Introducing:
Bad/Love
For Fans Of: Captives / Dayseeker / Thousand Below
Having recently released their new single, and collaboration with Ken Koie from Crossfaith, ‘Social Suicide’ to critical acclaim, Bad/Love talks to us about how that song came about, recording and plenty more.
Words: Renette van der Merwe
Photo: David Bichard (below)
Interview
Tell us a little about yourself. Where the name came from, how long you’ve been going for and anything else new fans would want to know.
Bad/Love is loosely based on an Albert King lyric from the blues song ‘Born Under A Bad Sign’. The lyric “if it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all” really hit a chord with Monty and he adapted it for a lyric “If it wasn’t for bad love, I’d have no love at all” when he was working on new music which turned into Bad/Love.
We came together due to our shared love of music, in particular, mid 2000s emo rock. All of us have been in bands in the past and took a break for a bit. We realised music was a massive part of our lives so we set off to create something new together.
“Huge release from Bad/Love here. They’re showing off everything – songwriting, delivery, vocal talent and relentless energy.”
Clare Mooney, Triple J
Going way back to the beginning, can you recall your very first memory of music?
It would have been when I was in year 5, I was at school and we had a class in the computer lab. Inside the computer I was using someone had left a CD of Linkin Park’s – Meteora. I took the disk home to give it a spin in my CD player and I was enamoured by it. I had no idea It was even possible to be connected to music emotionally until that point and that connection is what sparked my love for music.
Who’s on your wishlist of artists that you’d love to collaborate with and/or open for on tour?
I think I can speak on behalf of everyone that we would love to tour with Bring Me The Horizon or Crossfaith. It’d be an awesome experience to perform ‘Social Suicide’ live with Ken!
Speaking of live shows, what’s your favourite story from a show so far?
Our first show was one I’ll never forget, we played at an iconic venue in our hometown and played to 300+ people. The venue was filled with all of our family and friends. After getting off stage, we entered the green room and just screamed and hugged each other in full embrace. It was then we all knew we had something really special together.
Your new track ‘Social Suicide’ features Ken from Crossfaith. How did that come about?
After we finished writing ‘Social Suicide’ we certainly noticed the bridge being a stand out part of the song, we really wanted to make it special. Being fans of Crossfaith we thought that Ken would be an amazing feature. After passing the song and lyrics over to Ken, we were thrilled to hear he loved the direction, and he had something lyrically he wanted to say on the subject. It was an amazing experience to work with Ken and he blew us away with what he came up with.
What were some of the most fun and most challenging aspects of recording?
We still had a few vocal lines to record when covid restrictions hit Melbourne. Due to that, we weren’t allowed to be in the studio or see our producer. Monty and I had to record them from home and I remember using my wardrobe as a vocal booth. Hopping in and out to track each line and using my duvet for the makeshift soundproofing. Thrown totally out of our comfort zone was both fun and challenging for me.
Settle an argument for us (and the rest of the world) pineapple on pizza?
I can’t speak for the rest of the band but Pineapple always, who doesn’t like a bit of sweetness on their pizza?
Music
Inspiration
Rising to the challenge, Bad/Love have put together an electrifying collection of songs that best encapsulates the artists and music that inspire them as a band.
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