Rock Powerhouse White Light Station Release New Single ‘Samaritan’ - INTERVIEW
Article by Darcy Goss
Brisbane’s White Light Station makes a triumphant return with a rip-roaring good-time tune.
If you’re a follower of Brisbane’s ever-evolving music scene, there’s no doubt you’ve come across the outspoken powerhouse that is White Light Station.
Bred in Brisbane, the 5-piece-band is well known to the bars of Fortitude Valley for their mosh-inspiring breakdowns and heart-crunching choruses.
After fighting through a couple of years of line-up changes, writing, rehearsing, and recording, the band has returned in 2021 with a heavy, outspoken release titled 'Samaritan’.
The single comes as a debut for the new member line-up, with the introduction of lead singer Jack Sowden. Proving to continue pushing their sound forward, ‘Samaritan’ provides a taste of what to expect in the future for White Light Station - perfectly capturing the heart of the group, their new sound, and how it’s evolved and grown.
The triumphant rock-ballad is drenched with their signature guitar riffs and oozes withmodern rock and roll.
“Sometimes there’s a part of you that just wants to make a dense, filthy, loud riff. That concept gave birth to ‘Samaritan’.”
It’s the perfect song to kick off White Light Station’s new catalogue of music for 2021, cementing them as a force to be reckoned within in the ear ahead.
We sat down for a chat with the boys about ‘WLS’ and their new single…
G’day boys how the heck are you!
Kurt: Generally sore. A bunch of us played paintball together on Tuesday to celebrate mine and James' birthday. So aside from my uncomfortably bruised arse, life is excellent.
Jono: Sweaty, Brisbane is f**kin hot. Besides that I am splendid.
Jack: I’m very well Darc, all the better for seeing you. How are you?
I’m great thanks! First things first, for anyone that doesn’t know ‘White Light Station’ – describe your band in 4 words…
Kurt: Not what you'd expect.
Jono: Never ending unpredictable chaos.
Jack: What am I doing.
And please explain - what’s the go with the name?
Kurt: Well White Light Station was once upon a time called Kidwheel. We thought that was an excellent name but then my Dad said it has a faint hint of pedo to it. Safe to say that put everyone off the name immediately.
There's no story to the current name. We just batted around a bunch of shitty ideas for a month or two before we came up with something that had a good ring to it.
Jack: Yeah look, no fucking clue there.
Now you’ve just released a brand new single today titled ‘Samaritan’ (which is a bloody tune) – talk to us a bit about that! What does the song mean to you all and how did it come about?
Kurt: We haven't all landed on a meaning for the song, but I think that's the way we like doing things. I interpret this song as a bit of a f*** you to the way some people in the world go overboard with patriotism but don't actually do that much - if anything at all - to improve their country.
You know the sort of people that just eat up corporate or military propaganda and get angry at stupid shit they're not educated on. But, ask another member of the band they'll probably tell you something completely different.
Jack: Yeah look I only started working on the track when it was almost done, just writing a couple of verses and adding extra vocal parts here and there. Even before I joined the band and was going to WLS shows I always thought the energy of the track had an element of betrayal to it.
To me the song’s about that shitty mate who’s all talk and no action, or kind of just about the abject selfishness I’ve encountered in my dealings with people over the years. Probably why it’s rather cathartic to play live...
What’s the typical WLS song-writing and recording process?
Kurt: Make a groovy chord progression or riff and then build the song around it. Throw it to Jack afterwards to get some pipes laid down and then workshop it in rehearsals. We've written some songs in the past off the back of a jam and that has worked really well. I guess at the moment we want to change up the way we do things to ensure we don't rewrite the same song.
You guys have a killer live set, from Jack’s signature foot-up-on-the-speaker stance to James’ drum chops, together you hold a strong and very exciting presence on stage - who do you draw influence from?
Kurt: Haha that's another one that everyone's going to answer differently. I'm really loving the UK rock scene at the moment and I'm trying to push that sounds a bit harder - bands like Don Broco, Boston Manor, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Nothing But Thieves.
We all still froth the local Aussie acts like Waax, Violent Soho, etc
Jack: yeah fully, I for example was raised on OG US punk (Dolls, ramones, Johnny thunders) and always loved the high energy and gravel-covered rock n roll melodies, so I guess that’s my main influence vocally. Speaker thing is just because I can’t dance very well.
What can fans expect from you boys for the rest of the year!?
Kurt: We're definitely going to be busy. ideally looking to play some shows outside of Brisbane, will be recording some more music, and will probably release some more ridiculous video content at some point too.
Jono: Release more music and look to jump on some support slots with bigger bands. Definitely need to play i some different cities aswell.
Jack: I’m already having gig withdrawals. Can’t wait to be back on stage in front of all my wonderful friends’ faces.
To wrap it up let’s do a few rapid-fire Q’s:
· Best song to mosh to?
Kurt: Bones - Make Them Suffer
Jono: Vagabond - Polaris
Jack: Rollin’ - Limp Bizkit
· Favourite Brisbane venue?
Kurt: Fortitude Music Hall
Jono: I think I will get in trouble if I don’t say Tomcat
Jack: same
· Best beverage?
Kurt: not milk. Stop drinking that shit - it's weird
Jono: Pauls Smarter White Milk
Jack: Fuck all that, obviously tea.
· Best mullet?
Kurt: Jack's obviously
Jono: Agreed
Jack: definitely not, Billy Ray Cyrus
· If you could tour with one artist who would it be?
Kurt: Don Broco
Jono: Probably our mates VERUM. I am interested to see if we would survive that tour.
Jack: Yeah touring with our boys from the GC (Verum, Ayons etc) would be out of control. I believe in our respective livers enough to say there’s at least a 50% chance of survival.
Listen to Samaritan on Spotify. White Light Station · Single · 2021 · 1 songs.
Accompanying the release of their new single ‘Samaritan’ is a single launch next Friday at The Zoo joined by friends - Bad Neighbour, The Bonnies Doons and Ben Tenison.
RSVP to the event here.
Grab your tickets here.
And don’t forget to stream ‘Samaritan’
White Light Station Socials