Over a patchy phone line from her home in regional Victoria, Fiona Kitschin tells an anecdote about people asking why Tropical F... Storm (TFS), just shy of four years old, is seeing more international renown than her and partner Gareth Liddiard's previous band, The Drones – a project that spanned almost two decades.
"Gaz came up with an idea that maybe our sense of dread and doom is finally being felt by the rest of the world," she laughs.TFS's newest release, studio album 'Deep States', marks the band's third record since their formation in 2017.
While the group's output has always been inextricably linked with political themes, 'Deep States' takes it to another level by masterfully capturing the absurdity of the last couple of years: the resurgence of fascism across the globe, QAnon, Trumpism, and, of course, the bizarre reality of being locked indoors as a pandemic brings the world to a standstill.
Since the band's inception, TFS has been propelled by a sense of frantic momentum. Liddiard and Kitschin called Erica Dunn and Lauren Hammel in the summer of 2017 inviting them to form a band, and within weeks they were on a US tour.
This urgency is often audible in the four-piece's angular, experimental brand of noise rock, but it's also come to define their career so far: a blitz of creation, chaotic touring schedules and explosive live shows.
Then COVID struck and forced the band to cancel five international and two Australian tours in 2020, bringing their momentum to a grinding halt. The usually prolific Liddiard didn't write for six months.
Victoria's tough COVID-19 restrictions meant the four-piece couldn't see each other in person because of the 'ring of steel' dividing the state.
When the band was finally able to meet in early November last year to start work on the album, Fiona says the creative process wasn't easy. Much like the rest of the world, the pandemic had slowed things down and temporarily dulled the band's zeal.
"We had to force ourselves, it was quite difficult. It took four or five months of solid recording and writing. It wasn't an easy album to make, but we're happy."
These challenges also saw the group take a more collaborative approach, a departure from previous albums where Liddiard was the sole lyricist.
The result is a melting pot of different lyrical styles – Liddiard's trademark nihilistic poetry interspersed with cosmic psychedelia in the form of Dunn's sci-fi-inspired 'New Romeo Agent'.
Many moments on 'Deep States' put words to the burnout we've collectively experienced as we sat in our homes, bombarded by the latest case numbers, death tolls and news of tragedies and conspiracy theories from around the world – especially captured in the nihilistic single 'G.A.F.F.' ('Give A F... Fatigue'), which proclaims: "War made the state, the state made war / What's the point of worrying 'bout it anymore?"
Despite the bleak subject matter, TFS have an unrivalled knack for not taking themselves too seriously – few artists can wittily dissect something like an oppressive political ideology or critique consumerism while remaining amusing, even playful ("I'm feeling useless as a missing remote / Control is an optic illusion / I know, I woke up in my sunnies, man / I cleaned the gutters in my underpants").
The 'Deep States' tour has already seen a number of shows rescheduled due to the lingering COVID fallout, and Kitschin is just as anxious about it going ahead as fans are.
"Me and Gaz have been vaccinated, we're ready! We want to get back into it desperately and we're hoping that will happen," she says.
"I think our performances are about being in the room with people and using that energy, and I don't think it's the same for us unless we're in front of people."
While the situation surrounding live shows may be tenuous, TFS fans can take solace in the fact the band has well and truly surpassed the 'give-a-f...-fatigue' they experienced during the pandemic.
"Gaz has barely finished Springtime [his side project with Jim White (Dirty Three) and Chris Abrahams (The Necks)] and we're already looking towards our next project. There'll be plenty more stuff coming up," Kitschin shares.
"Three albums in four years, that's quite prolific. [TFS] wasn't a plan but I think you can get lucky with people in bands and. . . our chemistry just really works."
'Deep States' is available now.
Tropical F Storm 2021 Tour Dates
Thu 9 Sep – The Eastern (Ballarat)Fri 10 Sep - Barwon Heads Hotel
Sun 12 Sep - Theatre Royal (Castlemaine)
Sun 26 Sep - Princess Theatre (Brisbane)
Sun 10 Oct - Forum Melbourne
Wed 13 Oct - Freo.Social (Fremantle)
Thu 14 Oct - Charles Hotel (Perth)
Fri 15 Oct - The Gov (Adelaide)
