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X Marks The Spot With DAN MARAZITA From XCALIBRE · HEAVY Music Interviews

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Angel. I'm Dan from Excaliba. Lovely to speak to you.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: You too, you too? Tell us everything that's been happening.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: You've got a new release we have.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: We've got a new album coming out January thirty. We
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: talked about with a new single called Lights and Sound.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: It's really excited to get that one out.
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, tell us about all the work that's got into
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: it and why now feels like the right time to
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: release it.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: We've had a few releases, but we feel that coming
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: into a fresh year twenty twenty six, the album's ready,
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: so it's all there. We've dropped some collapse with some
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: people over on the stage, which is really cool. So
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: we've got them out the way, and you know, we
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: really thought these songs next really showcase what EXCaliber are
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: and what we mean. So everything come to get Lights
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: and Sound out. Actually it's quite different for us us
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: and it was a good one to do.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah. I was going to touch on it later, but
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: we'll talk about it now. I guess Lights and Sound
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: it does sound like Birds of Tokyo to me, it
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: sounds very similar. However, a lot of your other work
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: does not sound like Birds of Tokyo. I think good.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's a big thing to bring up. We
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: I think it's still got that EXCaliber feel like I
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: have big riffs, but it's still stripped back and raw
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: and you can we've got the melodies and it's just
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: that that catchy song. Yeah, it was pretty important to
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: me because it was inspired by a big chapter in
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: my life where I sort of need a closure. So
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: the song explores standing on the edge of change pretty
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: much and looking back and you just recognizing the connections
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: and knowing people going different paths and still have those
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: great memories and without bitterness, you know. So it's an
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: important song to me.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's lovely. And also I think the thing that
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: defines you guys with lights and sound is the fact
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: that you've got that heav a vocal in there as well,
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: like incredible, particularly towards the end, right. Yeah, it makes
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: it different.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a lot of dynamic in that song, and
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: we worked hard on it, so it's yeah, it's a
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: completely different sound for us, but you know, we're getting
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: good feedback and we just can't wait to get it
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: out so and say whatever one thinks about it.
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah we could and gravity through it all feels
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: like a statement piece. Why was this the song you
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: chose to introduce the world to the album.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: I think gravity was well we first of all because
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: we've got the collapse with with DJ Eth and mark
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: Os there, so we thought that'd be a good kicker
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: to bring out. And yeah, it was very it wasn't
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: too heavy, had that commercial element to it, and like
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: you said, it's very diverse the album, so we've got
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: a lot of different ones in there, and that's a
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: bit of a roller coaster.
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and look you've probably been us this time and
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: time again. But those huge collaborations by the way, with
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: DJ Leaves at Marcus Furiel, Yeah, how the heck did
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: they come about? How did you have the connection for that?
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: We had a couple of producers over there in Brandon
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: Freesing that linked us up. They heard the tracks, they
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: loved our stuff. So some riding. We stayed at Matt's
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: Ram's house from Counsin Raises for a few weeks and
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: did all the riding there and recorded the drums and
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: that was just fantastic. Yeah, it was just a real
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: pinch me and my dreaming moment.
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I was just going to say, did you like
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: were you like pinch me, this is crazy exactly.
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah, but then they had to flick in the gear
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: and work mode and they were great to work with. Yeah,
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: really good guys to work with.
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: Oh how incredible. Were you star struck at all?
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: Well? Yeah, but knowing beforehand, I was, but sitting there
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: and talking to them and you know, they're humans and
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: their musicians, and we talked to each other on a
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: different level music. So that was great to get there
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: insight and you know their history and what they've been
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: doing and the storytelling. So but it's about the music
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: at the end of the day and a good product
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: so with it.
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's fantastic.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: We actually have another one featuring those two guys that
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: are on the album that has a men Realists ship, So.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: That's so exciting. That's yeah, that's so crazy well done.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: And recording at Matt Surum Studio in Los Angeles is
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: also a huge milestone. How did that environment shake the
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: sound of confidence of the band?
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: I think it was just a professional place, but it
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: was laid back, you know, it may I was running
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: around and it was it felt like home, you know,
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: and just seeing all that memorabilia around and witnessing where
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: you are sometimes you look up and think as photos
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: of ex as that around them. So I think it
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: made you put your socks up and you know, yeah,
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: I think you look at the end picture. But yeah, Matts,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: Matt's was very invited, very homely.
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, what an incredible space. Dan, Your vocals carry
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: a lot of emotional weight. Are the lyrics drawn from
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: personal experiences or do you allow room for storytelling and interpretation.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: With words. I guess I don't write directly about someone.
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: It's about feelings, connections and moments in life. I think
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: that's really important just to capture that. But yeah, it's
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: definitely life, you know, life moments right about.
