Militarie GuN
On Their Australian Tour and Expanding Their Sound with ‘Thought You Were Waving’
Fresh off their Australian tour supporting Hockey Dad, Militarie Gun are riding high with the release of their new single, ‘Thought You Were Waving.’ Known for their hard-hitting sound, the band takes a bold step in a different direction with this track, leaning into a more introspective, ballad-like approach. The song represents a departure from their heavier catalogue, showing a softer side that’s been brewing in their music for some time. We caught up with Militarie Gun to dive deeper into their evolution, including their love for Aussie bands like Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control, and how their cinematic influences shape their creative process.
You recently completed a tour in Australia, performing both headline shows and supporting Hockey Dad. How was it? are you a fan of Australian music, can you nominate any Aussie artists for our Next Wave Playlist?
It was amazing getting to come out to Australia for the first time and play two completely different types of shows, absolutely massive ones with Hockey Dad, then our own packed little club shows. Both Sydney shows were two of my favorite shows I’ve ever played.
We are huge fans of Australian music, I remember getting an Eddy Current Suppression Ring single from Iron Lung Records in 2008 then getting into Total Control as they released their records. Our favorite Australian band is definitely Royal Headache and it was amazing to get to play with Shogun’s new band Antenna.
How does “Thought You Were Waving” reflect the overall sound and ethos of Militarie Gun? Does it mark any significant shifts in your musical direction or thematic focus compared to your previous work?
Thought You Were Waving is a song that sits within a long line of the softer Militarie Gun songs, this is just the best version of that idea yet. If you trace it back to the riffs on Life In Decline to Don’t Pick Up The Phone to My Friends Are Having A Hard Time you can hear us working out how we want to do more ballad like songs.
Thematically it also fits right in, there was a cynicism and a concern, and I like to play into the human experience of not knowing how to balance the two.
The mini-documentary "Live Under The Sun" showcases your collaborative spirit. How do these collaborations with artists like Manchester Orchestra and Marisa Dabice influence your music and creative dynamic?
When collaborations are at their best it’s just people feeding off each other to get to the common goal of making a good song that is going deeper than where you would have taken it alone. With “Life Under The Sun” it was very much about stretching our boundaries to new places and seeing what the farthest reaches of a Militarie Gun song could be, I’m excited to do more stuff like this over time.
Beyond your musical influences, are there any non-musical influences that have shaped your approach to creating?
Movies are a huge influence, often times I try to think about the world that the band exists within. Recently an idea was brought up and I just responded “that doesn’t exist in the mg cinematic universe, I wouldn’t reference that”. A band is very similar to a film set, there’s a ton of things you don’t see that goes into making it, but you have to be intentional in what you put in front of the lens, and I’m trying to refine that and get better at it.
You’ve shared the stage with some impressive artists like Gouge Away, Heart to Gold, and Human Garbage. Who are two artists in your circle you believe are on the cusp of achieving great things, and what makes them stand out to you?
Public opinion is a band that I just co-produced their album with Taylor Young, it’s been amazing seeing the growth that just them releasing two songs has gotten. The songs are just so catchy and have awesome moments I would have never thought of myself.
Another artist is Dan Spencer, his lyrics and Melodie’s are just so incredible. I’ve been listening to his record “Return to Your Dark Master” on repeat non-stop since it came out.
Looking ahead, Are there any collaborations or new directions you’re particularly excited about exploring?
We’re currently waiting for one of our biggest influences to finish up recording his contribution to a song and that has felt like a very surreal thing (it certainly will be if he ever finishes it). I’m excited to keep going forward meeting musical heroes of ours as well keeping an eye on the world around us to find whatever is the most interesting to us.