Shaking off their signature country, blues and Americana sound, Brisbane’s Sunset Junkies have reinvented themselves on their huge, heavy-rock-tinged new hit, Inertia.
A track that will unite lovers of genres spanning everything from pop to metal, Inertia is an anthem for moving forward in life, something the Sunset Junkies have certainly done, bringing together decades of experience to forge a new musical direction.
Led by charismatic and talented front man Byron Short, Sunset Junkies at its core is a group of friends committed to making music they love, and for Byron, heavy music has always been a passion.
“Having released a string of solo albums that really only hinted at a heavy side and focused more on a singer-songwriter aesthetic… I felt like a part of me was screaming out to create something extremely dense, layered and heavy which still leaned on the catchy song-writing sensibility I had cultivated my entire working life,” said Byron.
“Taking this new direction, I feel cleansed in a way. Like I’ve buried my ego and allowed myself to create the music in my heart. Moving forward, Sunset Junkies will be a vehicle for my heavy side.”
With Producer David Bottrill (Tool, Silverchair, Peter Gabriel) at the helm of the mix, Inertia ushers in an era of heavy guitar, layered instrumentation, lush vocals and hard-hitting choruses. Despite the change in output, the mechanics behind the Sunset Junkies music hasn’t changed.
“I think Inertia is really solidly based in good song craft. Even though it’s heavier, the process of writing it was really no different to my previous work. I just wanted to get my message across in a groovy, catchy and moving way. Same, same but different.”
Fans also won’t have to wait long to wrap their ears around more of the band’s luscious new sound. They’re currently working on an album which gives nod to the likes of Tool, Devin Townsend, Silverchair and Peter Gabriel. For a first taste of what’s new, and a flavour full of old favourites, Byron recommends getting along to their single launch at Woolly Mammoth this Friday, 23 March.
“It’s gonna be a brilliant night. The support bands alone are worth the price of admission – Elko Fields and Hotel Escobar are a couple of Brisbane’s finest rock bands and we’re very lucky to have them. We’ll also have an AUSLAN interpreter onstage with us to help communicate the message of our music.”
As for the take home message at the heart of Sunset Junkies metamorphosis…
“Don’t settle. Get off your ass and work for your dreams. Don’t settle for inertia.”
Listen to Sunset Junkies’ colossal new sound on Inertia (below) and rock out with them at their Woolly Mammoth show this Friday night, 23 March. All event info available HERE.
INERTIA – SUNSET JUNKIES