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: And I'm really curious for you guys growing up, what
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: were the bands that inspired.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: You myself personally? I well, the first show I went
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: to was Bryan Adams The Truth, Oh wow, But you
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: know I loved Faith No more was Mike Patton was
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: a big one for me. Chili Pepper's Raisiness, the Machine,
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: Pearl Jam. You know, there's this is just so many
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: of them. Then then I love Roy Orbison and you know,
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: the Beatles, and so it's very diverse, but I think
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: with our sound, I really loved Faith the more because
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: I had again such a diverse album. I had that
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: soft after and Mike could the singer could really show
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: his his vocal range.
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely.
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: And I think Vinnie, my guitarist, isactly the same. You know,
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: Vinnie his the way he writes his guitar riffs and
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: things like that. He's got a different sense. But at
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: the moment we're both listening to a lot of bringing
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: the horizon and falling reverse and things like that that
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: really pump us up at the moment.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we could. So it sounds like you really.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: Is another big one?
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: Which one is that? Sorry?
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: Great token? Is it?
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: Yes? Yeah, I was going to say that it sounds
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: like you were inspired in the early days by a
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: lot of rock, it seems, and then it's kind of
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: moved to that more heavier, alternative kind of space.
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and we've got that programming and that electronic in
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: the yeah as well that cinematic sort of feel, so
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: you can't sort of hear it, but you can feel
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: it as this one is going.
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: Definitely. Definitely something that I really enjoyed hearing the album
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: was that to me I heard I mean, whilst a
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: lot of your songs do all sound quite different. I
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: felt an undercurrent of even Lincoln Park in there. I
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: don't know, do you get that?
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, yeah, I think with the rap rock and
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: the maladies and you know, and you're going to get
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: that either way. But yeah with gravity of course.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I love it. And the Melbourne rock scene
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: is fiercely competitive. How has been a part of that environment?
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: Your work, ethic and sound.
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: It's changed a lot over the years. You know, it's
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: it's competitive, but you still need to have that camarade
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: with with other band members. You've got to support each other,
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: you know. It's really important because it's a small little
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: family here in Australia even you know so, but you
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: know each other on and you know you're there to
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: watch your support bands and just support everyone.
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and was it hard to break into that scene
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: for you guys? And not really.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: We started at a young age. Vinnie started, you know, yeah,
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: men and Bennie started at a younger Vinnie was in
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: another band. I was in another band. So we're just
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: playing around and we come together. So we've been in
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: the traps a very long time. Not saying that we're old, no,
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: but yeah, and again the spre here in Melbourne was
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: our stomping ground and that's changed completely now. So you
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: know that was that was a gritty old front bar,
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: free entry, smelly floorboards and just rock and roll. But
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: now it's now it's a five star sort of restaurant.
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: You know, you sort of walk in and there and
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: you feel like, wow, the music scene has has changed.
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Is it quite posh now?
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: Very yes? Yeah, kept that girshion room at the back,
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: but it's it's yeah, it's not that yeah.
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah. And there's a clear balance between modern hard rock
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: and classic influences in your music. Who or what helped
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: shape this album in particular?
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: Uh, well, as I said before, at the moment where
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: we're into those those new age sort of new metal bands,
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: so Vinnie and I are listening to them a lot.
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: You know, he will send me something I have listened
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: to this new one and I listened to that. But
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: then keeping what we believe is EXCaliber, you know, keeping
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: it true to our you know, even sonically the sounds
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: have changed a lot, coming from a recording aspect, but
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: we try and keep it. You know that that sonic
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: sound is let X go.
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: The have That's right, Yeah, staying true to your own sound. Yeah,
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: and the band's DNA seems rooted in resilience and redemption,
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: which you've touched on a bit. Was that theme intentional
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: from the start or did it emerge naturally as the
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: songs came together.
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: I think it just sort of coming to its own.
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: I can't really control that creativity when it's happening, so
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: that's just whatever it's feeling good at that time. Yeah.
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: Wow, And are you quite the perfectionist? Like does it
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: take quite a while for you to get songs down
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: and make sure everything is perfect or are you pretty
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: good at saying no, it's good now send it out
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: after a short amount of time.
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: As I said, me and Vinnie, right, so we're bouncing
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: off each other. We can always go back change it.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: We're there for a couple of days too, and just
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: let the years rest, but you can always go back
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: to it. So it's just, you know, rebounce off each
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: other and try and get the best result in the end.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: So yeah, we are pretty much perfectionists when it comes
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: to that.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, I feel like you've got to be like
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: I can't really imagine, I mean, for myself, if I
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: was in your position, I feel like I'd take ages
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: with songs because I just wanted to make sure it's
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: all sounding perfect.
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, I mean I listened to some old songs
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: now and I'm like, I should have put that delay
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: in there, and but you know, it's it's it's it's
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: our babies and you know they're born and they said
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: to the world and they're there, so we're happy.
