Photo by Adam Thomas
Over the last year, you may have noticed that HYG have been buzzing around the local music scene in Canberra, whether it be jamming at house shows or regularly gracing stages of popular gig venues. Their blend of psychedelic and garage rock so commonly displayed in their live shows is evident throughout their newly released and self-titled debut EP. Presented as four frenetic and shimmering tracks, the EP sports washed-out tones and dreamy sounds in abundance.
The band’s members Jaime, Oskar and Sean, alongside Mark on guitar and vocals, have regularly been accompanied by at least four different bassists and drummers over the last year, with the effort of all of them culminating in the band’s distinct sound being brought to a forefront. In the lead up to HYG’s tour promoting the EP, Mark has shared some of his thoughts on the moments that influenced his song writing.
“We’ve been playing shows for about a year now, and through that time we’ve only had one other permanent member – Sean on the drums. Jaime and Oskar on bass have both played a massive role in getting us to where we are now, and their style has really shone through in the music we play today, but I have to also give massive thanks to Gus, Brendan, and Leighton on bass, and Miles, Jack and Hugh for hopping on drums when Sean couldn’t be there, and helping shape the journey for the better.
The inspiration for each song has been taken from an array of experiences from the singer’s own life. As ‘Uriarra’ oozes into your ears as the first taste of the EP, it sings of a night when, as Mark explains, he went on a trip to Uriarra Crossing. “I took a guitar with me, because I wanted to get out of the home and had nothing to do and nowhere to be, and just started playing something I hadn’t played before.”
Similarly, the instrumental track ‘Seaside’ is dedicated to the waves crashing into Melbourne’s shoreline and is reminiscent of “just sitting and listening to everything that was happening”, while visiting his cousins on an out-of-town stay.
“We’ve been working on this EP for the better part of a year now, jamming on the songs since about September last year and going into the studio in February. Before the band started I was going through a really rough patch, and most of the lyrics I had were talking about that, but then I made it through and had a new outlook on everything. I guess the lyrics we’ve got at the moment are sort of placeholder lyrics, I wrote one of the songs the day we went into the studio to do vocals, but they sum up everything I wanted to say at that point in my life.”
If you would like to have a listen to the brand new HYG EP, you can find it in the links below. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.
You can also catch HYG on their EP release tour, playing with their new line-up in Sydney on the 12th of July and Newcastle on the 25th of July.
If you happened to miss the band’s Canberra leg of the tour on the 7th July at Phoenix, don’t stress! You’ll be able to catch them at the Wintervention festival on July 13th as presented by CBR DIY and Access All Ages.
More information about the EP and the tour are available at HYG Facebook page
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