Interview with Perth’s ‘Late 90’s’ ahead of their upcoming National Tour with ‘Dear Seattle’
Subculture recently caught up with Late 90's, the alt-rock band hailing from Perth, Australia.
Late 90's draws inspiration from legendary acts like Deftones, Paramore, and Basement, creating a sound that respects the past while exploring new musical territories. After the success of their debut EP, the band has built a dedicated following and shared stages with top-tier artists such as Taking Back Sunday, Fidlar, Hot Mulligan, and Free Throw all across Australia. Their live performances are electric, leaving fans craving more and solidifying their reputation as one of Perth's most exciting alt-rock acts.
With an upcoming national tour alongside Dear Seattle in 2024, Late 90's promises an unforgettable experience for both die-hard fans and newcomers. Their latest track, "UNBOUND," featuring Indigo Blaze, is on the verge of shaking up the nu-metal scene, offering a fresh take on nostalgic anthems reminiscent of Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. Get ready for a wild ride as Late 90's continues to grow — It was great to catch up with them today, as we worked together many years ago on their ‘Everything is Closer Than it Seems’ EP
Late 90s! It's been a minute! - How's it going, and who do we have here today?
Here with Steve (lead vocals and guitar)
Can you tell us about the inspiration, and or back story behind your latest single, “UNBOUND”, and the message you aimed to convey through it?
With UNBOUND, I tried to channel Chester Bennington into my vocal performance. I was listening to so much Linkin Park at the time and we actually had Rhys jump up and rap “Somewhere I Belong” at our EP launch in 2022 before we even wrote the song together!
How was it working with Indigo Blaze, and how did that relationship and collaboration come to life?
Indigo Blaze are one of our favourite Perth bands so when the lads hit us up to write a track together, we couldn’t say no! I went over to Levi’s house and him and Rhys showed me a track they had been working on. I wrote the breakdown and then we sang some gibberish into the mic to get a melody. Rhys wrote the chorus and his verse so I just added mine and then we took the song to the studio, luckily we both have the same producer, Matt Templeman. He’s a machine in the studio, absolutely nailing the production.
How would you describe your music to a new listener?
Some sort of mix between Paramore, Basement and Deftones. Bitta pop punk, bit of grunge and a bit of metal haha. Could you describe your creative process when crafting heavily lyrical songs? Me and Zaac usually write lyrics together, bouncing ideas off each other to get the end result. We almost always end up changing the lyrics multiple times. I think deeper lyrical content just comes naturally to the two of us, probably stemming from the music we listen to. I know I definitely love super deep songs that get you in the feels. Nothing better than when you are going through something and a song perfectly illustrates whatever that is or that is the meaning you draw from the lyrics. Hopefully some people relate that way to the music we write!
What role do your bandmates play in shaping the sound and direction of Late 90's music?
The past couple years I have been listening to more and more heavier music and thankfully the other lads have been supportive and happy to go in that direction. We still love doing pop punk stuff but we also love playing heavier music so we are doing a mix of both with our new tunes. In terms of the writing process, me or Zaac will come up with a riff or chord progression and then we will go from there, demoing the song at mine. I’ll then send the song off to get Brody and Elliots opinion. If they like it we will show them how to play the song the next time we jam.
How do you ensure authenticity and raw expression in your performances and recordings?
The more alternative sounds we produce comes naturally to us as we just find it more fun to play. In terms of the studio, our producer Matt Templeman is really good at pushing us and helping us be the best version of ourselves. He also makes us sound like we know what we are doing haha.
What challenges have you faced being from the WA music scene, and how have you overcome them?
The cost of touring the eastern states is pretty rough coming from Perth. So far, selling merch and staying with friends and family has been the best way to cut costs for us. When we supported Taking Back Sunday in Melbourne last year, almost everyone who bought merch was from Perth haha. Nice to know our Planet Perth has our back! Despite the financial burden, we take every opportunity we can get to play shows over east.
What has been your favourite tour and or show to date?
Supporting Taking Back Sunday in Melbourne and Sydney was insane for us. We got to play 170 Russell and the Factory Theatre, two absolute dream venues. Favourite individual show was supporting Hot Mulligan and Free Throw in Perth though! We had such a receptive crowd that night and got to hang out with both of the bands which was really cool.
Can you share a memorable moment from one of your live performances where you felt a strong connection with your audience?
When we put out our debut song “Echoes”, we managed to sell out our launch. Having all our mates scream the lyrics back at us when the song had only come out the day before was an unforgettable experience and definitely one I won’t forget.
Can you give us some insight into your local music community, and what you are most proud of?
When we started playing we were nowhere near as heavy as we are now, had more of a surfy punk sound. This allowed us to play with more bands and play gigs with the more indie bands and the heavier bands. I am proud of the community Perth has built and how we all have each others back and support each other. Whenever we play shows there’s always people from other bands coming to our shows and we do the same for them so it’s super cool to see that everybody wants to see each other succeed! I am confident this will continue in the future.
Are there any other artists, creatives, bands you want to put forward that our readers should get around?
We have all been blasting the new Wayside album “What Does Your Soul Look Like”. The haunting guitar and vocal melodies, accompanied by such deliberate yet creative rhythm sections take you on such an awesome ride. Hopefully we can tee up some shows with these legends! A Perth band that immediately comes to mind is Carrington. Severely underrated emo rock band that has never got the attention they deserve. Check out their song “Heirlooms”, you absolutely won’t be disappointed!!
How does it feel to receive recognition from BBC1, Triple J for your music? That must have been such a surreal feeling!
We are always incredibly grateful to receive recognition from any of these platforms. There is nothing better and more motivating than turning on the radio and hearing your music playing, hopefully it will continue this year!
What can fans expect from LATE 90s in the near future, in terms of new music or upcoming performances?
We just sent off the first single from our upcoming EP to mastering today! We will be releasing plenty of new music this year. We are also going on tour with Dear Seattle during May/June playing shows in so many different places that we have never played or even been to before! Cannot wait to meet everyone and make some new friends.