As their first studio album in almost a decade nears release ('Time Itself ' out 27 August), Melbourne indie rockers Children Collide have rolled the COVID dice, landing on a massive 13-date national tour.
The band have also dropped a new single 'Man Of The People' – its fuzzed-out, swirly, psychedelic rock-outs and chunky, boisterous riffs reminiscent of 'The Flight Of Wally Funk' era Spiderbait.Children Collide will criss-cross the mainland throughout November and December, visiting all capital cities as well as Fremantle, Ballarat, Wollongong, Canberra, Newcastle, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.
"Originally titled 'Dark Bird' this was an instrumental I'd written just after [2012 album] 'Monument'," muses frontman Johnny Mackay about 'Man Of The People'.
"I pulled it out, dusted it off and wrote lyrics in New York at the height of the Trump presidency. "I was having a bit of a rock bottom moment personally and my whole world felt like cocaine, mezcal and pathetic desperation against the backdrop of a Murdochian dystopia where the bastards had won.
"My reaction is always to stuff my hopelessness into an aural time capsule. I love how heavy Loren and Doug made it and the one-take solo gives me anxiety when I listen back."
The music video for Man Of The People' was inspired by live TV performances of bands from yesteryear.
"The closest any TV programme ever got to transferring that true live band energy through the screen was Germany's Beat Club, which ran from '65-'72," Johnny says.
"I've done many deep dives on their YouTube Channel. Check out Sabbath, Can, Fanny, MC5, Canned Heat, there's even one with NEU! and Kraftwerk jamming.
"Somehow the crude green screen and way it's edited makes you feel something special, so I really wanted to go for that vibe with this video.
"The crash zooms referenced old Sonic Youth videos and I added in some funny old Star Wars wipes in the edit then stirred it all into a visual soup to hopefully give people a taste of that live energy in their screens."
The band recorded 'Time Itself' in New York City with Loren Humphrey (drummer for Florence and the Machine).
"Children Collide albums always feel like 12 points of a clock or a compass," Johnny says. "More an entire 360 degree entity than a single story. Exploration in all directions."
'Time Itself' is released 27 August. Pre-order it.
Tickets on sale.
Children Collide 2021 Tour Dates
Fri 19 Nov - Jive (Adelaide)Sat 20 Nov - Lynott's Lounge (Perth)
Sun 21 Nov - Mojos (Fremantle)
Thu 25 Nov - Sooki Lounge (Melbourne)
Fri 26 Nov - Howler (Melbourne)
Sat 27 Nov - The Eastern (Ballarat)
Wed 1 Dec - La La La's (Wollongong)
Thu 2 Dec - Oxford Art Factory (Sydney)
Fri 3 Dec - Kambri (Canberra)
Sat 4 Dec - The Newy (Newcastle)
Thu 9 Dec - The Zoo (Brisbane)
Fri 10 Dec - Eleven Dive Bar (Sunshine Coast)
Sat 11 Dec - Studio 56 @ Miami Marketta (Gold Coast)
