Image: Josh SiskThe truth is that music writers are hacks. You know it, I know it and Ausmuteants know it. The Melbourne band wrote a song about mouth breathing music critics and have included it on their upcoming album Band of the Future.Over a driving synth and bruising guitar Jake Robertson shouts the same inane questions often asked of him. “Why did you play those chords?” and “Why did you say that?” But the song is just as much about musicians criticising each other as it about record reviews. This is Ausmuteants getting meta.Speaking of meta, we asked Jake some of the same questions he asks in the song. Read below and take a listen to the track.The four-piece are set to return to Europe for a six-week tour where the record, released on Aarght, will be available from wobbly merch tables.Noisey: Why did you do that?
Jake Robertson: I was at my parents’ house in the Central Coast and I was bummed that I hadn’t done anything creatively in a long time. So I spent a couple of hours writing something and convincing myself it was good enough to show the people I play in a band with. They didn’t shit on it, so we learnt it as a band and played it to some of our friends. They were supportive then we released it.Why did you play those chords?
The song is in the key of D#, so the chords and melody all fall within the D# natural minor scale. I used a trick in the chorus that I use in a lot of songs, where I start the melody on the root note of the chord, then as the chords move down to the minor third (in this case F#) I harmonise it in the keyboard melody with a perfect 5th (C#) then add a relative 4th diminished into the VI chord that is added in superfluously. This creates, then relieves tension which I feel like it makes the song a bit more interesting.Why did you say that?
I think it's really scary showing other people something you’ve made. Thinking you’re going to be shut down for writing a bad song (even though everybody does it) so you put lots of time and effort into writing it, only to have others listen to half of it and shit on it instantly without understanding your masterpiece. Or they give it a backhanded compliment where all that is written is a bunch of cheap comparisons and swear words.I’ve seen my favourite albums get one star reviews, and I’ve seen coastal cover bands get five star reviews. I guess it’s all just taste or what mood you’re in.When I was younger I'd think that if a review compared a band to something I didn’t like, I would instantly hate the band, thinking that the writer, as a professional had a more valid perception of how music works than I did. If the review was bad, but I liked the release, I would be embarrassed to admit it to myself. If the review was good, but I hated it, I assumed I was wrong.Unless I really love the band, I don’t read about music anymore. I just don’t have time for it. I’ll just go to gigs and watch the support bands to stay in the know. "Music Writers" probably put lots of their heart and soul into something that I just read half of and shit on instantly without fully understanding their masterpiece they’ve spent so long writing, which is pretty ironic huh.Oh well stiff shit.
2. I Hate You
3. New Planet
4. Coastal Living
5. Cross Eyes
6. Spankwire
7. Music Writers
8. Band of the Future
9. Mr Right
10. Come Home With Me
11. Liars
12. Stuck
13. Struck By Lightning
14. CalculationsAusmuteants European Tour 2016:June 21 - Leeds at University Stylus
June 22 - Glasgow at St Lukes
June 23 - Manchester at Rits
June 24 - London at Forum
June 25 - Lille at Le Grand Mix
June 27 - Koln at Gebaude9
June 28 - Antwerp at Hetbos
June 29 - Laarz at Fuzion Festival
June 30 - Berlin
July 1 - Hamburg at Comet Club
July 2 - Alghero at Port Ferro
July 3 - Quartucciu at Guevara
July 6 - Paris at Bator
July 7 - Rouen at Les Terraces Du Jeudi
July 8 - Lorient at Le Galion
July 9 - Brest at Cafe De La Plage
July 12 - Seville
July 14 - San Sebastian at Dababdaaba
July 15 - Madrid at Wurlitzer Ballroom
July 14 - Barcelona at Not Now No Way Festival
July 22 - Stockholm at Vielle Montage
July 23 - Helsinki at Festival Hori Smoku
July 25 - Toulouse at Saint Des Saint
July 28 - Bordeaux at Festival Relache
July 29 - Aulnoye at Les Nuits Secretes
July 30 - Binic at Festival Binic
July 31 - Binic at Festival Binic
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Jake Robertson: I was at my parents’ house in the Central Coast and I was bummed that I hadn’t done anything creatively in a long time. So I spent a couple of hours writing something and convincing myself it was good enough to show the people I play in a band with. They didn’t shit on it, so we learnt it as a band and played it to some of our friends. They were supportive then we released it.Why did you play those chords?
The song is in the key of D#, so the chords and melody all fall within the D# natural minor scale. I used a trick in the chorus that I use in a lot of songs, where I start the melody on the root note of the chord, then as the chords move down to the minor third (in this case F#) I harmonise it in the keyboard melody with a perfect 5th (C#) then add a relative 4th diminished into the VI chord that is added in superfluously. This creates, then relieves tension which I feel like it makes the song a bit more interesting.Why did you say that?
I think it's really scary showing other people something you’ve made. Thinking you’re going to be shut down for writing a bad song (even though everybody does it) so you put lots of time and effort into writing it, only to have others listen to half of it and shit on it instantly without understanding your masterpiece. Or they give it a backhanded compliment where all that is written is a bunch of cheap comparisons and swear words.
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Ausmuteants - 'Band of the Future' available in August on Aarght.1. Silent Genes
2. I Hate You
3. New Planet
4. Coastal Living
5. Cross Eyes
6. Spankwire
7. Music Writers
8. Band of the Future
9. Mr Right
10. Come Home With Me
11. Liars
12. Stuck
13. Struck By Lightning
14. CalculationsAusmuteants European Tour 2016:June 21 - Leeds at University Stylus
June 22 - Glasgow at St Lukes
June 23 - Manchester at Rits
June 24 - London at Forum
June 25 - Lille at Le Grand Mix
June 27 - Koln at Gebaude9
June 28 - Antwerp at Hetbos
June 29 - Laarz at Fuzion Festival
June 30 - Berlin
July 1 - Hamburg at Comet Club
July 2 - Alghero at Port Ferro
July 3 - Quartucciu at Guevara
July 6 - Paris at Bator
July 7 - Rouen at Les Terraces Du Jeudi
July 8 - Lorient at Le Galion
July 9 - Brest at Cafe De La Plage
July 12 - Seville
July 14 - San Sebastian at Dababdaaba
July 15 - Madrid at Wurlitzer Ballroom
July 14 - Barcelona at Not Now No Way Festival
July 22 - Stockholm at Vielle Montage
July 23 - Helsinki at Festival Hori Smoku
July 25 - Toulouse at Saint Des Saint
July 28 - Bordeaux at Festival Relache
July 29 - Aulnoye at Les Nuits Secretes
July 30 - Binic at Festival Binic
July 31 - Binic at Festival Binic