Their reputation, both good and bad, has even reverberated to other bands, including tourmates Foo Fighters and Sonic Youth, whom the band had a pseudo beef with, after Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon made some disparaging remarks to Vice. Leaving a trail of sonic destruction and creating an aura that has squares shaking in their loafers, the band will be making their awaited return to Aussie shores. The upcoming tour as part of the massively epic Soundwave lineup is the first time they’ve invaded another country in some time. “We haven’t really been playing much lately. We took a bit of time off last year because a couple of the guys have kids, so they wanted to spend time with the family.” Despite a brief break, this sonic beast is going back into hyperdrive as they embark on their Soundwave adventure, in addition to working on a new group album. “We’ve started working on new material recently, which has been good. Our last album [David Comes to Life] came out two years ago in June. We’re just getting back into it, but so far so good.”
As a bass player, Miranda – also known by her charming stage moniker Mustard Gas – has a unique role, joined by three guitarists, Mike Haliechuk, Josh Zucker and Chris Colohan, along with Jonah Falco on drums and one of modern rock’s most explosive frontmen in Damian Abraham. The process of all these moving parts coming together during recording is one that appears to be both natural and chaotic. “Those of us in the band that just play instruments have a different role in the creative process,” says Miranda. “We jam a lot and are usually laying stuff down most of the day. Then we’ve got our key songwriters, who are Mike, Jonah and Damien.” The fact that there are essentially four guitar-wielding beasts going at it makes the process that much more unique, as Miranda explains. “Because I play bass and we have three guitarists, it’s a unique challenge because there’s not always a lot of room. So it’s a creative process to try and find your spots within the song and slot in some interesting parts. I like to describe it like we’re making a suit together. A metal suit, glistening in the sun.”
Foremost on their minds right now is getting out of the snowy confines of Canada and nestling into the warm bosom of Australia. “We’ve been there three or four times and every time we go the reaction seems to get better and better.” Miranda doesn’t have to look far for inspiration when it comes to getting back on the road. “I’m looking out the window right now and all I see is snow, so I’m looking forward to the weather over there. I’m getting giddy just thinking about it.” Along with the weather, her other pleasures will be enjoying the service of Qantas (“they gave us free ice cream last time”) and possibly learning to surf. Despite Miranda’s current lack of prowess on the board, Fucked Up rode a tidal wave of energy last time on our shores, as they opened up for the rock monolith known as Foo Fighters. “That was such a great experience. It’s funny how that came together. We ran into Dave Grohl at a show; apparently he was a fan and he said we should tour together and we got invited to do the Australian tour.”
Despite an impressive career of stage-tearing performances, including a 12-hour set back home, few things could prepare them for the Foo Fighters experience. “The energy of the crowd and the excitement they brought made it even better for us and it was one of the best live experiences we’ve had as a band. Dave Grohl and the rest of the guys are really cool as well, so it was a fun experience.” While on paper it appears to be an odd coupling, Miranda explains that the line between the two bands isn’t that far apart. “We may seem like different bands, but we’re really cut from the same cloth. We both have that appreciation for music and the DIY approach. I mean the guys in the band have such a great history in music; Dave was in this DC punk band Scream, and then Nirvana, and I mean Pat Smear was with the legendary Germs.”
No strangers to diverse lineups, Fucked Up will be sharing the Soundwave stage with the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Cypress Hill, and one of the bands Miranda is most excited for, Blink 182. The idea of all these titans in their own right chilling out backstage, swapping stories and techniques, is enough to make your head explode. However it’s not necessarily the case. “We get to hang out with people from some of the smaller bands, which is fun and a good way to meet like-minded people, but the bigger bands are normally in their own area.”
BY ANDREW ‘HAZARD’ HICKEY
