The Desert Sea are a hidden pearl of the Sydney scene. The
well-oiled three piece generate some heavy rock hits that have
plagued my mind and Spotify search since seeing them live
nearly a year ago today. A band comprised of three personable
and amusing blokes;
Andy ‘Westy’ West , the reserved bass player whose big smile
is decorated by a great beard leading him to be the
unanimously decided looks of the band.
Justin ‘the old man’ Leef, a drummer from a heritage line of
mystic musicians, whose talents have been used by many
Aussie acts and the holder of a pocketful of connections,
And Ashton Tremain, the charming front man who builds songs
as well as he does houses in the northern Sydney beaches.
As eager as I was to meet the band with a small but sure library
of songs, I was equally excited to learn all I could. Ashton told
tale of the bands rather unexpected origins “originally I had a
solo acoustic thing and then these boys came in to try and
fill out the sound and we very quickly outgrew that”
In their humble beginnings, the Sea was far more contained to
the likes of a surfboard factory, where their manufacturer friend
and fellow musician would let them jam. Upon reflection Justin
said “you’ve got to have somewhere to get loud and this
definitely wasn’t you mums lounge room.”
One can only imagine, a dull, dank and dim workshop. Fresh
boards, stacked against walls surfing on only the vibration of
Andy’s bass. Then as Justin stomps a booming kick to his bass
drum, Ashton recalls the sawdust clouds smearing the air. That
is certainly a gig I’d like to see.
An arduous back and forth led the trio on the conflicting title of
The Desert Sea, a name which sums up their earthy riffs
matched with enticing lyrics. However, as Justin points out The
Desert Sea is also an unintentional acronym for T D S
(tedious) Ashton adds “(it) certainly describes the process of
naming it.”
Currently, the band has three epic EPS to boast, the latest and
greatest being released this year. ‘Awake me’ was produced
by Justin’s childhood friend and COG drummer, Lucius Borich
and captures the rock and roll harmony that defines this band.
Whether listening to their top tier production or live in a
swamped dive bar, the band’s sound is so well synchronised.
The bass feels consistently next to the lead guitar, not
underneath or over, but next to. The drums are prominent and
well timed and whether Ashton is singing with softness or
dealing a little more of a grungy edge, he hits the mark. The
band attributes their playing perfection to practice and the
genuine brotherly love. As the front man puts it “we are all
comfortable in knowing our roles in the band but we are
also just great mates that hang out outside of music and
that I think comes through in its own way.”
“Being a three piece…” Andy adds “everyone has their own
parts to fill.” The EP kicks off with one of Ashton’s (and my)
personal favourites, Set Me on Fire. more than a song, it’s a
call for action. “In the music world things can get flat and
uninspiring…in every aspect of life you get that sort of
metonymy, your job, your nine-to-five and set me on fire
was just a bit of a craving for some inspiration, whether
that be artistic or in just generally day to day life.”
Set Me on Fire is a good example of the band developing a
heavier sound. With the possibility of an album on the desert
sea’s horizon they claim to be open to trying new things. While
the EP features a lot of heavier blues inspired rock songs, often
compared to Queens Of The Stone Age, the band are open to
working into their other influences if given the chance to explore
such concepts on an album. Andy seemed excited to declare
that, “we’re about to start a new writing process and we
have all been writing our own little riffs and skeletons of
songs.” The band has an awareness that they don’t wish to
betray long-term fans by abandoning the sound we love but as
creatives they certainly seem ready to try something different.
While we have heard some of their influences in their work, I
suggested the idea of leaning in to the sludgier side of their
musical taste. The bands admire stoner metal giants like Kyuss
and Black sabbath and said “you couldn’t rule out” hearing
something of that nature on a debut album.
The Desert Sea are an excellent band whose sound seems so
familiar yet it’s hard to find a mainstream act today that
captures the hardness of the rock that they’re serving. Fans of
radio friendly bands or more metal acts alike would benefit from
checking out what this band has to offer and sticking around for
whatever is next to come.
-Maxx Bradford Lester
Listen to the full interview, an acoustic performance and more at
X2X STUDIOS on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFfXDZUaiWEOy4m-rw_P9KQ
Instagram: doublexonair
Published by Behemothian/Site Admin
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