'Blossom' is the proof that Sydney indie trio, Inklines know how to craft a solid alternative-rock anthem.
Rich with melodies that bring Something For Kate to mind, there's a playful energy to 'Blossom' that also emanates a richness in instrumentation with singer Will Tremain's vocals oozing an honest yet raw, emotive tone."We did all our previous recordings in various studios and we decided it would be fun to change it up a bit this time," the band says.
"We rented a house just outside of Goulburn and bunkered down for three days, recording on the upper floor of the house.
"It definitely creates a different vibe when we were all just there with everything setup, remaining entrenched in the creating process over the whole weekend.
"The fact that we were separated from the city helped as well, it allowed us to just belong in the setting and get creative."
The group's first release of 2021, 'Blossom' heralds the start of a string of new material Inklines plan to share this year.
Ahead of a gig at a secret location in Brookvale (Sydney) on 2 April, Will sat down for a chat about the band, including a scary moment they had in Perth, as well as some fun questions.
Who is Inklines? We are a three-piece rock band from the Northern Beaches of Sydney. My name is Will, I play guitar and sing in the band. Tom plays drums and Dan plays bass.
We formed in 2017 after I saw Tom playing with a mate's band at a local show – my brother was playing bass for awhile but wanted to do other things. Tom knew Dan from high school, so he joined on bass at the end of 2017.
We sound like... We get told all sorts of different bands that people think we sound like. But I'd say Kings Of Leon, Silverchair, The Strokes. Little elements of each.
Our first gig was... From memory it was at Frankie's Pizza by the Slice, when my brother was still playing bass. The first gig with the current line-up was December 2017 at the Marlborough Hotel in Newtown.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... Not long after we formed. I was looking for fonts one day for a completely unrelated reason and there was a font titled 'Inklines' and I liked how that looked and sounded, so we took it. I don't recall there being any argument against the name, so yeah I'd say it was unanimous.
In the studio we usually... Lay down all the fundamental tracks as a live band to keep everything feeling human. Most of the guitars and vocals are dubbed in later.
If we could tour with anyone... This is a real tough call – too many to choose from. There's also so many different factors.
I think touring with Muse would be really awesome, just because of the size of the shows and how much work is put into them. It was a childhood dream of mine to tour with Silverchair though. The other guys probably have different answers too.
Social media is... Poison.
My favourite app at the moment is... Signal. It's the app I use to communicate with my girlfriend all day every day while we're at work, even though we live together.
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time... Probably our first show with the current line-up. It was bad.
Life on the road can be... Very draining, but it's also responsible for some of the best experiences and memorable moments I've ever had.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Jameson.
The scariest scenario we've found ourselves in, was... Would have to be when we were in Perth – we had to check out of our room at 10am, but our flight wasn't until about 6pm or something.
We stashed our gear at the owner's place across town, so that we could do things without lugging the gear around. When we went to grab our stuff, we discovered this guy lived in a very dodgy area and we got chased out of the street by a group of very shady characters.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band... This is a very interesting question and I am honestly dumbfounded for an answer. I have never thought about it before. I guess I'd say Jim Carrey, because he's a wise dude who could probably talk his way out of anything.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Adelaide. Because it's quiet and the people there are awesome.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... This is another tough one because there are too many people to choose from.
I'd have to say Jeff Buckley, Daniel Johns and Jesse Rutherford. It'd be a wild dinner party, there'd be so much going on. But it'd be a night to remember.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? Probably lasagne or spaghetti bolognese. Mainly cos they're easy and you can cook loads of them at one time.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? I love dogs. I had three kelpies growing up and they were the best. I don't mind hanging out with cats if they're chill, but I wouldn't share a home with one.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... My honest answer to this is not legal in Australia yet, so I'll just say Jameson again.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... Maybe two years ago? I signed up to a local gym about two or three years ago – I hilariously made myself believe that I'd do it regularly and I think I went 3 times over a 12-month period.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Laundry. I don't know why. I just hate it.
Do you have any phobias? Hmm. Not any notable ones off the top of my head.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Nup. The few seconds here and there in which I've been forced to watch of any of these shows, have been truly painful seconds. I couldn't think of much worse.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Tom, Dan and I prank each other all the time. Just lame stuff like ditching each other in foreign cities and a lot of verbal pranks.
Best local takeaway joint for a 2am feed that will leave you with a food coma? Oh man, there's this shop just near my place called Gyronimo's, at Forest Way shopping centre. They do the best gyros and chips I've ever had. I have no idea if they're open til 2am, but if they are and I needed a feed at that time, that's where you'd find me.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Probably Aquaman, cos he's basically useless.
Last show you binge-watched (and what kept you glued to the screen)? I just regularly binge-watch 'The Simpsons' and 'Family Guy' whenever I have nothing else to watch, so they'd be the most recent things. The last new thing I remember binge watching was 'Making A Murderer' – I was fairly late to the party with that one.
