Quite possibly the most energetic and theatric act at BIGSOUND, Cry Club have brought their noisy pop to Brisbane, along with a string of devoted fans, mirroring their enthusiasm.
Heather and Jono of Cry Club gave up some of their time to talk about all things music, including news of releasing more of their own.
Acts not to miss at BIGSOUND 2019?
H: Electric Fields!!!!! I saw them during vivid in Sydney a year or two ago and they blew my mind. Also Dianas, yergurl, and Kymie (western sydney repreSENT)
J: Major ones on my list are: Dianas, Egoism, Obscura Hail & Raj Mahal! Last year we were running between venues a lot so hopefully we can do that again this year.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned this year?
H: Omg it’s OKAY TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF!! You can have a day off if you need it! If you hurt yourself, go get a massage, that’s not a luxury, that’s like….. maintenance!! I feel sooooo guilty if I slow down, but we do so so so much that it’s okay- necessary, even- to pause every now and then. ALSO- talking to strangers at gigs is not weird, it’s very fun, almost always worth coming out of my shell for ^_^
J: To take care of yourself and take the time off if you need it. Just before Bigsound this year I took the first couple of days off that I’ve had in a while and jeez a break feels good haha.
You have such an electric stage presence. When did you first find and trust your own voice?
H: Like… it’s mostly just who we are as people!! I come from a ~musical theatre~ background and have trained in theatre, so I definitely approach things from that perspective! You can listen to the music on spotify or youtube or whatever, so why would you come to a show if you’re just gonna get that same thing?
J: I don’t see the point in going to a show if it’s not a show frankly so I don’t want to be that boring band, I want you to either love or hate the energy – not feel meh about it.
What’s the best part about making music?
H: ~catharsis~ tbh. It’s the most healthy way to express myself, it ticks all the boxes of What Heather Needs To Be Happy, and it does so in the best possible way!!
J: It’s just an essential part of being a person to me at this point – I wake up, I have breakfast, I work, I make music. It’s not something I idealise at all, or consider to be The One True Craft or anything, it’s just what I do – with everything that’s exciting and boring that comes with that.
When are you at your most creative?
H: When I have the time to focus!! If I’m tired, busy, sore, poor and upset? Nothin’s getting done. But when I just watched like 3 interviews with Matty Healy, got my hair cut and had a physio appointment? I’ve made that time for myself and I’m not caught up stressing about silly life stuff
J: When I’m making as much as possible – I’m all about the good ideas coming when you’ve exhausted all the band ones! So our demo folder is quite dense but to be frank, not all of it is very good, which is perfect for me! I love just making a lot and then editing out the not-bangers haha.
What’s something you wish you could change about the music industry?
H: Less men (✿◠‿◠)
J: To enter, you must not be an abuser (looking at you, 2019). Also free virgin lounge membership for APRA members lol.
Who do you look to for musical inspiration?
H: People that make stuff COMPLETELY different to what we do. I love the challenge of looking at something like 100 gecs or Doja Cat and thinking okay, how could we do this with guitars?? I also really like how Kpop groups will dramatically switch up their concepts for new releases and evolve their sound and presence super dramatically, I’ve always been inspired by chameleons and people who can reinvent themselves but stay true to the core of who they are and what they do.
J: All the bands I’ve loved since I was a teenager – that really early fertile period of listening to music shapes a lot of your taste and I spent a long time trying to avoid it, but embracing that side of my musicality has been really refreshing. Looking at bands who are able to show a wide range of sensibilities is great as well, the people who are able to have the dark gloomy song next to the big pop banger are always big inspo.
Finish the sentence: “imagine a world with _________”
H: ONE media streaming service instead of multiple companies each with their own exclusives and licenses to shows and movies. I just wanna watch Kath and Kim and also Daria but not pay for a million different platforms please. Capitalism is a disease and is killing us all ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
J: Free virgin lounge membership for APRA members.
What are you most excited about coming up for CRY CLUB?
H: Releasing more stuff!! Making our live show BIGGER! Meeting more people!
J: I know it’s a bit of a cliche but we are super excited for what we can’t announce just yet (soz!) but also just packing out the rest of the year with shows – like this year’s festival season is going to be so exciting for us!
Photos and words by Brooke Tunbridge