By Sam Sweeney
It’s not every day you get the opportunity to interview one of your favourite bands. And with their Australian tour just a couple of weeks away, I spoke with Joel Quartuccio from Being As An Ocean about their upcoming run around the country and lies in the future for the band. This will be their third time in Australia, their first time was back in 2013 supporting British metalcore kings Architects, and their second in 2014 supporting In Hearts Wake. I attended the latter and have fond memories of the performance, which included watching front-man Quartuccio scale the side of the stage and perch himself on a ledge above the crowd mid-set.
“When I’m on stage and looking around, if I see something that looks stable enough for me to think that I won’t kill myself, I’ll climb on it.” He commented, laughing at the memory. “It was a blast and we love coming here,” he added about that particular tour.
In discussing venues for the tour, which predominantly have a capacity of 500-1000, Quartuccio admitted that his favourite kind of gig atmosphere is that of the “200 – 500 [people] capped rooms,” based on the concentration of energy within the venue. “You can go into a show yawning, but by the end you’ll have a second hit of energy. That’s the beauty of it.”
Shifting the focus slightly, we discussed the addition of clean vocalist Michael McGough to the band at the beginning of 2014. It was abundantly clear that there is a profound level of mutual respect between McGough, Quartuccio, and the rest of Being As An Ocean.
“We knew of the other bands Michael had been in and we looked up to and [Incorporating clean vocals] was a direction we wanted to go in anyway, to try new things, so when he came to us saying he still wanted to do music, we knew that he would be an awesome addition. We’re ecstatic to have him.”
It’s evident that McGough’s addition to the band has had an extremely positive impact, and Being As An Ocean are continuously experimenting with new sounds and new ideas. Quartuccio commented on the ongoing writing process and how through a process of “trial and error,” they’ve established an efficient and mutually inclusive method of creating new music together.
“It works pretty well for us to be apart while we’re writing, to write something that appeals to us individually, then to bring it back to the whole group and see what everyone has to say.” For a band of only five years, they seem to know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to writing and creating music, something Quartuccio admitted they’re always in the process of doing.
Looking ahead, Being As An Ocean will play a string of European shows and feature on a handful of festivals after their Australian run. Returning to our previous discussion about the energy of smaller venues, Quartuccio commented on the vastly different festival atmosphere.
“[Festivals] are an incredible thing, but I feel like I have to really try and centre myself. If I focus too much on the whole experience and what’s happening, I tend to get lost in my own head.”
Irrespective of this, there’s excitement about the future for Being As An Ocean in his voice. With their Australian tour kicking off in Brisbane in just under two weeks, followed by a European tour and the ongoing recording of new music, there is definitely a lot for Quartuccio and Co. to look forward to.
Being as an Ocean + Saviour + Void of Vision: Tour Dates 2016
26 May – The Brightside, Brisbane (18+)
27 May – The Lab, Brisbane (AA)
28 May – Factory Theatre, Sydney (Lic/AA)
29 May – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle (Lic/AA)
30 May – The Basement, Canberra (18+)
01 June – Fowlers Live, Adelaide (Lic/AA)
02 June – Max Watts, Melbourne (18+)
03 June – Arrow on Swanston, Melbourne (AA)
04 June – Amplifier Bar, Perth (18+)
05 June – YMCA HQ, Perth (AA)
Tickets available from: tickets.destroyalllines.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD5IG-X42lQ
