MUDHONEY

Seminal Seattle four-piece return for their first pub shows in the country since 2014

Words by Alex Callan

“The way we normally write is, we come up with riffs, we record them in our practice studio and then Mark goes back and sees how he can fit in the lyrics,” he explains.

“But that specific song was one that sat for a while in its unfinished form. It was originally called ‘Gopal’ after the Sam Gopal group from the late ’60s. If you’re unfamiliar with them, Sam Gopal was a British-Indian tabla player and percussionist, who made a fantastic record called Escalator. And interestingly enough, one of the main writing musicians on that record was Lemmy, pre-Hawkwind time, and you can actually hear some of the songs off Escalator on later Hawkwind and Mötörhead songs like ‘The Watcher’.”

“We love that sort of stuff, so I think the rhythms of that song were made to sound a bit like the Sam Gopal Band, who are very driven by hand percussion.”

When asked if the group’s newly adopted psychedelic soundscapes remain a prominent influence amid the entirety of Plastic Eternity, Maddison briefly paused to contemplate; “I think there’s a couple of tracks in there that people won’t be expecting from us.

“But there’s also still stuff for the diehards. Most songs still use a lot of pedals and carry the garage punk sound that people generally associate with Mudhoney. But I think that over the years, we have evolved and are now able to stretch our wings into different types of music while still sounding like Mudhoney.”

And he couldn’t be more right, with the group consistently humbling themselves by returning to their roots and playing intimate club shows. It’s an ethos adopted for the group’s 2023 National tour run, which marks the group’s first Australian appearance since the final Big Day Out in 2014.

“It’ll be great fun”, exclaims Maddison, “I believe there is one festival, Gumball in New South Wales, and the rest are all intimate club shows, which are pretty much the best environment to see Mudhoney in.

“We’re super excited. We’d hoped to come out earlier, but the pandemic shut everything down and pushed back our tour schedule, so it’s a great feeling to be able to bring the band back to Australia.”

Catch Mudhoney at the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine on 28 April and the Torquay Hotel on 29 April. Mudhoney’s Plastic Eternity is out on 7 April.

Eamonn Conor

With his disco-pop sound, Jackson-like vocals and ’80s-nostalgic

vibe, Melbourne’s Eamonn Conor is on the rise

Delivering a refreshing immersion of sun-soaked and shimmering funk, Eamonn Conor’s newest single ‘Table 17’ is the kind of insatiable groove that fills our hearts and souls with euphoria, primed to get us moving and shaking.

Disco-pop at its finest, the track begins as smooth as molasses and dripping with heartfelt emotion before launching into funky bass grooves, crisp vocals and swanky infectious melodies that tickle the ears as Conor lifts his song off the ground, singing about the romance and playful nature of love at first sight.

Channelling the ecstasy of young love and wedding traditions into a catchy fusion of funk, disco and pop, ‘Table 17’ is the first single lifted from Conor’s forthcoming EP Last Chance Romance and re-introduces the artist as one with undeniable passion and alluring energy.

Originally from Kyabram, it’s been a steady rise for the nowMelbourne-based artist whose dreams were initially to pursue professional football from a young age.

“My journey into music began when I had an injury in football, and I needed something to do to fill in my time. I always loved singing and wanted to try it so started seeing Lauren Kucera from Blackbird Vocals and she really opened me up in terms of confidence and finding my voice which was not very mature or strong or powerful,” he explains.

“From there we entered some singing competitions and then I was picked up by a producer by the name of Sam Panetta… we recorded my first EP release called Thoughts.”

While releases might be few and far between, Conor has wasted no time establishing himself in the local gig scene, earning himself a solid reputation for his electric live show.

“What I truly love is having random people get involved with our upbeat songs and clap and dance because for me, I feed off of the energy from the audience. So I need that and when we get those moments you forget about everything else and that is honestly the only time I ever feel like I am truly living in the moment.”