Atticus Chimps are an alternative-rock trio from the Gold Coast making a name for themselves on the local scene with their new single and video clip, 'Don't Blame Me'.
The song follows their 2016 debut EP 'Hug Me Till You Drug Me', which vocalist and guitarist Sam Bray says proved to be a bit of a false start for the band. “It was very limited,” Sam says of the first EP.
“We had an old drummer then and it was recorded at a studio that wasn't really compatible with what we were trying to do. The day I walked out of there with the masters I didn't like the sound and I think that reflected with how hard I pushed it.
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“We released it on streaming services then sat back because we weren't really happy with it and we thought we could go better [sic]. So we re-recorded a couple of those songs and tried to wipe that EP clean and hopefully we can come back to those songs, re-record them and make them even better.”
On 'Don't Blame Me', Atticus Chimps demonstrate the development the band has undergone with trying to meld punk, grunge and funk into a cohesive and unique style. “It gives us a lot of freedom really because we're not bogged down to one kind of genre,” Sam says.
“When I grew up I was a big punk-rock fan and I know if this band formed five or ten years ago we'd be playing punk rock, and punk rock itself is very one-dimensional; there's only so much you can do with it.
“That's why I love branching out and trying to embrace a whole bunch of different genres because then hopefully it will make us so much more unique and distinguishable compared to other bands.”
Sam also says the band's progress since releasing the EP has come about largely because of their new drummer, Jordan Vendy. “He was just the thing we needed,” Sam says of Jordan.
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“I couldn't ask for a better drummer to be honest. We're jamming all the time and we're getting better and better; it really shows in our live performances. I didn't realise how far we'd come since our last EP until we recorded ['Don't Blame Me'] and heard the mixes. We sound so much better, so I'm excited.”
Atticus Chimps play a string of shows in Brisbane over the next few months, with planning already underway for a larger east-coast tour in January.
In the meantime, 'Don't Blame Me' is accompanied by a video clip featuring a very frustrated chimp in a suit. “[The video had] to be laidback and not too serious. So why not chuck an outfit on, trash shit and have fun? So that's what we did,” Sam says.
“The song started off as being a light stab at consumerism, hence the reason for the film clip. It's a chimp in an outfit and he gets frustrated because he's in corporate mode in his mind and gets fed up with it. It's us just basically going, 'f&#% work, let's have some fun'.”
