As they gear up for a string of shows, Increment is preparing to collect a stack of new fans with their lo-fi meets garage rock goodness
Increment kick off their tour on July 19th at The Bird in Northbridge, followed by a performance at The Y HQ in Leederville on July 27th, continuing to Old Habits in West Perth on August 3rd, and concluding at The Prince in Bunbury on August 30th.
Today, we caught up with Sasha, and James, who share insights into their lives, their music, and their creative journey, revealing the stories behind their upcoming EP, “Everything Stays the Same.”
Join us as we delve into their world and discover what makes this band a standout act in the vibrant Perth music scene.
Happy: What are you up to today?
Sasha: Today we’ve been rehearsing for our upcoming tour around WA, making sure our set is ready for The Bird in Northbridge on the 19th of July and The Y HQ in Leederville 27th of July.
James: I bought a scratching post for my cat today, don’t tell him though it’s a surprise.
Happy: Tell us a little about where you live? What do you love about it?
Sasha: We’re based in Perth WA, having lived here our whole lives we’ve drawn quite a bit of inspiration simply through living here.
James: It gets a bad rap – I think it’s a very beautiful city, ten out of ten would recommend.
Happy: How did you all come together as a band?
James: During highschool, we met at a music school called Rock Scholars which acts as a place for young musicians to form bands.
Most people form a band with their friends but we became friends while making music together.
For the first few years, we’d only see each other at practice and that made our relationship special as we connected through our love of music. Now we’re all great mates.
Happy: The title, “Everything Stays the Same”, suggests both growth and stagnation. Can you elaborate on the concept behind the EP’s title?
Sasha: The name initially came from a line in our song “I Don’t Know How to Change” which is track 4 on the EP.
The line, “I don’t know how to change when everything stays the same” connects to my experience of living in Perth, where your surroundings never really change while you grow up.
The whole EP is about us entering adulthood so it felt like a fitting title. The title takes inspiration from the title of the 1989 Del Amitri song “Nothing Ever Happens.”
I’ve always been fascinated by the ambiguity of this type of phrasing, it allows the audience to create their own meaning.
Happy: Your debut EP showcases a range of influences, from pop-punk to indie rock. What are some of the artists or bands that have had the biggest impact on your sound?
James: As a band we take on many influences, we’re especially influenced by the American midwest/rock scene.
If we had to attribute each song to an artist we could sit here all day but we definitely took inspiration from Mom Jeans, Modern Baseball & Big Thief while writing this EP.
Sasha: However, Australian bands like Sly Withers, Noah Dillon, Slowly Slowly and Teenage Joans is where our roots grew from.
Happy: You guys clearly have a knack for catchy hooks. What’s your songwriting process like? Is melody or lyricism the starting point?
Sasha: We normally start with a bit of both, it tends to come simultaneously. However, lyrics play the biggest part in dictating where the song is heading.
James: Generally me and Sasha come up with the skeleton of the song acoustically and then bring it into the band to expand upon.
This allows for creative input from each member, making the songs more dynamic.
Happy: The Perth music scene is known for its vibrancy. How has it influenced your sound?
Sasha: The Perth music scene is really quite amazing and we’ve been very fortunate to have a place in it. We’ve found that our sound has dramatically changed after attending and being a part of local shows.
It’s a cycle of inspiration that we’re all in. We’ve definitely been influenced by the Perth bands on our tour such as: Honey Bug, Rocks & Rhubarb, Dellen Amy, Sophie Lilah, Daisy Park, Foothead, Broken Pedal & Hey So Hungry. We respect and admire these groups dearly.
Happy: What are your biggest takeaways from recording your debut EP?
James: McDonalds, Hungry Jacks – I also work at Dominos so I get takeaway from there sometimes.
Sasha: Comedy gold from James over here… The EP was an idea we had floating around for a while so finally getting the songs together to make it happen took a lot of trust in each other and the process.
Each member had unique views on what songs should go where so it was almost a team building exercise to create the tracklist. Trusting in a creative vision was definitely a big takeaway.
Happy: Gearheads love to know! Can you tell us a bit about the instruments and gear you use to create your sound?
Sasha: I’ve always been a big Telecaster fan since highschool when I started listening to the band, American Football. After that, I went out and bought a Squire Semi Hollow and since then I’ve upgraded to a Fender Player Series.
I’ve found that the “tele” tone meshes super well with our lead guitarists, Jake’s Gibson Les Paul. In general, this year we’ve all been taking our sound more seriously.
In 2023, we basically each had a tuner and a DS-1 but thanks to Facebook Marketplace, we’ve all got pretty stacked boards now.
My most essential pedals for my rig are the JHS Double Barrel & BlueSky Strymon, which we used on every guitar tracked on the EP.
Jake and I both run our gear through a Vox AC15 that we’ve had since highschool.
Happy: With “Everything Stays the Same” out in the world, what are your hopes for the future?
James: The WA tour we’re doing is super fun but going forward as a major goal we’d love to play around the country.
Sasha: Festivals in Perth would also be a great next step for us, even just supporting bigger acts would be lovely.
Happy: Lastly, what makes you happy?
Sasha: There’s a place called Don Birria in Mount Lawley where we celebrated the EP launch. That place. That makes me happy. This is my call out for them to sponsor us.
James: My cat and his new scratching post.
