Photo Credit: Tim Lambert

One of Melbourne’s favourite punk rock groups is back, delivering the first in a string of releases for this year – Clowns with ‘Does It Matter?’. Released on the band’s own label – Damaged – ‘Does It Matter?’ is pointed and melodic at the same time. It’s an easy track to get taken up by and as the band’s first hit of new music since 2019’s Nature/Nurture album, ‘Does It Matter?’ lands at the perfect time.

Time to get reintroduced to a proper crew of legends, time to get revved up again for Clowns!

Setting out to write ‘the most Clowns song that had ever existed’, the band have created a belter that encapsulates the best of their already dynamic sound. There’s punk, garage, anarchic energy; mixed in with some big sing along moments poised to rile their fans up.

“Does it matter if I steal a car from my yuppie neighbours front yard, and use it to drive through the door of the casino and steal a bunch of money? Opinions are like arseholes, here’s mine: NO! This song is about breaking the law. We all do it sometimes – and if you say you don’t then chances are you are a liar or a coward. “ Clowns

For fans of the band, ‘Does It Matter?’ marks a change in the Clowns sound. Working with US song writer & producer Matt Squire (Panic! At The Disco, Ariana Grande), Clowns welcomed some outside writing influence into their process: something they had not done previously.

Written last year, ‘Does It Matter’ became an international project, with the band and Squire working on the track from Melbourne and on the other side of the globe, where Squire is based in Baltimore.

Recording the track at Melbourne’s Red Door Studios with award winning engineer Woody Annison (The Living End), Clowns found themselves exploring some new sonic territory, with more pop and cleaner rock influences coming into play.

“It’s cleaner than any Clowns song has ever been, and the sense of melody is stronger than it’s ever been. This time we focused on using our own equipment, which we use to tour and rehearse, which gives the listener a purer image of what the song will sound like in a live context. Annison certainly helped polish a fresh and new take on our existing sound responsible for this track’s listenability, making it comparatively easier on the ears, however still maintaining the same raw energy of our practiced ‘thrash about’ playing style. You can take the band out of the punk studio, but you can’t take the punk out of the band.” Clowns

 PRAISE FOR CLOWNS

“I have no doubt, Clowns will one day get the recognition they deserve for punk music in this country, until such time, I’ll keep telling all in sundry how fucking good they are! Get on board!”
Wall Of Sound

“It’s hard to argue against Clowns not creating one of the best rock – not just punk – albums of the year.”
Rolling Stone

“Clowns solidify the notion that they are not to be a band to be confined by genre boundaries.”
Heavy Magazine

“The perfect example of what hard work and a handy dose of wit can do if you stick to your guns.”
The Age

“…a record of real circumspection and depth. This reminds me of the kind of intellectual thunder you get from a band like Fucked Up.”
4ZZZ

“What pretty much started as Australia’s answer to The Bronx back in 2010, has since evolved into one of Down Under’s most adventurous exports…”
Punk Rock Theory

LISTEN

‘Does It Matter?’ is released Wednesday 12th May
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