Hands Like Houses
After an action packed 2016, which saw Canberra’s most recognisable alt-rock exports Hands Like Houses touring the world and hitting number seven on the ARIA charts, they’re hoping to keep the momentum rolling right into 2017 by quickly kicking off a national tour in Marrickville tomorrow night.
Despite releasing their new record Dissonants at the beginning of 2016, frontman Trenton Woodley says they never expected the year to be as big as it was.
“We knew we’d done something special with Dissonants so felt it could give us the opportunities that we wanted, but we just didn’t know if it would. Things picked up pace really quickly and it just felt like everything lined up perfectly, it really was a case of producing the right record at the right time.”
Not only did the band finally see incredible responses from Australia after “six to eight years chipping away” but they continued to see lots of success internationally. “We were finding that most of what we were doing was connecting more overseas,” explained Woodley. “We got to play Carolina Rebellion, Rock On The Range and Northern Invasion, which are all part of the massive touring rock festival circuit in the US, so that was big highlight for us. Especially at Rock On The Range playing to probably twenty or thirty thousand people who were pouring out of the main stage area into our area.”
Obviously with such a busy schedule under their belts a much needed rest over the festive break was well overdue. Although the band didn’t get much time to relax before beginning the planning phase of this tour, Woodley says it was “just enough” and that after such a hectic year they will be changing strategies this year:
“We’re definitely going to be a bit more focused on our opportunities in order to really make the most of a couple of key tours rather than going all out to see what sticks. Hopefully this plan allows us to have a little more breathing room to start putting our thoughts together and do some writing towards whatever comes next.”
“There will be a little bit of nerves getting back on the horse,” said Woodley, commenting on how the Sydney show will be both kicking off the tour and their first show back from break. “But at the same time this is a close as we get to a home town show so we’ll be throwing ourselves in headfirst.”
Feb 3, 8pm. Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville. $25. Tickets & info: www.factorytheatre.com.au
