Being a band from Newcastle has meant massive expectations ever since the Screaming Jets exploded onto the scene in 1989. What was already an uphill battle establishing yourselves from outside the capital cities overnight became even more daunting with little brother always fighting to escape the shadow of one of Australia’s finest ever musical exports.
While admittedly difficult, it is not impossible. A fact proven by the emergence of progressive rock outfit KODEM.
After two years spent honing their craft on the touring circuit, KODEM have unleashed their debut single Tattooed Sin, celebrating their signing to rising Australian music label XMusic with an atmospheric and intense track that highlights the struggle between vulnerability and shame. Tattooed Sin is also the lead single taken from KODEM‘s upcoming debut EP of the same name, and showcases the raw emotion from which KODEM have launched their assault.
HEAVY caught up with vocalist Luke Jones and guitarist Matt Semmens to find out more.
“We’re super pumped,” Matt enthused when we bring up the release of the first single. “Super pumped. This was our first track that I sent to Luke in his truck many years ago, just reaching out to him and saying, hey, would you like to write some tunes? This is the very first one that we worked on, so we’re pretty pumped to get it out there finally.”
In the full interview, Matt and Luke spoke more about Tattooed Sin, which delves into themes of acceptance and life’s challenges, highlighting the synergy between the lyrics and the abstract visuals of the accompanying music video. They also shared insights from their live performance experiences and their excitement for future projects, including another single and an EP, showcasing their dedication to their musical journey and more.
Pre-order/save the EP Tattooed Sin HERE
