We’d suggest handling Melbourne grunge rock band LOSER with caution. They seem to carry an infectiousness wrapped up in their music that is rapidly spreading. But let’s backtrack a little. Who are LOSER?
The fresh three piece are something of a supergroup; a powerhouse collective of creatives from other bands of the scene. LOSER began in 2017 when frontman Tim Maxwell (of Apart From This, Grim Rhythm) wrote the first batch of LOSER demos. Mates Chris Cowburn (The Smith Street Band) and Craig Selak (The Bennies) liked what they heard and immediately joined forces to make what we now know as LOSER, thus kicking off a pattern of instantaneous actions in the process of the music finding its way out into the world.
It was only three weeks after formation that the trio found themselves in the studio, with three demos ready to record. They worked with Sam Johnson at Wrangler Studios; the birthing place of music from The Smith Street Band, Camp Cope, The Hard Aches, and The Bennies.
Domestic La La Records’ James Tidswell also caught the LOSER disease, immediately pressing the band’s debut track (“Loser”) to 7″ vinyl and releasing it via his record club. Like a contagion, the LOSER haste struck the public too, with a limited run of 100 copies selling out instantly. Triple J weren’t immune to the LOSER bug, catching it via Unearthed, causing them to then add “Loser” to full rotation after hearing it.
As to why people are flocking to the LOSER sound, debut track “Loser” is a showcase of grunge harkenings via noisy riffs, layered vocals, and easy and unpolished vibes. Coupled with a lo-fi home video style music video, LOSER are beaming out love to 90s grunge aficionados everywhere, who’ll feel instantly at home with their debut track. With my own appreciation for early Weezer, Foo Fighters, and Nirvana, I get it.
Check out “Loser” below!
[Image courtesy of Tori Styles]
