Laced with the nostalgia of classic rock, equipped with the sounds of the past, and of course, donning the all-important attitudes of persistence and confidence, Wicked Things are redefining the past by quite simply launching it into the future. Through a growing discography, and an even more extensive feat of electric gigs, Wicked Things are quickly asserting themselves into the Australian rock scene. With a familiarity that is so enticing, but a refreshingness that is more than welcomed, it’s hard not to love this band of brothers. Their latest single, ‘The Rocker’, turns a tale of an unconventional life into an anthemic showstopper! With all-encompassing riffs, but an even more powerful sense of attitude and self, ‘The Rocker’ is not merely a product of the band, but tells the story of their genuine nature.
We had a chat with Wicked Things about all things ‘The Rocker’, and what it took to get here!
Your most recent track- ‘The Rocker’- is an anthemic and attitude-amplified earworm! Where did this personal passion come from?
We grew up listening to real rock and roll, people tracked live and raw! Bands like KISS, AC/DC, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and Jimi Hendrix all drove our passion for this style of music. The inspiration I guess came from our distaste for the 9-5 lifestyle, granted we still do it where we have to (ughh) but the dream of course is to live off our music and shows.
To coincide, you released a music video that undoubtedly brought a smile to many! It’s fun, kooky- so how did this come to life, who gave birth to the idea? More importantly, describe the process of filming!
We always wanted to run an infomercial style video just as a shorter clip but when previous plans for the video fell through due to covid issues we ran with the infomercial and expanded on it for ‘The Rocker’ video. The production manager Sean Burns of Treason Flowers brought it all to life. It was done as a bit of a pisstake on other bands and the lack of effort some put into their live shows. The shoot was 6 hours long and we each contributed little gags we thought would be funny, a real team building experience!
‘The Rocker’ had even more stunning visuals outside of the video! Who created these enticing images?
We'd like to give a big shout-out to our good friends Shay Lloyd of Candu Creations and Dani Bains of Dani Bains Creative for the amazing work with our artworks and designs!
For anyone who has seen you live, it is undeniable that you have an exceptional stage presence and a professionalism that radiates through the stage! Was this stage presence something that came naturally to you, or has it been something you’ve learned and grown into each show?
Kinda both really, it has definitely increased from where it used to be but we've always had an energetic chemistry. We're all brothers and pretty close-knit and without sounding like too much of a wanker (hopefully), I think the 4 of us have an ability to really make an entrance and turn heads. 4 of basically the same guy coming into a room is always a little interesting haha! I think playing in Europe developed our confidence a whole lot too plus just made us far more comfortable on stage!
Speaking of the live stage, ‘The Rocker’ is set to dominate! Time’s are strange- but are there any plans to take this on the road and if so, what can we expect from the live performance?
Times have definitely been weird and planning is hard, we've already lost a string of shows that were meant to be an East Coast tour. It's hard to say but we want to get on the road as soon as it's possible. For the live performance? Probably some really ridiculously tight pants, a load of leather (it's basically our uniform), some wild on-stage antics… and possibly some music sprinkled in there too.
Within your tracks, your style and performance, there is a nostalgia that drips through the refreshing nature of your sound- who are some of your biggest influences and in what ways have they shaped your journey to now?
Although we grew up listening to a bunch of classic rock acts, our sound now is predominantly shaped by acts like Van Halen, Guns n Roses, Mr Big and Skid Row. We didn't intentionally even set out to write that style of music, we just got told these groups were who we sounded like so we started listening to them all more. We liked it all so we took it and ran with it.
On that same wavelength, how do you hold on to, maintain and continue to make this nostalgia-infused sound relevant in a music world that is constantly changing to suit more modern styles?
We have a very competitive attitude and don't want to just adapt to whatever it is in the mainstream. We write what we write because we like it and we've converted many a non-Rocker in our time! So many people love this music and don't even realise it til they're hearing us live in person.
Some of us were lucky enough to see you take over Sydney at the Crowbar Fundraiser where you performed some insane covers alongside other talented Aussie bands! We love the support of Aussie talent and would love to know who some of your favourite Aussie acts are!
It will be easier to just list them off as there's quite a few local acts we really love too. So some favourites would be The Crookeds, RedHook, The Fossicks, Fox Company, The Black Cardinals, FANGZ, Atomic Riot, The Dead Riders, Legs Electric, Capitol Affair, and Maverick Firebird.
What can we expect to see next?
A shit load of new music, complete with new artwork and merch, as well as a bunch of never before heard songs which will be showcased when we're able to play live shows again!
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