Fresh off the release of PoorXcuse’s fourth studio album, “Habitual Creatures,” the band gets into a candid chat that peels back the layers of their creative process
Join us as we delve into PoorXcuse‘s eclectic tastes, dissect their process of discovering new sounds within the vast spectrum of rock.
From the infectious energy of “Goosebumps” to the socially charged anthem “Just A Matter of Time,” PoorXcuse navigates diverse thematic landscapes.
This unfiltered, no-holds-barred exploration takes us deep into the sonic realm of PoorXcuse, revealing the intricate layers and diverse influences that shape their musical landscape.
Happy: What are you up to today?
Poorxcuse: After working our day jobs: Catching up for a rehearsal tonight and we’ll be collectively answering your questions.
Happy: What does a typical day look like when recording a project like ‘Habitual Creatures’?
Poorxcuse: A typical day recording habitual creatures? We built a recording studio in the backyard of our drummer Jeff ‘s place.
We catch up every Wednesday and Thursday night and slowly work through the process of recording each song.
Starting with a scratch track of the song playing to a metronome then multi tracking by layering drums ,guitar, bass vocals, etc…..
And finally mixing down the track.
Once we’re happy with the overall mix of all songs we send the album off to be mastered.
So it depends on at what stage of the recording process we’re up to on any given day
Happy: Given that you now have a sizeable discography, is there a certain level of pressure to “prove yourself” with new albums?
Poorxcuse: We don’t feel pressured to prove ourselves with a new album, we do improve our recording gear microphones, computers instruments etc.. , and always try to improve our playing technique and abilities.
We have our 5th album written, although just not quite ready to record it yet.
Practice makes perfect
Happy: How is ‘Habitual Creatures’ an evolution of the band’s sound?
Poorxcuse: Hopefully habitual creatures shows that we’ve matured in our songwriting.
We’ve always written and played just for fun Our albums reflect our live set lists playing our style of funky rocking bluesy tunes and sometimes verging on punk and of late a hint of pop rock.
Happy: ‘Goosebumps’ is one of the more upbeat, pop-leaning songs on the album. How do you go about striking the balance between pop and rock?
Poorxcuse: Striking a balance between pop and rock is a really good question?????
Our earlier albums have always been funk rock and blues I guess pop was another progression for us.
Goosebumps was originally meant to be a surf /beach song , that was the feeling I got from the riff, although I just couldn’t write the right words for it.
Then one day I saw this really beautiful girl at my local supermarket and the idea for the lyrics just “popped ” into my head, lol.
Musically, it’s simply a three chord riff.
With a catchy turn around.
Happy: ‘Goosebumps’ is about romance and crushing on someone. Why do you think love has been a muse for musicians for so long?
Poorxcuse: Love is an emotion that everyone can relate to, which is why I think musicians often write such songs.
Love is universal.
True love eternal.
Happy: Your music falls under the broad and versatile genre of rock. How do you go about finding new sounds, styles and fusions within rock music (eg. blues, ballads, etc.)?
Poorxcuse: The band has very eclectic tastes in music.
We all draw from our various influences to find new sounds, styles and fusions.
Generally speaking writing rock music is just a riff that we get a vibe from and expand on it.
Happy: One of the album songs, ‘Just A Matter of Time’, discusses climate change. Why was this an important topic to explore?
Poorxcuse: Just a matter of time was written in 2019/20.
The Black Summer Drought had gripped the country for years then Australia burned, followed by floods.
Unprecedented is a word that seems to be getting used a lot lately, unpredictable is another.
The majority of Australians and people around the world live in the city, and are not directly effected by droughts, fires or floods as much as those that are living in rural areas.
“Its just a matter of time” before everyone on the planet feels the effects of climate change.
Governments only give us a poor excuse regarding their lack of action on this ,the most important issue of the planet and everybody’s future!!!
“We’re running out of time”
Happy: What makes you happy?
Poorxcuse: Sleeping in.
A cold beer on a hot day.
The beach.
A campfire.
Good times spent with loved ones.
