Alicia Bolton sits down with Nick Vorrath, the lead singer of Melbourne's Custom Kings.

First of all, for those who require an introduction to your band - how did Custom Kings come together?

We came together six years ago when a demo we made got picked up by local label.  We put some friends together and made an album, and Custom Kings was that band.

Does the name Custom Kings have a significant meaning? Or was it just a name that just seemed to stick?

Not really, I was strangely fascinated with merchant shipping around that time.  The name sort of came from there.

Who influenced you to create music and what bands did you listen to growing up?

Lots of people, my family all played and listened to great music.  Also, my friends, I've played music with friends since I was very little.

Custom Kings’ second album 'Great Escape' will be released this August. What can we expect from the album? Will there be any surprises?

Maybe a couple of surprises.  It's much more of a band album, with more emphasis on live recording.

What's the story behind the album's title?

Jarrad wrote a song called "The Great Escape".  We started to use it for the art-work and it stuck.  It just seemed to suit the music.

The recording of 'Great Escape' was accomplished over two weeks at Melbourne’s Sing Sing studio. Since you guys had previously only recorded at home, how did that experience compare to recording 'At Sea'?

It was great.  It was also a little nerve-racking, there's a lot more pressure to get things right. One we got the hang of things though, it was a lot of fun.

You’re playing at the Toff in Town (Melbourne) throughout June and July. What can Australian fans expect from your new round of live shows?

The plan is to play our songs in for the album tour, so you can expect to see some new stuff and some old favorites.

Can we expect some other Australian tours in the near future?

I'm sure there will be one soon.  The album's out in August, so you'll see us out there some time after that.

To date, which Australian tour has been the most memorable and why?

Probably our first ever tour.  It was supporting the Cat Empire and it was a lot of fun.  We played a lot of interesting places we would never have played otherwise, and the Empire was very accommodating.

Since releasing your debut album ‘At Sea’ in 2007 the band has taken an extended hiatus. What did you guys get up to during that time?

We've all been pretty busy.  Jarrad's been busy with the Eagle and the Worm, and we were both working for Joe Neptune last year. A bit of traveling, a bit of working and just a bit of a break.

Bassist Jarrad Brown shares vocal duties on 'Great Escape'. What brought this change into the fold?

I guess it's the fact that he writes great songs and has a great voice.  He' s always done some singing in the band, but after Joe Neptune and Eagle and the Worm he's become a really great singer, so it's only natural that he should sing more.  Live, and on the album.

How did Craig come to be nicknamed ‘The Falcon’?

He's Maltese.  There's some other story, but I wasn't there.

And finally - what does the next 12 months hold for Custom Kings?

Hopefully a lot of playing and travel.  I also hope we'll be back in the studio before too long.

Thanks for your time and can’t wait to hear the new tracks!