HEART-TO-HEART: The Local Romance
“Writing something that means the absolute world to us… and then to have that thing sung back at us by a packed out venue is a feeling I hope I never forget. It’s a feeling we plan on chasing for quite some time.”
Four lads hailing from the city of Brisbane are breaking out into the heavy scene with their strong passion for songwriting and energetic performances. I think Grill’d should sponsor them, too.
Published: 31/10/2024
FHR (Flaming Heart Records): It’s my pleasure to introduce Kyle, Caelan, Matt and Zeph from Brisbane band, The Local Romance! How would you describe your sound to new listeners?
Caelan (Sprott, drums): That’s a hard question to answer, but l suppose the best way I could describe it is heavy alt-rock with a modern metal twist. Bands I usually reference to new listeners are Thornhill or Bad Omens, but I get Loathe vibes from us quite often, too.
Zeph (Chambers, vocals/guitar): Ooooo that’s fun. I would say our sound is on the border between heavy alt-rock and metalcore, referencing bands such as Thornhill, Bad Omens, Linkin Park and the like.
FHR: And how were you introduced to the alternative rock/metal scene? Are there any specific bands or experiences that influenced your music tastes?
Kyle (Jake Byrne, guitar): All throughout high school I was addicted to Metallica, I think that’s what started it all. They cancelled their entire Australian tour on my 16th birthday – out of pocket, but kind of a funny story? Anyways, I think I tried to push off the fact I enjoyed listening to heavy stuff until I started uni. Even then, I was listening to stuff I wouldn’t probably listen to regularly now. I introduced myself to bands like Thornhill, Bad Omens, Static Dress, Deftones, Sleep Token, Loathe, ect and really liked them. Honestly, I’m not that sure how I got introduced to the metal scene. I do remember though my first metal concert pit was Architects, which was a big first metal pit and it made me realise the heavier the music generally means nicer the people.
Matt (Hay, bass): I didn’t listen to a lot of “heavy” music (other than the super popular bands from the 90s and 2000s) until our band started naturally pushing in a more alt-rock/lite metal direction. I’ve always found that I play a little harder and more aggressively than the bass players I listen to, which has heavily influenced my style. Currently, I’m still influenced by the artists I was listening to when I was first learning to play bass, like The Frights, Foo Fighters and a whole stew of indie bands from before 2018.
FHR: What was it like getting to share the stage with iconic acts like Fall Out Boy and I Prevail? Any fun backstage memories or highlights you wanna share?
Caelan: It’s pretty surreal for me. I remember walking around the artist area at Good Things 2023, seeing artists I’d looked up to for years and thinking, “This can’t be real, right?” I fondly remember introducing myself to a few of my favourite drummers and I was shaking with nerves, but I was surprised at how nice they were and how interested they were in talking to me, despite how big their names were in the industry. It was a very big moment for me and I still can’t believe it actually happened.
Kyle: Yes, Good Things 2023 was definitely one of my most wild experiences to date. Seeing and meeting people like Eric from I Prevail and Corey Taylor that up close was crazy. I actually had a proper huge chat with Eric and even managed to get a selfie with him. As of recently, while opening for another international band called Badflower, we actually had The Veronicas watch our soundcheck, which was totally bonkers.
FHR: Tell us more about your most recent track, BE THE ONE. I would love to know more about the story behind the lyrics and production. Is the single maybe coming from an upcoming project…?
Zeph: BE THE ONE was a very personal track to me. While it’s seemingly an alive and upbeat sounding song, the lyrics behind it are what’s important to me. I guess the main message of the song would be more of a question than a statement, and that question being: “If everything is coming to an end… our relationship? Our friendship? The world as we know it? If I asked… would you still be there? Because if the roles were reversed I’d be by your side in a heartbeat, no matter how long it’s been.” Is the song part of an upcoming project? Who knows, you’ll just have to keep your eyes peeled.
Matt: It was a super quick production cycle. After VALENTINE, we went straight back into the studio with our producer Harry Verity and just put our heads down and grinded at the track.
FHR: What is the dynamic like when you are songwriting and recording? What kind of antics do you guys get up to in the studio or even just jamming?
Kyle: Fun for the most part. For me, it’s quite rewarding coming up with something like a riff, then having the whole band kind of build off it. Obviously recording is a different thing, but we work with some pretty amazing people in the process and half the time I feel like I’m not even actually recording anything. Lots of trips to Grill’d in both rehearsals and studio time… and I mean a lot.
Zeph: I’d dare say songwriting is my favourite part of the job. I’ve always been an avid songwriter for as long as I can remember. It probably all started when my Dad made up silly little parodies of well-known songs for me when I was very little. Writing something that means the absolute world to us, something we’ve put our heart and soul into, and then to have that thing sung back at us by a packed out venue is a feeling I hope I never forget. It’s a feeling we plan on chasing for quite some time, until we can no longer play our instruments.
FHR: Rock shows are always so much fun… what can punters expect when they rock up to a gig with The Local Romance on the bill?
Caelan: Chunky riffs and lots of energy! We’re naturally a pretty loud band too, so bring earplugs!
Matt: Lots of movement, a loud refined sound and some theatrics if we feel like it.
FHR: When you’re not busy songwriting, what do you like to do in your free time? Is there anything to do in Brisbane that people should know about?
Zeph: Well… the truth is, I’m always songwriting. Even when I’m on the couch watching movies or shows, I’ll have a guitar in my hand. Or when I’m driving to work, I’ll be singing a new melody or coming up with lyrics. As a Brisbane born and raised, I’d say there’s lots of cool things to do and see, but by far the number one thing to do when you’re in Brisbane is to come see The Local Romance in action 😉
Caelan: I feel like l’m a pretty normal dude when I’m not at my drums. I always love spending time with my partner, friends and family, and I do a bit of gaming when I’m not working my hospitality job. If it’s just me-time though, I’ll honestly just play drums all day, I never get tired of it.
FHR: And what artists or bands have been heavily in your rotation lately and why? Are there any songs that you cannot stop replaying?
Matt: I’ve been listening to heaps of Twenty One Pilots as prep for their show coming up. Other than that, I’ve been listening to heaps of nu-metal albums from start to finish. I keep forgetting to take note of the songs (and artists) I vibe with.
Kyle: Bands like Thornhill and Bad Omens will always be on my rotation now, just because of how much I take inspiration from them. As of late this year though, I can’t get away from the new Fontaines D.C. album.
FHR: Since recently dropping BE THE ONE, what else has the band been up to lately? Are there any upcoming gigs or exciting news you want to shout out?
Zeph: We are actually in the middle of our first tour, we’ve got a few dates left and it’ll be the first time we play out of state, down in Sydney. Other than that, we are just prepping ourselves for next year and making sure we have plenty of opportunities for audiences to come and enjoy a night out with us. As a band, we love meeting the people that come to our shows, obviously the ones we see at every gig and now know by name, but also the ones we meet that night that are just down for a chat.
Kyle: We’re actually on a small QLD/ NSW tour at the moment, not a lot planned as of yet for the rest of the year after! Trying to focus on 2025 now, which should hopefully see us push hard again to try and break out (or at least make it on to triple j haha). I think most importantly, we’re definitely aiming for either more interstate shows or bigger supports like we did this year. Plenty more releases too!
