Q: “Twisting the Knife Away” is an infectious new wave inspired track with a killer hook. Walk us through your writing and production process
in making this song.
JOE (of Enola Fall): 2020 was completely awful for everyone. I also lost my dad to cancer… So this was kind of a musical exorcism of sorts. Short, fast session mostly focussing on energy and anger, which is a bit different for us. I also discovered that enthusiasm is not a viable method of drumming.
Q: As a band, you’ve been making music as early as 2003. How have you grown since your first release?
JOE (of Enola Fall): Growth is an interesting word; it makes me think of sensible decisions and calculated risks, none of which is applicable I’m afraid. We lunged wildly at every opportunity that came our way, signed to labels, abandoned those labels, took on a manager, fired said manager when they failed to actually do any managing. We toured throughout Australia sleeping on floors and car seats and stumbling into the studio at bullshit o clock, so I like to think we’ve experienced as much as anyone. But growth? Not sure.
Q: What has been one of the highlights of your music career so far?
JOE (of Enola Fall): We’d come to the end of a tour a few years ago and we were burned out and tired. One last show at the University of New South Wales, and we walked onto a stage in front of 1000 people who for some reason started singing along with our choruses. It was like emerging out of a freezing cold tunnel into blazing sunshine.
We also recorded at Firebird studios in LA in the middle of the night and found out we were just down the hall from Rihanna. That was pretty cool.
Q: In your opinion, how has the music scene in Tasmania evolved and how has it shaped you as a band?
JOE (of Enola Fall): The Tassie music scene has always been extremely strong. It excels in metal and harsher genres, but recently more indie/pop style stuff has been emerging. It doesn’t hurt that the state is finally developing an international image. Although for the people living there, who are trying to rent, that’s often not such a great deal.
Being from Tasmanian used to sound like a lie. People would say “hahahahaha, that’s a cartoon. Where are you REALLY from?” Now everyone just wants to talk about Dark MOFO.
Q: On June 25th, you’ll be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of “I Am An Aerial” by performing at The Royal Oak. How does it feel to have another album of yours turn 10 and what can fans who will be at the show expect to see and hear?
JOE (of Enola Fall): It’s like a photograph that has been in your house for so long that you no longer really see it, and then one day, for no reason, you suddenly notice it again. And there are people in the photo that you haven’t talked to in ten years and a dog that is no longer around, and your cheekbones have vanished. It’s sobering and psycho in equal parts.
This show will be a little different, as will the one in Hobart at Altar the next night. We have a few guests from the old days joining in, and we’re going to get through songs that we haven’t played in a long looong time. Should be nuts. Frankly.
We will be streaming the show so everyone who can’t make it to Tassie can still check it out.
Q: What projects are currently in the works for you?
JOE (of Enola Fall): The new Enola record is finally finished (as of last week) and while I’m waiting for that to emerge, blinking, into the light like a wobbly new foaled horse. I’ll be tracking for NTTLS, my solo project and working on (of all things) a graphic novel. As one does.
Interviewed by Brynn Hinnant
