Spillage

What is your name and role within Spillage?

Tony de Pasquale and I’m the bass player

Where are you currently based?

Essentially Brisbane but Sam lives on the Goldie and Nathan on the Sunshine Coast. David’s in Brissie too.

What’s been happening recently?

Just finished recording the new album. It’s getting mixed now. We had a single launch (You Said No) a few weeks ago at the Greaser that went really well. We’ve got our 2^nd single launch (Unawares) at King Lear’s Throne on the 14^th of August.

How did the reunion after two decades of not playing together come about?

Asho (from Footstomp) suggested it to Sam one night and he asked all of us and we all jumped at it. There’s nothing like being in a practice room making noise with your mates.

Please tell us a little about your history as a band:

Well…..in a galaxy far far away………it feels like that sometimes.

We were a 3 piece back in the 90s. Sam and I are brothers so we grew up playing music a lot. (My first instrument was an accordion when I was 5!) Played a lot of gigs with a lot of different bands. The main venues back in Brisbane were The Zoo and The Orient, the Roxie, The Funkyard and Metropilis. We played pretty much every other week for a few years. We put an album out in 94 and it sold about 14 copies. We were big in Ballscratch, South Australia.

Your live shows are as tight as ever, was the chemistry right where you left off?

We were a bit rusty at first but it came together pretty quickly. It helps that we’re not super stoned all the time like the old days.

We asked Gorky (David Gaukrodger) to join. We always wanted to be a 4 piece with the extra guitar. We’d known each other for years and he fit right in.

Your single ‘Unawares’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

I think you’d have to say the influence for the sound came from one of our fave bands of the ages: Husker Du. The lyrics are about living in a drug fuelled fog and wondering why your life is such a shit sandwich. Then turning it around and really seeing that the world can be a beautiful place.

How did you go about writing the track?

Sam came in with the song and we all added our little sparkles. It just seemed to get better and better and when we recorded it, it really jumped out. It goes off when when we play live as well.

Where and when did you record/produce/master?

We recorded with Jeff Lovejoy at Blackbox Studios and the mastering was done by Matt Gray at Matthew Gray Mastering

What can we expect from your upcoming album to be released in October?

A mixture of songs. Although our roots are rock/punk/grunge there’s a few different sounds emerging. A few of the tracks are from the old days but the majority are all this century.

How did the new grunge sound come about?

Similar to the old grunge but new and improved!! I think as you get a bit older and you listen to a whole lot of different music, your taste widens and you can draw from a wider sound palette. Our roots are still guitar based rock but we like to throw a few spanners in the works to make it exciting.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I can’t speak for the other boys but 2 bands I’m into at the moment are Badflower and Cleopatrick.

What do you like to do away from music?

I like to spend time with the fam. I’m a Dad so there’s always sport with the kids on the weekend. I coach my daughter’s Netball team and my son’s cricket team. I like to get out and see local bands and comedy when I can.

What’s planned for the remainder of 2021?

We’ll finish mixing the album, get that released and hopefully get a little tour going (Covid permitting).

Plus we’ve already got a bunch of songs for the 2^nd album so we’ll keep working on them.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Being Italian I’m a big pizza fan. But a close 2^nd is Vietnamese food. Fave hangout would have to be the praccy room with the crew. As far as clubs/bars go – Greaser Bar and the Jolly Roger in the Valley. Plus Blutes on a Sun arve.