INTERVIEW: Flag Duty Release Debut EP ‘Living in Daydreams’
Brisbane newcomers, Flag Duty, release their electrifyingly infectious debut EP ‘Living In Daydreams’.
If you're a regular amongst the valley’s erratic live music scene, then there's a strong chance you recognise Flag Duty already.
Since releasing their first single in 2019, the four-piece indie-rock outfit has blossomed into one of the city’s most beloved newcomers, consistently delivering bright gusts of indie-pop and alt-rock sonics to their audiences.
Their debut EP ‘Living In Daydreams’ is a spectacular entrance for the band, bursting with the talent and prowess of Brisbane’s most exciting and promising new editions.
We caught up with Flag Duty to chat about the debut, writing and recording process and more!
Check it out…
Hey legends, how are we today?
Great thanks, very excited! How are you?
First things first, for anyone that isn’t familiar with ‘Flag Duty’ – describe your music to us in 4 words…
Ben: Bright, Infectious, Indie-Pop. I think that’s one way to describe the broad spectrum of genres you could put us in.
Tom: Energy is a big one for me. I’d like to think we have a pretty energetic live set.
Now, tell me about the name? Is there a story behind it?
Tom: Well flag duty was something we used to do at High School but truthfully it doesn’t really mean anything. We just picked a couple of words that sounded ok together and stuck ourselves with it. I guess it’s alright.
Okay so today is a very exciting day, you’ve released your debut EP titled ‘Living in Daydreams’ – talk to us a bit about that!!
Tom: It’s been a long time coming that’s for sure so we’re super excited and happy to finally have it out. It’s great to have a body of work that we feel really showcases what we’re about and incorporates all of our influences. Hopefully people like it as much as we do!
How was the songwriting and recording process for the EP, what’s your typical technique?
Tom: The whole thing was recorded out at Hunting Ground Studios with our amazing producer Cody McWaters who had a big hand in shaping these songs. We started recording in July last year and the earliest songs on the EP were written way back in 2019 so we’re just glad it’s finally out.
Tom: In terms of songwriting, we don’t really have a formula. Some songs start with the acoustic guitar and the lyrics, some start with a riff or a guitar part, but it always ends with the four of us in the room jamming it out. That’s so important for us and for our sound, I think; for everyone to put their two cents in.
What do you want people to take away from this release?
Tom: Just to feel something, I guess. Without sounding too cliche. I hope people connect with the songs on some level and just enjoy listening to it. That’s all you can really ask for.
And how does it feel to finally have a complete catalogue of songs out for the world to hear!!
Tom: So good. We feel like this really captures where we’re at as a band at the moment and it’s sort of like everything we’ve been doing up until now has been building up to this. This is a bit of a bookmark in our lives and hopefully, we can now take it up another gear.
What artists do you draw inspiration from?
Tom: This is always a tough question as there’s so many and we all draw from different things. If I had to pick one, I’d maybe say The Strokes, you can’t go wrong with them.
Tom: We also get massively inspired by artists like Spacey Jane who have clearly put in so much work and are now reaping the rewards, which is great to see.
What can fans expect from Flag Duty for the rest of the year?
Tom: Lots of shows, hopefully! We’ve got our EP launch show on the 23rd which we are so pumped for. After that, hopefully we can gig hard for the rest of the year and jump back in the studio soon.
Now to support local, give a shout out to 3 other artists making their way through the music scene that you love.
Ben: Loving Ly-oh’s new song “Same Brain” at the moment, some seriously funky bass in that song that I’m all about.
Tom: I’m liking Cheap Date a lot. They’ve just dropped their first single “Beside Me” and it sounds great!
Lachlan: LA Moon has to be a top pick for me, they released “Turkish Delight” last year but haven’t gotten the love they deserve yet. Superb live band as well!
Finally, to wrap it up let’s do a few rapid-fire Q’s:
· Best song to mosh to?
Tom: I’d love to be in a mosh when The Killers play Mr Brightside
· Favourite Brisbane venue?
Ben: The Zoo
· Best beverage?
Tom: Choccy Milk easy
· If you could tour with one artist, who would it be?
Lachlan: Lime Cordiale
Take a dive into their debut EP, and introduce yourself to Flag Duty as they move towards a breakthrough year ahead.
Catch Flag Duty at their single launch on Friday 23rd July at The Brightside