“The clothing brand is no longer mine, I’m not associated with it, I do not promote it, they are not friends and they are not anyone associated with myself or Of Mice & Men, (laughs) take that as you will but I am trying to be as respectful as possible. But with all the other charity stuff I am involved with, the canned food drives, the toy drives, the beach clean-up, the movie nights at community centres and everything else I will never give that up. I believe if you have ten dollars then you should give someone one of those dollars that might need it more than you. Helping people is a necessity and I am happy to be a part of it with any company who would love to do it with me. I will always do it.”
Obviously this commitment adds further admiration and adoration for the renowned vocalist, but returning to the topic of his first love and full-time job of touring musician and song-writer, Austin admits that OM&M have just wrapped up recording the long-awaited third album. A record which the band plans to reach fans on yet another level, higher than ever before.
“Lyrically I have really pushed myself this time, I have really paid attention to what I way saying with every line, that it was always a statement and it meant something to me and it was real. I have really opened up myself and I hope that comes across with this record, it gets me excited and I am so grateful to my friends, family and fans that what we are doing means something to them and how supportive they are. That’s how we got to where we are because of them, so it’s our turn to repay that you know.”
Austin continues on the new LP’s sound – “I wouldn’t say it was more rock than it was just catchier and more thought out. So if we play the song live we know which part the crowd is going to sing, so we really structured the song around something like that. Or on the other end of the spectrum if it is a really heavy part, then let’s push that heaviness so that when we play it live people lose their minds and go crazy.”
Having toured here twice prior, once supporting Queensland’s emotional melodic metalcore favourite’s The Amity Affliction and also as part of the inaugural Soundwave festival just earlier this year, October will see the five gentlemen who make up OM&M return supporting experi-metalcore enthusiast Bring Me The Horizon and Japan’s electro-core party maniacs Crossfaith. Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated tours of 2013, how does Of Mice & Men find Australia themselves?
“We are not meant to have favourites, I know that but Australia is my favourite place to tour in the whole wide world. It’s like a second home to me actually. Soundwave was just an awesome experience and it’s always really cool to play big shows like that everyday to people who have made time in their day to see you, it is even cooler when you are in a different country doing it!
BY WILL OAKEY
