Audio Blackmail Interview

Audio Blackmail are a Sydney-based duo with a unique sound – primarily pop with rock & electro influences. BBM’s SABINA CAMPBELL caught up with singer Emily Pike to discuss the band’s journey so far.

So how did you two meet?
We met through Craig’s best friend and my little sister – they were studying at NIDA together. I knew Craig left his previous band so I approached him about starting one.

Musically, who has been a major influence to you?
We’re both pretty obsessed with music so we listen to a wide range of artists. As far as most recent favourites we really like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ting Tings and Miami Horror. Retro influences are Faith No More and No Doubt.

As a band, how do you go about the music process when creating new material?
We generally work independently which is a bit odd to some but generally Craig comes up with the music – he lays down the guitars, bass, keys & drums, then I listen to the song and try to come up with a melody and lyrics.

How do you stay ahead of the curve, with other bands out there that are also following the Electro trend?
We’re still quite new in what we’re doing so at this stage it’s a matter of trial and error. We try to keep it simple and not over-analyse our music. Also, to us it’s not just about writing music but about putting on a good live show and making sure that our audience is having a good time.

Word on the street is that you can belly dance? Will this be making an appearance in some of your shows?
You’ll have to come along to our next show to find out!

To check out more from Audio Blackmail, visit audioblackmail.com and you can check the band out at Candy’s Apartment in Sydney on March 18th.