Photos by Nicole Goodwin.
Life Lair Regret and The Omission have teamed up for the May release of the debut LP for Melbourne band MINDRACE, so we figured it was about time we caught up with singer Scott to find out more about the band.
At what point did MINDRACE form and how did it all come together?
The band was formed in 2023 with me and Zach Burns (Implode, Who’s To Blame and The Omission). Now we have Kieren, Harvey, James and me.
Would readers recognize the members from any other bands?
You’ll find Harvey in Resurrect, Implode and Who’s To Blame. James is also in the band Rile and Cellophanes.
In your own words how would you describe the sound of MINDRACE?
Beneath the bright and glassy, there’s always something dark and gritty lurking to take over.
What bands are influencing the sound of MINDRACE?
I kinda purposely stopped listening to bands that I would take references from when I was writing. But I think I got a lot of ideas from bands like Youth Of Today, Inside Out, Defeat The Giant and Have Heart, not for Mindrace particularly but because they’re the bands I always listen to.
Melodic hardcore as a genre has taken a bit of a backseat of late, has it felt like a bit of an uphill battle playing your style of music over the last couple of years?
I personally don’t think there was a battle to begin with. We obviously know what makes people move, we know maybe adding this particular Madball bit brings some swag, we know the formula - because we also grew up in Hardcore. But that’s just simply not us, we don’t want to make something obvious. So yeah I’m happy with what we have and where we are.
What’s your favorite track on the album and why that one in particular?
We didn’t really have a clear vision of what we wanted to do before we released Promo 2024. I think the track “Ceramicist” is what I would pick if I’m showing people what this band is about.
Can you explain the significance of the album cover photo?
That’s actually me and my sister on the cover when we’re little. I think Mindrace is always about self-expression and embracing your true self. So it instantly clicked when I found these photos.
What's the future hold for Mindrace?
We have a few shows coming up from May and we’re genuinely excited to play in Nambour.
How can people keep up with or get in touch with the band?
Follow The Omission and Life Lair Regret Records.
Preorder here: https://lifelairregretrecords.bigcartel.com/product/mindrace-mindrace-lp
Stream below: