Perth’s Miles Away will this week release, and kick off the launch tour for their fourth album, ‘Tide‘.
Featuring eleven songs that were recorded and mixed with Jay Maas (of Defeater) at The Getaway Recording in Haverhill, MA, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege.
It will be available on LP / CD / Digital in Australia through Resist Records and on LP / CD / Cassette by Six Feet Under Records in the US and Europe.
Tide‘ features guest appearances by Zach Jordan from Bane, Jake Woodruff from Dreamtigers, Dahei Yamanaka from Japan’s Cleave and renowned Aussie crooner Jamie Hay who put in time with A Death In The Family, Pitfall and Conation. Mike Maxted Images took care of the cover art.
You can pre-order the CD, Vinyl and T-Shirt bundles from Resist [Here].
This week in The Hotseat we caught up with Nick from the band to answer our questions. See all the tour dates below the interview.
THE BASICS
Name : Nick HorsnellBand : Miles Away
Job In Band : Vocals
Website Address : milesawayhc.com
HOME
Hometown : PerthHometown is best known for : FIFO, Ben Cousins, Emu Export, Bondi House, Ship To Shore etc…
Best venue in your hometown : The White Sands, scarBRAH (RIP).
Favourite show you’ve seen in your hometown : Mindsnare @ Flag & Whistle Fremantle, 1999.
Favourite show you’ve played in your hometown : Any show at Prince of Wales.
THE BAND
How did the band first come to exist? Three members of Alleged joined forces with Dion from Boredumb and then put an ad out for a singer. I went to University with Cam at the time so he asked me to come down and jam. The rest is history give or take a few members here and there.How long has the band been going? We first started playing music in late 2002, so around 13 years now… damn time flies!
Is there an interesting story behind the name? Not at all haha. A textbook case of write down as each member write down a bunch of names each on a piece of paper and pick the one we all like the best. Actually “Miles Away” was a song from one of our favourite Perth bands growing up called Ballpoint. So a bit of a hat tip to those guys. The amount of times we’ve been asked “why not Kilometres Away?”
What’s your most recent release? Tell us a little about it… Our most recent release is the “TIDE” LP which is released this week. Took us five years to release something but we’re really happy with the eleven songs on it and how the band has evolved over the years. It was recorded last year in Boston with Jay Maas and mastered with Brad Boatright. We had many friends help out in the making of this record and are grateful for their input.
Got a personal stand out achievement of your band to date? I don’t think any of us have one particular stand out moment or achievement. It’s been a hell of a journey over the last decade and more, and we have been able to see and experience so many cool things along the way. Coming from a really isolated part of the Earth it’s been amazing travelling all over the world to places we’d never heard of. That and playing with all the bands we grew up listening to… very satisfying.
OFF THE STAGE
What was your first introduction to music that made you think seriously about playing it? I don’t really “play” music, but I guess seeing other friends and people yelling into a microphone showed me it’s not so complicated.Any band, album, or song that you personally credit as a major influence? Damn, so many. For me a lot of the 90’s Epitaph and Fat Wreck bands, mixed with all of the Revelation Records, Victory Records and some Roadrunner Records for good measure. Actually i’m gonna credit the surf and skate videos of the early 90’s for their supreme song selection putting me onto all the stuff i still love today. Nothing gets me more amped than watching old videos. Oh and $10 sampler Cd’s… loved em.
Your first band name, and what style did you play? Turn The Tide. The style wasn’t too different from Miles Away actually, maybe a bit more Youth Crew, Posi vibe. We never made it out of the jam room but recorded a couple of songs, and it was really fun looking back.
Most prized music related item you own? Hmmm. I don’t really have anything of any worth. A bunch of my favourite records, tour passes and the Madball setlist from their first show in Perth.
When you’re not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing? I like to be hanging at the beach, whether its walking the dog, surfing, bodysurfing, kicking a ball around…whatever. Spending time with the better half and time with friends. All that and doing Fantasy Footy, Fantasy Surfer, Fantasy Premier League… keeps me pretty busy!
The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is… Sleeping and eating really good. And getting amped to see some old and new mates, and swim in places that aren’t the local.
The thing you least look forward to before a tour is… Missing the better half, the dog and the bed. The reality that I won’t find wifi on the road to fix my fantasy footy team.
Any item you seem to always forget to take on tour? Finding it hard to think of something. We’ve gone from young kids taking basically our whole room on tour with us, to road hardened streamlined backpack tourers these days. One thing Miles Away never forgets is pillows, even if we look like 8 year old kids on a school camp on the plane. It is what it is.
LISTEN
ON THE STAGE
When on offer, what’s your one must have item on the rider? Europe spoilt us, now we can’t live without 5 fresh pairs of socks, a platter of cheese and bread, 3 crates of bubble water and 5 crates of beer.Got a favourite place you’ve toured… and why? Japan, I think maybe because that was our first stop overseas and was such a surreal experience for us back then. Amazing people and country. Europe for the hospitality and history. South East Asia for the sheer excitement and fact anything can happen.
