With an upcoming tour in support of their second album on the horizon, independent NSW South Coast three-piece The Spindrift Saga are locked away in a rehearsal room refreshing their memories with their back catalogue as well as new tracks from the recently released 'Rubble And Stone'.
Released last Friday, 'Rubble And Stone' is the follow-up to the outfit's explosive debut, 'Badnormous', that was released eight years ago in 2016.With both records boasting punk and grunge influences and heavy funk-rock licks, The Spindrift Saga are arguably one of the most underrated indie bands getting around.
Had they emerged during the peak of the '90s Aussie rock scene, these guys would be right up there with the Thirsty Mercs, Grinspoons and Living Ends of the country.
"We grew up on '90s alternative stuff, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, all the big ones," begins The Spindrift Saga drummer, Danny Freeman. "We started doing that and it wasn't cool at all. To be honest, we're 13 years in and there seems to be a small resurgence of that sound.
"Certainly, in the early years we had the local support, but that said, we were getting our arse kicked by DJs I reckon!"
The band's sound is quite nostalgic, drawing on '90s alt-rock and early '00s punk rock – yet it remains distinctly Australian; and that's what many people love about it.
"We often talk about how we needed to come back to us, we needed to be trendy again and then we're ready to go. . . when we're 50! It just took 13 years to get there," Danny says.
With eight years between the release of debut album 'Badnormous' and 'Rubble And Stone', one wonders why the Tool-length gap between releases? "We actually recorded ['Rubble And Stone'] in 2020," muses frontman Mick McGrath.
"When you're playing heaps, the writing is harder," adds Danny, alluding to the band's extensive touring schedule over the years. "We're up to about 350 gigs [played] together.
"When we were touring a lot, it was harder to write, and I guess once we put more value on our original stuff, we backed off playing as much and started putting time back into our product."
In terms of The Spindrift Saga's development as musicians between the two albums, the lads can attest they've learnt a lot about their craft and their performance, noting an evolution.
"Playing together so much, time, experience, the way you sound when you work together," Chris says, his vocals notably pivoting from the hobbyist into the professional between both albums.
"He will hate to answer that himself," Danny chimes in, "but honestly, when we walked out of the studio after recording this album, I was like 'Holy sh.t, we've gotten better at our craft', but Chris' vocals were at another level! I'm hoping everyone notices that as well."
"It might have been the microphone," Chris offers to laughter.
The Spindrift Saga 2024 Tour Dates
Sat 23 Mar - The Waterfront Hotel (South Coast)Sat 6 Apr - Bermagui Country Club (South Coast)
Fri 12 Apr - Moruya Blues Festival (South Coast)
Sat 13 Apr - The Servo (Wollongong)
Fri 19 Apr - Revolver (Melbourne)
Sat 20 Apr - The Pier (Devonport)
Sat 27 Apr - The Polish Club (Canberra)
Sat 4 May - Steampacket Hotel (South Coast)
