BURY ME // “Everyone's On The Same Page As To Where We Want To Be”

New year, new me, so the saying goes. And for Sydney metalcore outfit Bury Me, the saying couldn’t be closer to reality, with the five-piece recently unveiling a new lineup and a new sonic direction courtesy of their latest single Wayward.

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Broadening their melodic chops while cultivating a heightened sense of creative identity with their latest tune, Bury Me have undeniably found their way with Wayward. But, as Bury Me bassist Tim Rutledge recently shared with HysteriaMag.com, the song has actually been witnessed live in a former form before the group teamed up with producer Mackenzie Begg to sharpen their creative gaze.

“We’ve had the song written for quite a while,” says Rutledge. “We’d played it live a couple of times, but we weren’t overly happy with how it was. And then we went to record with Mackenzie Begg from MJB Audio, he gave us some direction and helped us out with that – and it’s turned out really well.”

“We couldn’t be happier with it,” adds Rutledge, “I’ve had a lot of responses saying it’s the best thing we’ve done for a while. Obviously we haven’t done anything for two years with all the lineup changes that we’ve had. But the response has been awesome. Everyone seems to love it and we can’t wait to start playing it live.”

Imminently set to perform their new tune live in action starting this Friday 1 March, supporting War Bear as part of the East Coast Wrecked ‘Em Tour, these upcoming shows will help usher in and solidify the exciting new sonic Bury Me chapter; and this latest track is only just the beginning of big things to come this year.

“It’ll be the first time we’ve played Wayward in its new era,” says Rutledge, “and hopefully we’ll get some more like this, we’re aiming to have a second EP out by the end of the year with the new style.”

Embracing change and its multifaceted realities is no new feat for Bury Me, with the band first forming in 2019 just before the pandemic took its stranglehold on the globe. But rather than view their most recent lineup changes as a hindrance, Bury Me have instead turned their hurdles into a chance to evolve into something that is not without its external influences; but also, as Rutledge explains, something that has harnessed the band’s solidifying unique sound.

The amount of bands that are coming out of Sydney right now is insane. There’s so much talent out there, and the metalcore scene or community, whatever you want to call it – it is just so welcoming and I love it. I’m so stoked to be a part of it.”
[ Tim Rutledge – Bury Me ]

“The lineup changes have definitely been setbacks,” says Rutledge, “but our current lineup now has definitely helped with our shift in sound. I think it’s something that myself and Ian [O’Brien] always wanted to do in the back of our minds, but we didn’t really put it to paper. And then with Joel [Mctaggart] and Andrew [Spice] coming on board, it’s really helped us get that sort of direction of where we want to go.”

“Everyone’s on the same page as to where we want to be, what kind of style we want to do,” Rutledge adds. “And Mackenzie obviously was a big help. It’s always good to have a second opinion when you’re writing, and the changes that you can make with that opinion. We obviously have influences, but we’re just trying to get our own unique sound. It’s quite hard to do, but then once you start hearing it back, you’re like: Yeah, that’s it. That’s our sound. We have to do this!”

“I think the style that we’re going for now, Joel’s vocals really suit that style, so we definitely want to lock in on that.”

With previous supports under their belts alongside Alt., Patient Sixty-Seven and many more in the local heavy scene, Bury Me’s upcoming shows alongside War Bear are primed to add some core Bury Me live music memories to the banks; a fact made even more likely courtesy of frontman Joel’s animated onstage antics.

“Fans can expect lots of energy,” says Rutledge. “Our front man Joel is a wild card. You never know what he’s going to do on the day, whether he’s going to run up and start messing with me or Ian or Dan [O’Brien], or he’s running on the stage and running on the bar and climbing the walls. You never know what he’s going to do, but he definitely brings a lot of energy and we feed off of that. And obviously the audience will feed off that as well. I think they’ll have a great time.”

Also lined up to perform alongside Black Rheno with Flaming Wreckage and Old Goat Smoke this May for a Sydney Harbour cruise show alongside plans to release a follow up EP to their 2021 debut After The Suffering, the key goal for Bury Me in 2024 ultimately boils down to a sturdy core mission statement: “We just want to make some good memories and go from there.”

“I think this year we just want to push the new era of Bury Me and whatever comes our way – we’re keen on it,” says Rutledge, “we’re up for anything really.”

And flying the flag not just for Australian heavy music but also their beloved local Sydney scene, there’s nothing but good vibes and good value from Bury Me HQ.

“The amount of bands that are coming out of Sydney right now is insane,” says Rutledge. “There’s so much talent out there, and the metalcore scene or community, whatever you want to call it – it is just so welcoming and I love it. I’m so stoked to be a part of it.”