Meet Newcastle punk-rockers Split Feed and their latest single, Homesick

We've spoken time and time again about how Newcastle have one of the most exciting music scenes at the moment, and instead of giving you the full spiel about how artists like RAAVE TAPES and Vacations are quickly rising through the ranks, we're going to jump straight into it this time. Newcastle punk four-piece Split Feed are promising to be one of the city's next big names, with their latest single Homesick further pushing them outside the 2300 postcode after a ripping run of singles since their 2017 second EP, Late Bloomer. Arriving ahead of an east coast run of dates throughout November, Homesick combines their influences in 90s rock and 00s punk with a raw, DIY-esque feel that is both raucous yet also slick and polished – despite its purposeful DIY sound.

Written as "an ode to broken friendships and relationships," Homesick is brash yet addictive, bringing their 90s influences to the forefront and modernising them, so in 2018, it's almost-grungey, charging melodies still sound fresh and enticing. With their tour kicking off in early November as they support Sydney's Perspectives and a forthcoming EP due sometime next year, get to know Split Feed and their ripping latest one below:

Tell us about yourself?

We started Split Feed when we were in high school in 2014, still unsure of what kind of band we wanted to be. We started off playing (very poor) funk rock covers before realising that we all like rock music so we should play rock music. We got the name Split Feed from the Call of Duty games and just went from there. Since 2015 we have befriended some of Newcastle’s finest such as dave, Pals, Vacations and Fritz through local gigs, before touring frequently for the past two years, and in the process being lucky to enough to play with some of our favourite bands and some huge shows.

What’s the vibe music-wise?

Our sound has sort of morphed and changed as our taste in music has matured over the last couple of years. Our first EP took a lot of inspiration from early 2000’s punk bands like Blink and Green Day, but as we’ve gotten older, we look to heavier bands like Basement, Luca Brasi and Trophy Eyes. Sad songs with heavy riffs and big sing-a-long choruses, basically.

What are your production and writing processes like?

After I have thought of a solid idea for a song, the first step is to make a full band demo for it so we can all gather an idea of what it will sound like as a band. The steps I take to do this is recording all guitars on GarageBand through a little decide called an iRig. Once all the guitars have been recorded, I’ll export the file and put it on to FL studio to then produce electronic drums that emulate an acoustic kit over the guitars to create a full demo. Once we’ve all heard the demo, we’ll discuss what can be better, what can be added etc. to eventually take it to a jam session and finish the final product.

Can you tell us about your new single, Homesick?

We really wanted to step out of our comfort zone for this one and write something as heavy as we could. We are all big fans of that style of music and we wanted to express this passion through a creation of our own. We think the live set we have been playing for the past year is quite energetic and hard-hitting, but we definitely wanted to throw in a solid heavier track to really give people an idea of the kind of music we truly want to make, and will continue to make.

You guys have a huge east-coast tour coming up – what can we expect from your live show?

We are looking forward to these shows so much! We have a couple of new songs to play, including Homesick, so that will just give the shows a really fresh feel for us and those who have caught us before. For those who haven’t, we really try and pride ourselves on our live set, playing with a lot of energy and heart each time. Our songs are riddled with sing-along moments which make for some pretty sick times, we have a few surprises in store especially for Newcastle, they should be our best shows yet.

What’s the rest of the year have in store for you?

Following the Homesick tour, we have one more show to announce that will be very different and exciting! One that we haven’t been able to do for years. As well as that, we’ll finish off the writing of the EP and try to record it before the year is out.

Where can we find more of your music?

Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and YouTube.

Tour Dates:

Fri 2nd Nov - Gasometer Upstairs, Melbourne (w/ Perspectives)
Sat 3rd Nov - Oxford Art Gallery Bar, Sydney (w/ Perspectives)

Fri 16th Nov - Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Fri 23rd Nov - Rad Bar, Wollongong
Sat 24th Nov - Molo Live, Canberra
Fri 30th Nov - Botany View Hotel, Sydney

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