Australian punks Clowns make the kind of loud, fast, ripping, catchy punk that never goes out of style. They’re too abrasive to be pop punk and too melodic to be hardcore, but they do an amazing job of occupying that appealing middle ground. Their new album Endless comes out tomorrow (10/20) via Fat Wreck Chords, and I highly recommend listening to it. You don’t have to wait till it’s out though; a full stream premieres right here:
For more on the LP, here’s what vocalist Stevie Williams had to say about it:
“Our new album, ‘ENDLESS,’ is dropping on Friday, Oct 20, and I think I speak for all of us in the band when I say we cannot wait to have it out in the world and into your ears!
The record, titled ‘ENDLESS,’ truly felt endless to make. The creative process started with spaghetti western/thrash metal riff ideas back in 2018, and rehearsals for the songs began at the end of our last album cycle in 2019. Then, of course, an imminent global pandemic didn’t help either. Being from Melbourne, the most locked-down city in the world (weird flex, I know), meant that many of the ideas were discussed over Zoom, and riffs were sent through crappy GarageBand demos with home recording gear that we hardly knew how to use.
I viewed the trying times almost as a fight that I was not willing to lose. I was undyingly determined to get the riffs I was working on out into the world, and no stupid virus was going to stop me! This theme of undying determination wove itself into my subconscious and presented in the music, at first, without us realising. You’ll notice that many of the songs on the album have undertones of immortality, which eventually became the concept of ‘ENDLESS.’ Just take lyrics from the chorus of the main focus track of the full album, ‘SCARED TO DIE,’ stating, “I’m so scared to die, and when we fuck, I feel like I’m gonna live forever.”
Other Freudian slips of immortal imagery can be found in:
* “FORMALDEHYDE” – screams in the chorus, “I’m pretty sure I’ll never die, ’cause I’m soaking in formaldehyde.”
* “Z3r0s&0n3s” – pre-chorus yelling, “Why won’t it fucking die?”
* “DEATH WISH” – the first verse as the lyrics howl, “Now I’m invincible.”
* “A WIDOW’S SON” – at the end detailing how the tales of Ned Kelly are “immortalised” in the Australian imagination.
* And the artwork itself, which details a skeleton magician rising up as police officers try to take him down but are unsuccessful, visually portrays the unstoppable determination to continue through adversity and overcome.
For many years, this has been our hyper-focus that we have been working on, sweating over, and constantly building. Now it is out, all of our finishing touches have been made, there’s no going back, and it doesn’t feel like ours anymore. It’s for whoever wants to hear it. Enjoy it; it’s yours now.
There you have it! Listen to the album stream above, pick up a copy from Fat, and if you’re in Australia, catch Clowns on tour:
15 Mar 2024 in Brisbane, Australia @ The Brightside
29 Mar 2024 in Adelaide, SA, Australia @ Lion Arts Factory
30 Mar 2024 in Perth, AU @ Amplifier
5 Apr 2024 in Melbourne, AU @ 170 Russell
13 Apr 2024 in Sydney, AU @ Crowbar