with a bag on cook pasta and you'd be like, yeah, like that was when I knew that he was going to be my drama kind of thing, so, 3 (21m 38s): Oh, wow. Did you have a record out or did you have that first EPL yet or anything? 5 (21m 44s): Yeah, we had the first EPA at that point. So yeah, like we had just released the older songs that I had written when I had met Teddy. We put out like on, on an AP, we had already started it kind of before I met them, but we kind of finished it when we were together. 3 (21m 60s): And then for apologies. 5 (22m 2s): Yes. Too late. And then we just started touring it and just like playing and because obviously like Sydney is like quiet, quite small and stuff like that. There was lots of opportunities to support, to support different acts and stuff like that. So we did, we got offered a lot of, a lot of shows and now we've got to support a lot of people. And then we put out, we wrote high hopes, like literally one afternoon and I like literally sung like just sleaze lyrics into a voice note. And I was like, they're okay though. I'll just, I'll just leave them for now. And then I kind of stuck with them. Like I just like go like one go one time. Like I just, 3 (22m 39s): Oh wow. 5 (22m 40s): I've been down. And I was like, that's fine. And then it just stuck because I just kind of just like, they're okay. Like they're what they are to me now. And then we played that song in a couple of shows and we were like, maybe we should record this song. And we recorded it. We went in with Stevie. We, that was the first time we had worked with him. We recorded it and then we put it out and then on, on dream bound and it just kind of like happened from there for us. 3 (23m 4s): I just went nuts. Wow. That's crazy. Like, so obviously we're seeing the crowd's response to a song that you didn't have recorded. And you're like, okay. People are like way into this. 5 (23m 14s): Yeah, totally. Like it was a song that went off and usually when people haven't heard a song before people kind of 3 (23m 20s): Yeah, yeah. But I go in and get a drink or use the bathroom or something like, this is a new one. They're like, okay, I'll be back in five. 5 (23m 30s): Yeah. Yeah, totally. Yeah. But we had played it so many times that it got to a point that people like you don't say that, that song and it had like a breakdown at the end of every, originally you play some of the breakdown at the end. And we were like, yeah, it was to play that song because it's fun. And then removing the breakdown from it and like, oh, I shouldn't have removed the breakdown. Or like it had to go. It was just, it was too much. 3 (23m 52s): Yeah. Oh, wow. Well, you had what radio play on triple J kind of on that first EAP, right? 5 (23m 60s): Yeah. Yeah, we did. So 3 (24m 2s): I must've been huge for you. 5 (24m 3s): Yeah. We like, I remember we got told that we were going to get played on short, fast, loud. Josh had emailed us and he was playing strangers and everybody, we all sat at my backyard and just like waited for it. And like once we had it, it was like, cause triple J in Australia is absolutely massive. 3 (24m 17s): Oh, that's the biggest thing. Like I actually just interviewed like, literally right before you, I interviewed another artist from Brisbane and she was on triple J and I had like the number three song on like the hot 100. It was like a, you know, this huge thing, you know, she was just saying how massive, you know, that radio station is. And also, I, I didn't realize there's like an online version of it. If you're an Australian band you can upload to there like unearth I think is what it's called. 5 (24m 44s): That is yep. It is. It's great. Like anyone you put music on and it's very common that an actual producer from the show will actually listen and write your song, which is really cool that it gives. And it also gives them a place to find new music to play like Australia triple J's very much. We play Australian music, which I think, because I think that, you know, other radio stations in Australia is very, we play American British music, like as a culture is like, you know, American and American TV and, you know, very, you know, very American. So I think to have someone like triple J who was like, no, we go out of our way to play Australian music. 5 (25m 25s): And not only do we do that, but we also try to break Australian artists and to be the ones that find them and it has changed, you know, it has created careers for a lot of Australian artists. 3 (25m 38s): Yeah. I interviewed another band from Australia that had a couple of songs that did really, really well on triple J that they didn't have like that. They weren't really that notable here in the states yet, but they were massive there. And I wish I could tell you the name off the top of my head. I have no idea who it is, but it is so cool that that is something, but the, the, the artist I just interviewed was mallrat. And she was, but she was beaten by like flume and, and Billie Eilish. And I'm like, well, that's too bad that they didn't just do all Australian artists for the top 100, but at least she made three out of, you know, that that's still really cool. 5 (26m 15s): It's awesome. Yeah. And they've been doing really, really well. 3 (26m 20s): Yeah. That's so you, did you guys submit your song originally through that? Like on our thing, and then it landed on triple J, like how did that happen? 