Interview with Fake News

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

• I’ve always loved music. I don’t know if I could say there is 1 particular moment that got me into music. When I was a kid in the 80’s it was listening to my dads Midnight Oil or Dire Straits records cranked right up. Then in my teen years in the 90’s I got into metal, Pantera, Metallica, Sepultura & the like. Then around 1994/95 I discovered Pennywise, NOFX, Bad Religion, Ten Foot Pole, Strung Out & that was me there was no turning back. 90’s punk was my thing & has been ever since. All I have ever really wanted to do was play in a punk band. There has been too many to list over the years that have come & gone but Fake News is certainly the pinnacle of what I always wanted to create. I can’t even imagine what I would be doing today without music in my life not that it is my full time job or anything but certainly my full time hobby. I probably actually spend more time doing band stuff than I do my actual job! Don’t tell my boss that though OK.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

• A whole range of different things really. Obviously family is a big one. I have 2 kids & I like to be involved in things that they do. Otherwise I love to hit the beach or the surf & living on the Gold Coast why wouldn’t you. Even just exploring new places to visit, road trips, camping & sports. You really draw inspiration from your own experiences so everything you do & see is a part of the creative process.

How long has your band been around?

• Fake News started late 2017. We have been through a few lineup changes in that time, well drummers & singers anyway. Darren, Mick & myself have been in the band since day 1 & in 2020 we recruited Tim on vocals & Nat on Drums & we now have the right combination we have been looking for all along.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

• 3 of us live on the Gold Coast & the other 2 on the Sunshine Coast which is quite spread out so we call ourselves a southeast Queensland band now. Living on the coast there is definitely a strong surf/skate scene & that certainly does shine through in our music.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

• At that very first band practice back in 2017 we had the discussion of what are we going to call the band. Many names got thrown around & someone said Fake News. We had a laugh about it but it seemed to stick & that’s what it became. Fake News was becoming a bit of a buzzword around that time & we liked it because most people don’t even realize that a lot of news that they hear is quite fake & sometimes just utter bullshit. So in typical Fake News style we stuck with the name as a bit of a joke.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

•  We all simply can’t go past the last 2 sold out shows we just played with Everclear last weekend. Both nights playing to 500+ people was simply amazing. The best part was that no one was there to see us & not many people really knew who we were before we played but after it we were all getting huge raps from random fans saying how much they loved it. Its hard to beat that feeling & that is really why we do this.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

•  Solbar up the Sunshine Coast is a great venue. Perfect size, 350 capacity, well run, great sound, great location & always a good crowd. Its hard to beat that place as far as venues go. If we are talking about venues we would love to play the new Valley music hall is an amazing venue. Holds about 3500 people so were not quite there yet but one day real soon.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

• This would be a hell of a list. Lets start with Pulley, Pennywise, Bad Religion, Lagwagon, Strung Out. I would die a happy man after playing a show like that. Geez even just getting to see a show like that would be great. We don’t get too many stellar line ups like that anymore down here in Australia.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

•  Follow your heart, play with passion & don’t compromise on what you are aiming to achieve but most importantly nothing will happen without lots of hard work & time invested into it.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

• Practice more when you’re young & really refine your skills & playing ability.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

• So hard to single one out but I am going to go with Broken Bones. It has the prefect mix of great riffs & lyrics in it & gets everyone going. Its about how you just keep on going & pushing to achieve what you want despite the challenges you may face along the way.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

• My personal favourite would have to be Brainwashed. I just love that song. Its fun to play with great lyrics & fills. As far as most requested go it would probably have to be Checking In & Broken Bones

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

• Most of the time it starts with a riff & we build from there to something that resembles a song. We’ll try & get a rough version recorded so we can send it to everyone in the band to be able to add their own flair to it & put lyrics to it. Having a guitar in your hands is the best inspiration to write music. Once you start playing you just let it flow & the magic happens.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

•  I would like to think we are a positive kind of band. Our music should pump you up & make you feel better in some way, shape or form. Mostly coming from life experiences whether they be about good times or hard times there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel & life has a strange way of turning hard times into something good on the other side.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

• Of course we do. When there is 5 people, & not just people but musicians, in a band trying to make 1 piece of music all together there are going to be differences of opinion. Its not always just about music either. We encourage everyone to speak their mind & have their say in this band because its not a dictatorship. We are all really great friends even more like a family you could say & you can’t necessarily make everyone happy all the time & there is always some compromises made but at the end of the day we are all working towards a common goal to further the band & make the best music we can & ultimately that is what wins out in the end

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

•  We have our next single & video clip to the new song “Rise & Fall” coming out mid February & then the rest of the EP “Take Me Away” comes out mid March. Keep an eye out for that there are some great tracks on there. We are already planning for our next release after that & are aiming to get into the studio to lay it all down real soon with the plan to release it later this year. Other than that Fake News will keep doing what we do. It’s a formula that seems to be working & we enjoy ourselves along the way. Can’t ask for much more than that.