'Napping' Really Is The Key To Regurgitator's Success

"I'm outside Skinners Adventure Playground in South Melbourne. It's a co-op run playground full of rusty swings and bits of splintered wood, so clearly it's great. If you're a paranoid parent it's definitely a hospital visit afterwards. My children are in there with their mother, but it probably looks like Lord Of The Flies in there now."

This is just one example of why Regurgitator's latest album, their ninth, has been late in the making, according to frontman Quan Yeomans. Since 2013's Dirty Pop Fantasy, the 'Gurge boys have had their hands full with children, relocations to far-flung cities, other creative pursuits and the general hum of life.

Wind back the clock to the early to mid-'90s and life looked very different for the three young lads from Brisbane. Massive breakout hit Blubber Boy paired their dry wit with grunge chugs then thrust them into the limelight alongside the many bands putting Australian music on the map. Tu-Plang and Unit ultimately cemented their place in the scene, even though it was hard to see for Yeomans.

"I always have trouble feeling like I was a part of anything because I always feel like an outsider," he admits. "There was a lot going on at the time and I enjoyed being able to play shows with new bands and at new venues, just exploring basically.

"There was definitely a competitive edge to things back then, and I think it's important to have a bit of competition from time to time when you're creating, it lubricates things a little more and makes you want to achieve things a bit better.

"When Regurgitator first signed to Warner they gave us a ridiculous deal that you just don't see anymore. We learned a lot from our first drummer [Martin Lee], he was all about creating the studio you wanted to work in rather than be under the thumb of someone else's gear and time and money. So we did all that from an early stage."

With the band scattered around the country and each buried in their respective family lives and side projects, the five-year wait for Headroxx does seem like a bit of a long one given their steady output over the years. But is calling it a 'return from hiatus' too strong?

"I don't think we ever felt like we were on hiatus, I think we were just distracted. Or tired. It's more like a nap really," Yeomans laughs. "Hiatus is too serious, and it's a bit of a technical term and we're not a technical band. So yeah, I think we were just taking a bit of a snooze.

"And I often take a 'nap' from actually listening to music as well, so when I come back and actually write, I end up listening to a lot of music. There's so much incredible stuff out there, and I'm like, 'Well where do we slot in here, how can I take pieces and work out what we want to do?' So that's the value of it I think, is giving our ears a break."

Coming back from their 'nap' for their latest was not inspired by a particular creative urge as such; Yeomans reckons their manager Paul Curtis said, "We're going on tour in August so get an album done." And with that, the recording of Headroxx began from each band members' home studios over the space of just a few short weeks. In true Regurgitator form, the hallmark offbeat musical tastes and absurd lyrics are ever present. For Yeomans, it's a comfort to relish in the things he has some creative control over in today's music scene.

"We used to love playing the intimate little festivals but you find when things get to a certain grand level they die a little bit. A bit like bands," he laughs. "But we're trundling along.

"One sometimes wonders whether it's worth it. You're constantly second-guessing yourself. If you're in the game for this long and you've had a peak in your career you kind of start cruising, and there's a lot of new music out there. It feels like music is exponentially growing because of technology and access. So you do feel a little bit lost from time to time.

"But it is still incredibly enjoyable and we love playing live, it's always a hoot. That's definitely the reason we're still here."