Fresh off an Australian appearance earlier this year at the Laneway festival series and armed with last year's record, 'Visions Of A Life', UK rockers Wolf Alice are returning down under this spring for another run of live shows.
Add supports of Liam Gallagher and Foo Fighters during the European summer, and it's fair to say Wolf Alice's star is rising rapidly.
What has 2018 been like for Wolf Alice so far?
[Joel Amey, drummer] 2018 has been kind to Wolf Alice, to say the least.
This year we've had our largest and most successful tours of Europe and the USA, been nominated (and lost) Brit Awards, toured stadiums with the Foo Fighters, drunk our body weight in tequila with Queens Of The Stone Age, played our highest billing at festivals such as Latitude as well as having the pleasure of coming to Australia for the amazing Laneway Festival.
That's enough humble bragging for one answer I think, before I sound like too much of an asshole.
Are you happy with the response to your 'Visions Of A Life' album?
Certainly. This album has taken us around the world once again, to places we've never been to and put us in front of the the most amazing audiences.
I'm a bit of a sucker for googling what people think about what we do as well, and as far as I can tell people seem to be enjoying it.
As a sophomore album, what did you set out to achieve with it?
We've said a couple of times that we kinda hear a glass ceiling on 'My Love Is Cool', where our limitations as musicians and our experience in the studio are kinda audible. If that makes sense.
But with this one, just from playing so much more and the confidence that comes with that experience, we were more fearless to try new things and really push ourselves. We didn't want to look back and regret not trying things and that was kind of a mantra for the creative side of things.
On a personal level, I wanted to push myself as a drummer and in particular nail the title track in one take (which we did, guys!).
The band seemed pretty bummed about England's World Cup outcome...
Listen. Football is a pretty big deal in the UK at the best of times, but throw in a heatwave and the fact our boys almost got into the bloody final you can understand why everyone was going bonkers.
I'm not a huge football nut, but I actually can't describe the feeling everyone got off it; our country is a political sh.t-heap right now, and for a brief moment we were all unified by 11 lads trying to kick a ball in the net as much as possible.
We were in Portugal watching the game when we got knocked out and within 24 hours it was raining back in London and f...in' Trump was over for a visit. I imagine it was like the '60s dying out all over again. Maybe.
How is the band feeling about getting back down under for another Australian tour?
Very, very excited. To travel so many miles and be met with such positive reactions like we have while there is kinda mind-blowing.
The Melbourne show sold out in about two minutes, and all the other shows look set to be super busy. So we're going to bring our A-game and have the best night with you guys that we can.
How does your Australian fan-base compare with others around the world?
Rowdy, fun, boozy, super vocal and passionate. They are my keyword memories about the crowds from Laneway and expecting much the same when we get back there.
Crowds do differ from country to country, culture to culture, but I have nothing but positive memories and expectations from all the legends that are going to be at these gigs.
Describe a Wolf Alice live show for those yet to experience one.
The last thing you need is me trying, and failing, to give a good idea of what our show is like, but I can promise that we're going to be working on 150 per cent, playing songs from both records and, thanks to a heady mix of extreme jet lag and decent beers, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.
It seems like the band is never not on tour; are you planning on taking some time out soon?
We're going to keep playing till around December time, I think, and then it will be time to have a well-earned rest.
But we love touring, and we've still got so many places yet to visit and it's still so exciting that the idea of a rest is kinda low on the priority list.
What's your ideal way to relax when not on tour or writing with the band?
I really do try and see as much of a place as possible when there. Anywhere I can find to chill and just people watch is fun for me; Paris is a great city for that.
I do love a good shop too, and I've got a few spots in Sydney that I can't wait to get back and spend all my PDs in.
I also like to catch shows when I can. I saw the brilliant Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes last time I was in Brisbane and woke up the next morning not knowing how I got home and was somehow now wearing a Crowbar t-shirt, which was nice.
What is the band up to for the rest of 2018 and early next year?
This year is seeing the last shows of this album in places like China, Japan, South Africa. We're going to do something fun to say goodbye in the UK this winter I think too, then I guess it's back to the Dropbox and see what album three has in store for us.
Wolf Alice Tour Dates
Sun 23 Sep - The Metro Theatre (Sydney)25-26 Sep - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
Fri 28 Sep - Eatons Hill Hotel (Brisbane) - previously Sat 22 Sep at The Tivoli Theatre
