Amyl and the Sniffers move to L.A. and get a whiff of punk glory on ‘Cartoon Darkness’

As I delve deeper into the captivating tale of Amyl and the Sniffers, I find myself utterly enamored by their journey, a testament to the transformative power of music and camaraderie. Born in the eclectic suburb of St. Kilda, Melbourne, these four musicians began their odyssey in a shared house, where they lived life to its fullest, immersed in the local music scene.

Amyl and the Sniffers have always cherished any positive feedback. Even when the Australian punk rock group recorded their endearingly raw debut EP, “Giddy Up,” in a single night and self-released it online in 2016, the initial 100 plays felt like a significant accomplishment.

Amy Taylor, also known as “Amyl,” expressed delight with a smile, saying, “That was huge for us!” One spin on the local community radio and we were ecstatic, feeling like we’d made it. Even securing a support slot in a 200-person venue felt like success beyond our dreams. It’s challenging to maintain a broader view than what we directly experience. … We’re more focused on appreciating the present rather than dwelling too much on future possibilities.

Amyl and the Sniffers express similar sentiments about their third album, “Cartoon Darkness,” which dropped on October 25. This powerful compilation features a mix of scrappy, electrifying rock songs and the occasional ballad. The debut single, “U Should Not Be Doing That,” garnered millions of listens on Spotify and gained significant airplay, with its music video (viewed over 1.6 million times on YouTube) showcasing Taylor and a new partner traipsing through Los Angeles as she belts out lyrics emphasizing self-assertion and personal value.

She’s singing, “I’m giving it my all,” in a uniquely assertive, rhythmic, and quintessentially Australian tone. “Not everyone survives when they’re still young.

Enthusiasts are captivated by Sniffers’ music and demeanor, which resonates with the raw energy of early punk rock, complemented by an energetic, exuberant blonde lead singer who rarely stops moving and typically performs in a bikini top and shorts. The album was released just two months after the band supported Foo Fighters at BMO Stadium in August, and subsequently played two consecutive sold-out shows at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood.

Currently, Nick Launay, who produced “Cartoon Darkness,” expresses that he believes they are the top rock band globally in a phone conversation. Notably, Launay has collaborated with many contemporary rock bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Idles, and Nick Cave. However, his career dates back to the initial U.K. punk and post-punk movements.

As a movie enthusiast, I firmly believe that if the Sniffers were active during the ’70s, they would have made quite an impact, matching the importance of other influential filmmakers from that era. They would’ve certainly kept the competition on their toes!

According to Launay, his primary goal in the studio was to faithfully portray the sense of urgency from the band’s live performances. Beyond that, the 13 tracks on the new album demonstrate a significant progression in their punk rock style, while still retaining its roots in their early pub-crawling days without hindering their development and the growing intensity of their performance.

According to Taylor, our self-assuredness has been consistent from the start, but it’s only improved over time. In fact, even during our less skilled periods, we remained confident. Now, our abilities seem to be finally matching our confidence level.

On a recent afternoon, an Australian group of four gathers around a picnic table in Griffith Park. A lively bunch of small children are playing nearby on the grass, creating some noise. Taylor is wearing a short black leather jacket, shorts that match, and knee-high boots with high stiletto heels. On her chest is a button from the 2 Live Crew band.

The three guys in her band – Declan Mehrtens on guitar, Bryce Wilson on drums, and Gus Romer on bass – are rough-and-tumble rockers with a stylish edge and plenty of tattoos. This year, Taylor and Mehrtens relocated to Los Angeles, while the rest of the band is technically based in Melbourne. Despite the physical distance, they’ve managed to stay closely connected over the past year. They’ve taken short breaks only for album recording, music video shoots, a U.S. tour, and then reuniting in Australia.

“We’ve been together this year pretty much every day, it feels like,” says Wilson.

Taylor remarks, “Given how often we interact and the global nature of this project, we might as well not have a permanent residence.” Turning to Romer and Wilson, she jokes, “Even though they’re based in Australia, it’s more like where they keep their belongings.

For both the singer and the guitarist, Los Angeles already feels incredibly familiar – so much so that Mehrtens chose to relocate here following a thrilling Dodgers-Padres playoff match. Taylor has since forged friendships with local musicians such as Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Arrow De Wilde of Starcrawler.

They’ve resumed their journey across Europe, which kicked off in Dublin on November 3, and they’ll be back in North America for another tour in the spring season.

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Last year, they started collaborating with producer Launay by recording two tracks, one of which was “U Should Not Be Doing That,” initially released as a single in May. In the song’s lyrics, Taylor expresses her resistance to the critics who she claims have been a constant obstacle for the band throughout their journey.

In simpler terms, Taylor states at the close of the discussion that there’s not much that has or likely will hinder me, as I enjoy it so much more than worrying about others’ opinions. Taylor expresses this assertively yet casually.

In the opening track of the fresh album, titled “Jerkin,” I find myself immersed in a powerful, raucous rock guitar melody. Here, Taylor seems to be defying critics, expressing self-assuredness and exuberant language that borders on profanity: “I’ve got success, you see / It’s the haters who are online, consumed by their obsession / With me, typing away.

