FIST’s debut EP is taking punk by storm
FIST has finally dropped their bass-busting debut EP, Enter The FIST.
Back in high school, mates Josh, Rohan, and Luke performed DIY gigs in their small coastal hometown of Nelson Bay, sparking their love for music and creativity.
Fast forward to 2023, they made the bold move – breaking up with their partners, quitting their jobs, and diving headfirst into Newcastle’s thriving live music scene as FIST.
Their raw energy and determination quickly made waves, propelling them into the heart of the local punk scene.
Enter The FIST, a powerhouse collaboration with Brad Telfer Audio, The DIY Recording Studio, and The Grove Studios, features all of their singles to date, including the chart-smashing KA-BOOM (MTHRFCKR) and their equally impactful sophomore single, Dickhead.
Their latest single, Venomous Touch, produced by Mitchell Rose, reveals a more personal side of the band.
With over 70 shows since 2023 and new tracks dropping monthly in 2025, FIST is primed to take the Aussie punk scene by storm.
Read below for FIST’s in-depth discussion of Enter The FIST.
Enter The FIST – Stage to Studio to Back Again (By Rohan, the Bass Player)
If there’s one thing that we’ve learned from putting together Enter The FIST, it’s that our band thrives by keeping things simple and genuine.
We’re not trying to be anything we’re not; we just love playing music, meeting people, and making something out of nothing.
Recording Process – Keeping It Real
Recording this EP has been about capturing what makes FIST, FIST.
It’s been a mix of working with some incredible people while staying true to what we do best – playing music together.
Mitch Rose from The DIY Recording Studio said, “It’s easy to capture FIST’s energy in the studio.”
“I just put the right mics in front of them and let them do their thing.”
“For Venomous Touch we recorded everything the old school way.”
“A band in a room together, playing live. It captured the vibe and energy of that song.”
Our drummer Luke loved working across three different studios, getting to see different approaches and just having fun with it: “The recording process was a lot of fun.”
“Really good using like, three different studios, getting to know different people, styles and different environments.”
“That was really cool.”
The main man Josh had his own approach for KA-BOOM (MTHRFCKR), which was a bit unconventional: guitars and scratch tracks first, then drums, then more guitars and vocals.
“It was a two-day job… Very pleasant and efficient,” Josh said.
“It’s a process that worked because we knew exactly what we wanted out of it.
Touring and Community Building
Touring has always been a big part of what we do.
When we hit the road for KA-BOOM back in January, we played shows across Sydney, Canberra, the Central Coast, and wrapped things up in Newcastle, jumping into the studio when we can along the way.
Of course, things didn’t always go to plan… Like rocking up in Canberra without a drumkit!
Luke explained it best saying, “Compared to getting the van broken into or something, we just went ‘eh, okay. Whatever.’ And jumped straight onto Facebook Marketplace trying to find, like, a children’s kit or something.”
While me and Loose Surface were rushing out to buy some kid’s Christmas present, Jasper from DSM-6 saved the day after a monster drive straight from Melbourne.
That’s what it’s all about – the community, the connections, the core memories.
We’re just trying to build something here.
A proper DIY community where everyone’s welcome to jump in and be part of whatever we’re doing.
Music Video – Venomous Touch
The music video for Venomous Touch was something special.
We shot it under the Stockton Bridge with a bunch of friends, just having a good time and making something cool out of it.
Josh describes it as “probably the funnest day I’ve ever had. Like, 15-hour day and I can’t fault a second of it.”
Super Hubert–Hunter royalty and Newcastle icon–was a huge part of the day.
His energy and willingness to just throw himself into the shoot made the whole thing come together.
As he put it, “I’m sort of running out of time in my life, so I wouldn’t dream of charging.”
“I’m just really pleased to be a part of it.”
For us, the Venomous Touch video is a perfect example of what FIST is about: having a crazy idea and somehow pulling it off.
The video itself is a trying to hit that Cypress Hill, Suicidal Tendencies vibe in 2025 and just having a laugh.
It’s exactly what we wanted it to be.
What’s Next for FIST?
Enter The FIST is about bringing together everything we’ve been working on.
From the road-testing of KA-BOOM (MTHRFCKR) which hit #7 on the Hypeddit top 100 punk charts and got some solid traction on Triple J Unearthed, to the follow-up Dickhead, recorded at The Grove Studios and launched live at The Lass O’Gowrie. Now with Venomous Touch, we’re showing a different side of ourselves – something more personal, but still with that same intensity.
But this is just the beginning. Our plan going forward is to release a new single every month, building up to a full studio album.
It’s a way of keeping things fresh and pushing ourselves to keep creating.
We’re already working on the next tracks, trying to keep this momentum up.
The next big thing for us is we’re doing a full pub take-over at The Beauford Hotel in Mayfield on Friday the 28th.
It’s the launch party for Venomous Touch, the EP, the music video, and also my birthday party.
We’ll be sharing the stage with our good mates Citizen Fire and I Hate People.
It’s gonna be loud, messy, and basically fucked–just the way we like it.
Closing Thoughts – From Our Friends and Collaborators
The best part about this whole process is the support we’ve had along the way from everyone who’s been a part of it.
Whether it’s been recording, gigging, or just getting together to make something cool, it’s always felt like a group effort.
Mitch Rose from The DIY Recording Studio put it best when he said, “Mixing and mastering a band is easy when they are tight and they have their shit together.”
It’s been a lot of fun working with him and letting him capture our sound just the way we want.
Brad Telfer, who worked with us on KA-BOOM (MTHRFCKR), joked (we hope): “Working with FIST was the most fucked experience I’ve had in the studio, they are absolutely cooked.”
“I truly wish I never have to work with them again.”
Super Hubert, who brought pure joy to the Venomous Touch music video shoot, said, “It helps sometimes to get in outside people to rip things up and dream up things you wouldn’t think of.”
His energy was exactly what we needed to pull off something special.
Reece Swalwell from DVNTS put it pretty simply: “FIST is the result of a band who have honed their craft in the trenches of every venue in Newcastle.”
Cameron Barnett from Jinjo added, “Raw, hard and in ya face. FIST always sets the tone for a gig and breaks the ice, which always makes our events with them feel natural and FOR the music, which is what it should be about.”
Stevie Dempsey from Poison Spitting Gallah, who played the corpse in the Venomous Touch video, said, “Rad afternoon hanging out with the FIST boys.”
“Would definitely put my hand up again if they need dead bodies for future music clips.”
Loose Surface have been a huge part of our journey, always willing to help us out and share ideas.
They put it best: “They’ve maintained a collaborative relationship, often reaching out for gig opportunities and chatting about ways we can help each other.”
“Rohan is constantly working to create and find ways to better equip DIY bands with tools to navigate the oftentimes challenging and unforgiving music scene.”
Honestly, the response we’ve been getting has been amazing.
It’s been a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun.
And we’re just getting started.
What’s important is that we’re doing this our way.
The EP is a mix of everything we love – punk, rap, rock – whatever we feel like.
And the people who are there with us, on stage or off, are what makes it all worth doing.
