DROWNING HORSE has been rarely seen on a stage since releasing their second full-length album Sheltering Sky in 2015. But their live shows have become the stuff of legend. Every beat is permeated with weight. Every moment is brimming with either anticipation or catharsis. Now they’re back with their first full-length in seven years, Meghalayan.
In an ALT//FEST exclusive, samples of Meghalayan will be played amongst their whole catalogue as the band makes their live return at Badlands Bar on November 12. We chatted to vocalist Kim McConchie and guitarist Brendan James ahead of this performance.
It has been debated whether Drowning Horse were on hiatus or had disbanded for good, prior to the release of your latest. What led to making your return?
KIM: It had definitely been a while between releases. With James (Wills; drummer) living in Melbourne and us all having lives outside the band, it's been a real question for us too. For me, I've had to accept this whole Drowning Horse project isn't the round peg that goes into the round hole that I used to expect.
BRENDAN: Agree with Kim. With the band split between Perth and Melbourne, it is obviously difficult for us to be in the same room at the same time. When it does happen though it feels a bit special, and we make the most of it. We felt that the release of Meghalayan was a good reason to play again for the first time in five (or more) years.
How is Meghalayan the next step for Drowning Horse?
KIM: Interesting. I'm not sure it is. It feels more like the last step, and we need to think about which direction the next step will take us. My only expectation now is that whatever is next, how can it be interesting and exciting to us?
BRENDAN: I don’t think it was necessarily a conscious ‘next step’. More a case of wanting to remain a band in some form and also wanting to continue to release stuff. I’m not sure what is next for us – maybe a few more shows.
With so much changing in the world since Sheltering Sky was released in 2015, how does Meghalayan fit in today's climate?
KIM: After scrapping a bunch of lyrics, both songs on Meghalayan speak directly to the 2019 Australian bushfires. I had just quit a job and gone overseas for a couple of months. So while I was burning my own life down, I watched the nightly news as Australia did the same. Of course, then came COVID. So the songs are two sides of the same coin. Destruction and aftermath. It feels like the aftermath of what started in 2019 is still with us. Even though those of us in pleasant economic circumstances all got a taste of the knife's edge, it doesn't seem to have changed us too much for the better.
Can you describe how the writing of Meghalayan came together?
KIM: Ahhh, slowly and piece-by-piece.
BRENDAN: Bishop’s Ring is actually quite an old song that we wrote prior to Sheltering Sky, and has been refined over the years. We’ve played it live quite a few times but, being a faster song, it didn’t fit naturally on Sheltering Sky, so we kept it in reserve. In contrast, Dhvamsana is brand new and came together relatively quickly over a couple of days when James was visiting Perth. The recording process was slow, and broken down into manageable pieces – interrupted in part by our various commitments to study, careers and being parents.
You've mentioned that the band is going to delve into its back catalogue as well for ALT // FEST. How does it feel to approach the older material live again, after some breathing space?
KIM: Actually, it feels great to revisit them. They bring back a lot of memories. I know memory and nostalgia are unreliable motivators at the best of times. They trick us to forget how much of a grind the past was, so we don’t see the future as the misery parade it is. When we play, I always get a big grin watching Robbo chilling on his bass or James smacking the fuck out of his kit. It's like a magic trick to me watching them play. Even the emotionally difficult songs, like Sorrow, are weirdly fun for me now, even though it's 10 years old and pretty grim. And Dave (Coen; Whitehorse) will be adding to the old tracks too now as the sixth member. I’m excited to see how they shake out on the night.
BRENDAN: Looking forward to playing one or two older ones. The songs from the first record are much more stripped back than anything we have done since. It has actually been quite funny being reminded of how simple they are. Having said that, they are more fun to play in some ways. James is obviously the human metronome that holds the band together for some of the older ones.
What would be your ideal contemporary Australian gig (in an ideal world) and why?
KIM: Whitehorse, Portal and Mindsnare. They are all still absolutely ruthless bands.
BRENDAN: Dead Boomers at the AFL Grand Final.
KIM: Frrrk good call. I won’t change mine but I’ll put Angry Anderson on my gig. Let’s run back the ’91 AFL Grand Final.
Grab a copy of Meghalayan now via Televised Suicide. ALT // FEST is on Saturday, November 12 at Badlands Bar. Tickets available now here.