Tell us about your music. How did you develop your sound?

It was a long time in the incubator! Believe it or not, when RedHook first started out we were playing this weird 70's blues rock / 80's metal hybrid - you should hear our early demos! But the sound slowly evolved through lots of experimentation in the studio, not to mention the addition of Craig on guitars and programming. We just kept pushing and challenging ourselves as songwriters to create a sound that was unique to us before we shared any of it with the world. We never really wanted to fit neatly into a box.

What’s your greatest source of inspiration for making music?

Honestly Craig and I tend to be most inspired to write when we're feeling negative emotions really intensely. Grief, anxiety, depression, anger...it sounds bad, but it's actually kind of a productive way to deal with those unpleasant feelings. It helps us process them in a positive way and move forward. We joke that it's like exorcising our demons! And I guess our biggest hope is that listening to it will help other people deal with theirs.

What can punters expect from a RedHook live show?

Punk jumps, spin kicks, hair flips and furious eye contact. The energy is pretty chaotic onstage, sometimes I fall over and one time our bassist busted his knee.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who was it from?

If people are dicks to you, don't be dicks back. They're the ones who'll end up looking like dicks. Our manager Rob actually said that to us pretty recently and it's worked out well so far! Also, just don't be dicks at all. Stay humble, appreciate what you have and support the people who support you. Being in a touring band is ROUGH AS so if people are nice enough to help you out by lending you gear or giving you a couch to crash on, always return the favour and pay it forward (shoutout to the legends in Days Of Deceit and Void Of Vision. We owe you guys big time!)

What Australian track would you play to cheer up someone who was crying?

Probably 'Smoko' by The Chats, it's hard to hear that song and not crack a few solid lols!

What Australian track would you play to someone to make them cry?

Oh god! 'Dinosaurs' by Ruby Fields gets me in the feels SO HARD every. single. time. Jurassic Park is my favourite movie ever and I bawled so hard the first time I heard that song!!!

You’re the DJ at a party. The dance floor is pumping. What Australian track do you put on next?

'Shooting Stars' by Bag Raiders. Really, is there any other choice?

What was the last local gig you went to? How was it?

We've been on tour pretty much non-stop since UNIFY (which was epic, as always!) but we did manage to hit Crowbar in Sydney to see Awaken I Am, Isotopes, Watchtowers & Kaskeid supporting Secrets from the US. It was an absolute vibe! Lots of singalongs and a wild pit!

Tell us about the bands or people in the Sydney music community that inspire you.

There are so many incredible acts exploding out of Sydney right now, but we can't help but be inspired by those closest to us. Bands like Stand Atlantic, Yours Truly and Down For Tomorrow are all kicking major goals in their own respective lanes and it's so heartening to see such talented, lovely people succeeding. I've also got to shout out our incredible producer and dear mate Stevie Knight who fronts a sick band you may have heard of called The Dead Love. Without his guidance, faith & numerous pep talks when things were at their shittest, RedHook would never have made it this far. He's been our rock n' roll Yoda, inspiring us not to give up and helping shape the band into what it is today. His producer hands are also all over so much of the killer new music your hear coming out of your radio as well. Stupidly talented guy.

What are your plans for 2019?

Oh geez, there's so much happening we get a bit dizzy thinking about it! First up is the inaugural Sydney leg of Download Fest happening this Saturday (thank you so much triple J Unearthed for the slot!) and then jetting off to play the UK version in June, which we're beyond pumped for (Slipknot & Tool OMGOMG)!! We've got a show with Void Of Vision down in Frankson on March 16th that's going to be an absolute baller. We'll be announcing a really exciting new festival event this week that I've personally created and curated, so stay tuned for that! We're also planning to unleash plenty more music including a bit of a timely cover that we're pretty proud of and a bigger release later in the year... and apart from that, basically just touring our absolute guts out!