Satin Cali may not be on your radar yet, but they're sure to be your favourite band in no time! On only their third single, the Wollongong rockers are powering through the scene with grit, passion, and a remarkable essence of professionalism radiating out of each of their tracks. Their latest single, ‘Will I Die’, showcases a new angle for the band, and sees Satin Cali foster elements of gritty energy and alt-punk ideology that has, in turn, created a powerful and anthemic track. With time and more music like ‘Will I Die’, Satin Cali is set to emerge in the catalogue of Australia’s finest up-and-coming acts, so why not get to know the band a little better!
What inspired you to take a new direction so early in your discography?
We have always loved bands that show a huge variety within their music and don’t just stick to that one sound. ‘Will I Die’, was in no way a purposeful direction change but more so something that came organically that we all liked collectively. Our main intention/goal is to produce music that sounds like ‘Satin Cali’ at its core, regardless of genre.
What is the biggest thing you have learnt in your musical journey thus far? Did you meet any unexpected roadblocks?
Starting our musical journey during the peak of COVID, we definitely hit immediate roadblocks. We spent the first two months of this band meeting up in parks 2 at a time (sometimes illegally lol) just to keep it moving along. We weren’t able to play any shows and recording music was just not possible. So being resilient and driven was easily the biggest learning curve so far. Hard work and self-belief.
When listening to your latest single, you channel energy similar to the likes of the incredible Gang Of Youths and Violent Soho! Who are your most influential local acts and why?
Being a band from Wollongong, we are spoiled in who our local influences are. With bands like Hockey Dad, The Vanns, Pacific Avenue, and tumbleweed, it really is such a radical place for music in Australia. And although we adore all the bands from the ‘Gong’ we also draw inspiration from a variety of artists. Violent Soho and Gang of Youths being a few of them.
You have been recognised by a multitude of radio stations already! What does it feel like to get this type of affirmation so early on? Has this recognition helped you in the construction of your sound?
It’s been honestly surreal and mind-blowing the love we got on the first two singles and we could not express how thankful we are for those experiences. It definitely helped motivate us to continue to invest in ourselves to make the best music we possibly can and continue to try to improve every day as a band. But we also needed to remain level-headed to not let expectation get the better of us.
Where to next for the band? Can we expect a larger body of work or another change in compositional direction in the future?
What’s next for Satin Cali? We currently have two more tracks recorded and ready to roll out over the next 2-3 months and want to continue building our catalog at a more rapid pace now. Whilst playing as many live shows as far across the country as we can possibly go!
What is your favourite thing about live shows? And what sets you apart in the live music scene?
Satin Cali collectively agrees that live shows are the most important thing about this whole process. We put a lot of energy into our shows and really try to incorporate the audience as much as possible, by either pulling them on stage or even jumping down and getting amongst the action ourselves. We love watching a band that you can tell loves being there as much or more than the crowd. So that’s what we try to accomplish each time. Energy and passion.
Speaking of live shows, you showed a very innovative side to yourself by conducting concerts out of the back of a truck- mind explaining that experience a little bit!?
As mentioned in previous answers, we started our musical journey during the peak of COVID, and from day one of lockdown, we’re trying to figure out ways to get our music out there and to people as safely as we could. After many discussions, a member of the band suggested we just rent a truck and drive to anyone’s house who would have us, and after a few weeks planning we took the risk and hit the road. We kitted the truck with lights and smoke machines and tried our best to give the people the closest experience to a live show as possible. It was unreal and something we will do again for sure.
What is your purpose as a band / what do you hope for listeners to get out of your music?
Like any band that takes serious pride in their work, we honestly hope that people find whatever they need to find within our music. We hope we can be what so many bands have been to us our entire lives and find comfort in our songs, how ever that be. We hope to continue to be as innovative as possible to really bring as many awesome people into this and hope we can be that friend you’ve never met but feel you know so well. We love this and would love to be able to make a difference in any capacity.
'Will I Die' is out now!