Shrimpwitch | FReeZA Artist of the Month | Youth Central

Melbourne duo Shrimpwitch
Melbourne duo Shrimpwitch.

Melbourne duo Shrimpwitch have been on the scene for a couple of years now with their unique and exuberant brand of punk rock. We got to ask them a few questions ahead of the release of their debut EP ‘Eggs, Eggs, Eggs’

You’ve been pretty busy this year already with some really cool shows. What have your highlights been for the first half of 2017?

KIM: Wetfest III was a really big pleasure. It was an extra special show for us as it marked the two-year anniversary of the band. Way back in 2015, our mates Wet Lips organised a show in their backyard and asked us to play. At that stage we had only been playing together for about a month, so we frantically scraped together a set and just went to town. Other great shows for us this year have been PBS Drive Live and the Hysterical Records label launch.

We hear you’ve got an EP coming out soon! Mind telling us some more about that?

GEORGI: We were playing so many shows and it was such a thrill having a new gig every week. We eventually recorded last year and decided on those four songs that hone in on our ferocity and funniness the most. We wanted it to be as garish and fabulous and unique as it could be, as it just makes perfect sense for us, so we insist of having a bright orange seven inch record with a picture of us on the front. We’re also the lucky ducks that gets to be the first release off brand new, inclusive, local punk label Hysterical Records!

Who’s been some of your favourite acts to share the stage with so far?

G: Where do we start? It’s an unfair question because we’re saturated with living legends right now in this Melbourne climate! Hi-Tec Emotions, Cable Ties, Wet Lips, The Pink Tiles, Lazertits, Chelsea Bleach, Skotdrakula, Bog Log III, Miss Miss and Suckdog.

Some of your favourite bands or influences in general?

K: We love the B-52s, The Trashwomen, 5.6.7.8s, the Dead Kennedys. Another major inspiration is everyone’s favourite trash filmmaker, John Waters. Trash, trash, trash, we love trash.
G: Patsy Cline, Snow White from the original Disney movie, Glenn Danzig and Jello Biafra help me explore my vocal potential. And of course, we love The Cramps!

When you’re not playing music, what other things are you doing?

K: Hanging out, drinking wine and eating gluten free pizza. In another life, I edit a music publication called Swampland.
G: And chips and grilled fish! Looking at/talking about dogs.

What do you set out to achieve with your live performances and how do you feel when you’re performing on stage with a live audience?

G: Like I’m harnessing that proudness and assertiveness when I am feeling silly with friend, holding court with good banter and philosophical epiphanies, but this time I’m on stage with one of my best friends together as we explain ourselves through sound, music, humour and glamour and we can at last feel ourselves wholly. And we’re all at the same place minding our own business, and sharing the same emotional load of existentialism, and laughing because our real problem is that we care too much.

How do you come up with your material? Care to take us through a typical song writing process?

G: Nothing is so freeing as writing my frantic-anxiety into politically driven and delivered music. Everything we write comes from something rotten, let it be a feeling or a situation, and we like to turn it into something palatable to a degree, enough to tug at those ‘lil heartstrings and feel related to, but not enough to leave the party without having some cake, something sweet. Usually I’ll write jazzy numbers and Kim morphs it into rock & roll, likewise Kim writes melancholy ballads and I like to think I make it weird.

What kinds of things do you like writing songs about? What comes easiest to you?

G: I don’t like writing about something I know as a trope without spinning something weirdly specific about it, but not too specific that it can be related to. I really like hidden meanings you know, over-analysing is good, I loved literature at school!

Where can people find out more about your upcoming gigs and tunes?

P: Keep watching the seas!
G: Our EP was streamed on the Rolling Stones Australia website so that’s the first place to hear it! Check out our Facebook page, our Instagram for gig related content and our Bandcamp to find our music and merch.

https://www.facebook.com/shrimpwitch/
Instagram: @shrimpwitch
https://shrimpwitch.bandcamp.com/