Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
Fake News is a Queensland punk band formed in 2017 from different parts across the East coast of Australia. Check them out right here…
What are the origins of Fake News, how long have you been playing together?
The band first formed in late 2017 when Mick put out the word he was looking to start a punk rock band along the lines of Pennywise & Strung Out so I had to check it out. None of us had ever really met before & I heard about it through a friend but our first practice just clicked. We were punching out new songs every week & pretty soon we were playing shows & recording music. We scored a bunch of international support slots with the likes of Good Riddance, Darko, Death By Stereo, Straightline & Guttermouth. After that, the band went through a few lineup changes with a few new drummers & singer. Then in late 2020, we enlisted our current vocalist Tim Russ to lay down vocals for our full-length album Everyday Warrior. We added Nat MacDonald on drums around the same time & that is how the band looks today.
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe Fake News?
Good music. That is what we do. Simple as that. We are a melodic punk rock band molded from the 90’s punk sound. Anyone with an appreciation of half-decent music should enjoy it. It’s fast-paced, high energy with catchy hooks & melodic vocals. What more could you ask for?
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band, and how was it?!
It was great. Every show is great. We all genuinely enjoy playing live & our show is really high energy which the crowds love.
The new music scene is bursting at the seams at the minute with fresh talent, in what ways do you feel that a band has to stand out to build a name for themselves?
Yeah, I agree there is heaps of new music coming out at the moment & some really good bands amongst it. With the easy accessibility of music nowadays it is so hard to stand out from the crowd. Sad to say just being a great band releasing good music quite often isn’t enough to get noticed. That is certainly the first thing you need but you also need to be well organised & efficient & have a good online presence. All factors play a part in a band’s success, their live show, their recording quality, digital marketing, artwork, social media activity, image. Most of the time these are the sort of things that will only build over time so a band has to sustain this for a period of time to start drawing some attention in my opinion.
What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?
We have just released 2 singles “Nothing Town & “Rise & Fall’ with a film clip which are both songs off our upcoming EP release “Take Me Away” which is due out everywhere on March 16. There is plenty more in the pipeline we are aiming to get out later this year as well.
In terms of a similar audience, which band out there at the minute do you feel Fake News would be best suited to open for?
Well, we are opening for A Wilhelm Scream next week. That is right up our alley. Doesn’t get more suited than that.
Excluding yourself, which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
There are so many bands deserving to be noticed but if I have to pick one I would like to see Judo Chop from Melbourne make a stir in the scene. They are a 6 piece tech punk band that are really good at what they do & great blokes as well!
What are your own first musical memories? And what was the lightbulb moment that made you go “I want to do that”?
Me & my brother used to crank my dad’s Dire Straits & Midnight Oil records when we were kids back in the ’80s. That would go close to being one of my first musical memories. As far as the lightbulb moment I couldn’t pinpoint one particular time that it went on. If anything it would be when I started getting into punk in the early 90s listening to NOFX, Bad Religion, Pennywise, Strung Out, etc. I fell in love with punk rock & that is probably what drove me to want to start my own punk band because hey punk was popular in the 90s. What the hell happened to that!
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
Bad Religion & Social Distortion just last week in fact. They still got it for a bunch of old dudes. Good show
What current social issue are you particularly passionate about?
It would have to be the general direction this whole world is heading at the moment. Straight down the crapper basically. People need to stop going along with whatever they are told the latest trend is just so they can try & fit in & say they are part of the solution when that actually makes them part of the problem. As soon as anyone speaks out against the mainstream narrative, they seem to be crucified for it. People need to open their eyes & start thinking for themselves.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
I would have to look pretty hard through my CD collection to find one that isn’t punk or metal & there are about 600 of em! There would be some Queen or Eminem on my Spotify but mainly from my kids but I can handle them listening to that over any of this other new rubbish they call music these days.
What new music have you been enjoying so far this year?
This year is still pretty fresh so there’s not that much to pick from album-wise. Which is good it makes it a lot easier! One Of Us released a self-titled album, it’s great. These guys just came out of nowhere but I really like their music. Reminds me of Propagandhi. I want to hear more of them.
What does 2023 hold for Fake News?
We’re releasing some new music at the moment. We plan to record & release another single mid-year. Then plans are for another full-length album out in 2024. Other than that, we are doing a few live shows around the place. Some international supports & will probably do an east coast tour down to Sydney & Melbourne. That should keep us busy for a while.
How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
We’re pretty active on all platforms. You have to be to stay up with all. By all means drop us a line on FB, Youtube, Insta, or email. We will get back to you.
Find everything that you need here: www.fakenewspunk.com
Photo credits – Ben Russoniello Photography
