Local alt-rockers BOY GIRL are set to launch their new single Twitchin’ In Your Sleep at Badlands Bar on Saturday, April 3, with support from Giant Dwarf, Will Stoker & the Embers, Scatterback and Sixth Avenue. It’s another step forward for the four-piece, who after winning fans on the scene through their energetic live shows over the past 12 months, are gearing up for a big 2021. BRAYDEN EDWARDS spoke to vocalist/guitarist Luke Irvine to find out how the group has embraced their diverse musical backgrounds to create a sound that is uniquely their own.
For those that aren’t familiar with you, how did BOY GIRL start out as a band and how has it grown into what it is today?
It started out with me and my long-time songwriting friend Matt Hickinbotham, from The Freudian Slips, with a plan to write 10 simple songs with bass, drums, and vocals, really drawing on Royal Blood as an influence. Then a few member changes and auditions later we added guitar, then found current drummer Aaron Muller. We added keyboardist Chantal Inskip into the mix, and she put the ‘girl’ in BOY GIRL.
Matt had personal commitments and had to leave which later added Nad Walid on bass. He used to play with a hugely popular Bangladeshi heavy band called Mechanix who have like 120k Facebook followers or something. That’s the short of it. Then the 10 simple songs became 18 not so simple demos and here we are.
The band features members from diverse backgrounds both musically and culturally. What do you feel it is you all have in common that make you a great team to create music and perform together?
We all definitely have that 90s alt-rock taste that binds them. Although our specific tastes vary, the ones we all love and admire are in line where it counts. We’re four completely different characters that probably wouldn’t normally cross paths but that’s the beauty of music!
And what unique elements do the band members bring to the music and how has that shaped your sound?
Chantal has definitely brought more of a rock feel than originally intended, with her gritty vocal style. She consistently complains that we practice too loud and she only has herself to blame for that (laughs).
Personally, I love to tell a story, which is what inspires a lot of my lyrics.
Aaron is the biggest driving spirit with his youthful energy and as a drummer, he is consistently always learning and progressing; due to the fact that when he’s not working or sleeping, he’s drumming!
Nads is the icing on the cake. He’s an exceptional performer, a master of his instrument and there’s not a gig that we’ve played where people won’t remember him with the general consensus from the crowd being “how good is your bass player?!”
Tell us about your new single Twitchin’ in Your Sleep. How was it different from what you have done as a band before and what made it stand out as a good choice for its own single release?
After a good year of people listening to the 18 demos we recorded and playing a few live shows, Twitchin’, previously known as fan fave Gypsy Girl, was definitely one of the songs that caught most people’s attention. It’s got a little bit of everything in it and as BOY GIRL’s style varies quite eclectically, it was an easy choice.
What really made this one stand out from the demos we’ve recorded previously though, was heading to Sumo Sound Studios to record with Tristan Sturmer there and getting a much bigger sound. We couldn’t be happier with the result, and can’t wait to get back in the studio and keep recording.
You’ve enlisted some other great Perth bands to perform on the launch night at Badlands, with Giant Dwarf, Will Stoker and the Embers, Scatterback and Sixth Avenue. What was it about these acts that made them a great fit for the occasion?
What a line-up! Was it luck? Was it fate? All the bands on are faves of the members or past members from bands that we have played with. All I know is that it will be an epic night and it’s going to be a tough act to stay sober enough to play.
And we’re hearing big props for your live show, what are BOY GIRL like as a live band? Are there any other acts you draw inspiration from and how does that translate when you hit the stage?
We’re definitely a later in the night kind of band: loud, energetic, and with a bit of unique character – at least we like to think so. These days the heavy riffing tends to remind people of Queens of the Stone Age and Wolf Alice I’m told, as well as Arctic Monkeys and Smashing Pumpkins which are big influences. What can I say? We love that 90s alt-rock sound!
What’s next for BOY GIRL for the rest of 2021 and beyond? Any other live shows or new music in the works to look forward to?
So much new music. Over the year we can expect another couple of singles which will showcase the different styles and then hopefully a bundle of songs, as an EP or small album before the end of the year – and as many shows as we can fit in between.
