A band you absolutely need to know.
Look, nobody likes failing. It stings. It keeps you up at night. It makes you question every life choice that led you to this exact moment.
But Terrestrials? They’ve decided to stop running from it and start writing songs about it instead.
The South East Melbourne prog-rock crew just dropped ‘Many Moons,’ their first proper slice of new music since 2023’s Iridescent.
There’s a weight to it, some sense that they’ve been sitting with some uncomfortable truths and came out the other side with something worth saying.
Recorded up at Sing Sing with Luke Cincotta behind the dials, the track crackles with the polished intensity we’ve come to expect, but there’s a rawness underneath that feels new.
We grabbed the band for a chat about comfort zones and why screwing up might actually be the whole point.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
TERRESTRIALS: Reflecting on our sold out single launch last week.
It was such an amazing experience for us. We’re incredibly grateful and truly appreciate everyone that came out to celebrate with us and everyone involved in the show.
HAPPY: You’re based in South East Melbourne — what do you love about the music scene there, and where do Terrestrials fit within it?
TERRESTRIALS: We really draw inspiration from a strong sense of community and that certainly resides here. We live near the Dandenong Mountains where there is strong musical community
HAPPY: ‘Many Moons’ looks at the fear of failure and the way it can keep us stuck. Was there a particular experience or point in your lives that brought that idea to the surface?
TERRESTRIALS: Numerous experiences over a lifetime really but, it could be directly linked to our musical journey as a band and how we’re just now fully embracing significant change and the desire to explore a new direction.
HAPPY: The track wastes absolutely no time getting moving. Was that urgency there from the first version, or was it something you found while recording?
TERRESTRIALS: The structure of the track was largely unchanged from the very start.
Our guitarist, Adrian, brought the song to the group and aside from a couple of tweaks in the bridge section and the addition of the muted guitars and snare work in the intro it was pretty well ready to go.
Ben’s performance on drums in the studio provided so much energy to the track. We’re stoked to finally have him on a release with us. Exciting times ahead.
HAPPY: Since Iridescent, Ben has joined the band and you’ve started pulling more jazz, funk and Latin influences into the mix. Has that changed the way songs begin in the room?
TERRESTRIALS: Ben’s involvement has changed our writing approach quite a lot.
When he first joined the band he shared a folder with over a dozen ideas that he had written that he thought suited us, with so many more that he has other plans for.
He’s incredibly creative, energetic, keen to experiment and explore new directions the band could go, all of that has helped to write some of our most left field music to date and we’re excited to share it.
These elements have made it into our live shows, where we’re often changing sections of songs into a live jam of sorts, leading to a different version every time. It’s brought a lot of fun to our sets, for us and the crowd.
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HAPPY: What does writing together actually look like for Terrestrials — does someone usually arrive with the bones of a song, or do the best ideas tend to come out of jamming?
TERRESTRIALS: It varies. Some songs are brought in with a full structure and fleshed out, others come in and get dissected into several different songs, others come to life entirely in the rehearsal room.
We all have an input to the writing process which helps to keep things interesting, diverse and fun.
HAPPY: Who are you listening to at the moment that’s genuinely making you want to approach music differently?
TERRESTRIALS: Tek tek ensemble, The seven ups, Loathe, Tycho. More varied styles the better!
HAPPY: What’s something about Terrestrials — musically or personally — that people probably wouldn’t guess from hearing the records?
TERRESTRIALS: We are considerably more silly than our music would suggest.
Some rehearsal nights when packing up have been the silliest times of my entire life. Strange noises are how we communicate best, then music, then talking.
HAPPY: Does ‘Many Moons’ feel like a bridge from Iridescent into whatever comes next, or more like the beginning of something completely new?
TERRESTRIALS: Without a doubt it feels like a new era whilst maintaining a healthy relationship with our roots.
HAPPY: What makes you happy?
TERRESTRIALS: Self expression, creativity and releasing new music! We’re dropping another track, titled Endure, on the 11th of September. It features a surprise guest vocalist. Watch this space.