5 (26m 27s): Yes, we would've put, I'm pretty sure we put strangers up. We, you know, we tend, we do like just to put us singles up on there, like regardless, because I think it's, you know, it's a good place to keep your music so that people, you know, want to look at who you are or you get played on triple J. Someone can be like, oh, who is? And then, then you've got all your music. They're like ready for them. 3 (26m 47s): Oh. So somebody like myself, if I was listening to, if I was there, I was listening to the radio station and your song came on. I'm like, oh, this band is cool. And then I can go to their website and then I could find you in that list and be like, oh, I can listen to all the songs that you're truly as uploaded to the system 5 (27m 3s): Or you can. Yeah, it's really good. 3 (27m 4s): Wow. I need to check that out. I wonder if I have access to it here. 5 (27m 8s): I'm pretty sure you do it. Like, yeah. It's pretty like I'm in the UK at the moment and I can still access it all it all from here. So 3 (27m 16s): That's awesome. I'm going to check that out after I'm finished talking with you. I think that's so rad. 5 (27m 21s): Yeah. And it also shows you as well, like every, like all the songs and if they'd been played on unearthed radio, cause that's kinda like where a lot of them get 10 tend to get played. So there'll be a little grain drum to say this song has been played on, on north radio and there'll be a red drum to say it has been played on triple J radio. And 3 (27m 39s): That's huge, but to go back 5 (27m 41s): And see, like, if you want to go back and be like, I wonder if anyone's played it and then you see the little drama and you're like, oh, I go play on the radio. Like it's, it's, it's really cool. 3 (27m 48s): That is so cool. So cool. So with, you know, you put out high hopes and you said that everything changed from there. Tell me about that. 5 (27m 56s): Yeah. Well, we went from kind of being, doing everything ourselves to kind of having a manager and having a label and then going in, we actually did the AP before. We we'd always intended. We did the single first, we put it out and then we were always going to do an AP. Okay. So we, we, it had been a whole bunch of songs. And then while WASU, you know, getting, you know, this whole EAP sort of recording and stuff, we ended up talking to a whole bunch of people. And then we started working with our manager now he's based here in the UK. So it was kind of like, oh, like, you know, people internationally want to work with us. And then the whole label things start happening. 5 (28m 38s): I mean, 10 days out video on YouTube had a hundred thousand plays. So yeah, it was a law. And then it kind of just then all of a sudden had a million plays. And so then we had a whole bunch of labels wanting to, you know, wanting to buy it kind of, you know, kind of streaming really well. And then we, all of a sudden getting started getting like touring, like office, and then we signed to a label assigned to you and FD. 3 (29m 8s): Huh. Which is a massive label. I mean, so many cool bands are assigned to you and after you, 5 (29m 14s): Yeah, honestly, they're great. Like, and they, they took the APH straight away and they're like, okay, cool. You're going to play unify. And we're gonna, you know, put stuff everywhere, unify and Sabres, AP coming out and that you've signed to the label. And so then it kind of like went, went to that. And then we literally like six months later, we were in the UK playing downward. 3 (29m 36s): Wow. 5 (29m 37s): So yeah, it kinda, it went like when I, when I say like it that fast, like it honestly did, we went, we went to playing download in the UK and we did, we had two tours, one was state champs, and one was some 41. 3 (29m 52s): Oh my gosh. 5 (29m 53s): We came home. And the week later we did like mostly sold out Australian headline to a, for the EAP. And then we went two weeks off of that to a six week tour with census fail and hot Mulligan and the states, 3 (30m 9s): Oh, wow. 5 (30m 11s): We came home, we tracked self care, the album, we all just about to go back to the states to do set some up and then curve it here. And that was kind of like worry of yours truly. 3 (30m 23s): Okay. Oh my gosh. So you had self care written and ready to go or you had released it and then COVID hit, 5 (30m 31s): We finished tracking self care the day before we went into lockdown 3 (30m 36s): Really 5 (30m 38s): The day before. Yeah. 3 (30m 41s): Oh my gosh. So then that happens obviously. And then you're just trying to postpone the tour. You probably were hoping like, oh, maybe it'll still happen because this is supposed to last two weeks and then, you know, two years. But it was just so crazy to think that was two years ago. Like it blows my mind. So you were going to do, what was the tour of the said summer tour? Was it you guys headlining? 