Glass editor, Jacinta, sat down with band On The Møss, who will be competing in Week Four of Battle of the Bands on the 13th of August at the Botanic Bar at Gardens Point. The band is made up of Harry (vocals, keys, guitar, bass), Isaac (guitar, bass), Pat (drums) and Noah (sax, keys, bass). They chatted about stolen cake, saw solos, and math.
Jacinta: First up, tell us a bit about how you became a band?
Harry: Well, we became On The Møss in 2020, technically, and then our bassist fell in love with a woman on Tinder in France. Naturally, he moved to France and has been living there for the last two years. Happy days. Then we took a hiatus, came back, and now we’ve got Isaac and Noah in the mix. Fantastic additions. So, we’re On The Møss recouped.
J: And how did you come up with the name On The Møss?
H: Well, back in Year 10, me and my mates came up with this idea of being moss on a rock because we were just so stressed. The expectations were so high for us to get good grades and all that crap. So, we thought wouldn’t it be nice if we were just not sentient and could just sit on a rock and chill and exist and grow like moss? Then it became, on the moss, like ‘you want to get on the moss?’ meant ‘do you want to chill out?’.
J: What’s been the most rewarding experience you’ve had at QUT as a musical artist?
Pat: We competed in the Battle of the Bands in 2021. We actually went through and won that competition. So, we had an opportunity to go and do a recording session with Yanto Browning. That was a song called Blue Conditioner, which might be coming at some point in the future.
J: How would you say being a part of the QUT community has impacted your growth as an artist?
H: QUT is very supportive on the whole, everyone you talk to is pursuing something, and everyone’s very happy to contribute to your pursuits. So, I guess in that respect, we’re really lucky to have had such a fostering community to begin our musical journey.
J: Can you share any memorable collaborations with other QUT students or faculty?
H: We’re the band for the Law Review, on the 29th, 30th and 31st of August. So, that’s fantastic. We basically collaborate with the Law Society and the law faculty and put on a show that’s like if Saturday Night Live and Monty Python had a strange baby.
J: Can you guys describe your creative process when producing your most popular song?
H: Red wine, I think was the primary driving factor for Blue Conditioner.
P: And nicking chocolate cakes out the Level Five fridge. They weren’t ours.
J: It tastes better when it’s stolen.
H: Yeah, the secret ingredient is crime.
J: Who would you say are your biggest influences in music and how have they shaped your sound?
P: As the band’s audio engineer, I have sort of a different vibe to what we play. I love my metal, and I love my orchestral kind of stuff. But for me, it would be Devin Townsend.
H: For me, it’s this red headed imp from a band called Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes, who has inspired me massively in all my song writing.
Noah: I’d have to say, in terms of just my playing and writing, John Frusciante has been a huge influence, so has Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits.
Isaac: Not to get all lovey dovey, but I would say these guys (pointing to the rest of the band) because I already had a go at a music career and I dropped out, and then I met these guys. Now I’m kind of back in, which is crazy.
J: What a sweet answer! If you could perform at any venue or festival in the world, where would it be and why?
P: I love Woodford Folk Festival. I would flipping love to play at Woodford Folk Festival.
H: I would say Glastonbury Festival in the UK, that would absolutely off the chops.
N: If we’re going outside the realms of reality, I would say seeing David Gilmore perform in Pompeii has made me think that’s got to be the best place to play.
I: Yeah, I’m not too sure but I love what they do on Like a Version for Triple J. They always slap. So, that’d be really cool.
J: What’s the most unusual sound or sample you’ve incorporated into a track?
P: A lot of the mixes I do, I love to replace guitar solos or synth solos with saw solos, which is basically like a saw that you cut wood with, but you get a violin bow, and you can bend it and bow it and make certain high pitched noises and do solos with it. It’s great.
J: If you guys weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
H: I’d be a corporate shill. I’m a law and psychology student.
P: Mathematician? I don’t fucking know to be honest. I would play volleyball, probably.
N: I’m studying math, actually, so I probably would be a mathematician.
I: I’m studying social work, so that’s probably my second choice.
J: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you during one of your gigs?
H: At Battle of the Bands [in 2021], I spilled a beer twice over the speakers and thankfully, nothing happened. I mean, topically, we have a single called Queen of the Klutz coming out on August 1, and I’m pretty sure I’m the king of the klutz.
P: [At that same show], I started one of the songs with my snare rattles off, and then the first hit, I was like, shit, oh, shit, I need to turn this on. And then I was trying to reach down while still playing the gig, and then when I came back up, I dropped both of my sticks.
I: I don’t think I have any.
H: Oh, aren’t you just perfect?
I: I don’t really have experience on stage yet, so I’m keen to make some pretty embarrassing mistakes at Battle of the Bands this year.
J: Who would you say is your dream collaboration for a track or an album?
P: I’ll go local, support the local bands. I would love to do a collaboration with Lagerstein.
N: Probably say an EDM artist, like Porter Robinson would be great.
I: I’m a big fan of French Kiwi Juice. As a saxophone player, he’s definitely somebody I aspire to be like.
H: As much as I despite them as human beings, I love them as musicians; Sticky Fingers. That would be nuts.
J: Do you guys have anything that you wanted to say to the students that’ll be coming to the Battle of bands, or to your opponents?
H: Beware mate, we’re coming for ‘ya. Garters and all, nothing is gonna be left behind. It’s gonna be like Harold Holt took a swim.
P: Bring a spare pair of pants.
H: I hope you like golf because you’re gonna get a hole in one.
The Glass Magazine X QUT Guild Battle of the Bands has returned for Semester 2! Last year was such an absolute blast that we are pitting the bands of QUT against each other once again. You don’t want to miss this amazing event, so make sure you register on QPay to get all the details. We’ll see your there!
