Hellions release 'Indian Summer' this month and will take down the posers and imitators of the hardcore scene with them.
Defined as a mischievous, troublesome or unruly person, Hellions is a fitting name for the Sydney-based hardcore three-piece known for their aggressive and frenetic sound. For Anthony Caruso, the powerhouse drummer of the band, the name symbolises more than that. “It means keeping a sort of youthful vitality throughout your life and not taking things too seriously. We are a little bit wild, you could say.”
Forming in 2013, Hellions was the evolution of Caruso’s previous band, The Bride, which all three members were in as teenagers. “The Bride [lasted] for at least seven or eight years, we sort of came to a period where a few members changed over. Instead of carrying on that name, we thought it would be the perfect time to start something new and something fresh; to rid any stigma or any preconception that people had of us already.”
Since releasing their debut ‘Die Young’ in September that year, Hellions have become mainstays of the Australian hardcore scene. Their follow-up album, ‘Indian Summer’ will be released this month after being recorded in the exotic surroundings of Thailand. “It left so much room for creativity and leisure to let the mind open for ideas that you wouldn’t get in a suburban city environment where a lot of studios are based. There is so much room to breathe and your head is always clear. It’s very relaxing.
“Everything you think a studio is; it is the opposite of that. Recording and writing a record can be pretty hectic. That kind of environment counters all of that. You can’t get frustrated and if you’re not nailing a take or your not happy with part of a song, you can kind of take a break for ten minutes and step outside and be like, ‘wow I’m here and I have nothing to worry about. We are going to be able to nail this’. It had a huge influence on the way the record came out.”
On lyrical content, Anthony believes ‘Indian Summer’ will be hardcore trios most confronting record to date. “There are songs on there that are very personal to myself and to our vocalist, Dre. Overall, the experiences we were writing about were things everyone could relate to. There are songs about going through depression; there are songs about alcoholism, family and broken relationships. Then there are positive songs about keeping your friends close and together and just enjoying life really.”
If you think having sensitive songs make the Hellions less ‘hardcore’, Anthony may have something to say about that; “I think the days of being a tough, hardcore band are… I wouldn't say over, but it is not as common anymore. I don’t think there is a real need for that kind of thing. We aren’t going to put up a tough promo picture or a dark mysterious artwork together, because that doesn't suit our music or us. Everything about us is extremely honest and what you hear in the music, in the videos, in the artwork and the promo photos; it’s all us to a tee. There is no smoke and mirrors; we are proud of who we are.”
Their latest album also symbolises the band’s dissatisfaction with the current state of heavy music. “I think there is a lack of variety. I think everyone is playing it too safe. A lot of bands are carbon copies of the bands that came before them. Music is a creative outlet for people, so it kind of bums us out a little bit. Some people are writing their music because they like the sound of another band and they are trying to imitate that sound.
“They can do what they want to do, but for us personally, that is not what we’re about or what we want to do. I think 2015 will be the time where we’ll see a lot of new music, as I dare say we are not alone in thinking the way we are about the current state of the music scene. We want to be unique and want to write songs that people are going to listen to and not go ‘I’ve heard this song a million times before’.” Hellions' 'Indian Summer' is out 31 January.
Written by Nicholas Ivanovic
Helions Tour Dates
Fri 6 Mar - The Lab (Brisbane)Sat 7 Mar - The Brightside (Brisbane)
Sun 8 Mar - Yac (Byron Bay)
Wed 11 Mar - Hombre Records (Newcastle)
Thu 12 Mar - Magpies (Canberra)
Fri 13 Mar - Towradgi SLSC (Wollongong)
Sat 14 Mar - Camelot Lounge (Sydney)
Sun 15 Mar - Masonic Hall (Blacktown)
Fri 20 Mar – Black Market (Adelaide)
Sat 21 Mar – Reverence Hotel (Melbourne)
Sun 22 Mar – Phoenix YC (Melbourne)
