Melbourne punk band Scud’s latest EP, Brain, delves into darker, more complex themes, inspired by lead vocalist Ella Darling’s personal journey through family health diagnoses.
Melbourne has long been a hub for passionate music lovers, and its punk scene is no exception. From the Cosmic Psychos to The Birthday Party, and more recently The Chats and Amyl and the Sniffers, the city continues to produce some of the most exciting and influential punk bands.
One of its latest rising acts is Scud, a band that combines sharp wit and intense energy with an increasingly complex sound. The band, formed by Ella Darling (vocals), Maiya Shirakawa (guitar), Luke Summerell (guitar), and a rhythm section, chose their name as a nod to Ella’s grandfather, who had a particular fondness for the term Scud.
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“That’s from my family,” Ella explains. “That’s from my family, They have their own vocabulary. I think my pop when he was a kid would be called a Scud runner” – a term which refers to when pilots fly hidden beneath low-lying clouds.
Ella adds, “When I think he would run away and just disappear when there were chores to be done. I think it means, if you actually look up the definition, like flying under the radar, undetected.”
But Scud’s growing presence in the Melbourne music scene is anything but under the radar. Following the release of Cars and No last year, their new EP Brain marks a shift toward a darker, more introspective side of Ella’s songwriting, largely influenced by her personal experiences with health crises within her family.
Describing the band’s sound as “silly and sassy,” Ella reflects on their approach to songwriting: “Even if it’s from a serious topic, I will take it from a silly tone or angle, even if it’s something that makes you angry. I think it’s how we express ourselves as well.”
Maiya adds, “I can imagine it being a bit difficult I guess, taking yourself too seriously or taking things too seriously. Then again there is a lot of serious stuff as well. I think it’s cool there are lots of different ways to communicate it or tackle different angles. It can still be pretty powerful.”
This new EP comes at a particularly challenging time for Ella, who was diagnosed with epilepsy last year. The EP’s cover art features an MRI scan of her brain, symbolizing the personal nature of this release.
“I think the topic as well was a bit more serious because it was based on my epilepsy diagnosis,” Ella shared. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions, with around 6% of Australians diagnosed annually.
However, Ella’s health struggles weren’t the only factor influencing the EP’s themes. Her mother was also facing a battle with a brain tumour. “My mum had a brain tumour as well, so it was like these themes sort of came accidentally, like I wasn’t like, ‘All right, I’m going to write a brain EP’. It’s sort of just a brainy kind of year for me,” she says.
For those lucky enough to attend the Brain EP launch, it was an emotional and special moment when Ella’s mother joined the band on stage for the song Tough C.
“We got her up to play tambourine,” Ella says. “She loves coming to the gigs and being like, ‘I’m the Tough C… That’s me.’” The song’s lyrics, “Tough as nails, tough as old leather boots, tough like a diamond, like spider silk, that’s my mum,” serve as a tribute to her mother’s strength through this challenging time.
Unlike the band’s previous two releases, which were recorded in one session with Brent Quirk from One Be Studios, Brain was created with Max Ducker from Cellar Sessions, who the band members bet at the Last Chance Rock ‘n’ Roll Bar where he’s mixed their live shows.
“When we have recorded, the goal has been to try and recreate the live experience. If you want to listen to us, you want to do it live, which is a big part of why we recorded with [Max] this time,” says Luke.
Looking ahead, Scud is gearing up for an up-coast tour in early January for their “Scud Summer”, with plans for more releases on the horizon. “We don’t like to sit on songs too much once they’re ready,” says Ella.
With an EP that’s already making waves, a busy live schedule and new music in the works, Scud is set for another exciting year in 2025.
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