Putting Your Faith In Rock N Roll With SCOTT OWEN From THE LIVING END

When The Living End burst onto the Australian musical landscape
with their self-titled debut album in 1994, the blurred lines
between rock, punk and metal were suddenly more accessible,
introducing a wide network of music lovers to genres they might
otherwise have avoided.
Their rebellious spirit, emphasised through songs like Prisoner Of
Society and Second Solution, suddenly made punk cool, with
adolescents everywhere jumping on board The Living End freight
train. It was the turning point for Australian music, seamlessly
blending rockabilly and punk with metal stylings to create a
musical force rarely seen on these shores.
Fast-forward 25 years and The Living End are still pumping out the
same infectious brand of punk n roll, albeit with a maturer edge
and slightly different viewpoint on the world around them.
The Living End are set to release their ninth studio album, I Only
Trust Rock N Roll, this Friday, September 26, with
frontman/guitarist Chris Cheney proclaiming, "This one had to sound
like a slick machine. Trim the fat." And that is exactly what The
Living End have done with this new album. It is truly an album of
all killer, no filler across its 11 tracks, each one with a
lifeblood of its own that shows just how far, but also so little
The Living End have come in the last quarter of a century.
HEAVY sat down recently with bass player Scott Owen to dig
deeper.
"Yeah, it's been a slow process," he sighed, alluding to the fact
that this is the band's first album in eight years, "but it's given
us the chance to give it everything we possibly can. Every idea we
have, every thought we have, has gone into it. We didn't want to
rush it. We wanted to make sure we got it right, and I think we
did. I think it's ready to be born and to get out there."
We ask if he is feeling confident going into the release
date.
"Yes, I do," he affirmed. "I speak for the three of us. Yes, there
is confidence, and it's because we definitely feel like we should
be feeling, put it that way. We really did concentrate on keeping
it simple and keeping the message simple; keeping the music simple,
staying in our own lane and knowing what we do good and not trying
to reach beyond that. Just doing our thing. Doing the thing that we
really like. We've worked on all these songs with the thought that
we're going to go out and play them on stage, so we need to make
sure that they're just lean, and they're built for a three-piece
band on stage. Not too many overdubs and not too many… Not too many
studio things, you know, just good rock music. So yeah, to answer
your question, very, very confident and very, very proud."
In the full interview, Scott shared insights into the album's
creative process, emphasising a cohesive vision that prioritises a
simple, energetic rock sound suitable for live performances, while
aiming to capture a raw, live feel through minimal overdubs. They
also talked about upcoming Q&A sessions in Melbourne, Brisbane,
and Sydney, inspired by a successful art installation related to
their single Strange Place, designed to create an immersive
experience for fans.
Additionally, Scott highlighted the unique tour format featuring
two different sets each night, showcasing both new tracks and songs
from their first album, and mentioned their performance at the
Wanderer Festival in New South Wales on October 4 and 5. We talked
more about keeping it simple with fans and maintaining a connection
with your fan base and music to appease the cross-section of
listeners over the years and more.


Become a supporter of this podcast:
https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.