Living in regional areas puts you behind the eight-ball somewhat when it comes to promoting your music. For a start, the population is drastically less than the capital areas, which presents a plethora of associated problems starting with a target audience.
It takes a combination of talent, persistence, planning and vision to just get your toes wet, which is exactly what Mackay metal outfit Same Pains possess plenty of.
Despite being a band for a short amount of time, their collective experience has seen the members share the stage with noted Australian acts such as Northlane, Polaris, Alpha Wolf and Ocean Grove. Earlier this year the band played two showcase gigs at BigSound and this weekend perform at Rhythm & Reef Festival in their hometown, which will be headlined by Bliss N Eso - not exactly from the metal realm but still one of the big fish when it comes to Australian music.
But all of that will be superseded today when Same Pains release their first collection of music in the form Closure: An Aggregate, with guitarist Ben Burrows joining HEAVY to outline things in greater detail.
We outlined their promotional strategies and release schedule, with Ben reflecting on the band's unique approach of releasing singles prior to the full collection. The title Closure was explored, with Ben explaining it signifies the end of a chapter and the start of a new journey, while also touching on the band's musical evolution and diverse influences.
The conversation also addressed the challenges and opportunities within regional music scenes, drawing from their experiences in Mackay and Cairns. Ben shared his efforts to organize local shows and the importance of community engagement, as well as their upcoming performance at the Rhythm & Reef Festival. He expressed hopes for greater exposure for heavy acts in regional areas and discussed future plans for shows in Brisbane and Sydney, as well as the potential release of another EP next June, plus more.