Miles Away recently announced their ten year anniversary tour with Cruel Hand and The Others by their side. Tickets are moving swiftly for a number of shows, the Melbourne all-ages event has sold out. This week in The Hotseat we catch up with vocalist Nick to answer our questions. Expand this post to take a read and re-cap the tour dates if you are yet to check them out.
THE BASICS
Name : Nick Horsnell
Band : Miles Away
Job In Band : Vocals
Website Address : facebook.com/milesawayhc or milesawayhc.tumblr.com
HOME
Hometown : Perth
Hometown is best known for : FIFO, Emu Export, Chicken Treat, Bondi St, Trigg Point, Dudeman, Kole Beer, Ben Cousins and Big Sharks
Best venue in your hometown : HQ. Unfortunately all the good pubs stopped doing shows a long time ago.
Favourite show you’ve seen in your hometown : Probably Mindsnare, Ballpoint, Boredumb and PC Thug at the Flag & Whistle in Freo in 1999/2000 (can’t remember exactly).
Favourite show you’ve played in your hometown : Playing with Gorilla Biscuits was pretty good, who woulda thought?
THE BAND
How did the band first come to exist? There’s a record store in Freo called Mills. One of those places you could take CD’s to the counter and listen before buying. Anyway they had a good punk/hc section and we’d always be in there. I saw an advert for some dudes looking for a singer for a band with a lot of influences I was into. Then it turns out I actually went to Uni with one of the guys who put up that ad. We jammed and that was that.
How long has the band been going? We’ll have been a band 10 years this year. Pretty funny to think Crowey had to bring a guardian to most of our first shows.
Any particular story behind the name? Not really. Miles Away was actually a song by one of the most influential Perth bands at the time Ballpoint. We wrote down a list of possible names and that won.
What’s your most recent release? Tell us a little about it… Our most recent release is pretty old now. Endless Roads came out in 2011 and we haven’t written any new songs since. Anyway, we are all extremely proud of how the record came out and like all bands think that it’s the best thing we’ve done. Going over to NYC and recording was a real adventure and really shaped how it ended up sounding I think.
Got a personal stand out achievement of your band to date? I can’t really pinpoint just one. Getting to travel around the world let alone around Australia has been mindblowing. I never thought playing in a band would take me to the North Shore of Hawaii, late nights in Tokyo, Gilman Street or a dirty squat in Bordeaux etc. Of course getting to share the stage and tour with bands you grew up listening to and idolized as a kid is so cool. To say that we’ve been able to play with bands like GB, Sick Of It All, Agnostic Front, Cro Mags, Madball, Lifetime, Raised Fist is something I’m proud of.
OFF THE STAGE
What was your first introduction to music that made you think seriously about playing it? : I never thought seriously playing music. I loved surfing and skating and the videos always had fast and aggressive punk/hardcore at that time. That got me more into music and at one point I got a bass for my birthday. I put a Revelation sticker on it and probably played it less than 10 times. Never thought I would actually sing for a band but I thought it would be cool haha.
Any particular band / album or song that you personally credit as a major influence? In a general sense I remember the first actual cassette I went out and bought with my own money when I was still living in England. It was Beastie Boys – Ill Communication and I played it to death. I hadn’t heard any of the songs but back then you just took chances and hoped for the best. I liked the rap songs, I liked the punk songs on there too like “Tough Guy” and “Heart Attack Man, I liked the instrumentals on there…it just all seemed to flow good. After that I would say the Fat Wreck/Epitaph/Burning Heart/Bad Taste era bands and samplers influenced me a whole lot. Adverts & Reviews in Riptide and Thrasher for guiding me down the right path.
Your first band name, and what style did you play? Miles Away. A bunch of young Perth dudes trying our best to sound like our favourite bands at the time.
Most prized music related item you own? Unfortunately most of my favourite bands shirts are too small for me now. Not that I’ve been working out, just that in the early 2000’s I thought “small” shirts looked good. Actually my favourite thing is the photograph I have of me singing along with Rick Ta Life when I saw Comin Correct in Belgium in that same era. Either that or a Madball setlist with ALL the hits on it.
When you’re not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing? Most of the time I’m either Working, Surfing, watching some kind of sport or playing an online fantasy version of sport.
The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is… Knowing that I’m going to see all of my friends that I don’t get to see very often, kick some balls, drink some beer and eat some food. Oh and catching up with the eagle at Bordertown.
The thing you least look forward to before a tour is… Packing for the tour and saying goodbye to loved ones. Lining up at the airport with 80 bags with everyone looking at you funny is also something that doesn’t get me excited.
ON THE STAGE
When on offer, what’s your one must have item on the rider? We don’t ask for much, just some good local beer. Vegan Punkrock Stew and Bubble Water is a must in Europe too.
Favourite place you’ve toured… and why? So hard to choose. South East Asia for the pure mayhem and that the kids are so siked to see bands come out. Japan for being so different and the funny things that can happen at shows. Europe because they really take care of bands and the history of the continent in general. The US for cheap food and Walmart. Bunbury, West Australia for just being rowdy and the best fun time after time.
