Tell us about your new single/ album/ tour?
We’ve just released our second EP, Raw Prawn. It’s a rollicking 5-track adventure through indie rock, power pop, punk and soul. It’s like a rock record from the 90’s, with some odd pieces and weirder moments thrown in. It’s an aggressive, emotive, mixed bag of songs that for some reason are different, but still sound the same.
We released the first single ‘Sober’ in late 2018 and the second single, ‘Be Still My Bleeding Heart’ only a couple of weeks ago. Check out the cool videos on the Youtube!
You can catch us promoting it all around Victoria in March and April, with the EP launch at Bombay Rock in Brunswick on 12 April.
What’s your favourite work at this point in time? (your own or your group’s work)
It’s by far Raw Prawn! We spent a very long time writing and recording songs for this EP and we feel like it’s really paid off. It’s the first time in all our years as a band that we’ve taken things seriously and given the work the time and effort it deserves.
Tell us a quick, on the road or studio, anecdote.
A couple of years ago we flew down to Tassie for a couple of shows. The Saturday night was awesome and being my home town, I ended up having a fairly late night with friends. We played another show on the Sunday arvo at a festival in Hobart and were due to fly back to Melbourne that night. Arriving at the Sunday show, I started topping up from the night before, so by the time I made it to the airport after the gig, I wasn’t in a particularly nice state and was starting to piss off the other band members. Luckily enough for everyone, as soon as I sat down in my seat, I fell asleep. Unluckily for everyone else however, and unbeknownst to me, something happened to the plane just before it was about to take off and it was grounded on the tarmac for the next 3 hours without anyone able to leave. The first I knew about it was when the plane landed in Melbourne 4-5 hours later and I woke up to plane load full of pissed off people. Not only had I slept through the whole ordeal, but I’d also snored like jack hammer.
How would you describe your sound in food form and why?
A mixed tray of tacos. We like to create quirky and interesting, high kilojoule songs that are simple and easily digestible, but really come to life with a bit hot sauce or guacamole. They’re different to each other, yet kind of the same. Like when you eat a pork taco and think it’s the best you’ve ever eaten, and then next you eat a beef taco that’s different, but better.
What, or who, inspires you?
Genuine people who do good things. People who walk down the street singing or laughing to themselves, rather than people who walk down the street on the phone to someone complaining about someone else. People who’ve got an awesome story to tell over a beer.
Which song do you wish you wrote?
‘The Outdoor Type’, which was on The Lemonheads album, ‘Car, Button, Cloth’. It’s such a cleverly written, super-catchy, self-deprecating alt country song about saying you’re an experienced outdoorsman, but actually being shit at it. Additionally, it was written by my namesake – a guy named Tom Morgan from Australian band Smudge. I liked it so much when I was a teenager that I once successfully impressed a girl by saying I had actually written it. So, aside from being one of my favourite songs, I mostly wish I’d written it, so I didn’t have to lie to that girl.
What’s next for you?
We’ve got another EP ready to release in the middle of the year, and potentially something else for a bit later in the year. We’ll continue to make videos and play live as much as possible and spreading the good word. Hopefully you’ll see more interstate shows before too long.
What’s your scene?
My scene is a rare place where the people are worldly, genuine and real. They enjoy good booze and food, a good chat and a laugh, and no one takes themselves too seriously. It’s where the music has soul and feeling rather than follows trend. It’s where the outdoors is just as important as the inside of a pub and one is allowed to like both music and sport at the same time.
Catch THE MEAN TIMES:
Tour dates –
The Mean Times create infectious, high-energy rock and roll with a let-loose-and-party attitude. Their sound is a pastiche of indie cool with sharp, scuzzy riffs and catchy pop choruses, all delivered with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and a hell of a lot of swagger.
While the Melbourne-based band has spent the past few years backfilling positions – they’ve gone through eight different drummers, three bassists, and three lead guitarists – their core members (Eoin Clements, Rob Meerbach and Tom Morgan) have diligently knuckled down to enhance their sound and improve their songwriting. This culminated in last year’s comeback single ‘Sober’- a catchy punk pop tale of sliding doors, intemperance, drinking to forget, and a prawn.
It’s going to be a busy and creative year for the seafood-obsessed trio. Once they drop their second EP, Raw Prawn, in late March they’ll have even more fishy releases in store for 2019!
‘Be Still My Bleeding Heart’ is available now for streaming and download at all digital outlets
CONNECT:
Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – Youtube – Spotify – Apple Music – Soundcloud – Triple j Unearthed – Bandcamp
Catch THE MEAN TIMES:
TOUR DATES
FRIDAY 5TH APRIL – YOUNG STREET SOCIAL, FRANKSTON, MELBOURNE
SATURDAY 6TH APRIL – COBURG RSL, MELBOURNE
FRIDAY 12TH APRIL – BOMBAY ROCK, BRUNSWICK, MELBOURNE
*** OFFICIAL EP LAUNCH SHOW ***
