After a fiery debut, releasing 3singles in late 2023, Ferntree Gully’s most hated hardcore band are launching into 2024 with their raucous debut album. La Famiglia, fronted by Melbourne punk mainstay Luke Seymoup, unleash their first full-length, “FTG WWD” on February 15th. The album features 12 tracks of 80s-inspired hardcore punk, drawing influence from bands such as Dag Nasty, Madball, Gorilla Biscuits and FEAR.
La Famiglia is a divergence from Seymoup’s usual idiosyncratic brand of power-pop and indie punk. Unlocking a whole new element in the singer’s voice, Seymoup channels Lee Ving and Glen Danzig with a decidedly Australian twist; tackling lyrical themes of mental health (“Having A Bad Time, Having A Ball”), toxic masculinity (“One of the Boys”), punk politics (“Part-Time Punk”, “Beautiful Liars”), capitalism (“The World Is Ending And I’ve Still Gotta Go To Work”) and personal regret (“Should Have Treated You Better”). A wall of scuzzed-out guitars, distorted bass and amp feedback illustrates the lyrics in a raw and confronting manner; driven forward by energetic and pulse-pounding drumwork.
“Making this record allowed me to release a side of myself that I haven’t been able to express through my music before,” Seymoup explains. “I’ve been involved in the Melbourne punk scene since I was 16 years old, but existing on the more melodically-oriented side of the genre has held me back from being able to write about most of the topics I cover on this record. I’ve always loved classic punk, but haven’t had the opportunity to use the riffs I’ve written in that style and squirreled away over the years. In some ways, the album feels long overdue and I feel grateful and relieved to finally express my opinion on the behaviour and hypocrisy that plagues this genre that helped make me the person I am now.”
“FTG WWD” is the debut album by La Famiglia. It was performed, recorded, mixed and mastered by Luke Seymoup in Ferntree Gully, Vic. The album will be available through all good digital retailers on February 15th, with a limited run on cassette and minidisc available via Bandcamp.