5 (31m 6s): No. So we were actually like, I think we were like second on or something like that. And it was like, I think the main Vance was like all time low. And I think the, maybe it was the main, like it was, you know, a whole bunch of like really, really big bands. And so we're going to come back to the states and then, yeah. And so then that just, you know, it w it ended up happening like the year later, but Australia is very late to be vaccinated, so we didn't get to go, which is fine because we ended up, we ended up doing a whole bunch of stuff at home because Australia was kind of in and out of lockdown for a while. So we released self care. And then we went through that whole thing of trying to do music videos and an album rollout during the pandemic. 5 (31m 47s): And then trying to kind of like trying to do things like as soon as it'd be like, okay, we're lifting some restricts and you're allowed to have five people in a room, we'd be like, okay, cool. Four of us in a videographer, let's go, let's have a music video kind of thing. So it was kind of just like really like stopping go, like, just let's, let's try to make this album roll out as normal as possible. And we did like an animated video for one song, because it was like impossible for us to do a music video. It's one of those things of like, when you release an album, like you watch, or your heroes release debut albums, and you've watched like their documentaries and stuff and how it's kind of gone for them. And I think that was kind of how I thought it was going to go for us. 5 (32m 28s): And it was nothing like that. It was, 3 (32m 32s): I mean, you had to adapt to the, you know, the world being such an, in such a weird state, obviously. 5 (32m 40s): Yes. 3 (32m 41s): So were you able then to do, I mean, you said you were able to do some shows when it was opening up and closing down and everything, but never really like an official proper album launch and everything. 5 (32m 51s): No, we, we did like an hour. I can acoustic album launch show. We did two in Sydney and then we did, we did a self care too. Oh, we played a show in Brisbane, two in Sydney and to a Melbourne because we currently have so many people 3 (33m 5s): In a room at one time. 5 (33m 7s): Like Brisbane was absolutely amazing. So it was Melbourne was really cool. But Sydney, I think the day before we had had a couple of COVID cases, and if there was COVID cases, Australia was not probably going to zero at this point. And then I remember the day before they were like, you either cancel the show or everyone has to sit down and we have a light, I guess everyone's going to have to sit down. Cause we're not going to cancel now. So yeah. 3 (33m 32s): You mean just sit down, like you had to be like, what, like in your own little pod or where you were literally just sitting on your ass? 5 (33m 38s): No. Like they put just chairs, like for the audience of seats in like a pod rows of seats. 3 (33m 46s): That's so crazy. But at least it was acoustic, right? 5 (33m 49s): No, we ended up doing that. I thought that was a cool band. One. That one, that was a full band. What's up, we're on stage, like jumping around and stuff and you know, doing what, these ones that everyone's just sitting there with, like their cocktails and talkers, just like sitting there watching us and like eating. And I'm just like, this is so weird. 3 (34m 4s): Oh my gosh. Yeah. That must have been like the weirdest show you had ever played. 5 (34m 9s): It was weird. Definitely. 3 (34m 10s): Was it hard to get like a vibe or like an energy from the crowd or like you just went with I'm pretending, like they're all, you know, running up and down and running around. I don't know. How do you even like feed off that 5 (34m 22s): It's a bit of both it's fit. Like I'm gonna, I'm gonna perform and give people a show because that's what they paid for and that's what they want. And also like, I get to play these songs for the first time. So like super exciting, but then as be like, sorry, this is my internet connection is unstable. So I'm sorry for that. 3 (34m 47s): Yeah. I just glitched there for a second. Sorry. You're back now. 5 (34m 51s): I'm hotspotting by phone and I'm in like an apartment building and it's just, sometimes it isn't as good as, 3 (34m 57s): Oh, it's all good. It was, it was perfectly fine. It just, it, it paused there for one second. I was just, I asked, you know, you were kind of talking about, you're trying to kind of goes both ways. You're trying to give the, give the art, the audience a show. Cause that's what they paid for. And then you went and froze. 5 (35m 16s): Oh good. No, it was the saying that yeah, you give them what, you know, what they paid for. And you know, we got to play the songs for the first time. So that was us. That was really exciting. So, you know, you do want to have fun and move around because it's the first time you've you, you get to perform those songs. 