Adelaide group SEABASS recently dropped their latest single, 'Burn', ahead of their debut EP (due out early 2021).
The band spent their first year together honing an energetic sound brimming with emotive indie vibes after coming together when they landed a support gig with Pussy Riot last year.They've since become regulars on the local scene, both as headliners as well as supporting Ecca Vandal, Grinspoon and The Superjesus.
The quartet of Annie Siegmann, Flik Freeman, Ryan Martin John and Kyrie Anderson are ready to tackle 2021 and unleash the 'Always Kidding' EP on those who've been there since the beginning, and newcomers alike.
"Although the song ['Burn'] itself is uplifting and a call to mobilise against stupidity and inaction," Annie says, "there are undertones of desperation and hopelessness that ride with the need to push through.
"I remember sitting on my sound and this song literally fell out of me at 8am one morning into a demo session on my computer.
"We tidied the track up here and there, but ultimately this is how it first sounded that one, emotional, desperate morning. 2019 was a big year for injustice. . . we should have known what was around the corner. Luckily, my band had each other and music."
Ahead of their show at Northern Sound System (Adelaide) on Saturday 19 December (with Tiles and Lily Rose), Annie sits down for a quick chat about music, funny acceptance speeches and a fear of phone calls (seriously!).
Who is... We are SEABASS. Three of our members played with Pussy Riot in 2019 and decided we should probably form our own band with our mate Ryan. We have our debut EP coming out in February 2021.
We sound like... A hint of early Kings of Leon with a peppering of Middle Kids and the vocal delivery of The Preatures.
Our first gig was... For the Adelaide Guitar Festival – we worked with a local winery called Oddio, which is located in this dank building that was the first methodist church in South Australia.
Luke Hancock helped us deck the place out with amazing sound and lighting, and we played to a sold-out crowd. It was wild.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... We are still unsure how the name TRULY came to be, but Annie really likes fish... Like, really likes them.
In the studio we usually... Eat a lot of snacks, I get super distracted if I get too tired. Flik comes out with ridiculous (amazing) production and harmony ideas. Kyrie air-drums along when listening back. Ryan is a good boy and is a magic sound engineer.
If we could tour with anyone... My first response is Shania Twain and Celine Dion, but really what I mean to say is Jaguar Jonze, Hayley Mary, Holy Holy and/ or Middle Kids.
Social media is... Very terrifying for anyone aged 25 and above.
My favourite app at the moment is... Noisli – it's literally an app that plays white noise or thunder sounds because I CAN'T SLEEP!
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time... When we won a really big award presented by APRA AMCOS and I had to give a speech, and I definitely didn't prepare anything.
I looked at the band saying 'can someone pleeeease say something' – they all said 'no' with their eyes, so I turned around and said 'Well, F...'. And that was my speech.
Life on the road can be... Dehydrating.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Snacks, hommus, some sort of cheap tinned beer. I hope we get famous enough one day to ask for fresh undies on our rider... That would be the ultimate dream. Just a fresh, black pair of Bonds boy-leg undies. Thanks.
The most scary scenario we've found ourselves in, was... I think COVID was and still is pretty scary for bands in general, not knowing when your next show to a real crowd will be. We've been pretty sad about it. But also, again, probably giving an acceptance 'speech'.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band? Jacinda Ardern – I just think that she'll really get the image of us being nice people across and that will almost be more important than our actual music.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Maybe Vancouver? But also, somewhere tropical would be pretty great.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party? Abbi and Ilana from 'Broad City' and Jacinda Adern. I feel like there would be some great conversation and Abbi and Ilana will coax Jacinda out of her shell a bit.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? Depends how much time I had; I'd probably hand-make some spaghetti and make a mean Puttanesca. Or I'd plan something really extravagant, get too stressed and order pizza.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... An array of socks in styles, colours and prints for every occasion and every outfit.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... I drive past one every day and look through the window and think 'when was the last time I saw the inside of a gym?'.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Any chores that require any kind of logic or multiple steps to complete – I legit have ADHD so housework is pretty frightening.
Do you have any phobias? HATE PHONE CALLS! I simply cannot and will not. I don't even have voicemail.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Sure. Probably one that involved turning your eyelids inside out or like... roller blading badly. It'd be skills based, but like... unskilled.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Hmmmmm, I would probably put rubber mice and rats around Ryan's studio. His old studio had a few too many friends that kept him awake at night. He might need therapy after that prank though.
