A Quick Chat with Adult Art Club

You’ve just announced your debut album! What was the thought process behind self-titling it and what can audiences expect?

It was definitely an “AHA” moment given our vision of mixing art and music. We didn’t run through any other possible names; it just made so much sense.

Tell us about this latest single, ‘A Thousand Golden People’. Where did it begin and can you talk us through the title of it?

A Thousand Golden People began as a demo Matt wrote back in 2014, the really crunchy drums and vocals were all that really existed at the time. We knew we wanted to work on it together but had it in the back of our minds as this project matured. The title is a reference to our families history and world events around the time of writing.

It has been said by some people that the album format is dead and that singles are the way to go. Having just announced your debut album, what is about the format that is important to you as artists?

I think albums are a fantastic way for listeners to build a connection with an artist. If anything it's a great statement of identity, as well as something for new followers to look back on as context of the artist’s world. Working with physical art and artists gave the album so much life, and having that to compliment an album is a fresh concept.

You’ve collaborated with House Arrest on all of your single artworks. Can you tell us how you met and how you work collaboratively?

We have been a fan of House arrest and his work for almost as long as the project has existed. It was always in our scope to work together, and to have him involved in the project on a level deeper than just the art itself is creatively inspiring, satisfying and rewarding.

Music, art and fashion are so intertwined and you’ve spoken about creating a platform where all of them can flourish in unison. What sparked the desire to bring all of these disciplines into your music creation and what do they mean to you personally?

Creativity isn’t isolated to just one medium - being so ingrained in the music scene, we’ve noticed how segregated those different disciplines can be - a community that combines art, music and fashion and allows us to learn and experience things that we couldn't in just one discipline, and opens the door to new discoveries creatively.

As you’re both based in Melbourne and have been collaborating with Melbourne-based creatives, what is it that you love about the music, art and fashion scenes there? What sets it apart?

Melbourne’s unique ability to generate new waves of talent is unlike any other. I think the underground scene here for all facets of media is so rich and alive that when they become popularised it just has so much momentum. Not to mention the insane amount of support that artists and designers have for each other, bringing each other up and putting each other in the spotlight. There are so many incredible creatives from this city who started in their own niche scene and turned their hobby and love into their life’s work off the back of that kind of support. There’s something magical about this place that allows art, fashion and music in such abundance. Perhaps it’s the coffee.

You cite acts like Jamie XX and The Prodigy as influences. What is about these artists that inspires you?

The Prodigy is a major part of our influences aesthetically and musically. Maxim and the late Keith Flint’s care-free and expressive individuality impacted me immensely when I was young, and Hewlitt’s production and sampling techniques unlocked new ways to manipulate samples, which in turn helped me write parts of the album. I hope that this album honours their contribution to my creativity.

Jamie’s sample-heavy production struck a chord with us both when dialing in our sound pre-writing. We love how loose and flowing the song structures are and how everything seems to organically tie in together as if the samples were made for each other. We wanted to use that mantra as our own catalyst for writing and came up with songs like A Thousand Golden People, All Together, Here Together, Shaded Blu and In Arles.

What can we expect from Adult Art Club in 2023, aside from your debut album?

More physical art, merch and lots of new music!