Raised in a family of music lovers, with a father and uncle who both performed in rock bands in their youth, Gold Coast-based indie musician prchr. (pronounced 'percher') is on a quest to bring his 'new era' rock vision to the masses with fuzzy guitar tones and hectic distortion sounds that morph between alternative, garage rock and grunge.
Last week, prchr. released his debut EP, 'Only Child'. "Each of the five tracks have a distinctive fuzzy mix that sets the project apart from other modern rock artists, but still draws roots and power from the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age, Royal Blood, Jack White and cleopatrick," prchr. says."It's the new era of rock and it's for you and it's for everyone that needs it."
A mixed bag of 'loud' and 'quiet' songs, themes explored include rejection, denial, betrayal, defiance, and loneliness.
"I'm pretty much just a kid with a couple of fuzz pedals, a guitar and some things to say and I hope that through the EP, other people find some sense of relief and a safe haven from everything going on outside.
"Because I don't just play these songs for myself, I do it for people to find others who share the same morals and support and have fun whilst listening."
For those new to prchr., what's the elevator pitch intro to your music/style?
Yo! So I think the easiest way to describe myself and my style is 'awkward loud sad boy with a lot of fuzz pedals and some things to say'. That's just the way I see it, but you can easily fit me into the alternative rock/ garage categories without breaking even.
The journey you've undertaken from first picking up an instrument to now. . . can you take us behind the curtain and share a little of your experience dedicating your life to a career in music?
My entire family's been into music for as long as I can remember. Both my father and my uncle were in their respective bands during their teen years. It's easy to see that their musical genes have passed onto myself.
Growing up I would frequently listen to whatever they were playing in the house, whether it'd be Silverchair, Electric Light Orchestra or Cold Chisel, but I didn't really see myself as much of a musician until I listened to and played a little bit of Wolfmother during my early teens.
I decided to make a career out of it when I got inspiration from the likes of Royal Blood, QOTSA and Highly Suspect. They all pretty much inspired me to experiment in writing and see what I can make out of it.
You've just dropped your debut EP 'Only Child' that's bristling with heavy riffs, grungy hooks; how does this collection of songs showcase your musicality; what do you hope listeners take away from listening to the EP?
The EP really shows my writing in a new light and how far I've come as a person and as a songwriter.
I've started to dive deep down into what I NEED to write and I'm experimenting with both lyrics and sounds in ways that can help me standout and make people hear what I have to say.
I'm hoping listeners can look at people and life in a newish way after listening to this EP, and through my songs can learn to be better towards themselves, their loved ones and the people around them. It's what I call the new era of rock and it's for everyone that needs it and for everyone that needs to hear it.
You mention the songs are best consumed with headphones or hooked up to a quality stereo/ speakers; does that relate to the production involved and adding extra sonic layers to each track?
Hell yeah! Every layer I work on in a song is another level in the depths of how far I think a song can take a person.
I try to push the limits of speakers and headphones everywhere to blow people away with what they're listening to and I feel the deeper they listen, the more they find and the deeper the song gives meaning to them. Regardless of how the people hear it, I want my songwriting and my fuzz tones to be stuck in people's heads for the rest of the day.
Speaking of fuzzy guitar tones and hectic distortion sounds, do you enjoy noodling about with the instruments experimenting with the music to create walls of sound/ noise (like escaping to your happy place)?
I always enjoy finding new ways to write a song.
Whether it'd be playing a riff or messing about with the guitar itself and my pedals to find something new. I guess it's the best way to evolve myself as an artist and explore new horizons with my music and to see where it takes me.
You're based on the Gold Coast/ Kingscliff; Gold Coast hasn't traditionally been a hotbed for original music, but the Northern Rivers area has a rich history going back decades; growing up, was music always a focus and how much did the local scene influence the paths you've taken to this point?
I definitely feel like anywhere between Tweed Heads/ Kingscliff to Byron is probably the best place to be an artist.
You find so much inspiration and ways to write better, and people to meet to expand your creativity in whatever genre you love. I'm grateful to have lived in this place for the better half of my life and I couldn't think of anywhere better to be.
As a musician do you actively listen to a lot of other music (or engage other art forms) to keep your own creative juices flowing? Who are some of your major influences?
I've actually started to dive into some more local artists. Even all of my close mates and their music projects really get me pumped for what I can learn and do as an artist myself.
But my main influences really are the ones that try new things with the rock genre themselves. Bands and artists like Royal Blood, Zig Mentality, cleopatrick and Downward, but even different artists like The Weeknd all really influence how I present myself, my music and my shows for everyone that needs a safe space to turn to.
When it comes to songwriting, do you set aside specific times/ days to focus on new material or is it more a case of catching lighting while it strikes?
I definitely feel like it's a lightning strikes scenario. There are some days where I sit down and I decide to just randomly write a song out of pure spite. But most of the good stuff comes when it comes out of nowhere in my personal opinion.
From week to week, do you try and keep some semblance of a routine (even non-music activities) to avoid drifting off into non-creative periods?
I do try and find some off days and moments where I can just have a jam on the guitar to some of my favourite tunes, so I don't lose the spark.
But most days I've been caught up in work and other stuff that takes my time that it gets a little more harder to get some creative flow going again. It sucks. But I'm working on changing it though and focusing on getting some more quality stuff out that I'm proud of and that'll help push myself and my creative flow forward and more freely again.
Live shows; where and when can we see you playing? And who's in your live band?
You can find me playing most iconic Gold Coast/ Brissie venues every now and then. But for now, I'm planning some good and bigger stuff with my brothers Logan Taylor (bass) and Joe Macphail (drums), and I'm hoping to bring it to the people who need to hear it very soon. I guess we'll see what happens really.
All your promo images and social media posts featuring you have your eyes crossed out; what's the thinking behind that?
I don't just do it as an artsy way to present myself for those of you wondering. I use it as a way to differentiate myself from everyone else, because I am different and I've learnt that it's ok.
Sometimes, different is good. So if I start showing that artistically, it may tap into people's curiosity and make them want to learn more. I'm focusing on myself more and using this as a way to tell people 'this is what I am, deal with it', and is the proper way to help me accept who I am and who I need to be.
The next few months for your creatively... what else do you have in your planner?
I can confirm that I have a lot more music in the pipeline and it's gonna be LOUDER. More fuzzy riffs and hooks to sink your teeth into to get stuck in your head. I'm super keen to show what I've got in store for everyone.
Thanks for your time; anything else you'd like to add?
Yeah, that you ALL need to go and listen to the 'Only Child' EP right now on Apple Music, Spotify, my Bandcamp and everywhere else you can grab it. These songs are for you. These songs are for everyone and I can't wait to see where it takes us all. Thanks for having me. Stay safe.
