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Origins is a recurring new music feature in which an artist charts the influence of their latest hit single.
Australia’s Hockey Dad made a splash last year with their debut full-length, Boronia, a sunny collection of infectious surf pop. Now, the duo is back with a new album, Blend Inn, which is due for release next year.
Recorded at Seattle’s Robert Lang Studios with producer John Goodmanson (Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, Los Campesinos!), the album will feature a touch more introspection among its playful hooks and emphatic vocals. “Blend Inn is the part of your head that you want to go to when you’re overseas and wishing you were back home, it’s within,” says the band’s Billy Fleming. “We’re always just trying to be comfortable and semi blending in, so it’s the name we gave to that place you zone out to.”
Hockey Dad has also shared the album’s first single, “Homely Feeling”, a forceful, paranoid cut with a jagged chorus. The song’s refrain, especially, sounds plucked straight out of early ’90s Olympia, which makes sense considering Blend Inn was recorded at the same spot where Nirvana recorded their last song.
“This whole album was a bit of a haze, but the one thing that I remember is that we had a good feeling about this song from the start,” the band tells Consequence of Sound about the song. “We had a few spontaneous ideas and were both amping on it hell hard. Whenever that happens we tend to keep running with it until the whole thing all just falls into place. In a way the lyrics reflect on trying to find that feeling all the time, and we’re always comfortable when we’re back home. This ones for when you’re surrounded by heaps of people and kinda freaking out. Whenever you’re heaps off it and just wanna be back home.”
Check it out below.
Hockey Dad will also be previewing their new album on a forthcoming tour of North America. See their full itinerary below.
To help give fans some more insight into the sound of “Homely Feeling”, Hockey Dad’s Zach Stephenson explains some of the things that influenced the track’s creation for the latest entry of Consequence of Sound’s Origins.
AC/DC — “Jailbreak”:
The definition of CHUG. Listening to old songs like this is fun to take the piss and play around with… but in the end they infiltrate your brain and you start writing songs with the same feel and attitude. ‘Homely Feeling’ rates pretty high on the Chug-O-Meter in my books, and it’s definitely because of late night car trips blasting AC/DC.
Nirvana — “Come As You Are”
I fell in love with using clean chorus drenched guitar underneath heavy guitars on this song. The idea probably came from this song but I can’t quite remember. I might have just accidentally left my chorus pedal on but either way it turned out for the best.
Twin Peaks — “Butterfly”:
We went and saw Twin Peaks in Seattle whilst in the middle of recording. Truth is I got so drunk I don’t remember any of the show unfortunately. They have this crazy way of sounding really heavy and kickass without even using a Boss Metal Zone pedal. It must be the fact that they are always so enthusiastic and excited. We haven’t reached Twin Peaks/ level of cool yet but hopefully we are on our way.
Iggy Pop – “I’m Bored”:
This is just a straight up in your face rock song. ‘Homely Feeling’ was written really quickly and meant to be straight up. No tricks or diversions. Iggy gives it straight and tells you how it is. He’s fuckin’ bored and I love it.
The Growlers – “Neverending Line”:
Lyrically this song inspired me the most I think. The feeling of touring around and having good days and bad days. Bad days end up making the best songs usually. ‘Homely Feeling’ is mostly about that half an hour you get to yourself in an unknown town. Walking around just trying to find something to relate to or enjoy. Sometimes you have the best time of your life, sometimes you just want to go home and work in an office.
Hockey Dad 2017 Tour Dates:
10/24 – Calgary, AB @ Nite Owl
10/25 – Edmonton, AB @ The Buckingham
10/27 – Whistler, BC @ Garibaldi Lift Company
10/28 – Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
10/29 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
10/30 – Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
11/03 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA *
11/04 – Phoenix, AZ @The Rebel Lounge *
11/05 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *
11/08 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger *
11/09 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
11/10 – Houston, TX @ Walters Downtown *
11/11 – Austin, TX @ Cheer Up Charlie’s *
11/12 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt
11/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade *
11/14 – Orlando, FL @ Backbooth *
11/16 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel *
11/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *
11/19 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
11/20 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair *
11/22 – Detroit, MI @ The Shelter*
11/24 – Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s *
11/24 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
11/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
11/27 – Des Moines, OH @ Vaudeville Mews
11/28 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
11/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
12/01 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s *
12/02 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory *
12/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
* = w/ The Frights
