Following a triumphant return to live performance last year, Regurgitator have announced their 'Human Distribution' tour ahead of a new album expected early next year.
“I wish I could tell you something more exciting,” frontman Quan Yeomans laughs, “but we're just going out to play some shows, unfortunately that's pretty much it. We are working on a couple of new tunes for early release beforehand actually, if we can get our arses into gear, just as a teaser for the album that's going to come out next year.”
This year has already seen Regurgitator share a stage with Tim Rogers, Dan Sultan and Waleed Aly for the Reclink Community Cup in Melbourne as well as releasing and performing their own Chinese-influenced covers version of the Velvet Underground's 1967 debut album, 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' with vocalist Seja Vogel and instrumentalist Mindy Meng Wang. “We're doing a few sideshows as well with the Velvet Underground covers set, which was really great.
“We'll be doing those with Seja and Mindy, who plays the Chinese instruments with us. So that will be done as a five-piece, but our main shows are basically just the three of us, and maybe Seja might pop on for some of those shows if she's up for it.”
To make it a truly Brisbane-influenced tour, joining Regurgitator as main support for 'Human Distribution' is Jeremy Neale. “I've never met him before, so it will be good to hang out and get to know him. Hopefully I don't get too jealous of his skills,” he jests.
The 'Human Distribution' tour is more than a name. For each ticket sold, Regurgitator are donating a portion to Melbourne-based charity, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), in a move Quan says reflect's the band's philosophy of standing up for what is right. “I think it's just important to throw money towards something that actually means something in this day and age, it's really hard,” he says.
“Donating money is a strange process and organised charities I've never really agreed with; you hear all sorts of things about them. But I do think this is something that needs to be addressed, and people need to be made aware that it's not acceptable the way we've approached the refugee issue here.
“It's kind of hypocritical from the core of what this country is really about and its history and so forth… the situation that these people find themselves in when they reach this country is just deplorable. I guess that's why we're interested in donating to something like that.”
Never one to sit still too long, Quan is also working on more solo material as a follow up to last year's 'Chocolate Milk', his foray into experimental hip hop featuring Seja. “Seja and I are actually working on tracks now,” he assures us. “Because I'm doing other stuff and she's working full-time in Brisbane and there's a big divide [geographically] between us; we write over the internet and send tracks between each other. There's six or seven songs we're working on currently, so we'd like to do a mini-album or EP, something we can tour around and play half-hour shows with.
“I'm really excited about it, it's all hip hop and it's just great to hear Seja use her foul mouth, she's such a sweet girl. That's basically the only reason I'm doing it, to hear her swear a fucking shitload,” he laughs, “that's my main motivation.”
Regurgitator Shows
Thu Oct 13 - The Northern (Byron Bay)14-15 Oct - The Zoo (Brisbane)
Fri 21 Oct - The Metro (Sydney)
Sat 22 Oct - UC Refectory (Canberra)
Thu 3 Nov - Howler (Melbourne)
Fri 4 Nov - The Prince of Wales (Melbourne)
Sat 5 Nov - The Gov (Adelaide)
Sat 26 Nov - Live At The Orchard (Perth)
