“I always had this weird feeling that there was ghosts in my Dads basement” We get into it with Venus Fly Tap
Byron Bay’s Venus Fly Trap, comprised of Tim Degen, Tessa Collins, and Andrew Wilkinson, brings together a unique blend of influences – from bluesy undertones to a raw, grunge edge.
Their evolving sound, which has grown progressively more melodic and danceable, is a testament to their collaborative spirit. Each member injects their own musical background, creating a sound that’s both introspective and irresistibly energetic.
Join us as we delve deeper into the world of Venus Fly Trap, where we’ll explore the inspiration behind “Faint Echoes,” the band’s creative process, and what makes them tick.
Happy: What are you up to today?
Venus Fly Trap: I had a pretty good day at work, spoke to my family in Germany and done some advertising stuff for our upcoming shows over the next few weeks.
Happy: Can you tell us a bit more about your hometown and what inspires you creatively there? Is there anything you’d change?
Venus Fly Trap: Byron is the bands hometown but we all are from different countries and continents, but we call Byron and the Northern Rivers our home. What inspires us here is the art and underground scene thats going on with all sorts of little events around the shire.
Happy: How did the band Venus Fly Trap form? What brought you three together?
Venus Fly Trap: I started the band with our original bassist Matt but the bands now in its 3rd formation since starting in 2022, with every change of lineup there’s kind of been a shift and progression in sound which has been cool to see.
Happy: What are your biggest musical influences?
Venus Fly Trap: We’ve all got pretty varying music tastes so there’s some stuff we write that feels a little blusey, then Andy comes from playing in punk bands so there’s that stuff that give things a bit of a heavier feel at times.
My biggest musical influences come from 60’s blues rock to 90’s Alternative Rock. Where Andys influence is a lot of Punk. Tess’ influence is quite similar to mine with 90’s Alternative Rock.
Happy: What’s the creative process like for Venus Fly Trap?
Venus Fly Trap: It changes from song to song. Sometimes I’ve wrote a whole song and then we rework things in studio other times one of us will just have a riff or groove and we kind of just jam stuff out together till we have the bone of a song and I’ll go away and write lyrics from there. Its kind of anything goes at this stage as we move the sound towards where we want it to be.
The lyrics of “Faint Echoes” deal with grief and loss. What personal experiences or inspirations led you to explore this theme?
A person very close to me had passed years ago and I kept thinking about it and how that persons ghost or spirit would try to make contact with me or other close individuals and how that would come across to me and those individuals.
Happy: Can you elaborate on this imagery and how it reflects the emotional journey?
Venus Fly Trap: Imagine you’re at home, late at night, it’s dead silent and suddenly theres noises in the walls, lights turning on, doors slamming and shadows that are moving around outside your windows, but you know that there’s definitely no one around.
I always had this weird feeling that there was ghosts in my Dads basement. I would be playing music in my tiny little room and dad would accidentally turn off the lights after he went upstairs.
Every time he did that I had to run up to turn the light on, I was scared to death, thinking theres ghosts running after me.
Happy: Can you share any insights into the themes you’re exploring on your upcoming album?
Venus Fly Trap: We haven’t got a full album release planned but we’re planning to release an EP later in the year which will have a Song called ‘Can you Hear me’ on it, which is the opposite story of ‘Faint Echoes’.
Looking back at your 2023 releases like “Red Zone” and “WINGS,” how has your sound evolved since then?
Our sound evolved more towards Indie and Alternative Rock. It certainly became less grungy and more melody focussed. Tess’ distinct vocal has really helped in that aspect of our songwriting. The Energy of all songs is higher and more danceable than our past releases.
When Tess joined pretty recently even those older songs have started to be reworked to work in the second vocal which has really given them a new lease of life.
We also got lucky to be working with Producer and Engineer Alain De Carne who has helped us define all of our new tracks which we will release later this year.
Happy: Lastly, what makes you happy?
Venus Fly Trap: Writing music, listening to music. Hanging out with my partner, my friends and my family, going to Gigs and lastly seeing my mates and strangers dance and sing along to our music when we play live.
