A QUICK CHAT WITH BAD PARTY

Congratulations on the release of your new single “Pray”, could you tell us about it? Where did the track come from and what was your experience putting it all together?

Thank you! We were gearing up to record two tracks with Callan Orr (Avalanche Studios, Dream on Dreamer) late last year and had them ready to go - Pray was the song that got written last minute that immediately vibed with everyone and ultimately replaced one of the songs we had lined up! We flew Callan up to work in Dale’s living room for the week, and really just had a lot of fun working through the process. We went through a lot of growth and change last year, so seeing Pray come to life by the end of the week was inspiring and birthed big plans for 2024.

Pray places emphasis on blending electronic elements and sounds with heavy sensibility, was this something that came together naturally or was it more a case of experimentation in the studio while writing the track?

When our previous vocalist left, we were without our primary source of ‘electronic production’ so we weren’t sure what direction to take. I’ve always loved blending the genres together, so I took it upon myself to bridge that gap and put my own spin on the sound. It has made for more consistent and streamlined writing process honestly, as I have a greater sense of responsibility for rounding out production ideas in the demo stages, rather than half-finishing songs with the hope another input will add the finishing touches in-line with what I have in mind. We wanted Callan to be the man in the chair for recording though, as he’s a bit of a prod-guru, and his fresh take on the final product really polished the sound we were after.

Is there an artist or song you feel has executed this blend of style the best?

I think the best execution of the EDM/metalcore sounds is Northlane’s Alien album - there are a lot of conflicting opinions about that album, but it’s by far my and the rest of the boys’ personal favourite of theirs. I can’t say it was an inspiration for Pray, but it’s a goal to write something as well-executed as any of the big-hitters on that LP.

4What’s a piece of gear that’s so crucial to your live sound you wouldn’t go on stage without it? 

Before Bad Party I always wanted to use an IEM rig on stage to remove foldback from the equation - investing in that big heavy rack was an investment with no regret. Not only does it allow us to tailor a mix for each member on stage, but avoids any feedback on smaller stages. For rehearsals, it’s also allowed us to hear a very honest and unforgiving mix of our performance so that we can focus on accuracy - if it sounds good in the ears with no processing, it will absolutely sound good in a live setting.

What’s been the biggest difference or challenge you’ve noticed writing and recording new material compared to when making your 2022 debut EP “Beyond Repair”?

Beyond Repair was written during a time when we were still pretty new as a band, trying to settle on our direction and sound. Since that time, a lot has changed and we’ve only improved in our writing and performance ability. The challenge now is making sure that everything we write, record and release is of the same or higher standard than Pray. We’ll keep pushing the bar higher, but if I present a demo to the boys now it has to be much better than anything that came from the Beyond Repair era.

If you could collaborate with any artist (dead or alive) to be on the next Bad Party single, who would be at the top of your list to feature?

We would love to write an incredibly heavy banger-from-hell with Mick Gordon (Doom OST) given the EDM influence we’ve branched into. After hearing his work with Monuments in particular, I reckon we could push the limits of his creativity - maybe we should shoot him an email hehe

What song would you consider to be the epitome of a “bad party” track?

Given our recent lineup changes and redirection, I would have to say ‘Pray’ is the best representation of what we can offer and will be aiming for in the future. With that said, ‘Sinking In’ is a classic that we’ll continue to play for the foreseeable future!

Are there any future plans for Bad Party in 2024 you can talk about?

This year our focus is on producing and releasing new music to fill our catalogue with content that reflects our new direction and showcases Dale as our vocalist. We’re also on the hunt for good shows that will help expand our audience and earn the respect of new listeners. We want to improve our live show, keep releasing new tracks, and hopefully play a show outside of Brisbane with some interstate friends. There are a few things in the works, Pray is only the beginning of what we have lined up!