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Backstage chats with WINDWAKER At GOOD THINGS 2025 · HEAVY Music Interviews

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: I'm here today, joined by wind Waker.
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: Hello, fellas having a chat with Heavy after their last set.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: How are we feeling?
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: It's not a forty degree degree heat today, so that's
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: gonna be something.
• 0:16
  Speaker 3: Yes, definitely, we've been to hell and back and we're back.
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: But no, it's been good. Every show it's been great.
• 0:23
  Speaker 3: I'm still feeling very sweaty.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: And yeah we have like the mesh sweats. Yeah that's right. Yeah,
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: that's yeah, that's right. It's okay. We survived.
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: I mean it was a really cool set.
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah, don't mean a rush. I'm feeling good.
• 0:38
  Speaker 3: It's something.
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: It's cruel to end in Queensland Lord because it's so
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: humid and just like a sauna.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: But yes, no, very glad to have you with us.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: So I'll confess I'm new to the party. Guys, I haven't.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: I haven't been. I'm not gonna sit here and going
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: I'm the biggest fan.
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: No, I want to discover all your stuff and deep
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: dive and go through history.
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: So I have questions. Let's go, Yes, that's what having
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: off there.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: So you've joined into the band, but obviously there's been
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: history there. What's it like jumping into the frontman position
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: and do you feel naked without your instrument?
• 1:09
  Speaker 4: It's it's definitely been a journey, but I think it's
• 1:12
  Speaker 4: been a natural progression and a natural position for me
• 1:15
  Speaker 4: to be.
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: And I think I was always destined to be an
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: upfront man.
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: I'm getting front men and yeah, kind of gave it away.
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: The pants, I'm in my baggy pants error. No, it's
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: it's I mean, I can't lie and say that.
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: You know, it wasn't like a little bit uncomfortable when
• 1:31
  Speaker 4: I first jumped into the role, but you know where
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: we're at now to when we started, you know, it's
• 1:37
  Speaker 4: it's been great growth and I've.
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: Loved every minute of it.
• 1:40
  Speaker 4: And I've loved getting to upskill and get better as
• 1:43
  Speaker 4: we as we each year goes by.
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: So yeah, and they've obviously kept you around too, so
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: that's always a bonus.
• 1:50
  Speaker 5: We drew him in the deep bend. His first show
• 1:52
  Speaker 5: was at the fore of supporting.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: Luck well, if you survive, you're in right.
• 2:00
  Speaker 4: I didn't know how to scream two months prior to
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: that show, so I just had to learn how to
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: do that.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: Paul like, hey, mate, we just need you to be
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: gone pretty much.
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: You truly gave me the call I did. I gave
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: you the call, literally gave me the call.
• 2:13
  Speaker 5: I called m and I was like, hey, you want
• 2:17
  Speaker 5: to sing for win.
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: That's what it was actually said.
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: I I've been out of the band for two years
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: something like that. Two years. Yeah, And I got a
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: phone call and that was literally at work, and I.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: Was like, yeah, I watch these videos from Melissa Cross.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: She'll teach everything you need to know. Be there, yeare out,
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: that's even better.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: So let's have a quick chat about Victory Lab.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: The film clip is freaking epic, Like I was watching
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: got right on and you got the helicopter going, and
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: then I've seen little old Winston McCall cay came in
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: and had just his helicopter moment and I was like, okay, I.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: Know who did it first?
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: Ways what a way bigger budget?
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Yeah, maybe slightly these days.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: What's it like having been able to release your creativity
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: and do things like that?
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: Do you have to kind of rein it in? Because
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: I would be just can we do this?
• 3:16
  Speaker 4: Can we do this?
• 3:17
  Speaker 5: I feel like we only have to rein it in
• 3:18
  Speaker 5: because of budget. Yeah, right, like we always want to
• 3:22
  Speaker 5: go big or go home. And with that particularly, i'd
• 3:26
  Speaker 5: been talking with the videographer paulin Jeff's who shot directed
• 3:31
  Speaker 5: everything editor. He's crazy. I'd been talking with him for
• 3:35
  Speaker 5: like two years about doing really cool clip. Yeah, and
• 3:38
  Speaker 5: we just then had a budget for it. And I
• 3:41
  Speaker 5: remember like two years ago he was like, listen, bro,
• 3:45
  Speaker 5: I've got a guy. He's got a helicopter. I really
• 3:47
  Speaker 5: want to do a clip with Windy a helicopter. And
• 3:50
  Speaker 5: I was like how much are you talking how much?
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: And I was like not now, bro, And then this
• 3:57
  Speaker 5: one rolled around and it was like you harder than you.
