An indie rock band with a punk-DIY attitude, Brisbane quartet Dusty are a little over a year old yet they're already creating ripples in the local music pond, having supported Bugs on their tour late last year.
2021 also saw the group – Annie Newcombe (lead vocals, guitar), Tannum Portelli (bass guitar), Harley Meszaros (lead guitar) and Willow Giles (drums) – release two singles, the bewitching 'Easier' and stripped-back, rawness of 'Do You Care?'.Now they follow-up with the infectious spirit of 'Anxiety', providing a playful romp while detailing a subject matter we can all relate to.
"It's my favourite song in the set, I like how many people tell me that they can relate to it," Annie says.
"For me, it's important that we talk about mental health, and I think having a song about anxiety really opens up the conversation."
We sound like... A female-led Bugs, Moaning Lisa, Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers.
Our first gig was... Tannum: At Tomcat in Fortitude Valley opening for Oh Bailey. It was super exciting and we were all a little nervous.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... Annie: I came up with the name before the band even started; it was a name I always wanted to use for a pet.
In the studio we usually... Drink coffee, mess around with the dad-cam and record bangers.
If we could tour with anyone: Tannum: Spacey Jane or WAAX; Harley: Holy Holy or The Vanns; Willow: Hockey Dad; Annie: Ocean Alley.
Social media is... Painful, helpful, overwhelming, unhealthy, community building, important.
My favourite app at the moment is... Willow: TikTok – the content is really fun to make and it has really helped us start to reach new listeners.
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time... Willow explaining to Gold Coasters where and what ’The Valley’ was.
Life on the road can be... A dream. We are super keen to do more of it this year.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Sugar-free Vs, booze, fairy lights, steamer, and stylist.
The most scary scenario we've found ourselves in, was... Playing The Princess Theatre last year supporting Bugs; it was certainly our biggest gig to date, so we were all scared and excited.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band... Morgan Freeman or David Attenborough – can you imagine the voiceovers?!
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose... Annie: California because it is sunny all the time; Willow: Tokyo because of the vibes; Harley: Spain because it looks pretty.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... We picked four because there is four of us. We would invite Daniel Sloss for the laughs. Julia Stone because Annie loves her. Billie Eilish so Willow can tell her how much of an inspiration she is to her. And Harley would invite either the Queen for the memes or Snoop Dogg for the party – depending on the day.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? Annie: Chicken spaghetti.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? Willow: Lover for sure. Annie has a cat called Munka that is always in the studio with us.
@dustytheband We think you will love it as well ? #catsoftiktok #newsong #cat #femaleband #femaledrummer #meanjinband #triplej #anxietywithfriends #girlpower #catpower? ♬ original sound - Dusty
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Harley: Carton of Little Fat Lamb.
The last time we saw the inside of a gym was... Annie: The beach is our gym.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Tannum: Laundry, it is just literally the worst, so many steps.
Do you have any phobias... Annie: Birds. Who doesn't? They are so scary. Especially chickens.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Harley: 'Camp Orange'. It would be a childhood dream.
If you could prank any of your friends, who’s your target, and how are you bringing them down? Harley: I would prank Tannum and I would swap all of her black clothes for white ones.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? Tannum: The local BP for their cheese and bacon travellers pies.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Harley: Snow White because she sleeps a lot – I think that is very relatable for me; Tannum: Harley that's Sleeping Beauty – Snow White gets poisoned!
Last show you binge-watched? Willow, Tannum: 'Euphoria', 'How I Met Your Mother'.
