“Ecdysis” is a pretty striking title. Where did that word enter the conversation, and why did it feel like the right one for the song?
We came across the word and immediately thought it fit. Ecdysis is basically shedding your skin, and that’s pretty much what the song is about. You’re trying to shed this person and everything attached to them, but they’ve become such a big part of you that it actually hurts to get rid of it. It felt like a pretty strange but accurate metaphor.
What was the starting point for “Ecdysis”? Was there a particular lyric, riff, sound or moment that unlocked it?
We actually were lucky enough to be brought a fully fleshed out demo for this song that just felt right. Obviously there were some changes but the actual main riff is genuinely still just a re amped version of the demo
The song has a restless, almost claustrophobic quality to it. Was that something you were deliberately chasing when you made it?
Yeah, definitely. I think ECDYSIS was always meant to feel uncomfortable in a way. There’s this constant feeling of tension and movement through the song, and we wanted it to feel like you’re trapped inside your own head and can’t really switch off. We didn’t want everything to be polished and comfortable. There’s a lot of push and pull between the atmospheric parts and the heavier sections, and that tension is a huge part of what makes the song feel like The Local Romance.
Was there anything about “ECDYSIS” that surprised you once you heard the finished recording?
Honestly, how big it ended up feeling. When we were writing it, we knew we had something we really liked, but hearing everything come together made it feel way more expansive than we expected. There are little details and layers that you don’t necessarily notice when you’re just playing the song in a room, so the finished version surprised us in a really good way. It feels like a pretty big step forward for the band.
When you listen back to your older material, what feels noticeably different about The Local Romance now?
I think we’re much more confident in who we are. When we started, we were still figuring out what we wanted The Local Romance to sound and feel like. Now we’re a lot more willing to lean into the heavier stuff, but we also don’t feel like everything has to be heavy all the time. We’re more comfortable with dynamics, atmosphere and letting a song breathe. ECDYSIS feels like a really good representation of where our heads are at now.
You’re playing a Halloween show at Tomcat in Brisbane. What does a The Local Romance set look like when you’re not trying to behave yourselves?
Probably a complete lack of self-control. Halloween is definitely an excuse to make things a little more chaotic. We love playing small rooms because you can feel everything. There’s no real barrier between the band and everyone in the room, so when things get hectic, they get REALLY hectic. We’re very excited to be back at tomcat though, that venue has been a key part is our bands life so we’re excited to be playing there again
What have you learned about the band from playing small rooms that you probably wouldn’t have learned from playing bigger stages?
How important connection is. When you’re playing a tiny room and you can basically see every person’s face, you realise pretty quickly that you can’t hide behind anything. If the band is locked in, everyone feels it. If we’re not, everyone feels that too. It’s taught us to really feed off each other and the crowd rather than just going through the motions. Some of our favourite shows have been in rooms where the audience is right there in front of us (shout out blah bar in Lismore)
Brisbane has a lot of bands doing their own thing at the moment. Who are you listening to locally, and who should more people be paying attention to?
There are honestly so many. Brisbane has such a good heavy scene at the moment, and one of the best things about it is how different everyone sounds. We’ve been lucky enough to cross paths with some seriously talented bands and musicians, and I think there’s a really strong community here if you actually get out and see shows.
We’d definitely encourage people to go down to local gigs rather than just waiting for the bigger touring bands to come through. There’s some ridiculous talent coming out of Brisbane right now, and a lot of it is happening in tiny rooms.
If we’re talking about Brisbane / Queensland bands there’s so many favourites bigger bands such as Headwreck , Zuko, Same Pains and Total Buzzkill we all really like, but there’s bands like Cardboard Cutouts , itsacrylic and nervous light too! Flowers to everyone tbh
Is there a song you’ve written that tells us something about The Local Romance that “ECDYSIS” doesn’t?
Still The Same probably does. ECDYSIS is very much about tension and transformation, whereas Still The Same is a lot more vulnerable. It starts off quite stripped back and gradually builds into something much bigger, and I think that says a lot about us as a band.
We’ve never wanted to just be the band that writes heavy songs for the sake of being heavy. The emotional side is just as important to us. If we can make someone feel something before absolutely smashing them with a riff, then we’re pretty happy.
What’s coming up for The Local Romance that you’re genuinely excited about?
Honestly, everything at the moment. ECDYSIS is out now, and it feels like the start of a really exciting next chapter for us. We’ve got more shows coming up, more music that we’re working on, and we’re really focused on pushing the band further outside of Brisbane.
We’re still very much in that stage where every opportunity feels massive, whether that’s playing a new room, meeting another band, getting onto a bigger show or having someone discover us for the first time. We’re just keen to keep building and see how far we can take it.
