Sydney's Grinding Eyes combine Psychedelic, Shoegaze, Drone-Rock and ambient Garage-Punk in a uniquely dark soundscape. The band are about to release their first full length album; a self-titled LP. The album was made all over the world being written in San Francisco and Sydney, recorded in Sydney, mixed in Montpellier and mastered in Detroit.
Tomatrax caught up with Matt Wicks from the band.
How did the band form?
The band came together out of late night impromptu jams and the realisation that the earth was not round...
Where did the name Grinding Eyes come from?
Grinding Eyes is a 1960s Spanish B-grade horror, I saw a poster in a Madrid dive bar.
You're about to release your debut album, how does it feel to have it out?
Suppernatural / even spiritual..
What made you decide to make the album self titled?
I have always liked self titled albums... (no name) just the band name, that's all ya get!!
To name a few - Ramones, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, The Clash, Velvet Underground, Suicide, Fever Ray, Steppenwolf, White Stripes, Stone Roses - ect...... We are in good company...
Was it hard to pick what made it on the album?
Not really, what ever worked well live and sounded good once recorded.
What made you pick 'At night' as the album's single?
Earlier on // radio sort of made that decision for us and our publicist likes to dance to it..
The album was written in San Francisco, recorded in Sydney, mixed in Montpellier, and mastered in Detroit, what inspired this international approach?
Time / access / work scheduling, people we wanted to work with and their locations( and ca$h flow)..
We gave it all you've got, beg / borrow / steal to get it done!!
You'll be playing some shows to launch the album, what can fans expect from your show?
The up coming album shows are going to be a total blast, hand picked lineups with some of our fav Aust bands..
We are doing the whole thing DIY with help from two truly independent labels (in the meaning of the word) don't follow trends - do it for real and the right reasons!!
When writing what comes first, the words or the music?
Every song is a little different for us / depends on where you started, rough chords / rough words, melody, concepts!!
Do you ever listen to your own music?
If you have to - mainly after mixing / tie it up / put it in a box - ever to listen to it again!!
What music do you listen to?
We get inspiration from many different artists and styles...
Krautrock, afro beat, garage punk, heavy Psych rock..
What do you have planned once the album is out?
A few summer shows, Gizzfest in December / start recording a second record around Christmas (more sleigh bells)