There’s no doubt Melbourne party rockers The Bennies would fit right in with the wild-child euphoria of Woodstock.
The group's follow up album to 2013's ‘Rainbows In Space’, ‘Wisdom Machine’ contains 11 tracks of sweet-party rock.
Laidback vocalist and bassist Craig Selak says their new album was a more “collaborative effort” for the band, and their hit song ‘Party Machine’ almost didn’t make it on the album. “We only wrote the song about two or three days before we went into the studio,” Craig says.
“We started jamming on a rift and thought 'oh shit, this is pretty fun'. It's just one of those songs, you know?” he laughs. “We had all these ideas of how we could break out in techno and just keep the energy up, and then all of a sudden it kind of happened and we were grateful for it.”
Craig says the new record was heavily influenced by dance genres, and not being afraid to try something new, even if it seemed a little irreverent. “We’re definitely a huge fan of Sublime. I just love the way they threw whatever the fuck was going on. Also, The Clash is a big influence for us, and even Rancid as well.”
After releasing ‘Rainbows In Space’, The Bennies toured Asia. “We played with some sweet-crazy bands across Japan and China,” Craig says, “and I think a lot of the inspiration [for the new album] came from the energy, particularly in China. It was great to talk and have a good time and enjoy the music.
"And that was something we really took and thought 'fuck yeah!' Music is something that people talk about, not something that Japanese people talk about, or English people talk about. It's something we can all tap into.
“For a lot of the places we went to they didn't speak English at all. But we were still able to high five, cheers, you know,” he adds.
Recently, The Bennies played a gig on the Overboard Rock N Roll Boat Party, which came about after meeting Dave ‘Higgo’ Higgins – former Triple M radio host and manager of Melbourne three-piece Tequila Mockingbyrd – backstage during Soundwave 2015. “He's just a super sweet, great dude who loves music, and in particular Australian music,” Craig says.
“They [Tequila Mockingbyrd] mentioned a boat cruise party and through our friendship with Higgo… they put us on the show and we had a fucking blast.”
Craig says he’s positive about the future of the band and their subsequent albums. “We like the journey,” he says. “We're going to keep partying and rocking… and go with the flow of the time. All four of us write everything, so everything we do reflects what's been happening around us.
"As long as we keep having a good time and enjoy each other's company, I think that's going to keep coming through in the songs.”
'Wisdom Machine' will be released 25 March.
The Bennies Tour Dates
Sat 26 Mar - Corner Hotel (Melbourne)Sun 27 Mar - Club 54 (Launceston)
Mon 28 Mar - Brisbane Hotel (Hobart)
Thu 31 Mar - Adelaide Uni Bar
Fri 1 Apr - Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
Sat 2 Apr - Amplifier (Perth)
Sun 3 Apr - Prince of Wales (Bunbury)
Wed 6 Apr - Transit Bar (Canberra)
Thu 7 Apr - Cambridge Hotel (Newcastle)
Fri 8 Apr - Oxford Art Factory (Sydney)
Sat 9 Apr - Woolly Mammoth (Brisbane)
Sun 10 Apr - Solbar (Sunshine Coast)