Got a favourite venue you’ve played… and why? Playing Gilman Street in San Fran was pretty sweet and one to check off the list. The Arthouse (RIP) many great memories playing and watching bands there. The Hydey Perth for it’s rawness. The random places on tour we had no idea about that blew us away…Slovakia, Tijuana, Jakarta, Oklahoma City, Fukuoka…a million miles from home having a great time.
Any embarrassing on stage moments come to mind? Oh so many, getting knocked over or into things every couple minutes cos I’m 60kg. Crowey getting electrocuted twice in one show in Birmingham. Long stories between songs that go nowhere. All part of the game!
Any pre-show rituals? Actually on our first tour overseas (Japan) we were pretty nervous since we’d only done a couple east coast tours. some of us started using Deep Heat to get amped… by get amped i mean rub Deep Heat into your balls. Just don’t get it anywhere near the tip because there have been a few mishaps.
What do you find is the hardest aspect of touring in a band today? Its hard to judge because we don’t tour so much anymore. But what little touring we do, we definitely see a difference in how stuff works. There’s just so many bands and tours now in general…its hard to compete by the looks of it. It costs more now with the price of hands and petrol and whatever. Seems like there is quite a gap between the “big” bands and the smaller bands putting in the hard yards. But as long as you’re having fun getting out and playing other places and people dig it, then who cares!
RIGHT NOW
Last song you listened to? Millencolin “Shake Me” from The Melancholy Collection was just on.Last album you picked up? I think that would be “Hyperview” from Title Fight.
Which band or album is currently on high rotation? By A Thread “Last of the Daydreams” one of the forgotten Rev releases from late 90’s/early 00’s has been getting hammered lately.
Tell us an up and coming band or artist you think we should go and listen to right now? Some really cool bands getting about Perth now. Check out Bounty Hunter, Puck, Cursed Earth, The Ratt Soup, Losing Grip to name a few.
What’s on the cards for the next few months for the band? Well our new record will finally come out and we are gonna play a run of shows around the country with Blacklisted who also just released a new LP. Looking forward to that and seeing what people think of the new songs in general. Hopefully some more touring later in the year when we can find the time.
IF ONLY…
You can pick any one album for your band to cover in full, what would it be and why? Mere Theory “Towering Sun” EP. We wouldn’t cover it though, just play the songs through the PA and pretend to play them because we could never do them justice. For me, one of the best Australian releases of all time and songs that people that have never heard need to hear.You can pick any one band / artist to cover one of your albums in full, what would it be, and why? I reckon i’d like to hear Phil Collins’ take on the Endless Roads LP. A true musical legend.
One band you wish you were able to see live but never had the chance? Life of Agony. There is still hope…
One venue you have yet to play that you would love to? I would like to play the Old Bar in Melbourne. Mostly because I want to get the Melbourne Bitter Boogie Board off of the wall.
The chance comes up to fill in for a member of a band for one tour, which band would it be, and why? Playing something for Oasis, a triangle or something. Just to see the banter between the Gallagher bros…
A headline tour overseas comes up, tell us two bands you’d take along to support your band. Keeping it West Australian we’d bring along the down south’s finest and punkest in Beer Fridge and then have The Others along for the ride too because its always funny having FOUR Crowe brothers in the van at one time.
PLUG TIME
Got any final words? Our new LP “Tide” is out May 5th in Australia through Resist and on May 8th in US/EU through Six Feet Under Records. Pick up a copy and let us know what you think. We’ll also be on the road with Blacklisted during May, hope to see some friendly faces!
TOUR DATES
MILES AWAY
With guests BLACKLISTED (Except *)
MAY
8th – Footy Club, Margaret River [AA] * w/ Beer Fridge, Born Free, Chainsaw Hookers, Silver Lizard, Rat King + more.
9th – Rosemount Hotel, Perth [18+] w/ Born Free, Bounty Hunter, Beer Fridge.
10th – YMCA HQ, Leederville [AA] w/ Born Free, The Others, Wear Me Out.
13th – Enigma Bar, Adelaide [Lic/AA] w/ Starvation, Reactions & World View.
14th – Northcote Social Club, Northcote [18+] w/ 50 Lions, Outright & Born Free.
15th – The Red Rattler, Sydney [Lic/AA] w/ Downside, Controlled & Deadly Visions.
16th – The Small Ballroom, Newcastle [18+] w/ Legions, Hurt X Unit & Ill Natured.
17th – Upstairs @ 199, Brisbane [AA -Arvo] w/ Shackles, Nerve Damage.
17th – The Brightside, Brisbane [18+] w/ The Gifthorse.
—> Tickets available now.
—> For more information, visit [Here].
TOUR POSTER
COVER ART
TRACK LISTING
1 Floodgates
2 Terra Incognita
3 Grateful
4 Let The Words Roll By
5 Ex Voto
6 Entitlement
7 Mousetraps
8 Whitewash
9 Balance
10 Port Of Call
11 Under Tow
PRE-ORDER
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