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I must say that the tracks “Motorbike Song” and “Big Dreams” leave quite an impression. The former is a chaotic symphony of motorcycle noise, while the latter is a captivating ballad, both beautifully composed on an acoustic guitar. John Angus Stewart, a long-time collaborator, skillfully directed the music video for these songs, painting a picture of each band member riding motorcycles across an expansive desert landscape in a wistful, dreamlike state.

Up front, Taylor croons from the back of a helicopter, her voice subdued and carrying a hint of resignation as she mourns for those trapped in stagnancy: “It’s tough when the town is overflowing with shattered hearts / Can you cling any harder? / Simply breathe and escape this town / I believe you have the strength to pull yourself together.

According to Taylor, there’s also a touch of hip-hop in the mix. She elaborates, “The Beastie Boys were quite influential on this album because they’re amazing, their wordplay is captivating, and we often play their music.

Along the way, their producer has learned how to interpret what he calls “Amy Language.”

In one instance, when Launay was blending tracks for “Comfort to Me” in 2021, Taylor felt the mix of “Hertz” wasn’t right, describing it as “too Lambo,” which is slang for a Lamborghini luxury sports car. To clarify her desired sound, she sent Launay a photo of a Subaru performing donuts on the pavement as a more suitable reference. She wrote to him, “Imagine something like that, but driven by a stylish Australian woman… but she’s a politician.

Though those directions seemed quite unusual, I immediately understood her intent,” says Launay, who spent a decade living in Australia. “I made it more rugged, adventurous, and alluring, added a few clever twists to it, sent it over, and she replied, ‘Yes, that’s right. On to the next one!’

I hail from Mullumbimby, a quaint hamlet nestled in the heart of northern New South Wales. This place is a unique blend of earthy hippies, barefoot wanderers, and health-conscious folk who lean towards alternative lifestyles – almost like a miniature antivax, organic food haven. Notably, the renowned rapper Iggy Azalea also traces her roots here, eventually departing for the United States at 16. Coincidentally, my mom and Iggy’s mother shared a professional bond through her cleaning business, albeit briefly.

The group originally formed within a shared residence located in the seaside suburb of St. Kilda, which is part of Melbourne, and was inhabited by Taylor, Mehrtens, Wilson, and their former bandmate Calum Newton. At this time, Taylor was employed at a supermarket and had acquired an affordable used drum kit for approximately $50, storing it in her personal bedroom.

According to Taylor, they frequently attended live music events – nearly every night of the week, from five to six times. There were numerous house parties where bands would perform in their backyards. At these gatherings, I often showed off my rapping skills, which had become my party trick. If it was a house show, I’d ask if I could take the microphone. While some bands played, I would occasionally interject with freestyle rhymes.

Initially, they had an inclination towards emulating the B-52’s musical style. However, their skills weren’t polished enough to achieve that. Instead, they developed a sound similar to what you hear now. They appreciated the aggressive nature of the music.

Initially, they belonged to an Australian garage-band movement alongside acts such as the Cosmic Psychos, Drunk Mums, and Dumb Punts. Their initial gigs were mostly attended by an older audience, who likely associated their sound with their past experiences of early punk rock. As she puts it, “At first, it was probably 80% men over 50 – like looking out at a dozen hard-boiled eggs,” referring to the sea of gray and bald heads in the crowd.

The crowds at their performances have undergone significant changes since then. At their recent two-night stint at the Fonda, the dance floor was teeming with enthusiastic young fans whom Taylor affectionately refers to as “youthful enthusiasts, brimming with life and enthusiasm, like rabid bubblers,” she says with a chuckle. “They’re eager, they’re young, they’re experiencing alcohol for the first time, they sport mullets, and they’re shouting ‘Yes!’ Our audience is typically made up of people who are as lively as I am.

Here’s another way to phrase it: A small alteration has been made – throughout their career, Mehrtens was typically known by the spelling “Martens.” However, he often wore Doc Martens boots, which led him to adopt an alternative spelling of “Dec Martens” as a punk rock persona, similar to Darby Crash of the Germs or Pat Smear. Now, he’s gone back to using his real name, signaling that the band has endured beyond its early days as a casual endeavor among friends.

He mentions that when he initially did that action, he was unaware we’d end up with multiple albums as a result. Now, however, it’s more complex due to visa issues, and he wants everyone to understand that he himself is featured on the album.

Being part of a band has significantly shifted Taylor’s viewpoint about various aspects. As a now-skilled songwriter, she is increasingly mindful of the power and importance of the written word.

Initially, I disdained books. However, now I’m deeply fond of reading them, spending most of my time engrossed in their pages. As for that, chuckling, I used to possess barely 20 words in my vocabulary. Now, I boast at least a hundred, which is quite beneficial. I’m captivated by the enigmas of phrasing and relish the challenge of arranging words in intriguing, puzzle-like ways.

Romer jumps in, adding with a grin, “Sometimes she has a new big word and I’m very impressed.”

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2024-11-07 20:08