MAYHEM FOR MARY
Today's music news comes via three men and a video, with a behind the scenes peek into the pumping beats that Brisbane's Mayhem For Mary call home ahead of their debut album release - and the news of an indefinite hiatus.
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Making waves with their current line-up since 2017 for their guitar-less chunky riffs and bodacious energy, Brissie alt-rockers Mayhem For Mary (aka Laurence, Keith and Wes), have continually explored their mutual talents and diverse influences, from prog, funk, dance and beyond. And while this eclectic tapestry has ensnared ears from every genre persuasion, the MFM boys are also a force to be reckoned with when they smash stages with their larger than life performances.
While we've been blessed so far to have experienced the riff dance party that is Mayhem For Mary, there's also a bittersweet twist to this tale, with the boys' debut album due out next month - followed immediately by an indefinite hiatus due to life making other plans. But fear not, this debut/farewell album (cheekily titled 'Greatest Hits') will see this lot go out on a heaving groove-soaked high - and there are still a few more surprises in store from the group before they bow out after their launch show on June 1st.
The first round of surprises is a live studio vid of the Mary dude's rockin' out their track 'Jive Groove' - and as an added bonus we quickly grabbed bass-man Wes Pollington to delve a bit deeper into this unique chapter for the band.
THE SOUNDCHECK: Tell us a bit about Jive Groove – what was the inspiration behind the track and why did it make the cut for the album?
WES: When we are in song writing mode we just seem to spend time between jams trying to come up with little usable snippets of could-be songs, so I get into a habit of constantly trying to come up with little riffs and melodies in my head. The main riff from the 2nd half of the song was something that was going around my head when I was half dreaming, half-awake in bed one night, so I got up and hummed in into my phone for safe keeping. 9 times out of 10 when that happens, it turns out to be rubbish but this one turned out to be the perfect fit for and existing half song.
THE SOUNDCHECK: And you’re releasing a live studio video for ‘Jive Groove’ this week – can you talk us through this experience a bit? What was the motivation behind releasing the studio video?
WES: We just felt like it would be a good idea to document the recording of at least one song, more for ourselves than anything. We couldn't justify the cost of a professional film crew though, so its fully DIY with shaky camera, and bad lighting. It's the real us though and we kind of liked the candid nature of the result, so we decided to share.
'JIVE GROOVE (LIVE IN STUDIO)' (MAYHEM FOR MARY)
THE SOUNDCHECK: Can you tell us a bit about ‘Greatest Hits’ in general – in terms of songwriting, recording, generally trying to bring it to life….was it an enjoyable experience?
WES: 'Greatest Hits' was extremely enjoyable to put together, but so much work! We recorded the album in 2 separate sessions, in October 2017 and April 2018. The recordings from the first session was originally going to be an EP, which even had a name (Cocked and Shined). EP2 was already in the planning stages (but without a name) however with personal circumstances bringing the band to its premature end very soon, we felt that EP2 may end up being shelved and we had to release EPs 1 and 2 (which was never given a name) as a full-length record. We are really happy we made that decision; the whole thing now offers a whole lot more variety of sounds and is a much more complete representation of the band we have been then either EP would have done.
THE SOUNDCHECK: The culmination of ‘Greatest Hits’ is a bit bittersweet – it marks both the first album for Mayhem For Mary, but also the end for this epic trio. How are you all feeling at the moment?
WES: It's extremely sad and confusing really. It feels weird to be even promoting this album, as we don't have an immediate future as a band, and we are far too familiar with the state of the music scene in Australia and Worldwide at the moment to hope to recoup the cost of the album on album sales. We are however immensely proud of it and we want the world to hear it, even if we won't have the opportunity to follow it up with a tour and all the rest of it...We are still curious as to how the album is received more broadly. There willcertainly be no more Mayhem for the next few years, but if people like the album, then who knows, we could be back some day....
THE SOUNDCHECK: And you’ve got your album launch party kicking off on the 1st of June – can you tell us what to expect from the show? Shenanigans galore?
WES: Again, bittersweet. But we're all about putting on fun shows and we are looking forward to doing that 1 last time. We have had the extremely awesome prog/math/post rock band Chief Weapons step in as a replacement support act at the last minute, and our partners in crime, and arguably Brisbane's strangest girl band 'Banging Bitches' opening the night. You can expect to hear every song on the album, and a surprise or two, maybe a live music video re-enactment, and if you are really lucky, you may witness the birth of a child (2 of the members of Banging Bitches will be 33 and 36 weeks pregnant by that point. - risky business.......)
THE SOUNDCHECK: Are there any other surprises in store from Mayhem For Mary before we bid you beautiful gents farewell?
WES: Yes! one more Music video to come for one of the tracks on the album. It's all been shot but the editing and all that goes with it takes time, so we are unlikely to have it ready to go by the album release date. It was a lot of fun to shoot and I think when everyone gets a look at it, they'll find the narrative of the clip, a fitting end to the Mayhem For Mary story.
MAYHEM FOR MARY'S DEBUT ALBUM 'GREATEST HITS' IS DUE OUT FRIDAY 1ST JUNE. FOR MORE INFO, HEAD TO: www.facebook.com/mayhemformary
BY TIANA SPETER