The cooler months may be imminent, but things are only heating up for Melbourne band …
Up and Comers The Motion Below have had a whirlwind month, releasing their new single Wormtongue and adding another notch to their touring belt with their upcoming string of dates across the East Coast of Australia.
With their co-headliner with close mates Amberyse just around the corner, Hysteria asked guitarist and clean vocalist, Ryan Matheson and Aiden Scott, the bands percussionist to let us know what bands they’ll be jamming on tour.
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Matheson starts off with The Amity Affliction, calling out the song Open Letter.
“I think most people in the Australian Heavy Music Scene can connect to TAA in some way or another, whether its way back in Severed Ties or now in This Could Be Heartbreak.
They were always around and I had actually seen them about 4 times before I started liking them, I honestly couldn’t stand them for a long time. I didn’t get into the band until just before Chasing Ghosts dropped, so that album has some significance for me and my experiences with Amity. Open Letter carries a lot of memories for me, both good and not so good, but again, I think it carries an important message, whether it relates to someone personally or not, that each of us can connect with and understand as human beings, especially these days. It’s all in those first few lines of the chorus—the words, the hooks, the meaning; it’s an anthemic masterpiece.
It was the last song of the night, I barely had a voice left from singing so much and Ahren stage dived right on top of me and some friends during the last chorus.
[ Ryan Matheson ]
This song in particular inspired the very first song we ever wrote, Awakening. I remember sitting in my room in early 2014 and really wanting to write heavy music again after my previous band had disbanded and Amity were what I was really vibing at the time. I had an idea and Awakening came to life. I think you can definitely hear throughout our Reform/Converge EP that there are parts where we’ve taken influence from Amity, whether it’s through a riff or a hook.
Open Letter reminds me of a few things in particular, but it’s pretty reminiscent of a time when a lot of things were changing in my life—family, friends, and relationships. However, it also carries some of my best memories, one of which is when they played the song on the Chasing Ghosts tour at The Palace in Melbourne. It was the last song of the night, I barely had a voice left from singing so much and Ahren stage dived right on top of me and some friends during the last chorus. It was a sick night and it’s all on their live music video for it!”
His second pick is While She Sleeps, specifically the absolute belter Silence Speaks.
“I think the first time I really heard While She Sleeps properly was when Brainwashed was due to come out in 2015 and I was lucky enough to do an interview with their guitarist Mat Walsh about it, but they weren’t necessarily a band I really got into back then. But when WSS dropped this track I think everyone’s jaw hit the floor, including mine. It’s an absolute banger and a half! With catchy riffs, mad hooks and leads that get stuck in your head; I personally think this is the best song from You Are We, if not the best song the band has ever released.
I wish I could write a song that good and I think this is a good example of where I’d like to take the direction of the band for the next EP too.
[ Ryan Matheson ]
That little lead lick in the pre-verse/bridge gets stuck in my head every time I listen to it, not for just an hour or so either, I’m talking like days. It’s just a perfect section of a song that leads into a sick verse riff. Along with the anthemic chorus’ and Oli’s guesties, what ISN’T good about this song?! I wish I could write a song that good and I think this is a good example of where I’d like to take the direction of the band for the next EP too. A mate of mine told me he got a ‘While She Sleeps vibe’ while listening to our new single Wormtongue, so that’s sweet I guess!
The first time I ever heard the song was the day the music video came out and I was lying in bed really late at night and it came up on my Facebook. Something about the caption caught my eye and I gave it a suss. It turned out to be hella worth it! Good vibes/10. This will definitely be spun on tour.”
Rounding out Matheson’s pick of bands to spin whilst on the road are Casey, with the track Teeth.
“The first time I ever heard Casey was when Lachie (Avery Sproul, bassist) and I were on our way to band practise one day in early 2016. He asked if I’d heard them before and put on Teeth; a heavily relatable, emotional composition. I was sold pretty quickly once those absolutely monstrous drums came in and after that I became familiar with their first EP pretty fast. I still spin Teeth pretty often these days as well as their newer stuff.
Casey has definitely been an influence for me personally for the more recent stuff we’ve been writing lately and I reckon you can more than likely expect to hear elements of the band in some upcoming The Motion Below releases.
[ Ryan Matheson ]
Songs like Fade, Fluorescents and Ceremony give this track a pretty good run for its money, but I think I’ll always come back to Teeth given that’s where it all started for me. As well as that, I feel I can heavily relate to the overall theme of the lyrical content, not so much with just one specific memory or experience, but with a number of different occasions throughout my adult life. I feel like a lot of people can relate to the song due to some sort of experience or event that’s occurred during their life.
Casey has definitely been an influence for me personally for the more recent stuff we’ve been writing lately and I reckon you can more than likely expect to hear elements of the band in some upcoming The Motion Below releases. I find the instrumentation in Casey’s music really speaks to me and they send their own message sonically that goes hand in hand with the lyrical content. I really love that and I try to always send a message, feeling or emotion to the listener through my music and I hope that can be heard in our next release.”
Kicking off Scott’s playlist picks are Killswitch Engage, in large part due to their track My Curse.
“This song holds a special place for all members of this band; it’s been a staple in our live set for the better part of a year and always gets a great response. As for me personally, my first taste of this great band was through a medium that did a lot to direct me into the heavier side of music, video games.
From the catchy riffage to the soaring vocals I was instantly hooked by their sound
[ Aiden Scott ]
On Christmas morning of 2007 I was lucky enough to be unwrapping a copy of Guitar Hero 3 and I quickly made my way through the game soaking up all the great music along the way. My Curse was a bonus track in the game, it was one of the last songs I was able to play but it almost instantly became a favourite of mine to not only play, but listen to. From the catchy riffage to the soaring vocals I was instantly hooked by their sound.”
Scott closes off the list with Veil of Maya, and their tune Mikasa.
“This is one of those bands that can do no wrong in my eyes, just four great musicians creating consistently amazing music, I can’t speak highly enough of this band and I’ve decided to choose this song because I think it has had a great effect on the way I look at songwriting.
They still manage to outdo themselves on each release
[ Aiden Scott ]
I first discovered Veil of Maya way back in high school and fell in love with their ability to perfectly balance technicality with melody throughout their music, they still manage to outdo themselves on each release, they seem unstoppable at this point and this is one of many reasons why they’ve cemented themselves as one of my all-time favourite bands.
I was pretty hyped for the release of this album so come release day I had this song pumping at home and knew it was an instant banger; it’s always in rotation in my playlists.”
The Motion Below & Amberyse Co Headliner Dates:
Saturday 28th April // Enigma Bar // Adelaide 18+ with Emecia, Fortune From Tragedy and Beyond These Waters
Saturday 5th May // Pelly Bar // Frankston 18+ with Foxblood, AVIDITY and Chasing The Void
Friday 11th May // The Basement // Canberra 18+
Saturday 12th May // Hamilton Station // Newcastle 18+ with Traces
Saturday 13th May // The Record Crate // Sydney 18+
Saturday 19th May // Workers Club // Geelong 18+ with Ame Noire, Emecia (SA) and Shopping Trolley Fist Fight
Friday 25th May // Whole Lotta Love // Melbourne 18+ with Emecia (SA), The Vestige and Above The Fallen
Saturday 26th May // The Flamin’ Galah // Brisbane 18+
* The Motion Below not appearing
