A progressive-rock quartet from Brisbane who first established themselves just as COVID ruined the world, The Atomic Beau Project are an emerging act that morph metal, indie pop and electronica tones inspired by sci-fi, horror, and fiction themes.
Fronted by Emma Beau, who previously performed electro-pop originals solo, the band showcased at BIGSOUND 2022 and have also supported the likes of COG, RedHook, Voyager, and Osaka Punch.Emma is joined by Andy James (drums), Jack Gardner (guitar), and Luke Woollett (bass), with the band completely DIY recording and producing all of their own material.
Their first single of 2023 is 'In The Storm', a track about 'the transformative coexistence of trauma therapy and hallucinogens'.
"There seems to be more and more stories of people having these huge life-changing experiences through hallucinogenic drugs like psilocybin," Beau, who is a mental health counsellor, says.
"During the experience, people report these life-shattering realisations, where they feel their very self being stripped away from them, only to be rebuilt afterwards in a new and better form.
"It's something that's very new to us in the west, but ancient cultures have been practicing this form of self-discovery and change for centuries, if not millennia.
"I've really tried capturing these themes in the lyrics to this track, which are the deep roots we have with nature as a way of overcoming afflictions, the experiences people go through during hallucinogenic trips, and the mental journey the user takes in finding themselves during the experience."
Here, Emma sits down for a fun chat about the band and some non-music stuff, 'cause why not.
Who is The Atomic Beau Project... We're a female-led rock/ heavy/ punk band from Queensland. We write music with a horror/sci-fi/ psychological theme. There's four of us in the band now, but originally it was a solo project I put together as I wanted to write tracks just for myself around the kinds of stuff I was personally interested in.
We've played some massive festivals over the last couple of years, and have had the pleasure of supporting COG, RedHook, and Voyager, as well as playing BIGSOUND in 2022, which was AWESOME!
We sound like... Other people have described us as having a 'post-genre' sound, but I think we sound like a bit of a cross of Muse and Poppy, which are two massive influences of ours.
Our first gig was... The first 'proper' gig was literally the day before COVID-19 shutdown all venues. So we had two years of pretty much being an online band, and so in a lot of ways we're still a new band.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... Totally not, this band is a dictatorship! Jks. I come from a folk music background (and play a lot of Irish fiddle) and performed under the name Emma Beau.
So when I started this project, I wanted to emphasise it was just still me singing, but everything else was amped up on steroids, so we came up with the name The Atomic 'BEAU' Project.
In the studio we usually... Get really frustrated! We're almost entirely a DIY band, and so we produce and mix all our own music at home. While we love it because we have absolute freedom and time to do what we want, things don't always go to plan. Also, it means my pugs are always in the studio with me.
If we could tour with anyone... We would DIE to tour with Babymetal, Poppy, Muse, or Spiritbox. We've always found we sort of sit slightly outside of the box musically, and so touring with other bands is always hard to get the right fit.
Social media is... A necessary evil for musicians.
My favourite app at the moment is... TikTok. I have an alternative account (@Therapy_em) where I do a lot of mental health content (as I'm a counsellor). It's become really popular, and I love sharing positive/ helpful content online for people who suffer from mental-health difficulties.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... Lets just say make sure you check that the person you're texting isn't the person you're talking about!
Life on the road can be... Very bad for your mental health (no sleep, bad diet, too much dopamine, not enough exercise), but very fun.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Earl Grey tea and oat milk for me and cheap beers for the rest of the band.
The most scary scenario we've found ourselves in was... Stumbling on some bones in an abandoned tunnel when we were trying to find a good photoshoot location. They looked suspiciously big for an animal, so we just left and called the cops.
What celebrity/famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band... Mark Zuckerberg, because I'd get to see if he's actually a lizard person or not.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Sweden, because those guys know metal.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... Stephen King because he inspires our music, Bruce Dickinson because he's the godfather of metal, and Brian May because he's a musician and academic (like our drummer, Andy).
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? I'd probably make you something stock standard (like a curry), but made from all the strange ingredients in my cupboard. I don't know how, but I've accumulated all these bizarre health foods over the years.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? Definitely a lover, I have two pugs. They're my children.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Do pancakes come in a case? [Ed's note: Yes. Yes, they do. Maple syrup not included sadly!]
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... I love my home gym, but I can't stand real gyms! The noise 100 per cent gives me sensory override. I pretty much have to wear ear plugs anywhere that's not my home (ADHD life).
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Doing tax.
Do you have any phobias... Yes! I have something called emetophobia, which is a fear of vomit. It's unknown to most people but pretty common, so I won't be trying ayahuasca any time soon!
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Yes, maybe something British, like one where you live back like it's the 1800s. Although I'd probably die of dysentery or something really boring.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Probably our guitarist, Jack. I'd probably tell him life is a simulation and pretend I had proof.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? Thai in a tiny small town not far from the Sunshine Coast (Gympie). They have that old-school Thai flavour you can't get in metro areas (Tumeric 150).
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Probably a mix between Claire from 'Outlander' (because her husband Jaime from the show is hot, and I just want to be her), and the lead singer from a show called 'Daisy Jones & The Six'.
Last show you binge-watched (and what kept you glued to the screen)? 'Daisy Jones & The Six'. It 100 per cent captures so much of the stuff that happens on tour.
The Atomic Beau Project play Nurture Festival (Sunshine Coast) 6 May.
