Since unveiling their new EP an introduction to a theme on 31 July just months after their debut album in retrospect, Melbourne emo pop quartet PRETTY BLEAK have asserted themselves as the next big thing in local indie rock.
Engineered by vocalist/guitarist Sam Thomas and mixed by Jarred Nettle (Teenage Joans, TOWNS), an introduction to a theme blends energetic pop with emotive lyrics for a dark journey through arena-ready beats and densely textured sound design. The six-track effort showcases shimmering guitars and glossy vocals dancing over new wave drums and synths, from the vibrant opener “she’ll come around” to the atmospheric closer “can’t say”.
We caught up with Sam to chat about the EP, the band’s inspo, live shows and more.
Congrats on the release of an introduction to a theme! What inspired the EP title?
I can’t remember exactly when I came up with the title, but I know I’d been thinking about that phrase for quite a while before it came time to name the EP. It seemed to be an adequate way of communicating that the EP was centred around a singular concept, and that each song focused on a different aspect of that concept.
This EP also marked a significant shift and evolution of our band into a new era. This EP is an ‘introduction’ to the most accurate and genuine version of PRETTY BLEAK so far, and so it was important to us that the title reflect that also.
What are some of the prominent themes throughout the EP, and what made you write about them?
This EP serves to observe the pattern of human emotional turmoil and the progression of each of its stages. Each song details both an individual stage of the process as well as the transitional periods between them. Beginning with an obsessive infatuation, which builds to comfortable ignorance, which is then shattered by disillusionment, and concludes with a resigned acceptance that allows a more comprehensive perspective to develop as the final outcome.
This concept was something I became very potently aware of in my personal life around the time we were writing this EP, and we always strive to describe our experiences in the most accurate, vulnerable and honest way in our music.
Were there any particular artists, albums or producers that inspired the EP?
We’ve always taken things from a very broad variety of artists. We really are just captivated by music in all its forms, and we’ve never anchored ourselves to a certain scene, or genre, or influence. You’ll hear something from everywhere on this EP because we really do listen to everything and incorporate everything into what we create.
That doesn’t make for a particularly specific answer, but I think a part of the beauty of our music is that each individual listener hears what they are conditioned to hear, so there’s always something in their subconscious that will connect to our songs. I remember in a different interview in the past we were asked a similar question and I said that “we sound like everything and nothing at the same time”, so I guess we can stay with that.
Is there a particular song that has become a favourite to play live?
This EP has been a unique experience for us in terms of the live show aspect. In the past we usually play a song for a few months at least before it’s released. But for these songs we’d only played “she’ll come around” live before the EP came out. It’s been fun to start incorporating new songs into our show and figuring out how they work in a live setting.
From my perspective, “she’ll come around” is a great live song. Recently we added “movement in vanity” to the set and we were all really surprised at how much that song goes off too. At the time of this interview, we still haven’t played “girlcrazy” or “can’t say” live, but I’m looking forward to seeing how they feel when we finally do.
Speaking of playing live, your live show has been praised on many occasions. What do you think makes your set such a “must watch”?
We’ve always considered ourselves a live band first and foremost. We’ve been playing together for over a decade at this point, so we have a very well-tuned instinct and chemistry. We also construct our live show in a very specific and theatrical way. No shade intended, but there’s nothing worse as an audience member than going to a show just to see four guys stand there playing one song after the other with some awkward, limp-wristed attempts at humour laced between them.
A live show should be an immersive experience that not only entertains people, but also shows them something real and makes them feel something visceral and legitimate. That’s how we have always approached live shows conceptually and the more experienced we get as performers and musicians, the closer we are coming to living up to that ideal. We put hours of consideration and preparation into every aspect of our live show because, ultimately, we want to create an experience for the people who are kind enough to come and see us that will feel valuable to them and won’t waste their time.
Your music is quite pop-driven, but there’s an interesting crossover with punk and garage. Do you find that your music lends itself to multiple genres/scenes?
Yeah, I definitely think it does. It’s somewhat of a blessing and a curse to an extent. We’ve never fit into a pre-existing scene, so for the first few years of our careers it was really difficult to get on lineups that are often curated around one specific genre. But the benefit of that is that now that we’re building a name for ourselves in the live scene, we can very easily fit on a pop lineup, or an indie lineup, or a pop-punk/hardcore lineup and be the odd ones out on all of them.
It could be a symptom of the modern era of aesthetics, but it seems that audiences are much less tribalistic when it comes to genre these days. So every time we step into a new scene with audiences that have different sensibilities, we are always really well received. That is something that we feel really grateful for and appreciative of.
PRETTY BLEAK is an eclectic mix of stadium-sized production, dazzling imagery and even a unique fashion sense that reflects the music. Do you consider all of these things carefully when building the band’s image?
We definitely consider it all very carefully and intentionally. However, our main consideration is whether or not we are being genuine and authentic. The style of our music, visuals and fashion has evolved significantly over the course of our band’s history, but we’ve never sat down and decided “now we’re going to sound like this”, or “now we all have to start dressing this way”. Everything has been incredibly natural and instinctual.
Our evolution as a band and as an aesthetic idea has coincided with our evolution as people and as artists, and the most important thing to us is that we’re acting authentically. To be contrived is to kill yourself as an artist. Modern society makes it incredibly intimidating to be authentic and sincere with no fear of judgement or humiliation. It’s definitely a learned skill, and none of us were born with it. But it’s something that we strive for in everything we do as a band, and the more we surrender ourselves to that idea the easier and more natural it becomes.
What’s on for the rest of 2024, and where can we catch you playing next?
We’re playing two headline shows to celebrate an introduction to a theme: 30 August at The Workers Club in Melbourne and 14 September at Tomcat in Brisbane. Then after that (in typical PB fashion) we’re straight back into the studio for EP #2.
PRETTY BLEAK have played sold-out headline shows, supported the likes of BUGS and Friends of Friends, as well as impressed judges at the 2023 BIGSOUND. Their latest effort is another example of their creative prowess and a reminder that you should be well and truly familiar with the name by now.
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