Lava Lounge Radio Australia

Where do you live?
We live in Gadigal / Sydney, Australia. 

How did you all meet?

The two of us met in school when we were 14. We were good friends, and dated for two minutes. After one of us had to leave the school (Tez), we reconnected when we were 20.
We soon began dating again and started to play music together too. Stevie taught Tez how to play guitar, which led to learning other instruments.
We both played in a few musical projects together that didn't work out, and then we started smallways. in 2023. Just the two of us, a total experimentation, and here we are.

What do you like most about playing music?

It's a needed release. We just love doing it. We love creating, writing, playing, and recording. It's both fun and stressful working on visual art, and music movies, but there's just nothing else either of us get as much joy or relief from.
 

What inspired you to start playing and making music?

Since we were both little, we've both loved music. Stevie grew up in a musical household, with his Dad playing and teaching him music from a young age. He was in a band with his dad, brother and sister early on, and then as a teenager formed his own band and the story goes on. In an opposite sort of way, Teriece grew up in an environment where music wasn't encouraged, and access was limited. Once she got older and reconnected with Stevie, that's when the exploration of music really began for Teriece.
In many ways, music is a significant part of the dynamic and connection between Stevie and Teriece.

Describe your creative process when you write new music.

We jam. We head to our rehearsal space and jam for a couple hours, listen back, and play with ideas. We're very experimental, there's not a lot of thought in terms of "we want to create this kind of sound, or sing about this topic" - it's more a release to see what comes out, and then we choose how to refine and build a song, or connected songs.
We write in our live set-up, which is drums, 5 string bass and both of our vocals. With that particular set-up, it's only once we get to the studio that we play, and that means experimenting on the spot. Our debut album BROKE BRAIN, is very much an experiment.
We also have different ways of writing, but we can't share everything, that would be like saying we want to make baby smallways. out here in the world, and neither of us want kids.
 

How would you describe your musical style and the evolution of your sound over the years?

We’re sarcastic, cheeky, confrontational, and we’re aware that we can feel abrasive or attackful to some people. That’s part of the point.
We’re also implicated in everything we’re poking at and pointing towards. We know that’s something that can easily get lost or overlooked in music and art, especially when it comes to lyrics and how a band presents itself. We like playing with that tension. Maybe we’re lying. Maybe we’re not. Maybe we’re taking the piss out of everyone and everything, or maybe we’re being completely upfront with what we feel and think. Maybe it's both? Maybe it doesn’t matter.
Over the years, the sound has evolved naturally with us. The music has become a way of exploring those contradictions and using expression as a form of relief.
We’re not interested in telling people what to think, or do, or in giving them an answer to anything. If you connect with the music and the art, and you can feel where it’s coming from, then enjoy it. That’s what it’s there for.

Are there specific themes or messages you aim to convey through your music?

It's whatever people want it to be. We can say where we feel it's coming from, but do we really know?
We know what we think we mean. We know what we think we've experienced. We know what we think we want to say, but just like anyone else, it's make believe, like money, like jobs, like anything. BROKE BRAIN is a made up musical and art project that we created and it's coming out on Friday, October 2nd.

Can you share the story behind your latest album/project?

It's a collection of past, present and future interpretations. It's lived experiences, real relationships, thoughts, feelings and internal vomit.
It's going to mean something different for everyone, but we feel it's psychological, philosophical, political, and at the same time it's stupid, it's nonsense, and it's ridiculous.
We wanted the album to be strange, and we want to challenge norms, traditions and people, including ourselves. We also wanted it to be funny, and a little insane. 
We intentionally set out to challenge ourselves with smallways. and we do that, with everything we do.
There aren't many bands that play live with drums, 5 string bass, with a woman upfront and a crazy multi-instrumentalist in the back singing too. We jump in the studio with no set ideas and we see what happens when we play with a bunch of instruments and tools. We're unusual, and intentionally so.
Ironically, we're releasing this album during the most difficult period of our lives. Times are tough, and for so many in the world at the moment. We find some sentiment in that.
The world is never going to stop being insane and nonsensical, so we figure, why not do something weird, and fun, that barks back a bit at the absurdity of all of this, you know?
That's what smallways. is, that's what BROKE BRAIN is.
We've already got our next album ready to go, and of course, it's nothing like BROKE BRAIN.

Who's your ideal musician to collaborate with and why?

That's hard, but if we got to choose we were able to have a jam with, here are the top 10:
- Serj Tankian
- Gareth Liddiard
- Karina Utomo
- Bjork
- John Frusciante
- Aldous Harding
- The Garden
- Les Claypool
- Grian Chatten
- Ollie Judge

Are there any musicians who inspire you?

Many do. We're inspired by a range of music, and different kinds of artists. We tend to lean toward the heavier, stranger, and otherwise more emotional expressive styles of music and art. An easy way to say it is, we don't like things that are typical, or otherwise what's easy to do. Be that interesting musical composition, or lyrics, there has to be something that makes it feel intense, and odd for us to feel intrigued. We don't really enjoy things that are made to be comforting or pretty, and we're inspired by artists that in some form, create a sort of discomfort, and that make you really think and feel.

Where do you live? 

Reverend Genes is from Lake Macquarie NSW.
 

How did you all meet?

Well that’s easy! Reverend Genes is my artist name. My real name is Ben, and I’m a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.

What do you like most about playing music?

Playing guitar and songwriting are my favourite things about music. Playing live is also fun. But, performing live in Australia is not an easy thing to do year in and year out. So Reverend Genes focuses on recording. Recording is definitely lots of fun too.

What inspired you to start playing and making music?

I was given an old nylon string guitar that my cousin used to own. That was the start. After that there were bands in Newcastle and Sydney. Also music studies.

Describe your creative process when you write new music

Usually song ideas come from sitting down and playing guitar. Sometimes a melody or lyric pops up out of nowhere. But, most of the time playing guitar seems to result in new riff or harmony ideas. When an idea does come up I record it with 4 track recording software on my phone and email that to myself. From there music ideas and lyrics get saved in songwriting software. The best ideas get lyrics and find their way into the studio to get arranged and recorded.

How would you describe your musical style and the evolution of your sound over the years?

The original wave of post-punk and new wave bands are the biggest influence on the Reverend Genes sound. The goal has always been to try and develop a unique sound. I think that’s one thing post punk and new wave bands do really well.

Electric and acoustic guitars are central to the sound. There’s not a lot of guitar solos. Definitely no shredding. But, that’s mostly because Reverend Genes can’t shred! Other than that there’s often tom grooves in the drum parts, a melodic bass line, and some kind of Rhodes piano lurking somewhere in the mix. I really like Rhodes keyboard sounds that modulate, almost like a guitar through a wah wah pedal.

Over time I’ve moved away from using guitar tunings. Now I usually use a pretty standard diatonic approach to harmonic progressions. Maybe a chord will get borrowed from another key. For example, using A major or D major in the key C instead of the usual A minor and D minor. Also, chordal parts are rarely voiced in the way they are shown in guitar books. Using capos, open string voicing, and splitting harmony out across the guitar, bass and keyboard parts are all parts of the Reverend Genes approach.

Are there specific themes or messages you aim to convey through your music?

Sustainability is the main message that underpins Reverend Genes’ music. By that I mean a sustainable world. For me a sustainable world is one where the majority of people live peacefully and actively care about the natural world. Caring about ending carbon emissions and ensuring biodiversity is a very important part of the message.

Can you share the story behind your latest album/project?

The latest album is called Early Signs Of Remorse. The title came from a news story on TV about a young man who found himself in front of a judge. The TV journalist reporting on the case said that the young man had shown “early signs of remorse” in court. I liked the phrase and thought that it would make a great Reverend Genes album title. 

I think deep down, we all know that it is just not possible to keep taking more and more from the natural environment. After all there is no Earth 2.0, this Earth is the only Earth we’ve got. Early or not, I hope that we can all work together to make Earth a cleaner and more peaceful place. Otherwise, sooner or later there will be remorse. 

Who's your ideal musician to collaborate with and why?

I really like The Church. The jangly guitars and Steve Kilby’s lyrics are the best. Hey Day is a great Aussie album. Maybe my favourite. There’s also Peter Buck from REM. He has a great guitar style. His playing is definitely an influence. Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey from Midnight Oil are also strong guitar influences. Mike Weiley from v Spy v Spy was an early guitar influence as well. Then there’s Neil Young. So I guess if all those folks were available to school Reverend Genes then that would be very cool. Perhaps in another life along with Mike, Rob Hirst would also step in and play some drums too.

Are there any musicians who inspire you?

Honestly there are  many. As above, The Church, Midnight Oil, REM, v Spy v Spy, and Neil Young are favourites. So too are The Cure, Stone Roses, Joy Division, Grandaddy, You Am I, Cold Chisel, The Hoodoo Gurus, Augie March, Front End Loader, Interpol, Lloyd Cole, My Bloody Valentine, The Pixies, Pavement, Radio Birdman, Travis, Fugazi, and Bad Religion. Is that too many? There’s so many great artists.