Brisbane indie punk outfit Semantics have splashed their name across the national music scene in the space of seven short years, traversing the country with acts such as Luca Brasi, Violent Soho, Sly Withers and The Menzingers while managing to drop their debut LP Paint Me Blue in the midst of it all, garnering a loyal and passionate global fanbase to boot.
To prove they are no flash in the pan, Semantics recently unleashed their sophomore album I Feel It All At Once, producing their most cohesive and definitive work to date. Across its eleven tracks, I Feel It All At Once encapsulates a broad emotional spectrum; snapshots of life’s experiences, journeying themes of grief, love, yearning and ultimately, acceptance. Semantics are a band who have proven in the past that they are unafraid to explore darker themes and subject matter, but even then, they displayed a talent for doing it in a way that felt healthy and cathartic.
Vocalist/guitarist Callum joined HEAVY to go more in depth.
"I'm so excited," he enthused a couple of days out from the album's September 27 release date. "We've been sitting on these songs for a few months now and waiting to put them out and see what everyone thinks. (Musically) we were aiming to encapsulate everything we love about rock and guitar music. We wanted to pay tribute to all of their styles and artists that have influenced us and play from the heart and make songs that we believe in. Write about content and subject matter that is important to us or relevant to our lives, but is also - we hope - translatable and accessible to everyone else."
In the full interview, Callum explained how the album represents a new chapter for the band, with a greater focus on production and songwriting effort, and is a tribute to the styles and artists that have influenced them. We discussed Semantics' upcoming album tour, which will start on the Gold Coast on October 13 and end in Brisbane on November 6, with Callum describing their live shows as loud and energetic, with a positive atmosphere.
We also spoke about the album title and how it differs to their first release, plus more.