The Gold Coast is not a place music fans relate to as a breeding ground for good tunes. Promises are the band that will definitely change that view in the minds of hardcore fans Nationwide. They received glowing reviews of their debut EP, ‘Hopeless Sons’ released through Pee Records, perform a damaging live show that needs to be witnessed and most importantly have a work ethic that is not going to waste anyone’s time. To find out what the vocalist, Zach Duncalfe, thinks of his hometown, future plans for the band and just how grumpy he can be keep reading.
How did the formation of Promises occur?
Three of us (Casey, Nic, and myself) were in a band called Vices For Virtues, which disbanded in 2009. I mentioned to Nic and Case that I wanted to do another band with a more melodic feel and they were keen. The idea stayed on the table for a few months because we couldn’t find a lead guitarist or bass player. Late in 2009, MC, a friend of ours, offered to play bass, and I met Joe at a Raised Fist show in Brisbane. He heard that we were planning on doing something and was into it. We learned ‘Before You Fall Asleep’ by Killing The Dream, booked a room, and wrote our first track Regardless’ that same night. Since then, MC has left and we’ve added Brendon, formerly of Mourning Tide to our collective.
How did you guys wind up being signed to one of Australia’s finest record Labels Pee Records (in our opinion they are the best)?
Basically because Pete is a stand up guy and willing to lend a hand. Our drummer Nic also plays in Driven Fear, a great punk hardcore band from Brisbane that had just released their debut EP ‘Society’s Finest?’ on Pee, and when we were in Newcastle recording ‘Hopeless Sons’, we obviously spoke a lot about whether we were going to try and get it picked up by a label. Nic got in touch with Pete, and after asking Nic if we were good dudes and hearing some of the first mixes of the EP, he told us he would release it through Pee. We were stoked.
What are the plans for the debut album?
We plan to release a full-length, or at least be recording it, by year’s end. We’ll be working with Nik Carpenter (ex-Devolved) at Core Studios in Burleigh West on the Gold Coast. We can’t wait to get back in the studio with Nik and spend a lot of time writing and perfecting this release.
What are your thoughts about the Gold Coast scene?
Always conflicting. I love this place and wouldn’t live anywhere else, but for at least the past five years, shows here have been pissing contests. There are so many kids that love the music and just come to shows to see the bands, but there are just as many kids that come just to say they were there or to judge others. Time-wasters. A lot of people are set on proving themselves and it’s pointless. I remember when I was younger and the bands on stage spoke of hardcore being a ‘family’ and a ‘community’. It’s not like that anymore; it’s a rare show that everyone can walk in the door and feel welcome. I don’t see the point of using shows as a proving ground. This may be the case across the country, but it just seems more pronounced here.
What venue is the Gold Coasts best, that people should/need to attend shows at?
The Gold Coast is short of venues, but Shed 5 always has hardcore, punk, and metal shows on. It’s good that we’ve got an AA venue left so it should be supported. A friend of ours puts on shows once a month at a nightclub in Surfers Paradise called Elsewhere, and as a venue for a show, it’s actually really good. We’ve played there a couple of times and have another show there soon.
People around the country have been known to label Gold Coast bands as lazy. Promises are definitely proving them wrong. Why do you think bands from the Coast are known as lazy?
I only heard this generalisation when Bomber reviewed ‘Hopeless Sons’ but I can see why people think this. It’s always the Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide bands on tour, even if they’re not well-known. And I guess maybe we could be classified as lazy because we haven’t played outside of Queensland yet. But between the five of us, we all work full-time trades and I’ve just gone back to uni; spare time isn’t something we have a lot of. Regardless, we will be visiting other states later in the year even if we have to do it by ourselves.
Do you read the reviews about “Hopeless Sons”? If you do what is the one thing that you remember reading and feeling most proud of?
I do! I enjoy reading what other people think about what we’ve done. For the most part, they’re awesome to read, but obviously we have our critics too and that’s fine. We don’t pretend to be anything more than five grumpy dudes playing music that we like. I remember a review on BlackMunk that was particularly good, haha. Other than that, we got a good review in Blunt, and also a bunch of overseas web- and print zines. It always feels good when someone is down with what you did.
Do you feel ‘grumpy’ is the best way to describe the music Promises create and that Grumpy Hardcore could be a new addition to the ridiculous amount of subgenres?
Haha, no, I don’t think so. We’ve always played around with ‘grumpy’ and I’m sure we’ll continue to. It’s because the nature of my lyrics, and also some of the musical sections of our tracks, are just downright grumpy and there’s no better word for it. Thanks for getting in touch my friend.
Zaca.
Links:
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