Alt-Punk Band dust on Mortality, Sickness in Debut EP “etcetera, etc”
dust, the fast-rising alt-punk band released their debut EP etcetera, etc alongside lead track “Ward 52.” Formed against the backdrop of the pandemic in 2020, the project of Awabakal land / Newcastle-based dual guitarist-vocalists Gabriel Stove and Justin Teale, bassist Liam Smith, guitarist and saxophonist Adam Ridgway and drummer Kye Cherry, dust offer an invigorating new take on Australian post-punk: progressive, catchy, and irresistible.
Channeling the eccentricity of Injury Reserve and Jockstrap, on “Ward 52” dust presents a more insular purview of their experiences, in contrast to “The Gutter’s” furious commentary on class division and socio-cultural power imbalances. The out-of-body experience of being confronted with your own mortality is captured here through shrieking saxophone, throbbing bass and erratic percussion. In “Ward 52,” dust attempts to make sense of that mind-state, from the daily consideration of your physical ability to complete what was otherwise second nature – basic human function – against the often invisible, cerebral combat of pushing past fear.
Speaking to the single, vocalist Justin Teale says, “I wrote the lyrics to ‘Ward 52’ over six months while washing dishes at my parent’s cafe. Processing a year of health complications, I tried to encapsulate different stages and experiences during my treatment and the idea of mortality and sickness. It was my first time detailing a personal experience through lyrics. I had the melody and a rough structure floating in my head whilst working and would think about encounters and situations and make lyrics in my head.”
“Ward 52” arrives on the heels of dust’s recent announcement of signings across Kanine Records internationally, Rad Music Management, Select Music for ANZ bookings and X-Ray Touring for international bookings across the UK and Europe.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Thank you for sitting down and talking to Unpublished Magazine. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren't familiar with your music, what inspires your creative persona and style?
[DUST]: I think we take a lot of inspiration from English post-punk and the current state of UK music, except we’ve put our own little Australian take on it and are trying to do our own variation. We have been expanding with electronic music and we incorporate elements of that. We all listen to different heaps of music, so that just blends into something that we are inspired by.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You guys are part of Australia's punk scene and are currently on tour. What do you love most about the scene and how would you describe its energy?
[DUST]: I feel like Australia's punk scene is really strong at the moment and the bands are popular all over the beach scenes in Melbourne and Sydney. Everyone's been really welcoming. We all grew up loving these bands and they’ve welcomed us in and given us a lot of amazing opportunities.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Your single “Ward 52” just released. What is the inspiration behind the single?
[DUST]: Lyrically, it was about a time that I [Justin] spent in hospital when I was really unwell. I wrote about what I went through and the experience I had, everything that was in between pretty much, and I just had the idea of the song in my head for ages. It just worked out and we spent a lot of time on it. There was a heavy focus around the themes of mortality and sickness. I haven't really heard much of it being described in our previous releases.
[UNPUBLISHED]: “Ward 52” also has an accompanying music video. What did the creative process look like for you guys and how was your experience filming it?
[DUST]: We actually filmed that video like three or four different times on different evolutions and we ended up on that final one. I think the first video we did didn't really feel as genuine and that's why in the one that we put out, you can see us in the lounge and it feels more genuine and us.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What message, emotions or story do you hope to portray through this work?
[DUST]: I think it gives a nice message of acceptance and that things get better than your current circumstances. We are talking more about our experiences and stories and we want it to feel more emotional and exciting.
[UNPUBLISHED]: You also have a debut EP out, a huge congratulations is in order. What is the inspiration behind et cetera, etc?
[DUST]: We wrote that when we first started the band. We had the songs kicking around for about a year or so before we went and recorded it. We recorded at the farm that you can see in the live videos and we recorded in the span of a week. We wanted to make the whole project flow into each other, rather than it be just a couple of separate songs. I think it started as individual songs and then when we got into recording it and they found their own connection to each other. They all have their own personality by itself.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What can listeners expect from this new era of music?
[DUST]: Definitely more storytelling and cathartic elements, as the songs each have their own personalities, but also blend together seamlessly.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you'd like to share with the magazine?
[DUST]: It's going to be really busy. We're just trying to do as much as we can all the time, trying to keep evolving because we're still super fresh. Trying to hit the ground running this year and keep up the consistent releases all year and touring. We've been waiting and not stockpiling stuff, and now we're keen to let everyone hear it.
