Naarm trio The Grogans are hard at work on their fifth LP, Stagger, and have just released their latest single, “Roundabout”.
If you’ve ever felt like every day is just like the last, then this track is just for you. The band writes: “Constantly stuck in the same motion over and over again, much like a roundabout. Everyday feels like it’s a mirror of the last, and sometimes those around you are the only thing that keeps our sense of self together.”
The Grogans are renowned for their brilliant live shows, and will be performing this Sunday night as part of the Great Southern Nights festival. They will be playing at Drifters Wharf in Gosford, supported by the fabulous Le Shiv, and Mid Drift. It’s a brilliant lineup, and what a great way to finish off the weekend.
I caught up with the band to discuss their beginnings, who else we should be seeing at Great Southern Nights, and their highlights from their recent European tour.
Going back to the start, you have all been close since high school. How did you decide that you would like to start a band and start releasing music?
We just started playing together after school and played a bunch of house parties then got some proper shows around Melbourne. I guess the more we played and the more gigs we got the more serious we felt about it.
Who are your music influences, are there any artists/bands that initially inspired you to create music?
When we started we were all listening to a bunch of the same bands like The Growlers and early Tame Impala records and the like, but also grew up with a lot of different influences too with some staples being The Rolling Stones, Ramones, Violent Femmes etc. Between the three of us we’d listen to a bunch of different stuff from reggae to blues to psych.
Your band is playing at the Great Southern Nights gig in April. How do you feel about being chosen to play?
Always feel lucky to be doing what we’re doing, very thankful to Great Southern Nights for having us! Super excited to be playing in such a nice part of the world with some great friends.
Are there any particular fan favourites we can expect you to perform? Any new songs that may be featured on the setlist?
Yeah it’ll be a packed set with a good mix of tracks. Definitely be playing some of the favourites and it’s always fun to keep it fresh with some new ones so definitely come on down if you’re keen to hear a couple.
Are there any new songs in the works or perhaps an album being put together? Talk us through what you’ve been working on!
Can’t give away too much but we’ve definitely been keeping ourselves busy writing between tours so there’s a fair bit on the horizon for us. It’s always a bit tricky to find the time when we’re on the road so much but we always manage to lock ourselves away for a week or two and get
some new ideas together.
Is there anyone in the Great Southern Nights lineup that you hope to see perform / are looking forward to seeing perform?
Nai Palm at the Beach Hotel in Byron would be an amazing show to see. Hoodoo Gurus and Miss Kaninna will be epic shows too!
Coming off of your EU/UK/IRE tour in October, what was your favourite:
Gig – really hard to pick, but Paris was definitely one of the faves
Pub – Grogan pub, Dublin (genuine place)
Location – stopping over in Nenagh, Tipperary
Cuisine – spice bag
Are there any traditions you do before each show?
We actually don’t have any pre show rituals, we used to flick each other in the head but decided it hurt too much and couldn’t keep going up onstage with a big red mark on our heads.
Are there any upcoming tours/gigs to announce for this year?
You’ll have to follow along on the socials for that sort of info. But can tell ya we won’t be slowing down so keep your eyes peeled.
Be sure to catch The Grogans at Drifters Wharf in Gosford this Sunday night (6th April). They will be supported by Le Shiv and Mid Drift. Head HERE for tickets.
For all the info on Great Southern Nights, head to the official website.
Additional text from Bruce Baker
Images supplied by the artist