3 (35m 33s): Yeah, for sure. I mean, not, yeah, that must've been such a weird, weird, I can't even imagine. But then you start, when do you guys start working on this, this new EAP? 5 (35m 45s): We probably started working on a, like, there was, there was a weekend that Australia was Australia was open. Like we were allowed to travel into state, like in, in our, in our own state. And the four of us would like, we haven't seen each other for months. Do you guys want to go like hire a house for like two days? And it was actually the weekend of the hottest 100, the light, not the sun. And we were like, do you want to, do you want to hire a house? Go listen to the hustle 100 and try to write some songs just because we haven't done anything for ages. And then on that weekend we woke up and my grave. 3 (36m 26s): Oh really? 5 (36m 27s): Yeah. So that was kind of, and then we're like, oh cool. Like let's keep writing some songs. And then we, the label was just like, do you want to release an AP? Like, just cause, you know, do you want to do something in this time where you can't do anything? And then we were like, yeah, cool. But we have the like, okay, we'll give us three songs. And we were like, we've got more than three songs that we've got. We got a lot of songs. And they were like, okay, well, how many do you want to do? We're like, I'm like seven. And they were like, how many songs do you have? Like a law? Like, can we like, can we try to just do something? And they were like, okay, like go for it. So then, then we just went into that whole thing of like booking time and just hoping that we were going to be able to do it. 5 (37m 10s): And then it all kind of just worked out. And it was actually the smoothest writing experience and recording experience I've ever like I've ever experienced like the songs together really easily. Like the tracking of it was fun. And, and I purely think it was because we had no pressure on ourselves to write an album. We have no pressure on ourselves to write singles. It was just, we wrote some songs that we liked and we wanted to try something new. And the whole concept of it originally was to do like Bayside's for self care. And it kind of just turned into like, oh, these songs are nothing like self care. Like it's, it's, it's whole new project. 5 (37m 51s): And yeah. So something that we would like, oh, it's just, you know, it's a little like side of the album. It doesn't have to be as good as the album. Like no that we were in that, like that mind frame, but it was like, it's not, it's not the album. So, you know, we can have fun, just try things and ended up really being like, oh shit, this is, this is the band that I think we've always wanted to be. Like, I think we've finally like stopped trying to write songs to sound like a certain dye or a certain band. And just being like, this is how this is just what has come out. 3 (38m 24s): Sure. I mean, it's the songs that I've heard. I don't know if walk over my grave will be on the record, but at least lights on is such a, such a rad song. And the music video you guys put together is as well as so. Cool. 5 (38m 36s): Thanks. Yeah. Well, first of all, walk on, my grave is on the EAP, sorry, golfing a week ago and I'm still coughing from it. 3 (38m 45s): Oh really? Oh my gosh. Where are you guys doing a tour? Like I know you're here in the states for a minute. Right. And then you just traveled back 5 (38m 53s): I'm in the UK and I got it. Yeah. I got it. Whilst, whilst on 2 0 1, we had to, we had to pull off the tail, which is sad, but yeah, it is what happens. So it's been like a month and I'm like, yes. So I, yeah, I, yeah, the whole thing with like the music video, it was, we had like an opportunity to do something while we were here in the UK at the end of last da. And we were like, we haven't, we've never really been able to like fully like flesh out like a storyline music video because we've never had the money the time, you know, or anything like that. 5 (39m 39s): And you know, like song was like, let's, let's try to push this to the next level kind of thing. So I'd been watching a lot of TV shows in my room by myself for a couple months. Then I had watched big little lies and I, 3 (39m 55s): That was such a great show. 5 (39m 57s): Yeah. So I was like, I kind of like the whole like timeline back and forth, like who did it kind of thing. So that was kind of the inspiration for that, that video and the whole song idea of like, you know, people, people don't really like, like to think that they know who you are on the surface, you know, there's a sense of ownership, you know, with people that, you know, that, that do music of like, oh, I know them. Cause I follow them on Instagram and I've listened to their music on it. It's kind of the, it's the thing of like, there's that side of it. And the other side of it is like, well, I thought I knew, I knew who I was and I had this idea of, of myself. 