Stepson
Vocals: Brock Conry
Guitar: Nick Bennett
Guitar/Vocals: Rick Fury
Bass/Vocals: Jayden Ridley
Drums: Geordie Timmins
Following on from Monday’s exclusive review, I chatted to Brock Conry, vocalist of East Coast hardcore punk band Stepson.
Echoes In An Empty Room, is your second EP released to date, how does it differ from your older sound?
We have taken a completely different approach with this EP which I’m sure is audibly evident. We have had the opportunity to draw influence from such a wide variety of music and we have attempted to portray a new sound which will totally encapsulate what you should expect of Stepson in the future.
If you were to describe Stepson in a sentence, what would it be?
5 financially bankrupt funny-guys going on a riff holiday.
Has being apart of Stepson and getting your story out into the public changed your outlook on life? How?
As a male it’s quite cliché to bottle your emotions up to the point of explosion. Being able to express myself in such a creative way has definitely changed my outlook on life. It’s the most amazing feeling being able to release an emotion that you’ve kept hidden away for such a long time and as sad as this sounds, it’s nice to know that I’m helping people realise that they are not alone.
You used to be in a band called Abel Tasman with 2 other members of Stepson, do you feel as if Stepson is a completely different outlet for you or are you still sharing your story in a similar way to before?
Abel Tasman was such a massive part of my life and I’m so happy to have shared the experience with my best friends but Stepson is a completely new chapter for all of us and i couldn’t be more grateful to have the opportunity to share my stories with others. I don’t regret Abel Tasman whatsoever because it was so important to me but Stepson has truly allowed me to pour my heart and soul into everything we write and i really appreciate being able to express myself both musically and emotionally.
Echoes In An Empty Room gets pretty deep in some songs, how important do you feel it is to connect to your listeners on a personal level?
My lyrics are something i hold very dear to me as they portray the experiences i have had through out my life. They are never forced and i feel thats the reason the audience can relate so well. Music is such a powerful thing and if we can connect or even help one person that is a feeling that is completely unique, unlike anything else. If i can help someone feel less alone or vulnerable then i will continue doing so as its not only about me but about them as well.
“Blue” feels a little more poppy compared to the other tracks, what was the writing process for this specific track like? And where did you draw influences from?
The best thing about having such an amazing composer in Benno is that i can literally pitch anything to him and its never to hard a task. I told him i wanted to do a song that slowly builds into a climax and i think he achieved that. “Blue” was a very strange path for us, more musically then lyrically, but i think we definitely needed a track like that on our new EP. Not only is it unique to Stepson but it also offers a different direction in which we can take our band if we feel musically inclined.
As for influences, we tend to never stick to just one as we write collectively, drawing from a range of bands and genres. The whole song can sound completely different to how we original intended it to be but ultimately we are always happy with the result.
Is there any specific song that wins your heart over more than the others, whether it be because of the story behind it, the way the band sounds as a collective or something else?
“Twelve” will always have a very special place in my heart because it is about a particular person that has not only shaped my life but my whole families. Not only was it the first song we wrote but it was also the first set of lyrics i wrote. It weighed me down for a long time so it was only natural that it was the first words i put paper. The crowd response live is always amazing and it means the absolute world for people to react the way they do. I always receive hugs every time after we play it and it shows that people truly care about me.
You’re about to take the EP on the road with the band, is there one venue that you just can’t wait to play?
Port Macquarie Youth Hub is always an amazing time for me. On our last tour with Pasha Bulka, the people of Port Macquarie truly made me appreciate the opportunity i have in this band for the first time. The kids knew my lyrics better then me and they screamed them louder and more passionately then me. It was the first time I’ve ever had an experience like that and it means so much to me.
Whether it be I-Spy, Nintendo 64 or singing along to Kelly Clarkson what’s the Stepson on the road “time passer”?
The boys tend to find solace in picking on each other (particularly me) but its all good natured. Sleeping is another “time passer” because the boys tend to partake in a range of after show activities so they never get any.
Coca-Cola or Pepsi?
Coke
M&M or Oreo McFlurry?
M&M McFlurry
PlayStation or Xbox?
Playstation
Mario Kart character, go?
Baby Princess Peach with Standard Bike. Fast acceleration and killer handling. Whats not to love?
What’s next in the Stepson’s list of things to do?
We are constantly writing so we have our minds set on releasing an album in the near future, touring nationally, hopefully scoring some wicked supports through out Australia. Personally i would really like the opportunity to visit and play New Zealand as its absolutely breath taking.
Stepson’s debut EP Echoes In An Empty Room will be available June 11th on Band Camp. Alternatively preorder it at Big Cartel.
※ Liam Barr