First formed in 2016, Sydney rockers We Are Not Robots is the brainchild of singer-songwriter, guitarist Pete Konakov, formerly of Capital Colours and Sounds Of Coma.
With two singles (from their forthcoming album) already released in 2021, We Are Not Robots newest song is 'What Are You Waiting For?' that showcases a style of alternative rock worthy of the band's influences: Smashing Pumpkins, Placebo and Shihad."'What Are You Waiting For?' is live and we can't wait for y'all to get amongst it," the band posted to their socials.
"Huge thanks to Ryan Cramp from Tigermoth Recording Studio for making us see the light on this track and forcing us to put it out. Only took a year!"
Who is We Are Not Robots... I'm Pete, I sing and play guitar. There's also Lee on bass, Amanda on drums and Ava on guitar.
We sound like... We're what would happen if Placebo, Failure and Shihad had some babies in a studio with Steve Albini presiding over the conception.
Our first gig was... September 2016 at the Bald Faced Stag, which is now the amazing Crowbar in Leichhardt (Sydney). We opened for mine and Lee's other band, Capital Colours. Although that's when we were a two-piece with just myself and another guy on drums.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... Just before the first show. We needed a name and came up with this as a joke and it stuck. The drummer at the time liked it, so we went with it and now here we are.
In the studio we usually... We've mastered the art of recording remotely. It's usually me playing all the instruments in my home studio to get the initial idea down and then I get everything else from the rest of the band. Then everything goes to our producer/mix engineer Ryan Cramp at Tigermoth Studios to be finessed.
If we could tour with anyone... I'd love a triple bill of us, Foo Fighters and Biffy Clyro. I've heard DG is an absolute legend to opening bands, so it'd be cool to tour with someone who isn't a tool and the Biffy boys are super sweet. Also, Every Time I Die. That would be the most epic of benders.
Social media is... Unfortunate. A petri dish of useless opinions, trolls and plastic keyboard predators. A stage for people who shouldn't have one. It's a part of our daily grind now, so we have to live with it. I mean, this is going out on socials, so we need it haha!
My favourite app at the moment is... Fiton and an intermittent fasting app called Zero. It's great for shedding the COVID kegs!
To date, our most embarrassing moment was the time... Our first show. It was a disaster! We tried to do the whole two-piece thing, but failed miserably. Hence why we recruited Lee on bass.
Life on the road can be... Amazing if you do it with the right people.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Lots of Powerade, pale ale, Cabernet Sauvignon, chamomile and peppermint tea, and lots of water.
The most scary scenario we've found ourselves in, was... Lee had to rush me to hospital before a show once because I thought I was having a heart attack. Also running off stage and speeding home halfway through a Capital Colours set for the same reason. Turns out I wasn't having a heart attack. It was still pretty scary though.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band... God himself, Paul McCartney. Dave Grohl a close second. I mean, if they dig you then my guess is you've made it, right?
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? I lived in Belgrade in my 20s and would happily do it again. The food is insanely good and it has a soul unlike anywhere else on this earth. I'd split my time between there and the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii purely for the food trucks and the beaches.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... Lee, Amanda and Ava. We need to discuss finishing this album.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? The most amazing Paprikash you've ever tasted, followed by some Cevapi and Pljeskavice.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVER! We all have pets. I just got a kitten; his name is Lenny Enchilada.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm right back on that red train after quite a while off of it.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... Pre-lockdown. I've set myself up at home now with everything I need, so I'm in no rush for them to re-open. Not very rock & roll, but I'm trying to survive a pandemic.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Cleaning the bathroom. Who enjoys that?
Do you have any phobias? Don't love heights at all. Have also become weary around needles thanks to the night Lee rushed me to hospital. Let's just say I had a student nurse try and fail to take my blood when I was severely dehydrated. One doesn't go with the other! I became her pin cushion and she hit a few actual nerves.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? I actually really liked 'Rockstar: INXS' and 'Supernova' back in the mid 2000s and wished I could have been on it. When the potential singers were singing for their lives, they were choosing songs by Stone Temple Pilots, Failure and other bands I was really into. You never see that. Nothing else since though.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Oooooo my best mate. Barry is the biggest prankster I know and he gets me weekly. He's the master. I've tried to get him so many times, even doctoring screenshots and documents and he never falls for it. My poker face sucks.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? Epic Pizza in Enmore does a great slice post gig. Otherwise Bar Asia in Annandale is the business or a Fully Tabouli wrap from Manoosh with grilled chicken and haloumi. Drool!
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Any introverted extrovert. I watched something recently and thought, wow that dude is me. Was probably a Paul Rudd character.
Last show you binge-watched? 'The Handmaid's Tale' and 'Ray Donovan'. Did them both back to back. Have also binged 'The Sopranos' and 'Entourage' in their entirety about eight times at least.
