We get to know Among The Ruined, a Brisbane-based metalcore band who are part of the 2022 line-up of independent Gold Coast festival Wallapalooza.
Who is Among The Ruined... Met in high school. Bailey, CJ and I (Paddy) all went to Music Industry College in Fortitude Valley.In the first week of the new year they have a three-day camp where everyone can get to know each other because it's a small school. We all met there and jammed a little and decided to form a band.
We sound like... Bring Me The Horizon, Polaris, All Time Low, Motionless In White and Falling In Reverse.
Our first gig was... At The Brightside as the opener for Earthcaller, Death In Bloom and Deadlights.
In the studio I usually... If I'm starting from scratch, I will usually write a loose song in my head and then try and put the elements together, starting with guitar and a basic midi drum pattern. Then I will layer up the vocals.
My most productive days in the studio are when I get straight out of bed and get straight into the studio. I'm not as productive if I cloud my mind with other daily routine tasks.
If we could tour with anyone... Polaris or Bring Me The Horizon.
Social media is... A necessary evil to be used wisely as a tool. It's good for interacting with fans and marketing, but in our personal lives getting addicted to scrolling on Facebook and Instagram can be negative, and create false expectations and standards for oneself.
My favourite app at the moment is... YouTube. It's how we find new music. It's entertaining, informative, useful and really addicting.
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time... Homespun Bazaar when we were young. We had a show out in the middle of nowhere that ran super over time.
We also didn't have a drummer, so I had to play drums and sing. CJ (our bassist) was going for a pee and slipped over into a bunch of mud right before our set. During our set some guy jumped up on stage for a mic grab, which lasted way too long.
I also had to tape a rag to my shin cause the kick beater was causing havoc on it. Overall I think we pulled it off.
Life on the road can be... I guess we will find out once we are allowed to tour again.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Beer, socks, a cucumber and a vibrating neck pillow.
The most scary scenario we've found ourselves in, was... Probably the time Bailey was driving us all home in his van from a gig and took a piddle out of the sun roof and nearly fell out.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band... Donald Trump. Don't really like the guy, but f... it's good marketing.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Amsterdam, so we could easily tour Europe. ;)
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... Danny Worsnop, Courtney LaPlante and Chris Motionless. I reckon the vibe with these three would be good.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? I am not a cook (Paddy). I like to cook (Bailey); I know Paddy is a vegetarian, so maybe like pesto fettuccine with halloumi and bruschetta on malted sourdough. Negroni's for dessert.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? We all love pets, but we don't own any. CJ had a gecko, but it might be dead.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Boogie Fever.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... This morning.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Manscaping.
Do you have any phobias... Bailey has a phobia of spiders. If I (Paddy) have a phobia it would be coprastastaphobia. A fear of constipation. Didn't know I had it until recently.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Yes, if it was 'LA Ink' or something similar. We could be ourselves and if we could, get free tattoos. It'd be fun to do that show where you get to pick the tattoo the other person gets, that'd be fun with the band.
If I (Bailey) was to do that with Paddy it'd be Eeyore in the rain with a speech bubble that says 'hung like a donkey' haha!
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? I think CJ would be the funniest to prank, he would get pretty mad. He doesn't like going outside too much, so the old Viagra in the Gatorade would be hilarious.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? Domino's, hands down. As a band, that place has been our saviour many times.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? We will do one for each of us: CJ – Dwight from 'The Office'. He is a security guard and a good, law abiding citizen. Generally when filming music videos in urban locations we will see an appearance of his alter-ego: Safety CJ with the safety briefing. Paddy – A combination of Barney, Marshall and Ted from 'How I Met Your Mother'. It gets weird. Bailey – Donkey from 'Shrek' (I love Eddie Murphy).
Last show you binge-watched? Paddy – I'm a sitcom guy, I just binged 'Community' and I'm currently binging both 'How I Met Your Mother' and 'Friends' at the same time. For like the seventh time.
Among The Ruined play Wallapalooza at Mudgeeraba Showgrounds (Gold Coast) 26 February joining headliners Grinspoon, The Butterfly Effect, Dead Letter Circus and more.
