Why Coming To Australia Could Be The Breaking Point For Protomartyr

Protomartyr are already four albums deep into their recording career, all in the space of five years. It's the sign of a band riding a wave of creativity and a relentless work ethic but, as Joe Casey explains, it is also about keeping the ball rolling and building on the success of each new album and tour.

"It's definitely about keeping the momentum going. I can't figure out how bands can take five years between albums. The space between this and the last has been the longest just because it was the most touring we've done. When that's over and you go home, you may as well get stuck in and write new stuff. Hopefully that will be the way forward, but I think we'll be touring this record more than the last one," Casey predicts. 

Relatives In Descent is another stage in the evolution of a band who sounded brash and chaotic on their debut album No Passion All Technique. Now there's a clearer attention to detail in the sound and structure of their songs, led by guitarist Greg Ahee, but also a result of working with a new producer.

"I think we always have to have the sound change. It helped recording with the producer Sonny DiPerri out in Los Angeles because he's very good at sonically capturing things and he was always working, and working harder than any producer we've worked with," Casey enthuses. "Our guitar player had some ideas going in, including violins and a different synth sound, and I think it worked out really well. When he first said he wanted violins on it I had no idea what he was talking about, but when we heard it come to fruition it sounded great."

Casey's resigned bark and conversational vocal delivery blends post-punk, spoken word and dissonant punk howling, and with Protomartyr it developed out of figuring out how to be heard in a small room when there's loud noise and flowing alcohol. "At the time we were pretty drunk," laughs Casey. "At the start it was mostly to make noise and have a good time all of the time. It developed from our early practice space, which was basically a concrete box, and I had to find a way to cut through the guitar and noise and a very sharp vocal attack seemed to work best. I have a very limited range and it's about knowing what I can do with it; to fit into the songs the right way and not ruin them."

Casey's pride in the new album is evident. The band's step up from the small label Hardly Art to the large UK indie label Domino means that they'll be able to promote their music to a much wider audience. Hopefully there will be some live shows in Australia in 2018? "I'm amazed that we haven't played Australia yet," Casey shares. "From early on it was near the top of our list of places to get to, so we better be touring Australia some time in the next year. If it doesn't happen next year the band is breaking up!"