How do you feel about playing for Emergenza?
We're both very excited, being able to play any gig is great. This one being on a worldwide scale is crazy! We're super pumped.
Do you ever get a bit nervous before a show? Any band rituals before your gigs?
Yes, quite often. There was one show where I (Josh) was really nervous and couldn't eat. We were playing one of our favourite venues l, Wrangler Studios. It was a mixture of excitement and nerves all bubbling in my stomach, but when we got on stage, it all went away and we played a great gig. In terms of pre-show rituals we don't really have any. We mainly just practice our set quickly, maybe a quick high five then jump on stage.
What are your lyrics about? What message does Folkie & the Punk have for the world?
We like to sum ourselves up with the phrase: love, hate & masturbation. We mix self-deprecation with references to our current social and political climate to hopefully create an entertaining and maybe thought provoking performance.
It's the end of the world and there's only time to listen to one more song ? what would it be?!
This question is a challenge for us. We've been thinking it over. I (Callum) would listen to Golden Times (live) by The Pierce Brothers. They are one of the greatest bands to see live and are one of the band's biggest inspirations.
And I (Josh) would listen to Rocky Road to Dublin by The Dropkick Murphys. They were the band that got me into punk and I've loved them ever since.
How would you describe your sound to someone who's never heard you before?
Folky-punk kind of stuff, more on the folk side most of the time. We've been influenced by heaps of different bands such as: The Pierce Brothers, Smith Street band, Foley, Mumford and Sons and Georgia Maq.
Why should we come down to 24 Moons on Thursday to watch you play?
Because you might feel something. You might cry, you might laugh, you might dance. And because we're the best folk-punk duo in Melbourne with members named Callum and Josh.