Next week South Carolina rockers Emery promise plenty of attitude as they bring their We Do What We Want tour to Australia. I recently caught up with the band’s vocalist Toby Morell to chat about the upcoming shows, the new album of the same name, and why he loves Australia.
You’ve visited our shores before but this is your first time in Australia as the main attraction. How does it feel to step up out of that supporting role?
It feels great. We love getting to headline. We get to play more songs and really get to give the crowd our all. It is a little intimidating to do this in a different country but Australia always treats us really well.
This will be your fourth trip to Australia. What makes you want to keep on coming back?
It’s so fun. You guys have great sites, food, and the shows are always really fun to play. It could never get old.
You’ve got a pretty hectic schedule. Will you get any time to play tourist?
I hope so. We have seen a lot on our other trips but it is always nice to see things you’ve only gotten to read about in books or seen in pictures. I wish we could actually go to the Outback once, but we are scared we will die.
One of the more interesting stops on your tour is EasterFest, which has one of the most eclectic festival line-ups I’ve ever seen. There’s everything from metal to pop to gospel on the bill. Are you looking forward to taking part in such a diverse event?
Yes! We have heard about EasterFest and cant wait to play with all the amazing bands. I think it’s more fun when the bands are so diverse. There is a different kind of music happening all the time. You can’t get bored. It’s impossible.
Given that diversity there’s likely to be a lot of people at EasterFest who aren’t familiar with your music. Why should they check out your set?
I hate to toot our own horn but we really put on a crazy live show. We want to bring the music to life and always try to create a show that you will never forget.
You’ve just released your fifth album We Do What We Want. What can fans expect from the album?
It is really heavy. It’s the hardest album we have ever written but it still has all the singing melody that every Emery record has always had. We just wanted to take it up a notch.
I believe Aussie audiences will be amongst the first to hear these songs live. How do you feel about that?
I think it’s cool. I think the Australian fans are gonna be blown away by the new songs played live. They really translate well from disc to live show.
It’s been two years between albums. How have you grown as a band since then?
We are older, wiser, and know what we want to create in an album. This is one of the most mature Emery records in my opinion because we weren’t searching for who we are as a band. We know who we are at this point in our career and we bring the listener the best of Emery.
I believe you’re also planning to release an acoustic album later this year, which is really unusual for a hard rock act like yourselves. What can you tell me about that project?
We have about half a record done and we are going to try and get in the studio as soon as we can to finish the record. It will mainly be new songs, but we want some fan input on some older songs they would like to hear redone acoustically.
After the Australian tour wraps up, what’s next for Emery?
Lot’s of American fests and more touring. We are probably going to do an acoustic tour in November.
Catch Emery at the following shows around the country.
21 April 2011 – The Annandale Hotel, Sydney
22 April 2011 – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne
23 April 2011 – EasterFest, Toowoomba
24 April 2011 – Amplifier Bar, Perth
Image source: Tooth and Nail