Forever Ends Here mark their triumphant return with a show this Friday night at Oxford Arts Factory, this Saturday at Stay Gold and next Friday at The Brightside.
A heater hums in the background, as Luke McChesney melodises over it.
Metaphorically the heater represents the consistent drone of time passing, especially that which provides the soundtrack for routine. In reality it acts as a warming agent as we descend into colder temperatures and short days, into what for many becomes a period of rest.
For Forever Ends Here, that period of dormancy lasted five years. A five-year period where fans and band members alike were unsure whether the band would return to write, record and perform music.
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Yet, despite their hiatus that was as indefinite and consistent as the whirr of the heater, the band have released a new single, Cherry Chapstick. They also have a tour with 3 dates and venues locked in for the month of July to celebrate the release of their new song and of course the decision to return to the stage as a 3-piece, pop-punk outfit.
The tour kicks off Friday July 7 at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney, a venue that has asserted itself as a landmark establishment since the early days of the band.
“We have such a strong core memory with Oxford Art Factory,” says Luke. “We headlined Oxford Art Factory in 2014 on the Other League tour which was the first big headline tour we did. We actually dug up the poster recently and With Confidence was the main support for that show, they are great friends of ours.
“I had totally forgotten, but we discovered by picking up that poster recently, that Stand Atlantic actually opened that show. There’s so much history at the Oxford Art Factory and a strong memory of that particular night. I’ve also been to so many incredible shows there and it does have a bit of a reputation for being a great venue.”
It will be a run of shows like no other Forever Ends Here have ever showcased. Luke and the band, despite their time away from recording and performing as Forever Ends Here, have been honing their songwriting skills as well as expanding the way they record and perform.
“I’ve got a home studio set up now,” says Luke. “That’s where we wrote and demoed Cherry Chapstick. We worked with Rich Mammoliti, who is a friend of ours that played in a band called Breakaway. We spent some time in his home studio finalising the track.
“We outsourced the mixing to James Paul Wisner, who’s based out of America. He’s worked with a few bigger names like Paramore, Under Oath and does everything for Stand Atlantic as well as having worked with Yours Truly, which is how we got in contact with him.
“Since the band split up nearly six years ago, and back then we weren’t producing our own tracks, producing our own music is one of the biggest things that we’ve been focusing on. There’s learning production. Learning how to build a live set and you know, build a studio, a recorded song, and so particularly now more than ever every person we work with, we’re just soaking up more and more information.
“We are building that skill set for ourselves and applying the most interesting bits and pieces that we can take away from each process. We take away so many lessons from every single person we collaborate with, particularly in production now as well.”
As Forever Ends Here have expanded their repertoire and skillset when it comes to recording, this has permeated into how they construct a live set. A new understanding they are entirely excited to share with audiences on their upcoming tour.
“We craft all of our own live tracks now,” he says. “Back in the day, there was always this big stigma around bands using backing tracks. It almost felt like a cop out, like a cheat. Whereas, having gone away and learned how to create that I have this newfound respect and appreciation for bands who can build every element of their live set, and I think there’s a lot more work that goes into crafting a live set. This time round we’ve really made our show about putting on an entertaining performance. We’ve been able to craft extended intros to songs and transitions when they flow from one to the other.
“That’s given us the opportunity to really take a step back and see how this set will take people on a different journey. From old to new and balancing that out. There’s a bit of something for everyone in the set. It’s not just for the new fans, and it’s not just for the old fans. It covers all the bases, which makes me and the other band members really excited.”
Irrespective of where you place yourself on Forever Ends Here’s musical timeline, there is no doubt The Return Of tour will be a spectacle, featuring that which is familiar with a modern twist.
Find tickets to the upcoming tour here.
This article was made in partnership with Forever Ends Here.