5 (40m 40s): And then all of a sudden I was stuck in my room for two years and I wasn't touring. And I started having these things of I'm nothing without this McKayla from your Australia, bullshit, you know, like, and that's kind of, yeah. And so the whole thing, the whole idea of like the video is kind of like this like soft reflection, like, you know, all of that videos have like, what's it like mirror imagery and stuff in it and you know, the whole, like, you know, you can look one way and then there's like this like, you know, nice maker and blah, blah, blah. And then it's like blood and like, sure. Yeah. And like, it's big, like, you know, who are they? What did they do? Like you don't actually know because what you see on the surface level is never really the true story. 3 (41m 24s): I love that with this new record, you said you had, yeah. You know, you had a lot of time and it became easy to do or the easiest when it was like recording and, you know, tracking everything else. Were you guys working remotely on the songs and writing them that way? Or what did it all kind of come together in those fuse, you know, spurts of time that you had together as band? 5 (41m 44s): It was a bit of both really. Like, it was like taking the opportunity when we can, and then if we couldn't, we would just send things to each other. We'll FaceTime. 3 (41m 52s): Wow. Is that, was that something you would want to explore again or do you prefer writing? Like in-person 5 (41m 60s): I prefer writing person, but it's definitely taught me that like, there is no, like there's no ceiling. Like if I want to ride with someone that lives in the states, I don't have to go to the states to ride with them. Like I think the whole pandemic has taught everyone that collaboration is possible. No matter where in the world you are. 3 (42m 21s): Yeah. I think that's so cool. Like, I've talked to a lot of artists that they're like, yeah. And then I get to work with this producer in Sweden and it's like just coordinating and then, or being like, yeah. Then we were, were we worked on a song and then I just like laid in my bed when we were like, there's not this like whole, you know, it's not an event to go, okay. Now I get to go out of my house, drive 40 minutes and do the thing and then drive home. Like there's the, the, the, how accessible people are nowadays. It's crazy. 5 (42m 49s): Yeah. No, totally. And I think there was a nice thing of being like I'm at home and I'm comfortable and you know, like I can take my time with this because I don't, I don't have like five hours studio time. Like I've got, I've got all day to get to get to this. So I think, sorry. 3 (43m 6s): No, go ahead. 5 (43m 8s): No, I was going to say that it just, I think it's changed a lot of the way that I see working, like in writing. 3 (43m 13s): Sure. With, with that being said, do you feel like there's a, or can you think of a moment during the record or a part of the album that you were like, you don't think maybe would have happened if it wasn't for having the time that you guys had to, to, to, to play around with things and, you know, spend on the album? Like if you had a five-hour period would X, Y, or Z have happened? 5 (43m 38s): I think that songs like lights on probably wouldn't sound the way that they do, because I think we would have maybe gone to being like, we're going to do a session and we're going to write with, you know, we're going to write this song all together. And like lights on was the first song lucky. And I like, from after doing the album was like, we, we would do the single, we would just sit in a room and he would play something and I would just seem to it. And then I think that over time we became a bit more complicated. Like we're going to sit down and they're going to like, you know, do all these things to the computer and like, you know, make these guitar sounds and, you know, program some drums. But we sat down and we just, he played guitar and I just sung, like we would have done before. 5 (44m 22s): And it kind of, the song kind of came from there. So yeah, I think going back to how we did things before, before everything, before we working in studios and stuff, you know, going back to that, wouldn't have, you know, the song maybe wouldn't have sounded the same. 3 (44m 39s): That's interesting. Well, I think the song is amazing. Obviously. I love what you guys are doing in the video is great. And I appreciate your time today, Mikaela. Thank you so much. 5 (44m 48s): Thank you very much. It was lots of fun. 3 (44m 50s): I have one more quick question before I let you go. I want to know if you have any advice for aspiring artists. 5 (44m 56s): My advice is, I guess, going back to what was saying before, what people say about your art does not matter this as long as you know you like it. And you know, it's something creative that you've made. I think that is the most important, important part of making music. Don't let anyone give you a number out of a hundred and think that that's the answer.