Unify Off The Record has begun! The roaming festival promised to be a lot, and already it’s proving to deliver even more. With an upcoming stint in Tassie, we checked in with Alpha Wolf.
Alpha Wolf is a prolific band. Between a constant slew of shows and a regular stream of releases with the latest being a lo-fi joint Shh, composed of many fan-favourites from the critically-acclaimed a quiet place to die. Point being, considering the wares Alpha Wolf are peddling aren’t just delectably brutal, they’re also important – their hyper-activity a good thing.
Alpha Wolf are hellbent on using their platform for a good cause, one of the many reasons they caught the attention of Unify Off The Record, which is sending some of the scenes biggest names in the scene to some of the countries furthest reaches of the land in the name of good music and good mental health.
As well as enough live acts to sink a ship, Off The Record is also creating space for important conversations via a series of panels and discussions. With plans to put the show on the road to their native Tasmania, it was a gig Alpha Wolf couldn’t miss.
Tell me, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of regional touring?
We love regional touring as we all come from regional backgrounds, every show has a homely feel about it as they’re the type of shows we first starting going to
As a fan, have you ever experienced the rush of seeing one of your favourite musicians performing in a regional city? Personally for me, Parkway Drive performs at Wyong youth centre …
My first show was Parkway Drive playing to maybe 50 people in the middle of the bush in North-West Tasmania on the Killing With A Smile Tour and this horrendous festival called Rage At The Ranch, apparently they remember the fest quite well haha. But that show changed my life as a young 14yo lad witnessing metalcore for the first time
Other than the obvious, what do you find the main differences between regional tours and major city tours are?
I feel like there’s definitely less rules and you’re guaranteed to see some way more wild shit, everyone is bred different in the regional areas and it makes it all the more memorable haha
You’re hitting Tasmania for Off The Record which is about as regional as Australia gets. Do you agree there’s a certain magic in the air in Tas? If so, how would you describe it?
I’d have to say it’s because it’s the best air in the world!! (Look it up)
Being that we’re from Tasmania it’s always special bringing the show home and seeing school friends + family at the shows, this time at the biggest venue we’ve had the pleasure of playing down there
As an artist, what do you get out of venturing off the beaten path for performances?
It feels good to take the show to as many corners of the globe as possible, this includes in our home country, you want to reach as many people as possible and take the show as close as you can to them. The fans are always super grateful to see a show in their hometown.
It’s not just about the music for Off The Record, there’ll also be space for serious discussion around mental health. How important is it to the Alpha Wolf mission statement to use your platform to promote these discussions?
We’ve got many songs that touch on this and it’s something we’ll always spare as many moments as possible to bring to light, we want everyone to be in their best mental state as possible and if our show, lyrics or songs can help in the slightest it means the world. We’ve all been in dark places before and found a song that has helped in some way.
Off The Record will also be showcasing the story and culture of the traditional land owners where each show will take place. Do you feel this is something that should be a part of all heavy live music events?
Of course! I think the older I get, I’ve come to realise how much more I want everything to be community driven and culturally driven whereas this definitely wasn’t close to a thing when I was a kid attending shows, I believe in everyone getting a chance to learn these things. Any platform we have we want to provide something positive in any sort of manner, it’s only for the greater good.
Unify Off The Record 2023
Friday, May 26
Hindley St Music Hall, Adelaide
w/ Teenage Joans, Thornhill, Ocean Grove, Yours Truly
The Beautiful Monument, Alt, The Last Martyr, Wildheart
Saturday, May 27
Uni Bar, Wollongong NSW
w/ Thy Art Is Murder, Make Them Suffer, Ocean Grove
Yours Truly, Fit For An Autopsy, Bloom
Banks Arcade, Reliqa, Alienist, Raised As Wolves
Thursday, June 1
Odeon Theatre, Hobart TAS
w/ Alpha Wolf, In Hearts Wake, Void Of Vision
Redhook, Offset Vision
Friday, June 2
The Pier, Frankston VIC
w/ Northlane, In Hearts Wake, Make The Suffer
Redhook, Fit For An Autopsy, Ocean Sleeper
Mirrors, Chasing Ghosts, Banks Arcade, Future Static
