A finalist for Artist Of The Year at this weekend's 2021 Gold Coast Music Awards, alt rockers Mass Sky Raid will also perform live at the awards ceremony from Home Of The Arts that will be broadcast live as a Facebook stream.
"We're absolutely buzzing to be nominated for Artist Of The Year at the 2021 Gold Coast Music Award!" declares the band."Massive thank you to everyone involved. Check out all the epic artists we're representing the GC with and pick up a ticket – your support of our industry at this time is crucial."
With the band's second full-length studio released planned to drop in early 2022, here Mass Sky Raid reflect on their journey so far.
How we got our band name
We came up with the name Mass Sky Raid while trying to describe the huge, anthemic sound we try to create in our music, and it is also a play on the word 'masquerade.Actually, we came up with a lot of different names, but soon realised every band name you can possibly think of is probably taken.
We learnt the hard way that before you get excited about your genius band name and get shirts printed, you should do a thorough Google search.
Where we found our band members
Our band has gone through a few iterations and has recently brought awesome players together from all over the place.Our drummer, Nic, is from Scotland and moved to Australia last year just before COVID hit. Closer to home, our talented bass man, Joshua, was actually our sound engineer for years before joining the band.
What we wish we knew before starting a band
We wish we'd known how expensive bands can be, as we soon learnt money doesn't grow on trees, even if you water it twice a day. But that lesson often gets forgotten, because there's nothing quite like picking up a new guitar or drum kit.Also, no one warned us how hard a photoshoot can actually be – even for a band of guys wearing black – when four people like four different press photos, because it's the one they look the best in.
We've learnt through trial and error how much of an emotional journey being in a band can be, but despite the major highs and major lows, we wouldn't have it any other way as it's all a progression.
Our biggest musical influences
We're an alt-rock band and we formed in 2011, so we'd still say that the biggest influences on Mass Sky Raid's sound are classics: early 30 Seconds To Mars, Muse, Prodigy, Jeff Buckley and Northlane.Our most memorable show (so far)
The most memorable show we ever played was probably Prog Fest in Brisbane, over the January long weekend in 2019.The line-up was insane and it was the most amazing crowd, but it was easily the hottest show I have ever had to play at, resulting in a total sweat pit in the audience and on stage. Those were the days.
We were actually set to announce an Australian tour in October, but had to cancel it due to the latest COVID outbreak. Watch this space for a rescheduled tour coming soon.
The 2021 Gold Coast Music Awards will take place as both an in-person event at HOTA and a Facebook livestream on 4 September from 1pm EST. Mass Sky Raid also play Bed By Nine at The Zoo (Brisbane) 26 September and Wallapolooza at Mudgeeraba Showgrounds (Gold Coast) 20 November.
