A Quick Chat with FIST

You’ve played over 70 shows since June 2023, built a strong following in Newcastle, and toured across three states. How has all that experience shaped the energy and sound of FIST?

We’ve known each other since high school, so I’m pretty sure we’re legally married at this point. FIST started out as us just playing together – DIY shows, house parties, all that good stuff. For us so much of the fun is had at those in-the-moment things. If you’ve seen us before, you know that we’re there to have fun and just enjoy being stupid with our mates. We’re always trying out new stuff on the road and that gives us the chance to refine stuff down and make it something cool.

‘Dickhead’ is your second studio single, following the explosive release of ‘KA-BOOM (MTHRFCKR).’ What’s the story behind this track, and how does it differ from your previous work?

'Dickhead' has been the opener for us live for a while, but it took a while to get it together. I think everyone can tell the difference between a really structured and, like, “written” song like 'KA-BOOM' and something that came about in that weird, organic way like 'Dickhead.' We don’t even know what you’d call it in terms of style, but it’s got little bits of Motörhead, The Living End and Dune Rats in the DNA. We’re Newcastle’s dumbest band, we can’t take ourselves too seriously.

You recorded ‘Dickhead’ at The Grove Studios, a place known for its top-tier production. How was that experience, and what did it bring out in the song?

Man, our guy Jackson Weibe at The Grove is a beast and we can’t thank him enough personally for the effort and passion he brought to the session and post-production. Absolutely, The Grove Studios is top-tier on a global scale – we were surprised they even agreed to take us on. We got put onto The Grove by Ange from The Goon Gremlins (shout out Newy) and Adam from Beehive PR (shout out Newy), who told us to hit them up. The drums were recorded live with no click, which really fits our sort of live-vibe way of doing things and really made the end product feel organic and natural. We had a great day hanging out on the big black casting couch.

The Lass O’Gowrie has been a staple for you guys. What makes it the perfect spot for this release show, and what can fans expect on the night?

Oh dude, the Lass goes hard. Maeve from Gumnut Artists is stellar to work with and the Lass boasts the best beer garden in Newcastle – and we should know! They have this skitz backdrop and outdoor stage, so you can smoke which is awesome. We’ve got a line-up of some really close friends in DVNTS, Jinjo, Herd Immunity, Foreign Horror and headlined by one of our favourite bands Lost Plaza. As for what the fans can expect? Some absolute bullshit.

FIST has played everything from DIY gigs to major festivals and even supported Aussie rock legends. What have been some of your most memorable moments on stage so far?

Where do we start? Probably the most jazzed was our first trip to Queensland. The gig on the first night was in Lismore with Gusset Rats and I Hate People (shout out Newy) was electric, then we almost got in a fight with a crystal shaman in Nambour on a Rotten Fest show before getting our gear stolen out of the van right before our Fastlane Festival set at The Brightside with The Witching Hour (shout out Newy).

With ‘Dickhead’ about to drop, what’s next for FIST? More singles, an EP, or another wild tour?

Hey, if you’ve got gigs – we’ll play – but for now we’re really trying to nail down the studio side. We’ve got more singles coming down the pike and we’re shooting music videos left, right and centre. I think we want to have a studio album out by the end of the year, but for now the goal is simple: new music every month, launched live in true FIST style!