- Big Gipp & James Worthy – Out Of Control (Official Music Video) - December 30, 2023
- SnOOp Dogg Still DA FLyeSt and FreShEST - November 8, 2023
- Sultry and Soulful Songstress Jori Sun Previews Fresh New Track - November 3, 2023
Brisbane based indie-pop band The Worriers have been on the grind!
Using heavy guitars, dance-rock drums and powerful harmonies, the guys have been creating upbeat, energizing tunes.
GroundSounds recently caught up with vocalist and guitarist Michael Whittred to talk about new music, upcoming project, and more. Check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering The Worriers, how did you guys get together and form the band?
Doing a flow chart of Brisbane’s moonlighting band members would be a little gratuitous here, but it almost seems necessary. Our first incarnation was back in high school between myself and previous member Bill Bingley, our newest member Jack has been friends with our lead guitarist since adolescence, our drummer Ben is from outer space and I’m convinced Will Smith will show up any second and erase all memory of him.
How did you guys decide on the name The Worriers?
The drunken ramblings of a friend of a friend at a party. He couldn’t stop talking about worry people, traditional Guatemalan dolls which you tell your secrets and anxieties to and then put under your pillow at night to carry your stresses away while you sleep. The idea stuck, and later morphed from The Worry People into The Worriers. The songs themselves became our dolls.
Can you tell us a little bit about the writing process and inspiration for the track “Little Lucy?”
While I (Michael) was in first year college studying acting, a girl who later became my first love based a character of hers on a girl she’d found in an anime. Lucy seemed to be the embodiment of innocence but when she lost control of her emotions she’d literally turn into a monster and consume the souls of people around her.
I was fascinated with the idea of innocently and unwittingly falling for someone at top speed, into this undefinable connection which would eat you alive; it drew some pretty direct parallels with relationships in my life at the time. I wanted to take all of that vivid and melodramatic imagery and inject it into a song which had that same energy, and also reflected the emotional distraction of being so contentedly lost in someone else. Hence, Lucy was born.
What is one thing everyone should see and do in Brisbane?
Get to the Gallery of Modern Art. The exhibitions are absolutely international standard more often than not, not enough Brisbanites spend time there. Plus going there puts you in the South Bank district right on the river, which itself is likely to have market stalls and free public events. Otherwise, scope out Brisbane Powerhouse which often has free live music and great theatre, and is out of the way of the city’s bustle.
What do you guys enjoy most about performing live?
The chance to live our music! All of our current songs are based off full rock band sound, high energy and very direct emotional connection in lyric. Riding the waves of live performance is when we can bring all that together, bounce off each other, and find something new in the songs every time.
What is it about pop and dance rock that attracts you guys to this sound?
More than anything the accessibility of its form in stark contrast to the complexity of its execution. Because the energy of the music itself is overwhelming, infectious and familiar, it can serve as a thrilling conduit for enormously complex emotional and intellectual concepts. The speed at which they’re then processed is what makes both these genres sexy to us. Composition is often more about what’s missing than what’s there; both pop and dance rock can take that overriding form to extremes. Not to mention it’s usually just mega fun to play.
What are you guys currently listening to?
Right now Snarky Puppy is blowing all of our minds, along with Bombay Bicycle Club. JT, Frank Ocean and Foo Fighters have made a huge resurgence for me of late, as well as a bunch of older pop like Go West, Fine Young Cannibals, Earth Wind & Fire, Huey Lewis & The News. BANKS, St Lucia and The 1975 have made some huge impressions. At home, new singles from The Cairos, The John Steel Singers and The Preatures have all spent some hours on repeat.
What has it been like working on your upcoming EP? Do you have a title for the EP? Or possible release date?
The EP has been in gestation since the seeds of this band were planted. The development in musical sensibilities, ambition and even band lineup have all shifted huge amounts over the time we’ve been putting it together. It’s been a labour of love for sure, but what we’re working toward releasing this year is something that we believe is the absolute best we can do. Basically we want to show everyone how much this means to us. As for titling: “The Worriers Ruin Everything”.
Can you tell us about bringing the track CRUEL TO BE KIND to fruition?
The song was actually written by Bill Bingley, our previous bass player who’s very recently said goodbye to being a Worrier. When it hit the rehearsal floor in summer 2013 the arrangement fell together very quickly. Since then we’ve road-tested it vigorously and made small adjustments to the structure, but it never lost the strength and electricity that made us fall in love with it at first sight, and all of us are so proud to be able to call it our single now!
