Horsepower are a new band out of Melbourne who have recently released a two song promo tape through New Ethic Records.
Robert Fitzsimmons caught up with singer Dermott for the lowdown... Photos by Nicole Goodwin
Hey Dermy, thanks for taking the time to do this. Let’s start simple, Horsepower isn’t your first dip into music. Tell us a bit about your other endeavours and the story of Horsepower?
Mr Fitzgerald, not a problem at all! Thank you for asking me.
Yea that’s right. I’ve played guitar and sung for a long time. I used to do that in soft rock bands and stuff before, but I’ve been doing songwriting and singing since I was little, however Horsepower is the whole bands first attempt at hardcore music.
Horsepower started in covid 2021 when Nath, Dean and I moved in together. Their previous band had split and I was super keen to start a HC band. We just started having a go in our garage, none of us have tried to write HC songs before, I’ve never even screamed before so it was all uncharted territory. But the tracks we came up with are what our demo is. We asked one of our best mates Jordy to jump on bass for us and we just started playing shows and having fun.
Horsepower were one of the bands to pop with interest post covid in Melbourne, how did that feel for you personally and as the band continues to grow?
It feels amazing. I’ve always wanted to front a heavy band ever since I was little kid, so it is a dream come true! I feel so lucky that I get to do it with my best mates. I’m so grateful for any interest we receive, good or bad it motivates me so much to become the best band we can be in every aspect.
One thing I love is how difficult it is to explain the sound you have, most bands you can fit in a box of this or that. What do you think the major influences sonically are for the band and how have they changed with your growth?
I think that is due to HP being made up of people who aren’t necessarily the biggest hardcore buffs. I love my HC but the other guys have a broader spectrum of what they’re into. With that, when we all contribute to a song we’re writing we can do something a little different.
When we first started writing the guys we’re still very deep into the punk and rock scene, which I think is easy to hear in our early stuff. I was into my HC and other heavy stuff at that point so sometimes it can sound like HC vocals over punk music.
Nowadays our influences are similar to what they always have been but we’re improving our writing and trying to deliver something fun, hard, straight to the point and different than what’s being played at the moment.
You write very esoteric but fascinating lyrics, walk me through the process and who inspires you?
Thank you! I’ve been writing songs and lyrics since I was in early high school so I think as long as I write something better than the last song then I’m happy.
I’m inspired by mainly old gothic fiction and poetry. You can probably tell by the lyrics in a lot of the tracks. “Change Of Heart” is the song where I’ve feel like I’ve found my groove and what I want to write about for HP. I want write about things personal to me however approach them in a way where I’m not saying “you did this to me, so I did this ect.” That shit is dope, but I like to try and write stuff that is open to interpretation if you wish to look further into the lyrics.
The processes of how I write the lyrics is I’ll first find the vocals patterns id like to do over the music then I write the syllables done for the lines then fill in the lyrics accordingly. It takes me a while to figure out what I want to write about for the particular song, but once I have that the ball start rolling.
Horsepower recently put out a two track on Melbourne’s New Ethic records before shooting up to Sydney for Back On The Map. Those tracks showed a heavier side to the band and the photos from the fest looked insane. Tell us about that?
Yea the songs are a fair bit heavier, I don’t think it’s a super conscious decision but more so what riffs are coming to Nath and just what excites us at the moment. We want to play songs that excite us, just like any other band, so we’re just chasing that.
Yea it was crazy to play a show like that! By far the biggest show we’ve had. We had a lot of fun and it was a big learning curve for us, so we’re super humbled to have played. Shout out to Candice /Beastmode for asking us to play!
The Horsepower backyard show really felt like a celebration of the new wave of Melbourne hardcore featuring Panic State, Instance and Forgive. What was it like putting that show on and sitting back thinking that something was really happening?
That show was something else, it exceeded all of our expectations, shout out to Zaid for helping put it on also.
It was such a good time, middle of winter and the sun was out, all the sets were sick, everyone was just having a blast, it honestly couldn’t have gone any better.
If we still lived at that house we’d do it again, but unfortunately those days are over. For me that was the perfect show, and I feel like that point in time was so fun, a lot of new bands playing different styles of HC from one another. It made for a diverse crowd and really good time. Shoutout to everyone who was there!
Might I add there was like 0 clean up, my edge friends really make that shit easy when there’s only a few Coke Zero cans to throw away hahah.
I’ve got to ask about the swag, you are one of the best dressed front people I’ve seen with Gag crowning you the most swagged out singer, in a space where people focus on what brands they wear and appear you push back in the most charming way. Has this always been the case?
Hahahah shout out Gag, those guys are the best.
Ahh I kinda just wear what I think is dope! Which is the same for everybody I guess. I don’t wanna sound like “oh yea I’ve always been different” but I have just always done what I wanted and never worried too much about what was happening around me.
I have plenty of brands I like a lot but it’s mostly stuff that was popular when I was younger. One of my mates told me that I dress like what I wanted to when we were kids, and I think that’s true hahah.
But all I’m doing is just having fun, being myself, and not take it all too seriously. I don’t like spending a lot of money on clothes either so majority of my fashion comes from low balling poor suckers on eBay hahahaha.
Finally, take me through what’s next. Give us the twelve month projection for Horsy and any thank yous / final words?
Well we’re trying our best to write as much new material as we can. We’re incredibly slow at that so it might take a while hahah. However the cogs are turning and we will have a substantial release within the next 12 months for certain. Hopefully we can keep playing good shows, and no one’s gets tired of us between then hahah. We might release another promo tape too just to keep the boat sailing, but that’s inconclusive.
Shout out to my band mates, all the friends I’ve made through HC and all the MFs who actually care about HP. We’ll do you proud and have something different and exciting for y’all In due time.
PEACE!
Tapes available here: https://www.newethicrecords.com.au/product/horsepower-change-of-heart-promo