In just a few years, Byron Bay fi ve-piece Parkway Drive have cemented their place as Australian Hardcore’s most productive, successful and hard working band. On a seemingly unstoppable roll, vocalist Winston McCall took some time out to chat about the band’s achievements and their summer ‘Sweat Fest’ tour with Nathaniel Try.
It would have been hard for anyone to guess you would become as big as you have in such a short time. Apart from the increase in crowd sizes and album sales, you can actually afford to eat and pay for accommodation now. What memories do you have of the last few years?
It’s pretty much a giant blur of tours, shows and sleeping on floors. We’ve put so much effort into travelling and playing, we realise it has basically been ‘fun work’. It’s nice to be able eat and sleep in a bed now. There was a time when we were on tour in the USA and you could get five cobs of corn for a dollar, so that’s all I ate for four days straight.
Four years ago, you guys were practicing three times a week. Obviously that dedication helped you to become better songwriters and live performers. Was there a point that a decision was made to pursue the band as a career rather than a hobby?
There wasn’t really a point we decided it would be a career. It eventually got to the stage where we had booked so many shows, we realised we couldn’t hold down jobs. When we first went overseas we lost all of our jobs, luckily it went alright over there and hasn’t really stopped since.
There’s clearly a difference between playing an arena to 5,000 screaming fans and jamming out for 50 of your mates in a shed. Has the fun worn off or do you still get the same excitement about every show?
It’s still amazing. I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t enjoy it, that’s why it’s so hard to classify it as work. I enjoy it now as much as when we first started. It’s great now because by the end of a few months off, we’re itching to get back on stage and play. It feels like we’re starting all over again.
Until you guys came along, Byron Bay wasn’t typically renowned as having a large scene. What bands influenced you to start Parkway Drive?
There were previous bands from Byron Bay, such as Shoot To Kill which Ben (Parkway Drive’s drummer) already drummed in. A few of us were in one before called Blueprint For A Nightmare and there was Think Straight who started the whole scene. Basically we wanted to keep going after our old band broke up and we wanted to do something new. At the time there wasn’t anyone doing metal orientated hardcore. We started hearing about these bands that sounded so heavy you couldn’t categorise it as hardcore, but at the same time they had the same roots as the bands we grew up on. We wanted to play music that kids could dance to the whole time, rather than waiting for one heavy part in each song to let loose.
You guys spend about 75% of the year on tour. Are there any favourite shows or cities that come to mind?
Basically they all blend in, but I think London’s pretty amazing. Every show we’ve played there has been ridiculous. It’s the kind of place that we get off stage every time and say, ‘That was the best show we’ve ever played’. There’s a venue there called The Underworld, it fits like 600 kids, is really cramped, there’s no barrier, a tiny stage and as soon as you start playing kids mob the stage and trash the gear. It’s probably the best venue in the world as far as I’m concerned.
Just before the Australian ‘SWEATFEST’ tour in December, you’re playing across Europe on ‘Never Say Die’. What’s it like to be headlining over Unearth, a band who were possibly an influence for you guys when you started out?
Huge influence! They were one of the first bands we heard who were doing the kind of music that we wanted to play. To be playing that tour, let alone headlining is crazy. It means we’ve got to play really well. I’m hoping it goes well, I’ve got a feeling Únearth might blow us off the stage. Either way I’m stoked to be seeing those guys again.
It’s hard to have a plan for the future, with how unpredictable the music scene is worldwide. But, do you have any idea what your next release will be; album number three or a DVD maybe?
We’re working on both at the moment, but it looks like the DVD will be finished sooner. Simply because we want to put more time into writing and it’s hard to find time to write these days. We’re about half way through working on a DVD documentary. We’ve been filming everything we’ve done in the band since the day we started, so it’s got some interesting stuff.
Just to finish up with, who has the most annoying habit to deal with whilst on tour?
Chode’s (Parkway Drive’s merchandise guy) really bad, but Ben is just as bad. He went through a patch where he ate nothing but burritos for three weeks straight. He would fart every three minutes and we were stuck with it for weeks! It was the most disgusting thing in the world. Eventually, it got past humour and reached the point where we tried to kick him out of the van and had to pull over for him to fart because we were all so sick from it!
Parkway Drive play Newcastle Panthers on Saturday December 13. For more information: www.myspace.com/parkwaydrive
Comments on this entry are closed.