Relatively quiet on the release front since dropping their debut EP 'Sick Sad World' in 2020, Brisbane-based indie rockers Ban Solo return with the cheerfully slick 'Runaway'.
Jangly guitar, a noodling bassline and drum slapping that keeps the rhythm super-tight, 'Runaway' is a bright, bouncy slice of garage rock that hearts late '90s, early 2000s flavours."So happy to be sharing new music once again!" admits the band, who have enjoyed regular play on local community station 4ZZZ as well as supported Mental As Anything and Hope D.
Ban Solo support Buttermello at Greaser (Brisbane) 2 September as well as supporting LA Moon at The Bearded Lady (Brisbane) 8 September.
Who is Ban Solo... We met at uni; it was love at first sight. Our drummer had to leave for health reasons so we brought in Dan. Rigby plays guitar, Axel is the best bassist in Brisbane and Ben (me) is our frontman.
We sound like... If The Kooks, Arctic Monkeys and Ocean Alley had a baby, we'd call them Mama.
Our first gig was... It was a uni gig at The Foundry (RIP); it's actually on YouTube which gives us a nice window into how far we've come. We do a mean cover of Jason Mraz 'You Fckn Did It' on there.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... Ban Solo comes from my name, Ben Solomon, but everyone thinks it's a 'Star Wars' reference.
In the studio we usually... Get sh.t done. We waste no time or money in the studio, but it's always mixed with lots of beer and really harsh banter. It keeps all our egos in check.
If we could tour with anyone... Touring with The Kooks would be so massive. They are my biggest inspiration and my favourite band, so I have to pick them.
Social media is... Hard. . . I love using it to connect with our fans, but I try to stay off it as much as I can. Which leads to Rigby yelling at me to post more content.
My favourite app at the moment is... Optus Sport. I'm a huge Premier League fan and I've been missing it in the off-season.
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time... As a band, I rocked up to a gig three days early. I swear it was the right date and I was telling staff that they're wrong while frantically searching through my emails. Rigby was not happy. I was wrong.
Life on the road can be... Torture. We barely hit the road because our schedules are always blocked, but we'll leave Brisbane soon haha.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Rum and Dry, a big packet of Skittles with all the blue ones removed and a good feed.
The most scary scenario we've found ourselves in, was... I brought a guy who was going to interview us to one of our shows; he was having a great time double parked in the front row when Rigby jumped off the stage and cracked him in the head with his guitar. We were so scared that he was going to be really hurt or really angry, but he just laughed it off. The next day he interviewed us with the worst headache.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band... Ryan Reynolds. His attitude would be perfect for us.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Well, I'm yet to see the world but ideally somewhere warm and quiet with nice beaches.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... Axel says he'd have three different versions of himself. As a teenager, ten years from now and on his death bed. I think that sums him up pretty well.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? Japanese sticky pork with rice. I think you'd be surprised with my cooking ability.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? Currently at home I have two cats, chickens, clownfish and guinea pigs. I love animals and couldn't live without some sort of animal best friend.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Walcher Hazelnut Rum. It's imported from Austria and it is insanely good.
@bansolo.tv A Love Letter From Me To You - @Sticky Fingers cover #music #cover #singer #fyp #love #discover #foryou #loveletter #viral #bansolo ♬ original sound - bansolo.tv
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... A few months back; it was a tour to try and get me to sign up. It didn't work.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Washing clothes. I don't have a dryer and lately there's hardly a break in the weather to hang up the washing.
Do you have any phobias... I really can't stand hair that's not attached. If it's in my food I freak out. If it's in the drain or a vacuum cleaner and I have to pull it out I just gag so hard. Ehhh.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? 'Survivor'. It seems like something that could be fun.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? We don't really prank, but we hang sh.t on each other a lot. Me and Rigby are the worst, but the best way to do it is to not give it back when you're in public and make the other look like a fool haha.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? I don't know about midnight but Kebab Brothers do a solid HSP pack. I can't finish it.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Rigby's would be Archer – he drinks a lot and never has a plan, but everything works out. Dan is the seven dwarves all fused together to make one big 'dwarf'. Axel is the main character from 'Red Dwarf' because he's alone in a spaceship stuck in the middle of space. Ben is Bob from 'Bob's Burgers'; logical, angry and never listened to.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVzVdvGIC7U
Last show you binge-watched? I've had a uni break, so I binged 'Peaky Blinders' and loved it. How can you stop watching Cillian Murphy doing such an amazing role? He's a fantastic actor.