• 4:00
  Speaker 5: It's like, you know, we had a slightly kicked budget.
• 4:03
  Speaker 5: It was a crazy but we had a little bit more.
• 4:05
  Speaker 5: And I spoke to him and I was like, I
• 4:07
  Speaker 5: think we can do it. And then he was like, okay,
• 4:10
  Speaker 5: we also get a troop carrier.
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: And I was like sure.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: I'm still stuck on you talking to someone who's like
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: I've got a helicopter guy who has a freaking helicopter guy.
• 4:19
  Speaker 5: He's got guys for everything.
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: It originally started as a tank guy.
• 4:23
  Speaker 4: And then it evolved into a It started as a
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: tank guy and then I went to a helicopter guy. Yes,
• 4:30
  Speaker 4: but yeah, these guys will just make me do anything,
• 4:33
  Speaker 4: and I'll say yes to doing anything in a video.
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: So I hung out of helicopter.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: With Frontman Energy. Yeah yeah, wow helicopter.
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: So you guys A'm afraid to take leaves and head
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: overseas and that is terrifying financially mentally, like you know
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: it's gonna be absolutely terrifying.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: But you have something temple coming up. How does it
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: feel to do that? Like do you have to? Like
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: why would you?
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: I would be so overwhelmed thinking about being on stage
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: with all those other massive names or does it make
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: you hyper focus and think like we've just got to
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: fucking smash this so.
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: We can't be back.
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: I think it's inspiring, isn't it.
• 5:11
  Speaker 4: Like I think it's inspiring to be like, all right,
• 5:13
  Speaker 4: we are amongst you know, the caliber of these bands,
• 5:17
  Speaker 4: so it's like it's up to us to like meet
• 5:19
  Speaker 4: that expectation and to sort of meet that level.
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: And yeah, we love going over to America.
• 5:26
  Speaker 4: I love going over to America and like be able
• 5:29
  Speaker 4: to do that in a festival capacity.
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: I think it's going to be really exciting. And yeah,
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: like we're just we're constantly building and working.
• 5:37
  Speaker 4: Towards just like creating a show that is partying that
• 5:41
  Speaker 4: people can enjoy. And yeah, each time we either do
• 5:44
  Speaker 4: something like good things or we go on tour with
• 5:47
  Speaker 4: like we get closer to that, we kind of just
• 5:48
  Speaker 4: become this unit.
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah exactly.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: And is it your first big festival overseas?
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: Yeah? Oh nah, that's so exciting. Yeah, looking forward to them.
• 6:02
  Speaker 5: What do you have to say?
• 6:03
  Speaker 6: Man?
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: Nah?
• 6:05
  Speaker 5: I think it's like those sort of festivals are the
• 6:08
  Speaker 5: ones you grow up looking at the lineups for. I mean,
• 6:10
  Speaker 5: it's so cool to grow on it. Right when we
• 6:12
  Speaker 5: got told, we got told in the States and we're like,
• 6:14
  Speaker 5: oh sweet, we're coming back to the States.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: That's see. Oh it's on Exemple And we looked at the.
• 6:18
  Speaker 5: Lineup and you kind of look at the sheet and
• 6:20
  Speaker 5: you're like, where are we where?
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: It's like where's Windy, Like where's Wally? Where's Windy?
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: And the more you look at that lineup, it looks
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: like a fake one, you know, the ones that get
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: released early and you're like, there's no way this can
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: be fucking real.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: But Day was right there.
• 6:35
  Speaker 5: Yes, it's pretty sick.
• 6:38
  Speaker 4: To be a part of it.
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, yep. So how do you guys tackle your writing process.
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: It's a cool space at.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: The moment where you can actually expect yourself and that's
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: not necessarily confined to a box. How do you guys
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: feel about writing music? Is there one person that brings
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: it in or do you all kind of collaborate on it.
• 6:55
  Speaker 4: It's something that actually has changed over time.
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: It used to be a case of like myself or Chris.
• 7:03
  Speaker 4: Or any other member having like a sort of a
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: skeleton idea bringing into the band and everyone get their
• 7:08
  Speaker 4: hands dirty.
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: A little bit. As we've worked on music post type
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: of Islands, we've.
• 7:14
  Speaker 4: Actually been starting to create music all together from scratch
• 7:17
  Speaker 4: in the moment, which has been really cool. We've sort
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: of been experimenting with like trying to make an entire
• 7:23
  Speaker 4: song in one day rather than kind of just working
• 7:26
  Speaker 4: in that kind of intuitive kind of in the moment.
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: Yeah, just kind.
