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Music

Owen Penglis From Straight Arrows Freaks Out Over Certain Furniture

Sydney garage rockers launch their new album on that most scary of days, Friday 13.

Depending on who you ask, Friday 13 can be a good or bad day to put out an album. Beyonce chose the date to unexpectedly release her fifth album digitally. But according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville North Carolina an estimated 17 to 21 million in the US are affected by a fear of Friday 13 with some so paralysed/shit-scared that they avoid doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed.

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Though the Straight Arrows’ messy garage rock couldn’t be any more different to Beyonce’s clean pop, it seems they side with Bee over the Institute For Being a Pussy. Not only have the Sydney four piece chosen to release their new album Rising on Friday 13, they’re also kicking off their national tour in Wollongong on the date.

We caught up with Straight Arrows guitarist and vocalist Owen Penglis to find out what paralyses him with fear.

Noisey: Are you scared of unemployment?

Owen Penglis: That’s pretty scary but then I haven’t had a proper job in about five years. I actually think working a 9-5 Monday to Friday office job is way scarier.

So straight up unemployment doesn’t scare you?

Nah I think I prefer to be semi unemployed. A part time job that pays pretty well and gives you time off to do what you want is the best position to be in I think.

Okay how about home invasion?

That’s pretty scary but also pretty funny. It actually kind of happened to me once. I was at home at my place in Redfern and a girl broke into the front door and started to steal stuff from the front room. My housemate came home and disturbed her so she went and hid in the back garden for a few hours. I went out at one point and she jumped the fence. Later I realised she had taken my phone. I called it ten times and finally she answered it and I ended up going to the Block and buying it back from her.

There should be a fear or phobia that refers to the fear of being caught while home invading.

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What where when you home invade but the first thing you do is go to the toilet to take a nervous shit?

What about contracting HIV?

That’s scary. Don’t be a bareback brother.

Is it as scary as it used to be?

Yes I think so. It never became “not scary”.

Cyber bullying?

That’s not scary. Maybe for a depressed teenager it is. I think it’s scarier for parents. Only parents use the word cyber.

This list is getting boring. What scares you the most?

I really hate those big wicker chairs with the big circles that fan out around your head.

Those chairs that people have in their sunrooms?

Yeah those ones. When I was a kid there was a school fete and we made a haunted house with all this lame spooky and scary shit. Things like ghosts jumping out of cupboards, boxes with spaghetti in it, and I don’t know why but there was one of those wicker chairs. After the fete I woke up one night and someone had dumped a wicker chair outside my house. Looking out the window all you could see was the silhouette of that wicker chair in the moonlight. To this day I’m still weirded and creeped out by them. I admitted it to my girlfriend for the first time a few weeks ago and she has been sending me photos of them and making fun of me because I’m scared of furniture.

Catch up with the Straight Arrows as Noisey presents their 'Rising' tour:

13 June in Wollongong at Wombarra Bowling Club

14 June in Sydney at Newtown Social Club

20 June in Brisbane at The Brightside

28 June in Newcastle at Fishbowl

12 July in Melbourne at Northcote Social Club