Project Description
Interview with
ROUTE 33
Interviewer – Vicky Hebbs
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How did you first get into music?
Both of us are similar, we were playing a heap of sport so the parents made us start something else outside of the sporting world and we both respectively started guitar/ piano lessons around the age of 10.
When did it become a serious concern?
We were basically doing the cover scene in Brisbane since about 2008. The original writing and release of a debut album only really became a ‘dream’ in 2015 after going to CMA Fest in Nashville and from there it became a reality fairly quick as we released Last First Kiss almost a year from the time we decided to do it
Where did you develop your interest in performing music to an audience?
We both love the sensation of creating atmosphere and essentially making people enjoy themselves. Whether it is through our music or cover music, the fact you can have the power to make people’s life events/ moments etc is a pretty rare thing in life.
What kind of music did you grow up on?
Trent grew up on a lot of the Aussie rock – Cold Chisel, Noiseworks, Hunters and Collectors, etc. Jock grew up on the traditional Aussie country of Troy Cassar-Daley, Lee Kernaghan, etc
What artists inspired you and which do you still look to now for ideas?
We are always listening to and gaining ideas of the artists in our genre. People like Morgan Evans, Keith Urban, Old Dominion all have a knack of producing albums and sounds slightly ahead of the popularity curve at the time.
With your latest single, Kryptonite, can you describe its origins and evolution?
The song was based around constantly seeing friends putting up with a lot from girls, that they necessarily shouldn’t be, because the particular girl was attractive. At the time Trent was listening to a lot of Jason Aldean and rockier music so I think that is where the theme for music progression came from.
Is there new music currently in development?
We are currently in Nashville writing and plan to be back in the studio to lay two new singles in early July upon our return. Both songs are very summer/ beer drinking themed so we hope to release very late in the year/early next year.
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What shows do you have coming up?
Groundwater Festival, St George Races, Roma Cup, Ekka, Hometown Fest
Tell us about the Hometown Fest and your role in this inaugural Brisbane festival.
We are ambassadors for this event so will essentially do slots of interviewing, social media activity etc. once the line-up is announced, I think there will be a lot of attention on this with the calibre of international artists involved, so I think interest will peak across the board.
If you could pick absolutely anyone to bring on tour with you, whom would you pick and why? (Dead or Alive)
Probably Dave Grohl, simply because anything that guy touches turns to gold.
We all live busy lives and seem time poor. How do you find the balance between your everyday life and your musical one?
In a weird way, having full-time demanding jobs makes writing music easier as it still is a ‘release’ as opposed to a job. We have no massive pressure to succeed in music so I believe that’s why we enjoy it so much.
What are your major goals or milestones for the future?
As I said we have no major pressure so, as cliché as it sounds, it really is just to ‘go along for the ride’
Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
Trent:
FAVOURITE –
Album – The Foundation- Zac Brown Band
Artist – Jimmy Barnes
Movie – A Star is Born
Place to visit – Nashville
Venue to play – (dream) Red Rock, River Stage in Brisbane
Food – pizza
Drink – rum
Person in History – too many to answer
Tattoo – (if you don’t have one, one you would get?)- I was planning on getting one years ago then everyone started getting them so I wanted to stay individual by not having one!!!
Jock:
FAVOURITE –
Album – Hotel California – Eagles
Artist – Garth Brooks
Movie – Forest Gump
Place to visit – Austin
Venue to play – (dream) Red Rock, River Stage in Brisbane (I agree with Trent on these two)
Food – Mexican
Drink – rum
Person in History – agree with Trent – too many to answer.
Tattoo – (if you don’t have one, one you would get?)- No. I don’t have one. I probably never will. Not my scene and I like the fact of being different now and not having one.
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Route 33 prepare for
Hometown Festival role
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Proud Brisbane boys, Route 33, are ready to show off their hometown at a new festival in the Queensland capital later this year.
Route 33 have been announced as part of the star-studded line-up for Hometown Fest on November 23 and 24, where they will perform and conduct interviews with the other artists on the bill.
Held at the RNA Showgrounds, Hometown Fest is yet to announce the full list of artists, but they range from country to rock and include visiting stars, with a focus on Brisbane.
Route 33’s Trent McArdle said the opportunity cameabout to play the festival because their music was so aligned with the current country sound coming out of the US.
“We believe this festival will give our music great traction,” he said.
“The fact that it is in Brisbane is pretty cool. I think it’s the right place and the right time.”
The group will release their third single, a duet with The Superjesus frontwoman Sarah McLeod in July, so they are keen for festival goers to hear their brand of music.
“It is super exciting to be part of the festival and promote our music to the crowds there,” Trent said.
“The fact you get to rub shoulders with these artists and interview them and being a more integral part of it, will be unreal. Being supported by Triple M Brisbane means we will be on the station talking about the festival and give our music a plug, which is promotion moneycan’t buy.”
The group has had a dream run into 2019 so far, with their latest single, Kryptonite, debuting at No.2 on the iTunes Country Songs Chart and enjoying high-rotation airplay.
Jock Barnes said he believed the single had resonated with radio so much because of its upbeat rock flavour.
“It’s got more of that rock twist that we’re known for which is different from a lot of popcoming through in other modern country artists,” he said.
“It seems to be setting us apart. It is a little more natural for us because I grew up with the country influences and Trent grew up on 90s rock influences. Kryptonite has an upbeat, fun,rock sound to it, which I think is lacking a bit out there.”
The band is thankful for the support they’ve had from country radio, and are looking tospread their musical wings even further, looking to mainstream radio to embrace them.
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Check out ROUTE 33 below
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