A GAZILLION ANGRY MEXICANS // Hot as ICE

A Gazillion Angry Mexicans are proving to be quite the movers and shakers, pricking up ears the world over through international airplay, all before they’ve dropped their debut album.

This week the band released their brand new single, Jonah and The Whale, which sees them gain even more of a handle on the reins of their wild sound. The band have already put the show on the road, crossing off Sydney as they make their way down the east coast for a run of live dates. On the way through we caught up with band members Ben and James.
HYSTERIA: It’s not been too long since you guys dropped Jonah and The Whale, so it’s once again all happening for A Gazillion Angry Mexicans.

Ben: We’re just treating ourselves, really.

Internally, are you guys kind of noticing some rapid growth over the past few months?

James: We feel like the momentum is building, which is good, and we’re sort of keeping ourselves in a position where we’re sort of making sure that we keep working ourselves. Things have been building up really well, and it’s nice. Generally we do realise; we do see it internally as well, yeah.

So let’s go back to Jonah and The Whale. That’s the latest single from you guys, and it’s another healthy dose of shouty, sweaty rock and roll. So it’d be cool to know: tell me some of the themes you’ve put into this track. What did you want to achieve with it?

James: The groove itself is delicious. It just sort of chugs along really nicely.

Ben: You know, we’re in the van so often, we just kind of wanted to make the driving record that you’d want to fucking cruise to.

So, then you guys could play it while you drove around. Did you make this album for yourselves?

Ben: Yeah, essentially.

James: I don’t want to say we’re self-indulgent, but we are indulging ourselves.

Okay, good. Well put. I can’t argue with that one.

Ben: The vanity’s through the roof.

So, the track before that was All My Friends Are Dead, and that one seemed to just go gangbusters. It was played on radio here, it was played on radio overseas. It was confirmed to be a banger. What was it like once you released that track? Because of course you had releases previously, but this was seen like such a big release. Did you guys notice the eyes on you once you dropped this one?

Ben: Yeah, absolutely man. A lot of people have been knowing that we’ve been doing for a while, and getting excited, and wanting to know when, and when, and when, and we just kind of dropped it on people. A lot of ears pricked up and people got really excited. … That last tour was really fun, man. Like a lot of people just sort of welcomed us with open arms, and really dug the tunes.

So are you guys going to be dropping a few more singles, probably before the year’s out?

Ben: No, I think this is about it for the year man. December and January are usually pretty quiet, so I can’t say when the record’s coming out just yet, but there will be another single when that drops.

Very cool that you guys are kicking it up from the EP to full-length album. It’d be cool to pick your brains on that a bit. Obviously you’ve got some experience in the studio, and with releases with EPs. How are you finding the whole gee-up for the full-length album? Is it completely different, or is it completely the same?

Ben: No, it is a bit different. It gets treated with a whole heap more respect than just an EP I find. You get taken a whole heap more seriously with a record. We didn’t do it solely for that reason. We wanted to do a record because, well, we wanted to and we had the material to do so. But yeah, people look at it differently to an EP, which is interesting.

Yeah, look, it’s a chaotic and energetic show. We throw ourselves at everything we can, and usually walk away with a limp.
[BEN]

Yeah, it’s a weird thing. Even though technically the only defining definition that separates an EP from an album is that an album has five or more tracks. But you’re right.

Ben: Yes, yes, yes.

For some reason an album gets a lot more clout, a lot more respect. So what’s the game plan with the album? Are you guys going to release the defining statement of who A Gazillion Angry Mexicans are and always will be? Or is it going to be more sort of just a snapshot of who you guys are right now?

James: I won’t say we’re always changing, but we always love to try and-

Ben: We’re always challenging ourselves.

James: Yeah.

Ben: … and pushing in different directions, and there’s a couple of things on the record that are different for us, that we haven’t done before. We’ve stepped out of our comfort zone a little bit, but the reward was really there for us.

James: You’ve got to try and challenge yourself. I think it’s a good snapshot of where we are, and what we do at the moment. We’re starting to slowly write again, and starting to get some ideas particularly for more sort of stuff. We don’t want to be a band that sort of just releases an album then waits forever to release another album. I want to try and keep the momentum, you know, sort of pushing forward always.

Ben: It’s a definite evolution from the previous EP to where we are now.

So tell me about the live show. You guys are playing tonight in Sydney, so that’s really ridiculously close. Then you’ve got some other shows throughout the east coast. What can fans who’ve not seen you before expect from this live show? Describe your unique brand of chaos.

Ben: It’s sweaty, it’s loud. There’s usually a lot of beer.

James: Yeah.

Ben: Yeah, look, it’s a chaotic and energetic show. We throw ourselves at everything we can, and usually walk away with a limp.

Excellent. So audience members, I dare say, will probably be walking away with a limp as well, but I guess that’s a sign of a good show.

Ben: Well I hope so, yeah.

James: Absolutely.

Something I absolutely have to point out … I think I’m absolutely reading too much into it. I think I’ve been staring at your press-release for far too long, but A Gazillion Angry Mexicans is an anagram from Make America Great Again, although more like the positive opposite of that.

Ben: I think you’re looking into it too deep, bro.

James: That’s good.

Ben: But we would love to make America Great Again, and I think we might be the ticket over the current dickhead they’ve got in charge.

Are you putting your hand up for the big gig?

Ben: It’s a big gig. I think they’ve got to bounce this other guy out first.

James: We’re not trying to be too forward about it.

Ben: I’m sure the FBI will be looking at us now.

James: Right. I was a little bit stressed with the name once given there was a chance that Trump wouldn’t actually let us into the country.

But their radio stations have played you, which is good enough for now.

Ben: Yeah.

James: I think they thought we were mariachi music.

Oh. I thought you were a mariachi band and that’s why they played you.

Ben: Yeah.

So tell us, the tour dates take you up until the end of October. You mentioned before that you won’t be dropping anymore tunes this year. So what’s on the cards? What’s going to keep you guys busy for the rest of 2017?

Ben: After the tour it’s just putting the final touches on the record. We still need to get all the mastering and all the printing and all that sort of stuff done, plus just working on building the profile for it nationally and internationally at this point.

WATCH > Rattle My Cage

A Gazillion Angry Mexicans October Tour Dates

Saturday, October 21st – The Basement, Canberra

Sunday, October 22nd – Frankies Pizza, Sydney

Friday, October 27th – Last Chance, Melbourne