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: Of entered this like a flow state together, which we've
• 7:34
  Speaker 4: never done before.
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: So this this sort of phase in new music is
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: it's really exciting and experimenting in that sort of process.
• 7:42
  Speaker 4: So yeah, Chris hasn't written a demo prior without us
• 7:45
  Speaker 4: being there in this phase, and we've still kind of
• 7:49
  Speaker 4: been like pulling like little ideas that we might have,
• 7:52
  Speaker 4: like that we've made at home and that we bring
• 7:53
  Speaker 4: it into a writing week. But yeah, we always basically
• 7:56
  Speaker 4: book out a week block, whether it's you know, at
• 7:59
  Speaker 4: an air b and b or someone's holiday house and
• 8:03
  Speaker 4: we just lived together and we just write all day
• 8:06
  Speaker 4: and night.
• 8:06
  Speaker 5: But we had a really good experience when we're in
• 8:10
  Speaker 5: La two two US tours ago where we worked with
• 8:14
  Speaker 5: a couple of producers over there and that kind of
• 8:16
  Speaker 5: got to school in the room writing together. And since
• 8:18
  Speaker 5: then we're just like we're coming up with better stuff together.
• 8:22
  Speaker 5: So we've been sticking to that. And also we've got
• 8:24
  Speaker 5: justin now.
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: Maybe Windy I'm only a year.
• 8:30
  Speaker 5: Old, isn't a year, but he's been introducing a lot
• 8:35
  Speaker 5: more guitar back into our music, which has been really interesting.
• 8:40
  Speaker 5: There's a lot of there's a lot of cool guitar stuff.
• 8:42
  Speaker 6: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to writing with Windy.
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: Now that I have been. It was it was a
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: scary process at first because I was.
• 8:52
  Speaker 6: Like coming into something that had worked, like with hyper violence, Like, yeah,
• 8:56
  Speaker 6: they have their way of working, but they've always been
• 8:59
  Speaker 6: so welcoming, always open to listening to my ideas and
• 9:03
  Speaker 6: it's been.
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: A really smooth process.
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: I think it's do.
• 9:06
  Speaker 4: You know what.
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: You don't hear that often, So I think that's like
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: really special if you can. It's so true, and it
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: bonds you closer together, and then you're gonna play better
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: because you got the bond. You want to you want
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: to absolutely kill it. So yeah, that's really cool.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: It's really good.
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: I hate to hear when people get all together, if
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: someone tries to put something on the tables, like no, we're.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: Going in this direction, but thank you. It does happen.
• 9:26
  Speaker 5: But yeah, I think we're just good at managing it.
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: Maybe, yeah, good at managing it out.
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: So what are your thoughts on people online that kind
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: of consume music so quickly they'll listen to it for
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: two seconds and they kind of flick it on. Do
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: you read any of the comments on there or do you,
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: guys more or less just do what do you want
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: to do and just.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: People who are going to like it will react that way.
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: Do you want to answer that? I definitely try not
• 9:52
  Speaker 3: to read comments or anything like that. I think it's like,
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: and I think this is just a general statement for
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: any band. It's just sort of like the more you start.
• 10:01
  Speaker 4: To mix in external factors and muddy up what you
• 10:06
  Speaker 4: do in the purity of what you do.
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: Like that's when a lot of bands kind of like
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: lose what they what.
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: Their identity is, because they're like they're focused so much
• 10:13
  Speaker 4: on the noise. I mean, like you can, you know,
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: look at comments and band together and be like, oh,
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: look at this dickhead, you know, like what they've had
• 10:21
  Speaker 4: to say, but like, I don't know, I try, I
• 10:24
  Speaker 4: really try not to listen to it, and like we
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: we try to focus more on like what kind of
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: feedback we're getting in real time at a show.
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: You know, that's sort of the things that we're more
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: focused on rather than like what's some control or what's
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: some idiots saying online.
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: You know, that's the perfect answer. I think.
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: If you're going to let people from the outside infiltrate
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: into your band and then want to to your sound
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: around that, you're in a lot of trouble. Oh awesome, guys,
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: thank you so much for taking the time to chat
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: with us. Of course, all the best, Merry Christmas and
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: all that stuff. Yes, and luck with Sonic Temple.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: That is so cool.
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: Whore we keep in mind.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: Any bos you'll never media record.
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: You'nver die.
• 11:05
  Speaker 5: Don't blab it lost day, the taper end, don't take
• 11:13
  Speaker 5: guess I feel rat anymore.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: Don't never made again.
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: I nother day I'm laving Like dang tag tad, I'm
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: not that temper band, that nice, my my choice, like