It’s a strange day – a clash of scheduling means that Mark Stewart, frontman and guitarist for Horsell Common, is surrounded by boxes in the process of moving. And I’m sitting in a hairdresser’s salon.
In support of the single Sing The News, Horsell Common is currently on the road heading into September. “We’re really excited about the tour. The dates are quite spread out, but we do have a good dozen shows or so on the bill. We’re going everywhere we can,” Mark enthuses. “We’re really looking forward to being back on the road and seeing all our fans again.”
They do intend on seeing all their fans – a few of the shows announced are all-ages, as opposed to the usual 18+ fare. “That was one of the main reasons for touring. The last two tours we did were all over-aged shows, and following that, we were inundated with messages from our under-aged contingent, who were wondering if they would ever be able to see us,” Mark muses. “Mind you, they get pretty cranky about not being able to see you, and they aren’t afraid to let you know it. But it’s great to know that they are out there, and that they love you.”
The love had better be strong then, as it’s going to be a very interesting live show. “I admit it. It’s going to be tough, but we’re going to love every minute of it. I must admit, we’ve only actually performed [ Sing the News ] once. We were supporting Shihad, got ourselves really loaded up and thought it was a good idea to perform it,” laughs Mark. “Boy, were we wrong. Trust me, we’ll have it good and ready for the tour – it’s all about our fans coming along and having fun. A good performance will help!”
Apart from the title track of the tour, the boys have a great selection of tracks to perform, courtesy of the album. “We actually set out with 12 tracks. I know other bands often have a lot of music and ideas behind an album, but songwriting is a difficult process for us. Basically, we all have to agree on the final product…There are debates, tension and arguments when we’re not on the same page.” All in the name of art, hopefully. “Of course, but it means that we’re incredibly proud of the finished result – we’re an honest band. Nerdy, upbeat realists, but definitely honest. And we believe our music should reflect that. So we work hard to achieve that.”
Not so nerdy is the accompanying music video to Sing the News, which sees the two of them on a bike and foot race through the streets of Melbourne. “Well, because we’re down a drummer at the moment, we wanted a video that focused on the two of us. Why not a competing video?” Mark grins – or at least you’re left with the impression that he is at this point in time. “I mean, it took us three days, but it’s a pretty awesome clip. The stunts made us look so cool…but they were performed by professionals.”
Horsell Common has a handful of dates left on its Sing The News tour. After that’s all wrapped up, the boys play the massive Balands mini-festival in Sydney and Melbourne’s Grazzhopper Festival in Geelong.
Friday 22 Aug – University of Queensland – Red Room
Saturday 23 Aug – Sands Tavern – Coolangatta
Friday 29 Aug – Transit Bar, Canberra
Friday 5 Sep – Hi-Fi Bar & Ballroom, Melbourne
Saturday 6 Sep – Amplifier Bar, Perth
Sunday 21 Sep – Badlands Festival, Manning Bar, Sydney
Saturday 4 October – Grazzhopper Festival, Geelong
