Unscored is an outfit on the rise. We caught up with the band to talk about the Unscored origin story, group motto, and the fresh single, Static.
Residents of Naarm/Melbourne, Unscored is a result of high school friendships and a combined love of all things grunge and punk rock. They’ve just launched Static, a gloriously noisy and anarchic slice of rock. The track wears its influences on its sleeve, but it also announces Unscored as a fresh and original presence on the local scene.
Just two singles into what promises to be a fascinating career, Unscored has a lot to look forward to. We took five with the guys from the band to find out how they came together, the secret to their blistering sound, and big plans for the future.
HAPPY: Hey guys, where do you find yourself today?
UNSCORED: We’re from Naarm/Melbourne so right now we’re all just enjoying another glorious day in lockdown and hankering to play another live show.
HAPPY: Tell us a bit about the band? How did it all start?
UNSCORED: We really wanted to break the mould by being a four-piece rock band! In all seriousness though, it started with Dan and Isaac jamming on guitar and drums in the music room at lunch during year 11. We liked the same type of music so we used to just practice and play along to it. Isaac, Carter, and Harry knew each other from doing youth drama classes together and after a few different bassists and vocalists, Carter and Harry slotted in and they haven’t left yet.
HAPPY: A massive congrats on the release of your second single, Static. What is the meaning behind this gorgeously grungy track?
UNSCORED: Too much TV can rot your brain! We love to approach our songs as if they’re characters, so Static is a song about someone with a TV for a head.
HAPPY: What were some of the sonic influences for Static?
UNSCORED: As individuals, we all have really different influences that inspire us in our contribution to the band so it’s a hard question to answer. You could say Static is a soup and the ingredients are bits and pieces of influence that we use to best serve the song. The theatrical nature of the song definitely comes from our background as theatre dweebs.
HAPPY: Your sound is colourful and wild, but also really blends together well. What advice do you have for fresh bands on how to bond and find a good balance between personalities?
UNSCORED: Don’t overthink it! Finding balance is important. If you can get along well without being creative, that’s a first step. Respecting and trusting each other’s input and experimenting with different ideas makes being in a band so much more interesting and fun. It’s a team effort, and we never want to barricade ourselves from new ideas.
HAPPY: What would you say is the motto of Unscored?
UNSCORED: No score means no rules. To make music that we want to listen too and that we think is interesting. Then we just hope other people agree with us! We don’t want to define ourselves to one sound, one genre. The only criteria is “does this sound good to us” and if it does, then into the song it goes.
HAPPY: What is something about Static that you’re particularly proud of?
UNSCORED: The song has changed a lot since it was first written in 2017, with Carter and Harry bringing new elements to it when they joined the band. As our second single, it’s been a much smoother process from recording to release than it was with our first single, Cowboy. We’re also particularly proud that we are able to record and mix our own music, all handled by our guitarist Daniel, who worked tirelessly to take on our nit-picky notes and turn it into what the song is today.
HAPPY: What does the future hold for Unscored?
UNSCORED: We’ve got a few new singles in the works, and are working towards our first full-length album. We’ll also be playing at the Workers Club on November 24 for the Track08 launch party, and at the Tote on November 26 playing with Heavy Amber, another great local band.
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