As a Rival are for fans of early 2000’s Australian rock bands such as After The Fall and Bodyjar, and come as a breath of fresh air in a world where the ‘alternative’ Australian music is largely dominated by garage-punk, indie-rock and post-hardcore. All genres that aren’t to be sneezed at, but genres that can be all-consuming.
As a Rival could be the band we need to take the Aussie Rock ‘n Roll scene back to its former glory. Their latest single Obsolete says it all.
Pete Cerni (vox/guitar), Kylie Groth (bass), Nathan Wheatley (drums) and new addition Michael Conti (guitar) bring you their new single Obsolete, and it is a track that is guaranteed to send you on a mixtape journey of some of Australia’s greatest rock bands.
The Melbourne quartet’s new single features features Bodyjar’s Tom Read and is the icing on the cake of a bloody great tune.
“I’ve known Tom for about ten years having played together in a side project called Burn The City alongside Grant. I sent Tom the album demos to get some feedback and he called me back straight away and offered to record the entire album!” says Cerni.
“Even though we are friends, the amount of respect that I have for him and Bodyjar is immense and to have Tom not only enjoy but want to be apart of this album was indescribable and really set the tone of how special the process was going to be. It was a great experience.”
In the essence of drawing comparisons to show you how important it is that you check out Obsolete with urgency, the track has a very strong Antiskeptic vibe, sure to transport you back to 2005 when Australian rock was prime. Perhaps As a Rival are the ones to revive this beautiful era of Australian music?
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The undertones of As a Rival are laced with punk influences, something which Cerni states was somewhat intentional during the writing process of the band’s debut album By Design, out now. “The jump from the first couple of EPs into the punk realm is noticeable.
I grew up listening to punk amongst other things, but when I started writing for By Design I was drawing from all influences and trying things that I haven’t in the past” he explains.
“The songs were complete before Tom came on board, so the interesting question I get asked a lot is did working with Tom and the other Bodyjar boys influence the direction of the album. And the answer is no, it really wasn’t.”
And if you aren’t already impressed, By Design was produced by Adam Kasper (Aerosmith, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Foo Fighters), a step in the release process that changed the band from releasing an EP to releasing their debut album.
“My whole outlook changed on how I approached writing, lots of hours spent on demoing and rewriting. I’d never committed myself as much as I did to this album and this next phase for the band” Cerni states on working with the renowned producer.
As a Rival are heading off on tour this Friday August 5 with a tour mission statement to blow the roof off every single show. Do yourself a solid and head along to a show near you because this is one band you absolutely cannot miss out on seeing live.
Friday 5th August – The Eastern – Ballarat, VIC
w/ Agent 37, Northwood, Avora
Saturday 6th August – Music Man – Bendigo, VIC
w/ Eater of the Sky, Gladstone
Friday 12th August – Brisbane Hotel – Hobart, TAS
w/ Cardinels, Shark Puncher, Laser Brains, Mountains of Madness
Saturday 13th August – Club 54 – Launceston, TAS
w/ Cardinels, Laser Brains, Cape Grim
Friday 26th August – Flanagan’s – Mt Gambier, SA
w/ Special Guests
Saturday 27th August – Ed Castle – Adelaide, SA
w/ Black Avenue, The Dirty Chins, Across the Atlas
Thursday 1st September – Phoenix – Canberra, ACT
w/ Raised as Wolves, Sketch Method, Yoko Oh No
Friday 2nd September – Valve – Sydney, NSW
w/ Dividers, Ebolagoldfish, The Great Awake, Raised As Wolves
Saturday 3rd September – Tattered N Torn Festival, Uludulla, NSW
w/ Nerdlinger, The Great Awake, Raised As Wolves + more
Friday 16th September – Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong VIC
w/ Good For Wednesday, The Louds, In The Esky, Magnus
Saturday 8th October – Ding Dong Lounge – Melbourne, VIC
w/ Under the Cut, Gladstone, Cardinels
