For Alex Markell of The Delta Riggs, their new album 'Modern Pressure' is just like a good mandarin.
“You start off with the outer skin and that can be a bit bitter and a bit hard to get through,” Alex begins. “Then you get the sweet insides, but every so often you'll hit a seed. Everyone loves a mandarin, but no one likes getting a seed and breaking your teeth.”
It's an apt analogy for an album nearly three years in the making. The fourth album from The Delta Riggs has the band working more boldly and honestly than ever before.
“We didn't have a concept or anything, even though the name might suggest that ties to that theme, but what we wanted to do was write songs that were more honest representations of where everyone in the band was,” Alex explains.
“It's easy to hide behind metaphors and avoid topics that hit a bit close to home; for this one we were like f... it, we're going to wear our hearts on our sleeves a bit more.
"No one's impervious to life, whereas it's easy to sing about everything that's good and hard to sing about some of the things that you might not have gotten.”
'Modern Pressure' is the long-awaited follow-up to their third album 'Active Galactic' released in 2016. In writing 'Modern Pressure', Alex says the band spent far more time constructing and finessing songs than they had on previous releases. “The writing process was a bit longer,” he says.
“Instead of chucking out the first songs that came to mind and the first songs we finished, we workshopped them a lot more.
"One of the songs on the record we recorded four different times and got it right eventually, so it's been one of those sort of processes where we've been fine-tuning things. Instead of just putting it out whenever it's finished, we're sitting back and trying to get an objective look at where everything is.”
The shift in approach to how The Delta Riggs make albums has been motivated partly by a desire by the band for their work to acquire permanence, and partly by a need for their music to connect with the personal lives of their listeners.
“People getting to know who you are through lyrics is daunting but I think that's what we've gone for; we've gone through the same sh.t everybody else does,” Alex says.
“We all have good moments and we have moments that are messed-up. It's pretty much an honest representation of a snapshot of our lives over the past couple of years – the wins and the failures.”
With 'Modern Pressure' now released, The Delta Riggs prepare for their upcoming live commitments, which include performances at Byron Bay Guitar Festival, a national tour in November-December, and supporting Billy Idol next year in Brisbane.
In Alex's mind, it's a miracle The Delta Riggs reached album number four at all. “Considering everyone in the band has mentally quit at least once in the past few years, it's a good achievement,” he jests. “There will be at least six quittings [sic] over the next two weeks.”
'Modern Pressure' is out now. The Delta Riggs play Yours & Owls Festival (Wollongong) 6 October, Byron Bay Guitar Festival 12-13 October and Newtown Festival (Sydney) 10 November.
The Delta Riggs 2019 Tour Dates
Thu 28 Nov - The Lansdowne (Sydney)Fri 6 Dec - Stay Gold (Melbourne)
Sat 7 Dec - Jive Bar (Adelaide)
Sat 14 Dec - The Foundry (Brisbane)
