Give Racism The Boot x The Owen Guns
Pull on your boots, fight racism and raise funds for charity
2 EPs and an album in 2 years (all during a pandemic). Perhaps not unprecedented work ethic but still…PUNK AS!
On the eve of the new single Pulling On The Boots [a redeeming re-working of an infamous Skinhead anthem] from the debut album, here is what The Owen Guns think you should know about them:
Is there a sort of self-propulsion in such productivity? Like, is starting one thing a catalyst for the next?
I don't feel like we've been overly productive, but I guess 2 EPs and now a full-length album coming in September is pretty good going in 2 years, considering COVID, and a change of guitarist along the way. We are not here to f*ck spiders I suppose. We always have new ideas coming. We are good like that. I think we all just enjoy playing together. We are lucky, particularly since Mark joined the band, in that all four of us enjoy playing gigs, but also enjoy rehearsals. When we start working on stuff it all seems to flow together very quickly. I can't speak for the others but for me, it never felt like work or like things are being forced with Martin, Mark and Ma Tu.
You make no secret of your interest in politics, were you happy with the recent federal election outcomes?
Oh, my trousers YES! Smirking Scomo might go down as the worst leader in Australian history, but his merry band of corrupt ministers were no better. I'm delighted they're gone. Pleased that Hanson and the UAP clown shoes won 2/5 of f*ck all too.
Your plane crashes Yellowjackets style, who in the band gets eaten by the others?
That's easy. Me. I'm the fat bastard of the band. The others will live off me for quite a while. Fortunately, Ma Tu is a brilliant cook, so I won't taste all bitter either. I'm well marbled so the guys will be chowing down in style.
You seem to play a lot and seldom with the same bands, who has completely blown you away?
There's shedloads of great bands out there that people don't know about so I could name a few, but I'm gonna name drop the most recent, Tantichrist who we played with for the first time last Sunday. Just blew me away. They were so good it made me consider giving up music and moving to a monastery somewhere to have a long hard think about my life choices.
Through some of your previous singles and on to this album Dawn of The Braindead, a reoccurring theme of disdain for some "types" of people can be observed. Are you just angry, or is the anger justified?
Both. Everyone who knows me knows I'm a bitter jaded prick, but there's a lot to be that way about. I'm not much of a storyteller so my lyrics tend to be about personal things, things that bother me. Shit bosses, shit politicians, racists, flat earth f*ckwits, random dickheads on the internet etc.. I'm not running out of ammo any time soon.
If The Owen Guns were a floatation device, what colour and type would they be?
A defective one in a gaudy colour
Was the lockdown period productive for you?
It was a huge pain. Because we are spread all across the state there was a 4 month period where we couldn't even be all in the same area at once, let alone the same room. We tried to keep in touch via regular zoom chats, and the odd riff was thrown around digitally, but it really cramped our style. 1/10 do not recommend it.
What prompted the re-working of a skinhead anthem and was it cathartic to vent spleen over such stupid bigots?
I spend way too much time on social media in "punk" music groups. At least once every few months someone will post the original, get called out for posting a song with racist lyrics and reply with "I know the lyrics are horrible but the music's great" and there will be a huge argument over it, then some edge lords will join in posting white power rubbish and racist screwdriver songs. Happens every time. Now I have something I can reply with. I did take a fair bit of pleasure in recording it. I think you can hear that in my delivery. When I say "F*ck Nazi scum" I mean it.
I notice you're passionate about a particular food shelter in Darwin, how did that come about?
Sunset Soup Kitchen in Darwin. It's a great cause and every cent we get from Bandcamp for the "Pulling on the Boots" single release will go to them. My friend Leah started it a few years back so I've been able to watch it grow via social media. It's been really neat to watch it grow and help so many people, and I'm looking forward to being able to give them some extra cash to feed people. The poverty experienced by indigenous people in this country is a national disgrace.
Are you happy or annoyed by comparisons to other punk bands?
Honestly, I don't give a shit, it means people are talking about us though which is better than them not. We aren't trying to reinvent the wheel so people will definitely hear our influences. You can really hear the Avril Lavigne coming through in the new album.
In a world where Punk is non-existent, what other genre would The Owen Guns be?
Tuvan throat singers
The Owen Guns are drunk at a party: Who's been taken to hospital? Who's been taken to the Police Station? Who's asleep in the toilet? Who's notifying the other's next of kin?
Ma Tu probably drunk himself into a coma and got carted off to hospital, I've most likely said something that's started a fight because I have a big mouth, which lead to me being arrested, Martin's having a nanna nap in the loo, and Mark being the most sensible of all of us would be the one notifying next of kin.
The Owen Guns single Pulling on the Boots out 23 June. All proceeds from Bandcamp sales will go to Sunset Soup Kitchen. Buy now!