Less than eight short months ago the boys of Residual hadn’t even played a show together; but since that point the band have grown beyond belief. They have recorded their debut EP, announced their first east coast tour of Australia and have rapidly gained fans all over Victoria – all achievements the boys never expected so quickly.
“At the start of last year we sort of started getting together and jamming. That was sort of a really chilled thing where we were just writing songs, and then when it came to August we just felt like we were ready to play a show, so our first show was the Battle of the Bands at the Courthouse and that was August 1st,” says Sam Burtt, keyboardist, rhythm guitarist and lead singer of Residual.
“I think the Battle of the Bands was a test for us to see if this was something people were interested in and if it was something we should push and pursue. The fact that we won it and the feedback we got from it and from the stuff we have put out has blown us away. It’s not something we expected this early.”
The judges were blown away with how tight and professional the boys were for their very first gig. But when you hear of their musical backgrounds it’s less surprising, with all the boys playing in various bands throughout their teen years.
“We had all played metal and we all sort of came from metal and hardcore bands,” explains Burtt. “I think some of that tightness comes from being in those other bands together, and the remains of those pushed us along and bring that level of tightness.”
Despite the boys’ much harder metal roots being far different to their current brand of indie rock, Burtt feels those roots have influenced the way they write songs, saying “I think part of the structure of the songs is really based on the idea that we came from a heavy background, where you have these heavy songs with in-your-face parts that are really impactful without overstaying their welcome. I think we just try and make sure a song is as interesting as possible and not keep things too monotone.”
We will get our first taste of Residual’s new material on April 4th, with the release of the first single, ‘Numbered’, off their upcoming EP. And although there are many people eagerly awaiting their new release, the boys aren’t putting too much pressure on themselves.
“At the end of the day every song on the EP is on there because we liked it and we love playing it,” says Burtt. “I think we are just excited to have something that is representative of what we are doing and what we sound like right now. I don’t think we are worried about people loving it or hating it; I think we are just excited to have something that we can try and push in people’s faces and if they do like it then awesome, but if they don’t, well, you can’t please everyone.”
With the EP now recorded, the hardest part for the guys is being patient and sitting on it to find the best time for its official release – and this could become a consistent dilemma, with Burtt revealing he’d like the band to regularly release material.
“We will drop the single and do the tour and then we will sort of see how we are, and at that point I think we would like to drop it earlier rather than later, just because we want people to hear it. But the marketing side of it is all about slowing it down and not rushing the product. Our managers always say, ‘There might be a couple hundred people who have heard your songs, but there are thousands and thousands of people that haven’t heard it, so there is no real reason you have to push it’.
“In saying that, if we can manage it financially I’d like to be a productive band. I’d like to put out a couple of things a year if we could, even if they are just EPs and singles.”
Residual’s sudden rise has been aided by their managers, who have helped guide the boys in an industry that can at times be confusing and unforgiving – and teaching them about the marketing side of music.
“They have guided us along the way massively,” says Burtt. “We wouldn’t be in the position we are if it wasn’t for them. We would just record an EP and as soon as we got the mixes back we would have just thrown it on the ’net, but they are all about just slowing it down and just making sure everything is marketed the way it should be and getting the most out of our release.
“When you put so much time and money into something like that you need to get what you can out of it, so if that means holding off on the releasing of things then so be it.”
In keeping with the theme of firsts for the band, next month will be their first-ever tour where they will also be joined by friend and fellow Geelongite Jordan Riddle, giving audiences a real taste of what Geelong has to offer.
“Geelong has got so many bands and so many acoustic artists,” Burtt says, “so it’s like a taste test of each of those. Hopefully we can promote the greater area of Geelong and all those other bands that deserve that recognition as well.
“We are just pumped for the tour; we have no delusions of grandeur. This is literally just a tour to go around, and if ten people hear us at a show we are happy. The best case scenario, we go over there and pick up lots of new fans, then that’s awesome. But worst case, we are travelling the east coast of Australia with our mates doing what we love.”
When&Where: Beav’s Bar, Geelong – April 10; The Loft, Warrnambool – April 12; The Toff, Melbourne – April 27
Written by Zach Broadhurst