The Dandys are a Brisbane/Meanjin-based punk/alt-rock outfit and today have released their debut EP, the fabulous and rocking Sex and Feuds.
Back in August, the band dropped the catchy and liberating “Gums”, and have just wrapped up a successful showcase at BIGSOUND 2023.
Sex and Feuds demonstrates the musicianship and maturity of a band that is still very much in its infancy. If you love guitars and melodies then The Dandys is going to be right up your alley.
The album is beautifully varied. There is an energy and urgency reminiscent of Yeah Yeah Yeahs as well as melodic gems that remind you of The Beths. In Sex and Feuds, the Dandys have created a collection of songs that is a stellar first taste from a band that should be on your must-see list.
The vocals of lead singer Mads Protheroe have tremendous range, and are a constant highlight. From the grungy snarl of “Gums” to the tender “Falling”, it’s a voice for all seasons. We can’t wait to see what comes next from The Dandys.
The band has put together a track-by-track breakdown for the AU. So crank it up loud, press <play> and read on!
Track by Track – The Dandys – Sex and Feuds
Sex and Feuds – overview
Sex and Feuds is a project we’ve been working on for a while now and we’re really proud of how it’s turned out. Conceptually, we view the record as the journey you go on when you lose someone who was really integral to your own identity and working out who you are after that. It takes a deep dive into themes around mental health, relationships and grief, as well as a healthy dose of sarcasm and chaotic energy. It’s retrospective and heavy at times but brings you right back up when you need it.
Falling
“Falling” is the first song out of these that we wrote and is a fitting opener. It’s essentially a conversation. It’s the chat you have with yourself about a situation you know isn’t going to change or get better but you’re not quite ready to give up on it. The best way to explain it I guess would be… you know that disappointment you get when something happens you knew was probably going to happen, but you were still hoping that it wouldn’t? Falling is about that blind hope. It also happens to be the only song with a bass solo on the record so listen out for that.
Broke Me Down
“Broke me” down is the sad song. It’s the pit in your stomach, it’s placing blame, it’s you swearing off dating forever to anyone who’ll listen… it’s just plain and simple, heartbreak. Instrumentally, we kept it pretty raw for the first half and gradually gets more and more intense until it’s a mess for a moment before finding clarity again at the end. It’s to take you on that journey of where the overthinking and reminiscing gets way too much until you just let it out. Have a good cry to this one and you’ll feel okay by the end of it.
State of Mind
“State of Mind” is heavy and at times overwhelming before diving into this calm, retrospective internal dialogue. It’s really just about making sense of everything and trying to figure out who you are and what you’re going to do with yourself. It’s probably the song we spent the most time on and we worked really hard to get the different sections to reflect that ebb and flow between chaos and calmness. The dynamics of the drums, the drastic tone changes with the guitars and the diving chords through the transitions just all came together perfectly to portray exactly what we were trying to.
Temporary Fix
“Temporary Fix” is a straight up rock song and we love it. It’s heavy, full of angst and it’s a heap of fun. It’s about standing up for yourself, understanding your worth and knowing when to walk away from something that’s just not good for anyone. Instrumentally, it’s rooted in this incredible drum groove (we’re all still so impressed by it every time we hear it – Nick, you killed that), a driving baseline and heavy palm muted guitars, it’s just tough. The breakdown, the dynamics and the overall attitude of the track are just what you need to get that ‘f*ck you’ out of your system.
Gums
“Gums” is this slow, guitar driven, bluesy rock song that propels into a psychedelic fever dream chorus. It’s about nothing and everything, putting off the mundane and figuring out that booking your own dentist appointments is kind of annoying. It was originally written as a joke song but it quickly became our favourite to play live with the tempo changes and sarcastic lyrics, it’s just a good time. The energy of it really sums up our entire band relationship and dynamic and makes it the perfect closer to our first body of work.
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