Interview by Kris Peters
Music is a dish best served fermented.
Too many bands these days - possibly because of the ease of recording in the modern era - throw music around with too much regularity, losing in substance what they gain in output.
But it's the smarter bands who sit back and master their craft before releasing music, and even more so when that band is new on the scene and therefore maybe overzealous and in a rush to be heard.
Tweed Heads rock machine The Whiskeys formed back in 2019 but spent the next few years refining and finding their sound through countless live shows and hours spent writing. Although having enough material to possibly record and release an EP, The Whiskeys allowed themselves time to connect with their music before announcing it to the world.
The result is their debut single Hoedown which is set to premiere via HEAVY on February 23.
A rocking and catchy as fuck number, Hoedown is but one of a string of releases planned for 2024, but first HEAVY took time out to get to know this two-piece - NOT a duo - a bit better.
"Hoedown is a party, brother Krispy!" Josh exclaimed. "It's a party!"
"It's just us doing our thing," Benny added, "everyone having a good time moshing and dancing. All types of dancing. And getting it all together in one place and forgetting about the world and dramas for a bit. Just ripping into the music and having a bloody good old Hoedown. That's what it's all about."
We press as to how much of a good time and how close to the country version of a Hoedown the track gets.
"Ah… well… there could be some elements in there," Benny laughed. "We've got a bit of a mixture in our music, so there's definitely some foot tapping and leg slapping happening, that's for sure."
"It's a modern version of country metal," Josh chimed in. "With a bit of rock, a bit of blues, the whole kit and caboodle."
In the full interview, we ask the boys more about Hoedown, why they chose it as their debut single, how it reflects the overall sound of The Whiskeys, future music, why they waited 5 years to release their first piece of music, the difference between a duo and a two-piece band, their blending of sounds and how they make it work, tour plans and more.