Scatter Light frontman chats all things behind their new single, confirming that there is hope for Aussie rock n’ roll.
The Northern Beaches trio shine a light on the process behind their debut single Leave Some Room Inside Your Mind.
Chatting with frontman Ollie Williams, the artist recalls how the band was magnetised through their mutual love for psych-rock, confirming with enthusiasm that there is a continued thirst in the music industry for Aussie rock music.
HAPPY: Morning Ollie! Where do you find yourself today
SCATTER LIGHT: It’s a sunny morning here on Sydney’s Northern Beaches after a big night doing a local gig, can’t complain!
HAPPY: Tell us a bit about Scatter Light! How did the trio come together?
SCATTER LIGHT: I grew up with a strong heritage of music throughout my family with both my grandfather and father being pro-rock musicians in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s so I was kind of destined to be in a band. After playing lots of music in high school, I set out to create a band that encompassed my deep passion for psych-rock. After going through various line ups and combinations, we finally found the right fit together as a line up in early 2020 through our mutual love for making original psych-rock.
HAPPY: Your first single Leave Some Room Inside Your Mind has an incredible blending of the rock and psychedelic-indie genre… was this intentional?
SCATTER LIGHT: I think we just set out to write songs that reflect the music we want to hear ourselves. Through the wide range of both modern music and pioneer 60s and 70s artists we’re influenced by, we inevitably landed somewhere in between a vintage and modern sound with this one.
HAPPY: The lyrics unpack some really overwhelming topics, e.g.“what you see everyday is just a thin disguise” … what did you mean by this?
SCATTER LIGHT: The lyrics definitely take on some big ideas, I’ve always been fascinated by the infinite nature of the universe, its magnitude and incomprehensibility. The belief that what we experience on earth in our individual realities, is all-encompassing, and is something we can get caught up and lost in. I guess the lyrics try to challenge that notion and allow people to contemplate the majesty and humbling nature of the universe, gaining fresh perspective on their own lives, and in turn taking them away from the mundane. I think it’s cool that our first single ended up exploring these topics, as there are infinite places to go!
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HAPPY: Who were your biggest influences for the track?
SCATTER LIGHT: We all have such a wide range of influences, it’s hard to put my finger on specific bands. I think early 70s psych rock acts such as Ursa Major, Beck, Bogert, & Appice and early Joe Walsh definitely show themselves throughout the track. However, my deep respect for modern indie psych is still very apparent too with bands such as Sugar Candy Mountain or ORB. My Dark Side of the Moon vinyl is also slowly wearing out!
HAPPY: Do you think the rock genre is dead?
SCATTER LIGHT: I think there is still so much great rock music coming out all over the world and especially here in Australia. We’ve noticed whilst playing gigs in Sydney that there is still a very strong desire for rock music amongst people of all ages. It’s hard to deny the international success of Aussie artists such as Tame Impala, whose early discography is grounded in rock n’ roll or the prolific and progressive rock sound that King Gizzard have, preserve the Australian rock legacy. I certainly don’t think rock is dead and I believe that we are seeing a resurgence in modern rock music throughout the 2020s, it just might have different packaging, which is exciting!
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HAPPY: You mentioned that LSRIYM came about really quickly, has this been the case for other songs you are working on?
SCATTER LIGHT: All our songs have come about and entered the world in different ways. A lot of the time we will jam together and spawn new ideas, feeding off each other, which can make it a quick process. Sometimes we will individually bring an idea or a completed song forward to rehearsal to make our own. This may result in a much longer, creative process. I think this fluid style of writing
allows us to keep it fresh and massage our creativity.
HAPPY: What tone does LSRIYM set for the future of Scatter Light?
SCATTER LIGHT: This song represents just one of the perspectives we look to take with our sound. We aim to take our listeners on a journey with our songs that is both nostalgic to past eras, whilst still having a fresh sound that takes the genre somewhere new. Each of our songs has its own place within our sound and looks to add dynamic to our live shows. We’re always looking to evolve and try new things.
HAPPY: When can we expect some new music!
SCATTER LIGHT: LSRIYM is the first single off our debut 6-track EP which we plan to release mid this year. Just getting the finishing touches now!
HAPPY: How exciting! Thanks Ollie, Have an awesome day.
SCATTER LIGHT: Thanks!
Have a read of Happy’s review to Scatter Light’s debut single and check out the track below:
