The Growl’s debut album What Would Christ Do is uncompromising and crusty rock’n’roll that has garnered the band many fans, both here and abroad.
“The other day I got an email from a fan-club in Brazil with 500 members, I had a good little chuckle about how the fuck they even know about us? Maybe it was through Pond?” laughs Avery.
Additionally, most press outlets have embraced the band but as Avery explains, not everyone in the media dug their sound.
“Someone called it like ‘bland derivative blues rocky rubbish’, but I love getting roasted, I get more of a kick out of that than getting accolades. Someone else called us a bland derivative as well – they’re the ones who are derivative. It’s most interesting for us to hear what people don’t like but, of course, we love all the positive feedback this album has got.”
Probably, the most positive feed-back or most qualified head-nod the band has received is that they were asked to support Kings Of Leon at the megastar’s only Australian show at The Enmore on November 20.
Before disclosing how his band ended up on the bill, the now 25, Avery explains that as a teenager he was a huge fan of the band.
“When I was a teenager I used to run around with flares and a fringe. I was obsessed with Youth And Manhood and Aha Shake even Because of The Times I was still listening to them then.” Now, how Growl ended up on the bill.
“We played a big Festival in Portugal and it was Tame, Phoenix and Kings Of Leon on our stage. They came and watched our set from side of stage and they were really into it and that’s how this show came about. They knew Tame were probably too busy to do the Sydney show but asked if The Growl wanted to do the support slot,” contends a mellow yet secretly enthused Avery.
Another occurrence that happened in 2013 that reconfirmed to Avery that The Growl were in the right track was the fact he won best male vocalist at this year’s Western Australian Music Industry awards (or WAMis). The award went to Avery and then a second trophy to Birds Of Tokyo Ian Kenny – a split award that represented the handing of the baton from Western Australia’s musical past to its future. It appears that Avery was not expecting the award, so much so he didn’t believe it initially as he wasn’t there.
“I didn’t even know it had happened. My friend messaged me and said ‘you have one best male vocalist tied with Kenny’ and I was like ‘yeah good on your,’ and then in an interview they asked ‘what was it like winning the WAMi?’ and I was like ‘oh cool.’ There’s a lot of good singers in WA,” states a humbled Avery.
Avery’s unique singing voice is something not previously heard in the Australian rock scene so it is interesting to hear who is inspirations are, “When I was a kid I listened to a lot of Elvis Presley , a lot of soul stuff too like Aretha Franklin. Then I got into like Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf – it all kind of came from there. Old sort of black music. That was way it came. I have been singing the same way for years.”
Another part of The Growl’s music that is also in line with classic blues are the unique tunings used for the guitars. “Some of the tunings are just purely for playing one song, it just came from me not being able to write music. The unique tunings come from me singing a melody and trying to find the funnest, most sonically pleasing way to play it on guitar so I tune the guitar to that to try and find that melody. So some of the tunings you can only play one song on them.”
Currently performing as a five piece Avery says he and the rest of The Growl – Clinton Oliver on Guitar, James Irelandon keyboard / accordion/ samples, Marc Earley on double bass, Samuel Kuzich on Drums / percussion – are really looking forward to the tour.
“We’re really excited as seeing how we go on our first full national tour!”
BY DAN WATT
