Melbourne punk rock band Intoxicated Memories definitely puts their stamp on the punk rock genre. In this interview before they go on stage at The Espy for the first round of Emergenza Festival Australia, the band discusses their sound and what the message is behind their explosive music. Don’t miss the show this Saturday, March 29th, and in the meantime, listen to what the band has to say.

CAN YOU INTRODUCE US TO INTOXICATED MEMORIES? WHO PLAYS WHAT IN THE BAND?
We are a band passionate about music and sending messages across that might not otherwise be noticed or need to be further iterated on. The line up is David Mullens on guitar, Jackson Lehman on drums, Matthew O’Neill on vocals, and Tommy Schembri on bass.

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO THE PUNK SCENE, AND HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BANDS IN THE GENRE?
Matt: We got into the punk scene from listening to the classics such as The Ramones, The Clash, Bad Religion as well as the more modern punk scene; Rise Against, The Offspring. We felt that playing this particular style of music is perfect for stating opinions and addressing issues within our society, as the fast paced, raw nature of punk is perfect for this sort of thing. We feel as though we’re different due to the fact that we bridge between old and new punk rock whilst incorporating hardcore into the mix.

WHAT’S YOUR PRACTICE SPACE LIKE?
Matt: We jump between playing in a shitty garage to playing in a fancy recording studio. It is fun jumping between the two as the atmosphere changes, which can lead to different misadventures that probably shouldn’t be disclosed, haha.

WHAT DOES PERFORMING LIVE MEAN TO YOU?
Matt: An opportunity to have fun on stage, meet new bands, talk to fans and making new fans. It is a very excellent experience that is hard to put into words.

WHERE HAVE YOU PLAYED BEFORE AND WHAT WOULD YOUR DREAM GIG BE?
Matt: We have played at the Revolver a few time, done a couple of local gigs, however most important of them was playing at The Corner Hotel. Now that was an amazing experience.

HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THE SHOW AT THE ESPY?
Matt: We have a new song that we are preparing that we hope will have a good reaction. As well as the general getting people to fork out their hard earned cash to come see us because we will kill a puppy if they don’t.

WITH OTHER BATTLE OF THE BANDS COMPETITIONS AROUND, WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE EMERGENZA?
Matt: I wish I could say something witty, however, I just happened to stumble upon Emergenza online and thought any chance to play was good enough for me.

For more details on the show at The Espy on March 29th, click here.