Introduce us to the band! What are your names and what do you do in the band?
My name is Alex. I perform all the vocals, as well as drums, guitars and keys/piano.
*Where do you call home?
I live in Melbourne, Australia.
* How long have you been together as a band and how did you find each other?
I started the project back in 1998 with the guitarist from my cover band at the time. I’ve been doing it by myself since around 2002.
* Do you have a special songwriting recipe you follow?
I can’t say that I do. It always starts with a melody that pops up in my head. If I still like the melody a few days later, I keep it and start working on the guitar.
* How would members of your family describe your music to someone that hasn’t heard it?
Hmm, I honestly have no idea. They’d most likely just call it rock music.
* What do you have on your (Spotify) playlists you would be embarrassed for others to see?
I only have one Spotify playlist and the only reason I made it was to show my friends and family what kind of songs have inspired me in various ways throughout my life. I can’t say I have anything in the list that I would be embarrassed about.
* Do you have any pre-show rituals?
These days I only gig in cover projects (I can’t really play my original stuff live by myself). I don’t have any rituals. Being on stage calms me mentally, so it’s always something I look forward to.
* Who have you met that has left you starstruck?
The biggest name for me would be Mike Portnoy. I was a big Dream Theater fan for a while and he came here to play at the yearly “Drummer’s Day” festival. I had a friend who actually sang with him. My drummer at the time also worked for the organisers of the event, so he got me back stage to meet him afterward. Another one would be Kate Ceberano. I was pretty young when I met her and she was a very famous singer at the time. I also met Tina Arena years later at my regular rehearsal studio. We got talking and it turned out she was waiting on some journalist from a magazine to show up for an interview. She actually told me to stay with her for it, which I did (I had a huge crush on her at the time). Virgil Donati was another one. A friend of mine (the same one who sang for Mike Portnoy) ended up being the singer for one of Virgil’s projects.
* What do you consider your greatest achievement as far as a band?
My latest album is definitely my proudest moment. It feels a little surreal when I look back at what I’ve written and recorded so far, because I’d never dreamt that I would be in a position where I would be writing everything as well as playing everything by myself. I never once thought I’d go through lessons for so many instruments and even learn music theory. I never thought I’d be able to afford recording something properly in professional studios by myself (whether or not I really can afford it is still questionable!). I still have moments where I will hear one of my songs and think “did I do that?”
* What key elements do you believe makes up a successful song?
It’s all about melody. It’s about having a pattern of notes that stick in people’s head. It’s a simple concept that’s extremely difficult to execute. How do you know when you’ve come up with something that will cause enough of an emotional response to be memorable? I still have no idea.
* When writing, how do you know when it is finally done?
If I can listen to the demo I’ve done and there’s nothing that makes me think “that bit doesn’t quite fit”, then it’s done.
* What song of yours are you most proud of?
This is a very hard one to answer, because I could say each one of them but for different reasons. If I were to pick based on technical merits, I would have to say “Down”. It’s a song with two very different “feels” which had to sound like the same song. The chords are also a little unusual.
* Is it possible to be on the road and not eat junk food? How do you keep it leveled out?
It’s funny you should ask that. After a gig these days, I’m usually driving home around midnight, and I’m starving. What’s the only thing open at midnight? McDonalds of course. It’s the only time I ever eat from there. We cook a lot at home, so we usually eat really well. As a result, having McDonalds once or twice a month doesn’t bother me. I don’t think I could eat it every week to be honest. If I want to stay away from it, I will sometimes take a protein bar and banana with me to a gig.
* Are you able to write while on the road or do you need a calm familiar space like home?
I don’t know if you’d call it “writing”, but I have had melodies pop up in my head while driving, or at work. I quickly record them on my phone when I can. That’s as close to “writing away from home” as it gets.
* What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen on stage or on tour?
Having a bunch of girls from the audience jump up on stage and try to take my clothes off in front of around 600 people.
* What can BleachBANGS do to help you in any way?
I’m just trying to get to an appropriate audience and improve my numbers on streaming platforms. If there’s anything you can do that would help that, it would be much appreciated.
* How can everyone keep up with everything you have going on? Where can they get albums/merch?
The platform I used to sell CD’s through stopped selling physical media, so for sales I can now be contacted via www.talkradioaus.com.au as well as www.facebook.com/talkradio.aus. I used to sell them via ebay but took them down after a while. I’d put them back up if needed. My main site also contains a list of streaming platforms.
