Last Quokka’s fighting words for a cooked world

Perth punks Last Quokka have just released their new album, Take The Fight To The Bastards, via Valve Records. Following a run of live shows with Brisbane rock trio DZ Deathrays last month, Last Quokka are now set to support Melbourne rock trio The Peep Tempel on their visit to WA this weekend, playing two sold-out shows at Buffalo Club in Fremantle on Saturday, March 22, and Sunday, March 23, before heading to the east coast for a run of shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Lismore and Brisbane. JAMES THORN caught up with vocalist Trent Rojahn and bassist Ray Grenfell to find out the story behind the album and got the lowdown on falling satellites, multidimensional shrimp, and fighting the good fight in a world that’s gone bonkers.

Congrats on the release of your new album, Take The Fight To The Bastards. How does this one feel different from your previous records?

TR: Yeah, it feels bloody great! So stoked to have it out amongst the people, I feel really proud about what we’ve created. I think this record has a bigger sound and higher energy, which feels awesome to play live. We’ve really explored elements of class on this record, which is a bit of a change to the themes of country on the last record, Red Dirt. We like to explore what’s relevant to us and the world when we write, and at the moment the world’s gone completely bonkers.

RG: This album definitely feels a lot “fuller” and more produced; having both Nick Ireland (Poons Head) and Justin on recording and mixing duties has really made a big difference. Thematically this album also is a lot more OG Last Quokka. It’s angry, loud and passionate. But we didn’t set out to write a more “political” record, it’s just that shit is so very cooked at the moment, it’s hard for us to not talk, or scream, about that.

Dion Mariani (ex The Flairz) has just joined Justin Zanetic on the guitars for your latest album and upcoming tour. What’s it been like having an additional guitar player in the band?

RG: So we’ve actually had two guitarists for a while now (since our last record, Red Dirt). Dion replaced original member Kirill. But it’s been great having Dion join; he brings a lot of energy to the band, and he’s basically the Macaulay Culkin of Perth music!

TR: Yeah, it’s been mad having Dion join the band. A great fella with a lot of mad skills who brings a great vibe.

Do you have a favourite or standout track on the album? And what was the story behind it?

TR: We had sunk a lot of tinnies when we came up with French Shrimp. It’s just an absurd track about an absurd topic, and it always makes me laugh. Embracing absurdity is really important to me. I have no idea why, but whenever I listen to this track, I imagine multidimensional shrimp flying through space. Fuck knows why. It’s just the magic of the song. I also like that we literally wrote the whole thing in one go.

RG: Yankee Satellite is the one for me. We started writing that in Melbourne, donkey’s ago. I just love the Aussie pub rock vibe. It’s about when Skylab came crashing down in Balladonia, written from the perspective of a local having his town flooded by city folk looking for satellite parts. As someone who grew up in Margaret River and loves country pubs, I can really relate to the feeling of having your town swamped by yuppies! But yeah, it’s got that early Oils sound, big drums and some catchy riffs.

Your lyrics and music often draw attention to current issues. Are there any artists that have inspired you in creating music that provides social commentary?

TR: I don’t ever write lyrics and set out to be political or whatever. My usual lyric writing process is a bit random. I like to sit and listen to the song as the others jam it out and then see what words or sentences it brings to my mind. Then I just improv it for a bit, record it on my phone, and flesh it out at home.

I think that kind of ‘in the moment’ style of writing helps bring out what’s organically on my mind, and if you have any idea what’s happening in the world at the moment, it’s probably not surprising that political themes are pretty common in the lyrics.

RG: I can’t say there is one artist in particular that inspires us. However, I’m loving how much support groups such as Kneecap and Amyl and the Sniffers are getting at the moment. It feels as though there is a real hunger for socially conscious music, not just punk, but across all genres. I recently discovered Miss Kaninna as well, absolutely fire indigenous hip-hop.

And are there any topics in particular that were recurring through this release?

RG: For me this album is about class and the gap between the rich and the poor. We’re very fortunate to be living in a time where people are more conscious about a whole range of social and environmental issues. However, there is a huge lack of class consciousness, especially in Australia. A lack of recognition that class is what both unites us and gives us strength. I’d like to think that this album will make people think more about that.

TR: Yeah, as Ray said, this album is absolutely about class. It wasn’t deliberate; one day during the recording process, I said to Justin, “Holy shit, this whole album is about class,” and he was like, “Yeah, no shit. You didn’t do that deliberately?” But it’s great to bring some class consciousness to the people; ultimately, it’s what we’ll need to topple these rich and powerful fucks in charge.

You just supported DZ Deathrays for a run of WA dates. What was that like?

RG: Absolutely mental. They are literally the nicest guys in the Australian music scene.

TR: Such a good time, they’re absolute legends. I made new friends for life, which is always a good thing! Also, it’s just great to get out to the people in more regional areas. Always such supporters of Australian music, and it’s great to see bands making the effort to get out there.

And next, you’re about to support The Peep Tempel on their upcoming tour. Can fans attending those shows look forward to seeing some of the new tracks live?

RG: For sure, we’re playing pretty much three quarters of the new album. There are a few tracks with guests (Abbe May, Alex Boggle, etc.) and stuff that we haven’t worked out how to do live yet, but yeah, mostly we’ll be playing the new album and just bringing that usual frenetic live Last Quokka energy that we love.