ALEXISONFIRE // All The Right Reasons

Alexisonfire are the John Farnham of melodic hardcore, and we say that with all the love in our hearts. They broke up, then they got back together for some festival dates, then some more festival dates, and then announced they were back together for good but had no future plans. It’s a little confusing, but since singer/guitarists Dallas Green and Wade MacNeil are still busy with their post AoF projects (City and Colour and Gallows, respectively) and the rest of the band have their own lives to lead, we’re just happy to have them pay us a visit over the Australian summer. Hysteria spoke to Green ahead of their first Aussie shows since 2012.

HYS: You’ve had so much success with City and Colour since Alexisonfire went on hiatus. How does it feel to be playing these older songs with the band again?

Green: It’s fantastic. We feel very lucky that we’re still able to do it and that people still want us to do it. Last year when we played some shows for the first time in a while, we felt really good about how we played and the shape of the band. For me, I felt good about it, and it felt that we were doing it because we were good enough to still do it, you know?

HYS: For sure. And there’s your legacy as well. There are heaps of bands who’ve decided to call it quits and then come back for the wrong reasons and have not been able to live up to their own legacy.

Green: Yeah, I agree with you. I think the thing that helps us is that the band didn’t end because we were all at each other’s throats or under bad circumstances. It ended for a reason. We grew apart as a band and I’d left the band … but it was never in spite of one another or anything like that. So for us, we’re not coming back on strange terms, we’re not coming back because of money, we’re not coming back because we feel forgotten. We’re able to do it and we love one another and we feel so lucky that we are able to do it and that helps the spirit of the whole thing.

Most people have no idea what it’s like to try to keep a band together, and that’s fine because they’re not in it—they’re just listening. People get very emotionally attached to music and the people who make the music they love, so when things don’t go their way, as a listener, they feel heartbroken or betrayed. I understand that completely.
[ Dallas Green ]

HYS: You were all so young when the band started and it’s only natural that as people, you’d grow apart over the years. I think a lot of people don’t bring that into consideration when thinking about why you would leave Alexisonfire or why bands go on hiatus.

Green: Most people have no idea what it’s like to try to keep a band together, and that’s fine because they’re not in it—they’re just listening. People get very emotionally attached to music and the people who make the music they love, so when things don’t go their way, as a listener, they feel heartbroken or betrayed. I understand that completely. As human beings though, it’s human nature to grow and change and develop different interests. We started that band when we were kids and did it for such a long time. I happened to be interested in making a different kind of music, and the same with everyone else. The fact that we can come back and still be excited about playing those songs shows we’re doing it for the right reasons.

HYS: Are there songs you look at now and feel differently about from when you were playing them all the time? Is there stuff you won’t touch, or is the setlist now really about getting the fan favourites in?

Green: Because the festival sets are shorter, we try to get the most exciting and entertaining combination of songs we can think of. There are songs we just won’t play, either because we don’t remember how to or just don’t feel they’re resonating the way they did when we wrote them. And that happens. There are songs there that are closing in on 20 years old! There are some older City and Colour songs I don’t play anymore because I just don’t feel anything about them. The songs I’m singing have to be the ones I want to sing, because that’s how you’ll get the best performance as opposed to just going through the motions.

HYS: I’m sure there are people who have hugely popular songs that you can tell they’re not that into, but are happy to play for the fans and they can get through it.

Green: Sometimes there’ll be a song you’re not really that interested in playing, but then you see the reaction in the crowd, and that allows you to rethink it and get into it.

HYS: Australia’s always been a big supporter of the band. It must be nice to do those long haul flights now and know there’s a good time and big shows ahead, as opposed to the first time you guys came over from Canada and didn’t know what was waiting for you.

Green: I think when we first came over there, we were just so excited to be there. There could’ve been five people at the show— just the fact that we could fly to Australia and play music was so exciting to us. Obviously it’s nice to go anywhere and have more people come and see you, but this will be my 17th trip to Australia! It’s crazy thinking about how many hours I’ve spent in the air. I love it though. When people ask me about the long flights, I say, “how many times have you spent a day at home sitting down doing nothing?” and then I say, “well, ok, well, imagine doing that, but when you wake up you’re in Australia. When you put it in context of your entire life, I think one day to get you to the other side of the world is a pretty good pay off.

ALEXISONFIRE AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
with special guests
THE GETAWAY PLAN
BEHIND CRIMSON EYES
THE DIRTY NIL

Brought to you by Chugg Entertainment

Wednesday 11 January – HBF Stadium, Perth
Friday 13 January – Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
Saturday 14 January – Unify Gathering, Tarwin Lower
Tuesday 17 January – Festival Hall, Melbourne
Thursday 19 January – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
Saturday 21 January – Riverstage, Brisbane

Tickets available here.