Less Beer & More Chords, Together Pangea Are Growing Up. Maybe.

"Sorry, an ambulance is just driving by, we're all good - that's just what LA sounds like."

That's the verdict on William Keegan's hometown, where he and his band Together Pangea have been kicking around for the better part of a decade. Sirens blazing in the background is seemingly a suitable soundtrack for the garage punk rock trio, two of which are in the studio recording some new material while Keegan is chatting, but the seasoned player says the hard and fast rock and roll lifestyle is one that the band have never attempted to maintain.

"That has been kind of a change in the last few years - we definitely don't party as much," Keegan laughs. "We still do, but most of the time if it's a weekday and we play a show we'll have fun while we're there but we'll wind up going back and getting some sleep afterwards instead of being there all night. We're not like, 'It's the after party, let's stay up until 5 in the morning.' I feel like those people are machines.

"I think there's an expectation that we go nuts all the time. I drink beer and talk to my friends, just normal shit, but I think when we started out with the band, we'd go out and things were a little hectic and we were kind of jerks. But no, we're a lot more tame these days. I remember playing shows where I was drunk and I'd just talk shit to the audience for some reason. And it was just because I was in a bad mood or something and I didn't even think about how it was the first time these people had seen me play or anything, so I kinda regret that. I also played a show with only three songs then went, 'Fuck it' and walked off. So dumb."

With the promise of some new material in the second half of the year, has 'maturing' somewhat into the hardworking, party-less-hard band resulted in a tweaked sound or lyrics with a deeper perspective? "I think getting older, the songs are just a little different," Keegan explains. "They're a little bit more aware of themselves, you know. Like we know what we're capable of and it's fun trying to write outside of that. I used to just know four chords or whatever, and play them and then yell some stuff over it. And I think now I know a little bit more about music I can try make something sound a certain way instead of it just happening.

"Sometimes I actually feel like I haven't matured all that much, like, maybe even just being in a band and performing and touring a lot keeps me the same age as when I started it or something. I do hang out with my friends who are married and stuff. But I just feel like I haven't grown as much, but maybe I have, I don't know."

Those past stints at being 'jerks' hasn't put a stopper on the love that pours forth at their chaotic live shows. Since 2009, the three-piece have played blistering, memorable shows across their home country and abroad, and released four lauded albums. Their second, Living Dummy, was released via Burger Records and saw them unite with label mate and actual mate Alex Wall of Australia's very own Bleeding Knees Club, who at the time was taking a hiatus with his solo project Wax Witches. The old friends will team up for their coming national tour for Together Pangea's first time Down Under. So, what are Keegan and his band looking forward to most?

"I'm actually super afraid of going out and I'm not that much of a nature person, I don't imagine going on a bunch of hikes or anything," he laughs. "I just like new cities, so I'm stoked to see Sydney and Alex can show us around. I've been meaning to like look things up, I've just assumed that I'll ask Alex and he'll show me everything that's cool. I'm just going to rely on him for that."