Regular John are busy boys clocking up the miles in the tour van with the likes of Frenzal Rhomb, Birds Of Tokyo, I Heart Hiroshima and now in November with The Scare. After the blistering Marrickville 2204 EP was released in March it has been onwards and upwards with much gusto, as Ryan Adamson explains.
Regular John are building a reputation for a solid live show that packs plenty of punch and are looking forward to more touring over the summer. “We’re on our third East Coast run,” Ryan mentioned. “Early this year in February we got to play in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with The Bronx, which was great. We did a similar tour with the Birds Of Tokyo in April and then in July there was a more extensive tour including regional shows with I Heart Hiroshima.”
There is a real sense of satisfaction as more recognition has been gained with all the touring to date. “I like to think a few more people know who we are,” Ryan questioned. “Our name is getting out there a bit and we’re definitely playing around at quite a few places to different kinds of audiences, which is cool. We might be able to play something like Over Cranked Festival, which are predominantly heavy bands but then we can get chucked in with something like the Essential Festival, which is more indie. I think our music can lend itself to all different types of shows, which really helps us reach a broader audience. Triple J has been really supportive and we’ve had the chance to play a Live At The Wireless set. I guess it’s hard to gauge but it is good when people say they’ve heard our name before.”
Regular John is coming fresh off a break and is ready to blitz on their return. “I think we’ve ever needed to take a break from the touring yet,” Ryan asserted. “It has kind of been the opposite especially when you get back from a tour and find yourself with a night off where you’re not playing and you feel kind of useless. It’s like ‘oh shit, I’ve got nothing to do tonight.’ When you’re on tour you focus your energy on the show that night and when that doesn’t happen…”
Sounds like the nine o’clock itches. “That’s it,” Ryan agreed. “When it’s nine o’clock at night and your brain is usually switched on for a gig it’s like should I have some more Pringles? It’s a bit of a shock to the system. We’re looking forward to getting back on the road in November with The Scare, which will take us to a couple of places we haven’t been before like further north up the Sunshine Coast and to do that with them will be cool.”
Thought is already being given to an album due early next year. “We’ve already got a couple of songs recorded,” Ryan mentioned. “Some thought has been given to releasing a double a-side single such as seven inch only available at gigs maybe. So at the moment we’re tossing up about what to do with that. The plan is to do a full length recording.”
Being such young lads and already creating an impression there must be some pressure to deliver. “The only pressure comes from me personally,” Ryan thought. “I totally love music and I know how my favourite albums make me feel. When you look at things that way you want to be able to create something that hopefully can stand along side those favourite albums of yours. In that respect I put a lot of pressure on myself because I know how powerful music can be and I’d like my music to be that powerful.”
