Progressive Brisbane rockers, Guards Of May, gear up for another east coast tour following the release of their new single, ‘Numbers’.
Guitarist Keita Neralic says ‘Numbers’ is rhythmic, funky, punchy and right up in your face.
“It’s our best yet. It’s groovy, more guitar driven and compared to our EP [‘Control’], it’s a much heavier song. In the studio, we’ve been exploring some different avenues. ‘Control’ was done by three people, plus a session guitarist so this time it’s just five dudes in a room rocking out.”
In little more than a year, Guards Of May have already racked up an impressive resume of support shows including: Dead Letter Circus, Grinspoon and Spiderbait.
“Playing with them was just a blur; we were just so excited just to be up there. We’re all big fans of the whole Australian progressive and Aussie rock scenes. We’re really proud of how it’s been growing the last few years, and to be part of that.”
Keita says a new Guards song doesn’t see the light of day until the entire band are proud of it.
“Usually someone comes in with almost a whole song fleshed out, then we all get our greasy mits on it and turn it into a Guards song. That’s what I really love about Guards, in terms of the genre we’re all similar in taste, so it’s an easy process.”
A guitar teacher by day, Keita says he naturally gravitated towards the instrument.
“I’ve always been around guitars; my whole family plays guitar so it was natural for me to pick one up. I didn’t start playing properly until grade eight, where I had to learn ‘Wild Thing’ for our final exam; I ended up getting obsessed, and just kept playing.”
Keita says balancing life and being a musician can be tough, sometimes.
“The biggest problem is trying to find balance to be who you are as a musician, but also functioning in society because it’s hard to do both. You have to work and earn, but at the same time, you have to spend a lot of time invested in your art. You really have to love what you’re doing, or you just lose it and go nuts. That’s the main thing, finding the right balance between living and banding.”
Guards Of May play The Tempo Hotel October 12.
