Jun 15 2026, 9.34am / Features
Dear Joey and Brooke, What a wild ride! I just wanted to write to express …
First of all, Ohio’s Beartooth don’t have a crew and are happy touring in vans. No champagne on arrival: this is the hardcore you used to know.
Disgusting came out in 2014 and everyone proceeded to misplace their shit, throwing right hooks along with the kids that come to festivals at 1pm, setting Beartooth on a quest for a new standard. Before their debut Australian tour supporting In Hearts Wake, guitarist Taylor Lumley beats his lips against his phone and tells you why music won’t save your soul.
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Hysteria: I’ve been hearing nothing but rad reviews and hype about you guys. My photographer friends at Warped Tour were like, ‘okay, you gotta get onto this band.’ You must be so psyched on this tour announcement.
Taylor: Really excited. Since day one, Australia has been like the place where were like, ‘we gotta go there. We NEED to go’. I’m really looking forward to it.”
The fans in Japan are crazy too; they have such a level of hysteria (lol! – ed) and insanity.
That’s what I’ve heard! We’re friends with the guys in Capsize and they just did a tour there and they told us we gotta go there. People lose it. We heard the same things about Australia. YES PLEASE take us.”
So the record’s been out for a while, but let’s recap a little.
For us, we’re going on 100% honesty. The truth isn’t always pretty. I feel like that’s what we’re like, personality-wise also. As a band, what you see is what you get- We’re not trying to make ourselves out to be cooler or bigger than we are. It’s nice when people can connect to that.
The ironic thing is that some individuals share the same moods or issues that are just relevant to that person.
That’s my favourite thing about playing shows. The people come to watch because they feel what we’re feeling, that’s what’s important to us. What’s on that record isn’t written to help out anybody else. It’s written because of what Caleb (Shomo, vox) was feeling when he wrote it. A lot of it is still what everyone else is feeling. To see people come and connect to that is beautiful thing. It’s super encouraging, it’s always nice to know that you’re not the only one.
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Since day one, Australia has been like the place where were like, ‘we gotta go there. We NEED to go’. I’m really looking forward to it.”
[TAYLOR]
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A lot of commercial music is made to appease a broad spectrum of listeners. Empty words sell a lot of records.
Honestly, that was the biggest surprise about how well the record did. Just the amount of people who have talked to us and were like, ‘yo, this record is what I needed to hear at this time’. That’s not why we wrote it, but thank you! We wrote it because this is what we needed to make. This is what we needed to get out. I mean, a lot of people come up to us and say ‘your music saved my life’, or whatever. I get that. I feel like a lot of people have taken that whole weird saviour complex that’s started up in this music scene. I think it’s a bunch of bullshit. We do what we do because it’s the best way to stay level-headed and sane. If that’s why you come to the show, then that’s awesome. I don’t actually think we’re saving anyone’s life.
I suppose in the way fans engage over the internet its said in 140 characters. Streamlined. But you saved you own life. Make your own decision, congratulate yourself, and credit yourself.
That’s the way I try and respond to that too. We get a lot of messages on our Facebook and I try and go through them and correspond with them. ‘Look, I appreciate what you’re saying but it was your choice to make yourself better and you should really appreciate that you’re strong enough to make a change in your life’. Really empower yourself. Know that you’re worth something. It took a long time for me to gain that self-respect. It’s the same way for all of us, in our band. We’re all giant train-wrecks sometimes. That’s why we do what we do. As we’ve gotten older – hopefully wiser – that’s the one thing we agree on. Each of us realise we’re worth something and we shouldn’t taint that and sell a fake version of who we are.
You’ve been touring for ages in this band and in different projects and the big question is: How much do you miss your dog? Out of 10?
Oh god. I pretty much miss him one day one. I’ll be on tour and be looking at pictures on my phone like, awwww!
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WATCH: Beartooth’s new video for In Between
Catch Beartooth on the In Hearts Wake Skydancer Tour
(with guests We Came As Romans & Storm The Sky)
Thursday, 28th May 2015
The Triffid, Brisbane (U18)
Friday, 29th May 2015
The Triffid, Brisbane (18+)
Saturday, 30th May 2015
Roundhouse, Sydney (Lic/AA)
Sunday, 31st May 2015
Magpies, Canberra (Lic/AA)
Tuesday, 2nd June 2015
YMCA HQ, Perth (AA)
Wednesday, 3rd June 2015
Metropolis, Fremantle (18+)
Thursday, 4th June 2015
HQ, Adelaide (Lic/AA)
Friday, 5th June 2015
170 Russell, Melbourne (18+)
Saturday, 6th June 2015
Arrows, Melbourne (AA)
