Band Interview: Ironstone
Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life had a Skype interview with Australian progressive metal band, Ironstone. Where we talked the Australian music scene, releasing an EP during a global pandemic , the challenges of being a young band with day to day jobs and who they’d love to play with one day as well as much more.
What follows is a transcription of some of the talking points during the interview. You can listen to the full thing via Soundcloud here or watch it via YouTube below.
On having to focus on a career path that isn’t music
Eddie (Lead Guitar): It’s always been like that the music is the plan A and the other stuff’s the plan B but at the same time the plan A is so unrealistic that the plan B kind of takes the primary position as the plan A.
It’s not that we’ve ever not considered that the band could be something that could financially contribute to our lives but I’m kind of taking on the idea that it’s not its primary purpose. If it brings some money in, that’s great but by having my eye on some other prize it means I don’t have to be dependent on it for money so I don’t have to be constantly disappointed with the results of that. Also I don’t have to be broke!
On if they had considered delaying or holding the EP back
Eddie (Lead Guitar): I think it would cross the mind of anyone whose even mildly self reflective. It’s definitely crossed our mind that it seems kind of distasteful to release music right now when people are just financially trying to just hold on and make it through. At the same we considered that we don’t make a lot of money from our music anyway so we’re not actually asking for anyone’s money. It’s going to be up on YouTube, it’s free to listen too anyway.
Dan (Vocals): Everyone in isolation, well everyone I’ve been speaking too, they want… well, they need something new to listen too.
On being a metal band from a country synonymous with rock
Eddie (Lead Guitar): I’d say being Australian gives us a bit of an advantage but not in Australia.
Dan (Vocals): Not in Australia. Australians hate Australians!
Eddie (Lead Guitar): In my personal opinion that is where it counts most because if you’re taking about raw population density , raw numbers, like people per square metre sort of thing, it’s probably best that we have a really good advantage overseas because being Australian is exotic…apparently. I feel like Australians are really well received in Europe and we’ll be able to capitalise on that.
Dan (Vocals): They like us more than we like ourselves!
What three bands would they love to play with
Eddie (Lead Guitar): I absolutely love Periphery, they’ve been a huge, huge influence so they would be somewhere up the top of the bill. Given how big they are and how much draw they have. I know I’m not the only one who loves Periphery, that’s a very common theme amongst metal heads because they’re just geniuses.
So Periphery would be up there. Local Melbourne band Twelve Foot Ninja would also be there as well. They kind of changed my mindset about what the guitars role is in the band. Before that I was really into Steve Vai and thought guitar soling was the be all and end all but when I heard what they were doing it became downtuning the guitar, the guitar acting as an extension of the kick drum was kind of the new motto. After that it stopped being self indulgent soloing and we really started to write for the songs and to write to make the song good.
So I’d say Twelve Foot Ninja really pulled me into where I am right now.
For cool factor I’d probably say Voyager too.
Dan (Vocals): I’m not a very big Periphery fan but I’d probably put Twelve Foot Ninja at the top and then Voyager. Then probably us because we’re pretty cool, as well. I don’t know about the bottom one. Orpheus Omega are pretty good! Yeah, Orpheus Omega are bloody good.
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