Our featured band this month is Aussie post punk/indie rock/alt band The Empty Threats.
Launched in 2017, The Empty Threats is the project of Stu Patterson, Matt Schultz, Venus, Lenny Regione and Michael Bond. Since the release of their debut single in 2018, the group have drummed up a reputation for their politically-charged anthems adjacent to the post-punk of shame and Tropical F*ck Storm, melded with ‘80s Australiana.
With a perfect blend of influences from across many genres and a captivating and unique live performance, the band is a cornerstone live act amongst the Adelaide music community. The band takes influences from Shame, Dry Cleaning & Tropical Fuck Storm.
They released their debut EP Ablutions in 2019. Featuring the tracks “Magnolia” and “Loss of Breath” “Stubbornness” and “Wasted Time“, Ablutions is a masterpiece about cleaning oneself from negative/upsetting memories in the hope to move into a positive more fulfilling future.
“The song (Loss of Breath) is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster—we find that every time we play it we have a different feeling around it. It’s a pretty old song, it was the first single that we released from the EP and it was the first single we released when our bassist Lenny joined. The song mostly represents an emotional outlet that can’t be found in day to day life, it can only be reached by taking yourself out of a routine.”
The Empty Threats
2021 saw the release of their self-titled EP via indie-label PAK Music. Mastered by Joe Carra at Crystal Mastering (King Gizz, The Murlocs, Amyl and the Sniffers, Pond, The Drones), the EP was written and self-recorded in 2020 while in and out of lockdowns in South Australia. Most of the songs are reflections on the conditions and suppression of art in Australia during the pandemic, touching on interpersonal dilemmas and struggling personal relationships that the band faced over the year.
“K is an expression of the desire to feel more alive in day to day life, during a year that has been so suppressed. The chorus lyrics ‘burn it all to the ground, just to feel the adrenaline reflect on that desire. The bare bones of the song were brought to the band by Stu and was workshopped by Matt, Michael, Katie and Lenny, expanding on the existing basic concepts.”
Debut Album ‘Monster Truck Mondays’
The band’s highly anticipated debut, produced and recorded by Matt Schultz & Stu Patterson, sees the band lean further into social advocacy, exploring themes of anxiety, existential dread, capitalism, LGBTQIA+ rights and colonialism over snarling bass, frenzied guitar work, restless percussion and electric clarinet.
Blending modern post-punk with ‘80s Australiana, and renowned for their energetic live performances, The Empty Threats have shared stages with Methel Ethyl, Mildlife, Teen Jesus & the Jean Teasers, Jimmy Barnes and ICEHOUSE, plus scored slots at festivals including Mountain Goat Valley Crawl and WOMADelaide.
The Empty Threats are:
- Stuart Patterson – Vox/Clarinet
- Matt Schultz – Guitar/Synth
- Venus – Guitar/Vox
- Lenny Regione – Bass
- Michael Bond – Drums
‘Monster Truck Mondays‘ is out now via P.A.K. Records. Grab your copy here.
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Photo credit: Emerald Emerald
