You may have seen them hanging out the front of a Melbourne train station, bum bags in tow. You might have seen them in their front yard, having it out with a neighbour over a parking spot. You might have spotted them in the queue for the next mold-infested rental inspection that costs two PS5s a week to live in. 

Wherever you look, there Playlunch are – and if their new album Sex Ed is anything to go by, they're not going anywhere anytime soon.

The self-described “bogan funk” band have been steadily working on the follow-up to their 2023 debut, Who's Ready For A Good Time?, over the last year and change. Through that, they found themselves opening up to different musical avenues than previously – as well as different lyrical content. 

Consider it less growing up, however, and more moving to a different level of immaturity. “The first album turned out a lot more primary school than we had initially intended,” says Liam Bell – the band's lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary lyricist. 

“Don't get me wrong, we love the first record and we're super proud of it. That said, I think it was important to us that we weren't necessarily shoehorned into that almost kids-music-adjacent world. 

“That naturally happened as we were sort of writing tracks like Station Rat and Keith,” he adds. “We were getting more rowdy and rancid – a bit more high-school, so to speak. We felt like boys at the back of the bus, and Sex Ed like it encapsulated that as a title.”

Given the album's moniker, it's worth asking whether Playlunch have had “the talk” – not least of all because, due to the aforementioned housing crisis, some of them are back living with their parents again.

 “I'm the youngest of four kids, so I feel like I already was pretty much across it,” says Bell. “I'd sit and watch Grey's Anatomy with my older sisters, even though I was way too young to be doing that. I was definitely more ahead of the curve than the other kids at school.” 

Grinning, Bell turns to keyboardist Michael D'Emilio. “Did you get 'the talk'?” he asks. “All I remember is being in my room, and my mum coming in and giving me a book,” D'Emilio replies. 

“It essentially felt like, 'figure it out for yourself, dude!' I started reading it with the intention of finishing it, but in my defense, it was a pretty big book!”

If you've come to Playlunch this year, it's likely because of the aforementioned neighbourly dispute. Keith, released a few months ago, has quickly become the band's most successful song – which was a genuine surprise to the band, given it was originally thrown into their live show to make up the numbers. “We'd scored a residency at the Night Cat here in Melbourne, playing double sets at midnight,” Bell explains. 

“Obviously, you need a lot of songs to play two sets a night, so I was writing a lot. I had this idea to write about a crazy neighbour we once had, so I did up a demo that made all the band laugh. As the residency approached, I suggested we add it into the set – we needed the material, after all, and it felt like a perfect bit of filler. 

“When we played it, I saw and I saw the response it got and I knew straight away it was going to be bigger than that,” he adds. “There was something very palpable about people's reaction.”

Eventually, the band recorded Keith in earnest as part of the Sex Ed album sessions, and knew the song would have to get the music video treatment. The million-dollar question remained, however, as to who would get the lead role.

 After throwing back and forth a few different names, the band eventually shot their shot with AFL veteran Barry Hall – who, to their absolute shock, responded positively to their cold-call Instagram DM and was on a plane the next thing they knew. 

“He booked same-day flights from the Gold Coast to Melbourne to be in the video, so he arrived first thing in the morning and he had to be gone that afternoon,” says D'Emilio. “We had him on set for a grand total of four hours, tops. 

“We didn't really know what it would be like, especially because he's obviously not an actor. When you get him on camera, though, it's not an act. He really is that scary. He was very committed to the role, and was an absolute machine as we shot scene after scene. If we get invited to the ARIAs this year, we want Barry on the red carpet with us.”

As a band, Sex Ed sees Playlunch towing an interesting line. They want to make music that's both fun and funny, but they also don't want to be dismissed as a novelty. A lot of craft and effort has gone into these songs, and not even the album's most hilarious elements can take away from that. 

Put simply, they're taking having fun very seriously – in turn, making it all the more fun.“When this started, I just wanted to make my friends laugh,” says Bell. “At the same time, I wanted to see how ridiculous I could go, just in order to do that. 

“I remember making the demo of No Hat, No Play and playing it for Michael, and his reaction surprised me. He did laugh, but he also genuinely said it was one of the best songs I'd written. I guess when you're writing with a humourous slant, it gives you permission to be self-indulgent. 

“You don't have to worry about maturity or sincerity – you can just go balls-to-the-wall,” he continues. “That's why I call the band 'bogan funk' – it doesn't mean anything, and it doesn't have to mean anything. We make songs that are punk, that are electronic, that are R&B, songs that are hip hop. We have the freedom to be whatever we want, and the humour is a huge part of that.”

With Sex Ed in the can and Keith on the rampage, the band will launch the album next month with a national tour – marking the biggest headlining shows that they have ever played. 

In polite terms, the band were shitting themselves at the notion of moving up to rooms like the Manning Bar in Sydney and 170 Russell in their native Melbourne – not least of all because this was in the books well before Keith went viral.

“We booked this tour back in January, and we all thought our manager was making a huge mistake,” says D'Emilio. “We were like, '170 Russell? Are you serious?' He said to trust him, and that it was achievable. 

“We figured that if all seven of us absolutely worked our arses off, and pulled in every favour we could, then we could maybe get the room half full. That show ended up selling out within 36 hours. What the fuck is happening? 

“Even our friends, who have been going to see us live since the beginning, were messaging us being like, 'we didn't think this would sell out so quickly!'”

Playlunch’s Sex Ed is out now, with tickets to the remaining shows of their imminent album tour on sale now.

Playlunch – The Sex Ed Album Tour

With special guests JUNO

Friday, September 5th – Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide, SA (18+)

Saturday, September 6th – The Rosemount Hotel, Perth, WA (18+) (Sold Out)

Friday, September 12th – The Triffid, Brisbane, QLD (Lic/AA) (Sold Out)

Saturday, September 13th – Manning Bar, Sydney, NSW (Lic/AA)

Friday, September 19th – 170 Russell, Melbourne, VIC (18+) (Sold Out)

Sunday, September 21st – 170 Russell, Melbourne, VIC (AA) (Sold Out)*

*JUNO not supporting.