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: That's it. And is there a song off the album
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: that is your personal favorite?
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: And I think it's going to be the next single
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: that comes out looking at.
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: This one coming out on front? Oh no, no, no, because everything.
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: Yeah, not the next one coming out. So yeah, the
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: Little Snake peek at probably mid mid year, we've got
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: we'll have a special single coming up.
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: Yea wicked wicked.
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: Sorry, probably my favorite.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, And are there when you guys? Have you
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: been playing a lot of live shows at the moment.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: We've been in the student we've been lock away in
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: the studio. Yeah, we've done some. Last year we did
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: the Smashing Pumpkin support, some Smiler shows through there, some
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: acoustic things. But yeah, we've been locked away just trying
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: to get this right.
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I bet you're itching to play your new material live.
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: Though, Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's weird stage and that's what
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: we love doing, just performing.
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: Yeah. I really feel like you guys are like at
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: the the very precipice of the roller coaster. Like I
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: I'm not just blowing smoke up your ass. I really
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: love this this new stuff that you guys have, and
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: I feel like you guys are going to explode, but
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: time will tell you, of course. And the title suggests finality, identity,
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: or even rebirth. What does it represent for the band
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: at this point of your journey?
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: Yeah? Well, like I said, rebirth definitely, and one of
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: the songs does does point towards that, but it also
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: represents what we've been through in the past and the journey. Yeah,
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: and you know all their emotional connections we've had with
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: people and the experiences we've had, and just recognizing that
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: for what it is, you know, So just the past,
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: the future, and I think all three in one if
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: that makes sense.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. And when you do write songs, is it
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: just say just you that the ideas come from or
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: are you more of a collaborative guy? Do you like
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: ideas from everyone?
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: Yeah? Well, look I could come up with some words.
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: Vinnie comes up with a real force and chords, and yeah,
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: I play a lot of drums, so I do most
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: of the drums according on that. Dad was a drummer,
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: so he taught me drums at a young age. Vinny's
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: on the guitar, and then we'll map up some melodies.
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: Vinnie's great with his melodies, and yeah, we'll just put
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: all the words down and we work on them together.
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: So we me and Vinnie come to Jerman out and
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: then we yeah, we're trying and finalize it from.
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: That way, Yeah we could. And with global press already
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: behind you, does that international attention add pressure or fuel
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: the fire even more?
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: I feel it, definitely feels it. I mean that's where
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: you want to be, yeah, amongst that and with the
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: heavy hitters over there, definitely.
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's crazy that already you've gotten the attention you have.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: Do you look back and like where you're at? Do
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: you just think things are just going to get even
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: bigger or better? Or and you not already believe where
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: you are?
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: And Angela, Yeah, I mean I'm blessed and I'm grateful
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: for everything we're done. Yeah, that's yeah, it hasn't stopped here.
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: We're ready for more. Definitely.
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and speaking a bit more on that, then, what
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: are the plans for the future for you guys.
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: Well, we'll get this album out, We've got as I said,
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: we've got another single and some surprises coming up mid year,
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: and we also have also I've got a bit of
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: a lineup change that we're going to we're going to
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: introduce at our next show. So we're pretty pumped about that,
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: which is it's a big dynamic change, so it can
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: really it's going to lift and excel excale to a
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: higher level that Yeah, we're just really pumped about that.
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: So we get shows done and yeah, we just get
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: it out to the world. So we're pumped.
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: And when you do start to tour, where do you
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: think you will kick off the live shows?
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: We'll do it through Australia. Yeah, we'll do the album.
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: We'll always love going out of Sydney. Of course, I've
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: got Tim Queen's over there ex music.
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: So yeah, weicked, we coued, we can't wait for it.
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: And finally, when fans finished listening to X front back
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: for the first time, what do you hope they feel
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: or walk away with.
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: Just taking it, taking it for what they experienced in
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: the past, and you know, hopefully it triggers memories for
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: them and what they felt and their emotions. So yeah,
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: I just hope even getting through things, you know, if
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: if they're at a point in life where they need
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: you know, some some inspiration, you know that help them
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: get through through those those hard times and happy times
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: and you know sad. So the whole thing is just that,
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: you know, Yeah, with all the movies, you know, you
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: get the hurry, you've got the comedy, you get to love.
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: So I think that's that's it's going to shine, shum
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: every emotion possible.
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: That's really really wonderful.
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: I want to say thanks for everyone sticking Bias, Thanks
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: for all the love and support. There's more to come,
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: so the old fans, thanks for sticking around. New fans,
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: get ready for a big jump.
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah hell yeah. And like personally, I'm so so excited
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: to see what's more, what's next for you guys. I
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: already know that this album is something special. Yeah, congratulations
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: and we cannot wait to hear it in its entirety
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: and to see you guys live again.
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: Great.
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: Thank you so much, No worries, Dan, you take care