Australian rockers The Getaway Plan are currently on tour supporting their third album, 'Dark Horses'.
The band have been through their fair share of highs and lows during their career, including a conscious decision to leave their major label to record, produce and release their music independently. “We get to oversee absolutely everything that happens, and we're in control,” lead singer Matt Wright says.
“We were able to learn from our mistakes rather than pushing the blame on to other people.”
Although being an independent group means an excessive amount of freedom, Matt also acknowledges the cons. “There's fuckloads more work than we ever could have anticipated,” he says. “It is really gratifying, though.”
The Getaway Plan – who started in 2004 – broke up temporarily in 2009, just one album into their career. On their MySpace page – back when it was a thing – the band assured fans it would not be the end of their careers as musicians.
Matt says the breakup made them appreciate the experiences they shared even more. “We used to take it all for granted back in the day. I think it's because when we started we were so young and we didn't really have any idea of what life was like outside of a somewhat successful band.”
From there, the band released their second album 'Requiem' in 2011, before departing from their label in 2013. 'Dark Horses' was an album created solely from crowd-funding. The album was released in mid-2015, giving the group their highest chart position: number ten on the ARIA charts.
All 11 songs were self-written, and Matt says an artist who doesn't write their own material is only a performer. “There's quite a big difference between a musician that writes their own songs and somebody who just sings,” he says. “They don't feel what they're singing if they didn't write it themselves.”
As for Matt's lyrical influences, it's pretty simple. “I draw the lyrics from personal experience. I'm not a political writer or anything like that, it's generally just about chicks and being a sad shit, basically.”
In regards to performance style, The Getaway Plan leave their hearts on the stage every time they perform. “Being able to lose ourselves every night and forget life's stresses... That's why we do what we do,” Matt says. “We can ignore how shit the world is and focus on music.”
Giving fans energy and inspiration is at the top of the band's list when it comes to performing live. “I guess we just do our best to give as much love back as the fans give to us,” Matt says. “It means the world when somebody comes up and tells us that we're a big inspiration to them, you know? We know how that feels for them.”
The Getaway Plan Tour Dates
Thu 19 Nov - Prince Of Wales (Bunbury)Fri 20 Nov - Rosemount Hotel (Perth)
Sat 21 Nov - Mojos Bar (Fremantle)
Sun 22 Nov - Dunsborough Tavern
Fri 27 Nov - Whalers Hotel (Warrnambool)
Sat 28 Nov - Fowlers Live (Adelaide)
