Photo Credit: Tom Wilkinson
Ahead of their set at Bearded Theory Festival in Derbyshire, we chatted dragons, music production and the future with guitarist Paul Mason, bassist Elliott Hitchcock and vocalist Sam Frank from Australia’s epic seven-piece ‘cyborg’ metal band, Battlesnake.
How would you describe Battlesnake to somebody who’s never listened before.
Paul: Hmmmmmm…. Like a mighty dragon beast flaming skeleton.
Is that what you can expect from a life show? Are there dragons that pop up?
P: Oh yeah, real life dragons.
Elliott: They’re more expensive in the UK. We have to hire them.
Sam: We are also dabbling in being dragons ourselves.
And what kind of dragon would you all be?
E: An angry one!
S: A grumpy one.
P: Definitely a fire-breathing one, but some dragons do lightning sometimes. There’s some stories with lightning dragons, so you might be a lightning one, Elliott and I might be a fiery one.
Makes sense for the UK. Is it as muddy in Australia during festival season? What’s it like over there, festivals wise?
E: Oh dude, so bad. One of our biggest festivals in Australia last year was three feet deep with mud. But, as for the show, yeah, it’s like a sensory overload, just full of lights, camera, action. Lots of energy. And it’s our first time in the UK, so we’re super excited.
S: We’re like a genetically engineered rock and roll cyborg demon-spawn dragon.
And how has the UK treated you so far?
E: It’s been sick. So, so good. The reception’s been more than we could have hoped for, it’s just a little bit cold [laughs].
You’re entirely self-produced. How do you balance that creative control and workload between the seven of you?
S: Everyone has their own role in the band, like I make all the artwork and write the lyrics and Dan is our engineer, and is a magic robot man. Yeah everybody plays these little roles.
E: It’s taken us time to figure it all out, for sure, but it’s a really respectful process now, creatively which is nice. Like, we recorded the last record in 10 days. Everything, done in 10 days, finished.
So it’s become quite a slick arrangement.
E: Has to be, because we can’t afford it not to be [laughs].
P: There was months of writing prior to us being in the studio for 10 days, so like the guys, Elliott, Sam and Ben went away to write, we call them our skeletons of songs, so those will be the barebones riffs, and then the rest of us will come into the equation and then add all of the embroidery and maybe mess around with the structures a little bit, and add the solos and all the things that come along with it. Like it is a process that we have a deep respect of.
The visuals are really important to you guys. How do you make those decisions, especially with the outfits! We’ve seen the chainmail…
E: Yeah unfortunately no chainmail today, but still a surprise. How do we make those decisions… I guess it’s trying to be creative and trying to make the show as interesting to watch as possible.
P: Yeah, just trying to make the show more and more ridiculous.
E: Our motto is.
E, P & S: More is more.
And that’s the best motto to have. A weird one for you now, if Battlesnake was a flavour what would it be?
P: Dragon.
S: Dragon-flavour.
P: Molten, hellish magma.
S: Petrol.
E: Petrol is good. Petrol smells good.
S: Tastes good as well.
And in connection with Bearded Theory, do you have any crazy theories or beliefs?
S: I believe in love. Love and kindness.
E: That’s not very metal of you Sam.
And what’s next? Anything to share before your set?
E: Yeah, new album out 21st June! The Rise and Demise of the Motorsteeple.
P: Very spooky.
S: And we’ll be back in September and October.
E: We start in Germany and then come back to the UK, to all the major music centres, so come check us out.
Battlesnake‘s new album The Rise and Demise of the Motorsteeple is due for release on 21st June, available to pre-order HERE.
