“I’ve never stopped collecting them. Tim [Steward, guitar] and I were just in a record store; a place on the Gold Coast called Rare Groove Records. I was going through their indie Australian collection and it was just like the collection I had when I was about 20. Only, I had to sell a lot of it when I was at university to buy two minute noodles for dinner [laughs].I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s The Crystal Set and the Dubrovniks.’ And they had some other really old Australian acts that probably no one has ever heard of that I had in my record collection. I thought, ‘Wow, this guy must have bought my record collection way back then’.”
The Brisbane three-piece are known for their down to earth charm with witty onstage banter. Lloyd, Steward and long-time drummer Dean Shwereb are friends first and a band second. The group’s undeniable chemistry shines through in the music. “We love being on the road together – we always have so much fun,” Lloyd says.
Adding to the excitement of their current Australian coast tour is the addition of a fourth member, guitarist Darek Mudge. “He often plays with us at shows and he’s going to do the whole tour with us,” Lloyd says. “In fact, Darek helped record our new single, Alone In A Crowd, along with Bryce [Moorhead], and he also played some of the guitar on it.”
Alone In A Crowd is Screamfeeder’s first new recording in ten years. Lloyd says the inspiration for the lyrics came from a conversation she had with Steward after playing a gig together on the outskirts of Brisbane.
“Tim and I sometimes play shows just as a duo. So we were spending a bit of time together and having big, meaningful conversations,” she says. “One night after a show, at a place just out of town called Sandgate, we got to chatting and Tim said, ‘Wow, you know everyone everywhere we go.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, and you’re always surrounded by people wherever you go’. Later I was thinking about that and I realised that it doesn’t really matter if you’re surrounded by people or if you know everybody, you can still feel isolated and alone. Whether it’s our online existence or getting older and having circumstances change, I think a lot of people feel the same way.”
The single also includes the lo-fi, shoegazey treat, Rules of Attraction, and the incredibly punchy pop rock gem, I’m Fighting. Each track has a different feel, but a common thread lies in the effortless harmonising of Lloyd and Steward.
Encouraged by the positive reaction to the single, Lloyd admits they’re currently working on an LP. “We’re in the process of songwriting. So far all the songs have been written in a space underneath my house, so I’m sure that will play a part in setting the tone of the record.
“In terms of concept there are no grand plans as yet. We just haven’t thought that far ahead. But the songs are happening quite quickly.”
While the creative juices are obviously flowing, Lloyd says it’s unlikely the album will come out before mid-2016. Until then, it’s nice to know Screamfeeder still love what they do. “We can’t wait to be playing down in Sydney and Melbourne – it’s going to be great. But right now we’re trying to hunt down a pair of second-hand trunks so that Tim can go for a swim. It’s about a million degrees here today.”
BY NATALIE ROGERS