Most memorable show you’ve played? and why? I’m just gonna pick a couple funny memories that come to mind. Playing a show in Prague and we finally got to witness the famous European “row-boat” mosh pit…dudes just sit down in a big line and row an invisible boat during a mosh part. Playing to a huge crowd of 3 people in Brighton UK and being able to hear/watch 2 of those sit on a couch while we played and have a massive argument. Playing a crusty squat in France we got to witness our first dog in the pit, life changing.
Got a favourite song to play live? It varies. Its always fun to play old songs if people remember them.
Any embarrassing on stage moments come to mind? Ummm. I’m pretty light so I usually get knocked over or into things…Usually the drumkit. Playing with a huge knee brace was pretty annoying too. Injuries and ailments are catching up with me in my old age.
Any pre-show rituals? Dr Cam and I have this kind of strange one. The first time we went to Japan we were all pretty nervous about the shows. To get a vibe we decided to put Ice Gel on our balls to see if if would give us a buzz before playing. Kinda works. Last time in Japan we tried it with Deep Heat and that was a little more painful. Actually one of the more painful things in a long while. We had to run to the toilet and pour tiny cups of water over ourselves.
What do you find is the hardest aspect of touring in a band today? Touring should be fun, maybe that’s why we stopped touring so much. After a while we got a bit burned out doing tours just because we thought we had to. I don’t like playing with bands who have an attitude, thinking they are above other bands or people or just that they deserve something for being in a shitty band. You know whats also hard about touring? When you can’t find the password for the WIFI.
RIGHT NOW
Last song you listened to? Ten Foot Pole “What You Want” – Can’t wait for that tour.
Last album you acquired? Alice In Chains “Dirt” – I’ve been on a rediscovering phase.
Which band or album is currently on high rotation? Title Fight “Floral Green” and Twitching Tongues, that band rules and I only just heard them.
Tell us an up and coming band or artist you think we should go and listen to right now? Check out all the Perth Youngbloods – Tikd Off, Mindless, No Regrets…The future is in good hands.
What’s on the cards for the next few months for the band? Finally hitting the road again for our “10 Year” tour in late Nov/Dec with Cruel Hand and The Others. Trying to write some new songs inbetween the distance and just think up more silly merch ideas.
IF ONLY…
You can pick any one album for your band to cover in full, what would it be and why? Millencolin “Life On A Plate” because it would just be fun.
You can pick any one band / artist to cover one of your albums in full, what would it be, and why? Ignite. Just so I could hear Zoli’s take on the lyrics.
One band you wish you were able to see live but never had the chance? I’m gonna say Mental/Righteous Jams/Cold World at one of the earlier Posi Numbers. Lockin Out Man.
One venue you have yet to play that you would love to? We’ve done Gilman so I’d love to do CBGB but that’s never going to happen is it.
The chance comes up to fill in for a member of a band for one tour, which band would it be, and why? I would like to fill in for Earth Crisis on a tour where they only play “Slither”. I Just think it would be awesome, and maybe we would play the All Out War EP as an encore.
A headline tour overseas comes up, tell us two bands you’d take along to support your band? If we’re talking Aussie bands… First of all I’d bring The Others because they are good buds and one of my favourite bands full stop. We would also bring Street Youth from Byron because they are one of the best bands we ever got to share the stage with and one of the best bands of ALL TIME.
PLUG TIME
Got any final words? If you’ve liked our band at all at any point over the last 10 years of existence try and make it down to one of the shows in Nov/Dec around the country. We’ll be trying to play some of our older jams and might have some surprises too. We’re bringing along Cruel Hand we’ve been lucky enough to travel around the world with but never Australia and also The Others so the East Coast can see what the West Coast is cooking up lately. Life & Shit Zine Vol II maybe out in time for the tour also…Yew!
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Broken Hive, Telltale, Killyourstereo.com and Blunt Magazine Present
MILES AWAY
“Make It A Decade Tour”
With Special Guests CRUEL HAND (USA) + THE OTHERS
Tickets On Sale now
Thursday 29th November – Animal House, Adelaide AA
Tickets available on the door
Friday 30th November – Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne 18+
Tickets available from Oztix Outlets and oztix.com.au
Sunday 2nd December – Make It Count 2012 @ Phoenix Youth Centre, Melbourne AA
with Hopeless, Iron Mind, Ill Vision & Outright
Tickets Sold Out
Tuesday 4th December – The Box, Brisbane AA
Limited to 100 tickets, available from Kill The Music, Oztix Outlets and oztix.com.au
Wednesday 5th December – YAC, Byron Bay AA
Tickets available from Kill The Music, Oztix Outlets and oztix.com.au
Thursday 6th December – Snitch @ X & Y Bar, Brisbane 18+
Tickets available on the door
Friday 7th December – Live @ The Wall (Bald Faced Stag) Sydney Lic/AA
Tickets Available from Utopia Records, Oztix Outlets and oztix.com.au, GoBookem.com and the venue.
Saturday 8th December – The Den, Perth 18+
Tickets available from Moshtix Outlets and moshtix.com.au
Sunday 9th December – YMCA HQ, Perth AA
Tickets available from Moshtix Outlets and moshtix.com.au
http://www.facebook.com/milesawayhc
http://www.facebook.com/Cruelhand
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Others/340475381728
