Catchya ‘round, Tapestry
DARWIN METAL BAND Tapestry formed in 2014 and put on their first show in March 2015. Now, after national tours and regular appearances on the festival circuit, the band is moving to Melbourne to up the ante with their music careers – but not before one mother of a farewell show…We caught up with bassist Connor Askham for the goss!
Tell us a bit about starting a band in Darwin?
If I was to break it down simply it’s kind of a blessing and a curse. Being relatively isolated from the rest of the music scene in Australia and the world means we’ve developed our own unique culture here and have a sense of freedom to create. But trying to reach out for bigger opportunities can be a daunting experience.
What challenges has the band faced over the years?
First thing that comes to mind is driving 11,000kms around Australia to play some shows. That was for our tour with Polaris last year – it was a huge opportunity for us to play so we couldn’t miss it, but in the past we have had to decline many tour and show offers due to the scale of travel we would have to undertake.
What are some of the highlights you’ve experienced here?
If you told 13-year-old me that I was going to play BASSINTHEGRASS (twice) when I grew up, I would’ve jumped out of my socks!
Also selling out the Darwin Entertainment Centre, embarking on a number of national tours and now playing even bigger festivals – like Yours and Owls in October this year – is mind boggling stuff for some local Darwin lads!
Will you take on other work while down south?
Yeah, we are all trying to find as much work as possible to support ourselves. Unfortunately the music industry isn’t a sustainable career for us yet, and we definitely need a side hustle or two to pay for all the music gear and travel costs.
But that’s all part of the experience, too – I think we’re all keen to step out of the workforce in Darwin and see what’s going on down south. Who knows, we might open a café in Brunswick!
Tell us about your farewell gig – what can your fans expect?
We are going all out on this one for yas… Massive sound, huge lights! Since we’re always ducking off interstate, we thought we’d bring some of the interstaters up here with our mates Wildheart (QLD) and Vacant Home (WA) making an appearance alongside local faves DraftDay and We Burn Bridges.
It’s going to be a memorable night with all of our friends and family – there might be tears!
What will you miss most about life in the Top End?
Taking 15 minutes to get anywhere in Darwin – traffic is pretty annoying in Melbourne. Our friends and family will be missed the most, but also the diverse culture and how close to nature we are here.
And lastly, if you become the next big thing, do you solemnly swear to always include the NT on your national touring circuit?
I think that’s a massive priority for us! We gotta smash out some shows down south first but coming back home is always on the cards.
There aren’t many Australian bands at our level of career that could regularly put Darwin on their touring map!
SAT 7 SEP | 7PM-12AM | LANDMARK ENTRADA NIGHTCLUB, PALMERSTON | $25 | facebook.com/tapestryaus
