The Getaway Plan

In 2009 to many fans’ surprise – and horror – The Getaway Plan went separate ways at the peak of their career. “I don’t blame people [for being upset], it was totally out of the blue. We didn’t give much of an explanation at the time and it was a bit rude the way we broke up for sure,” frontman Matthew Wright says.
Behind the scenes things were much more tense, band members came and went (Benny Chong left in 2006 with original band members not returning for the reunion), Matt was diagnosed with depression and it was all a case of too much too soon. The band was young, and things just simply weren’t working out how they’d expected. But with time the group could reflect on where they went wrong.
“We’ve matured so much and worked so much in our time off that we’ve learned to be so much more appreciative of what we have now,” he says.
“Before we kind of took it for granted because we came straight out of school and instantly we were a touring band that was away for eight months of the year, and our success came on pretty early for us. But things were very easy for us from the beginning and we just really took things for granted and having the time off we realised what we missed. It’s worth a lot.”
Their growth individually as musicians and people sparked the idea of a reunion – which at the time wasn’t meant to be a permanent thing.
“At the first reunion show we had the response we received at that show had a massive part in us choosing to stay together from there on,” Matt says.
“There was also the fact we’d discussed between us that we felt we weren’t finished with making music just yet – that we needed to write more together. But the crowd response at that show was absolutely incredible, and we knew as soon as we got off that stage that it was 100 per cent form there – we had to continue.”
Now having been together (for the second time) for almost five years, there’s a new album on the way: Dark Horses. The 11-track release features much of the Getaway Plan sound we’ve come to love, but also touches on what they’ve experienced over the past few years.
For Matt, the album was so much more than the album to follow on from 2011’s Requiem, it was a means of getting his passion back for making music – something he lost sight of during the tougher moments of his depression.
“I don’t think I’d be in the place that I am now having overcome a lot of that without this record. There’s no way I’d be where I am,” he says.
For anyone who’s suffered from depression, or known someone who has, facing the diagnosis to begin with can be one of the biggest hurdles before getting better. For Matt, he made that hurdle even bigger in telling his fans on social media.
“I was very apprehensive, but more so because I didn’t want people to think that it was like a ‘woe-is-me’ story,” he says.
“I really wanted to do that because I had recognised and I had experienced how difficult it was to share that with other people. I wanted to show people how important it was to be able to make that step and do that, and the response was really really lovely.”
While labels have never interfered with creating albums in the past, this time around the band have chosen to be completely label free – enabling them to decide exactly how they want to be seen, whether that’s through artwork or the singles that are released to radio.
It’s refreshing to know that the haunting silhouette in a run down building that graces the Dark Horses cover was hand-picked by the band members. Talking to Matt it’s clear that it’s all a relatively recent project, and one that’s very fresh in his mind.
“We actually only finished it about a few weeks ago, because we had to go back and make some changes to the masters,” Matt says.
“We mastered it about a month and a half ago and then after we mastered it we found out one of the songs couldn’t be on the record, so we had to go back and put another song together. So we only finished just over two weeks ago and last week when I was driving in my car I had a really good experience listening to the whole thing.”
To support the new release they’ll soon be heading out to capital cities. And if there’s anything that Matt’s going to miss while on tour it’s his cat – who unfortunately won’t be hitting the road with the band.
“No way he would fucking hate that!” Matt adds laughing. “Of course, we all have cats that we miss heaps while we’re away.”
If you’re feeling depressed or simply want someone to talk to, call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14.
Release: Dark Horses is available at all good retailers now
When&Where: Werribee Plaza Hotel, Werribee – October 29, Workers Club, Geelong – October 31 & Whalers Hotel, Warrnambool – November 27
Written by Amanda Sherring