We Lost The Sea Guitarist Farewells 'Departure Songs' Album - And The Band

In the lead up to their Last Dive tour, in which We Lost The Sea will perform their most recent album Departure Songs in its entirety for the last time, The Music asked the band to bid the record farewell and reflect on the emotional journey to record and tour it. Here, guitarist Brendon Warner says goodbye to not only the album, but as it turns out, the band itself.

The idea of belonging to a band of like-minded musicians carries the romantic notion of effortless collaboration and the good old "warm-and-fuzzies" you get from mates making great tunes together. The reality is often quite different. When you're in this you're in it because you have to be: there is no question. Your unshakable view is that everything you give to shape a piece of music - be it riffs, beats, words, themes, concepts — all deserve prominence having run the gauntlet of your own judgement. Sitting in the jam space chomping at the bit to share the few battle-hardened ideas with your peers, excitement reigns. But hold on! Some of the guys love it and others are not so sure. Or most love it but one guy thinks it sounds like a Daryl Braithwaite rip-off. The reality is that the champion of your self-critique is not always so sound in the eyes of others. Despite the pain, it is this bureaucracy that separates the mediocre from the mesmerising. This is the challenge passionate musos face in a band of peers worth their salt.

Now imagine you're writing to express how much you love and miss your departed childhood friend; your chance to create something worthy of celebrating your mate. The bar is raised sky-high. With six fellas all carrying the same weight of duty it's not hard to see how this became the hardest piece of music we'd ever had to create, and rightfully so. However, that doesn't diminish the personal toll paid in pushing our ideas right through the process. It took us around two years to write. The luxury of months in the studio was unfeasible — so the pressure was on to get it done right and quick, and was expertly channelled by Tim Carr. Turtle's stewardship of the concepts from musical frames to tangible imagery deserves full accolade; the artwork itself taking months to perfect. Every facet demanded our all.

I'll always be proud of what we've been able to create with Departure Songs. That being said, it will be my last collaboration with We Lost The Sea, at least for the foreseeable future. As the band stands on the precipice of European success I've made the incredibly difficult decision to step back and take time to reassess how and why I create music. My last show will be at Newtown Social Club. As that final gig approaches I find myself recalling moments of those last eight years I'd thought I'd forgotten. From belting out Toto and chugging red wine out of plastic cups at the end of a 12-hour van trip to supporting some of our favourite bands at sell-out shows in some of the country's greatest venues. We Lost The Sea has changed my life immeasurably and I wouldn't change any of it. Stepping out onto that familiar stage in a few weeks time is going to be nerve-racking and bloody emotional, but the fellas and I intend to make the most of it. I want to thank my We Lost The Sea brothers (past and present) for having me in the fold all these years and send my sincerest gratitude to everyone who's ever listened to our music — what a ride. Can't wait to see what comes next!

Photos by James O'Connor