Running Out of Nuns
Turn Road Signs into Punk Anthems with 'Frank Blackmore'
Perth punk outfit Running Out of Nuns have carved out a reputation for writing songs about the kinds of subjects most bands would never dream of tackling. Their latest single, Frank Blackmore, transforms a humble piece of road infrastructure into an infectious punk anthem, continuing the band's tradition of blending sharp musicianship with a distinctly Australian sense of humour. We caught up with the band to chat about unlikely songwriting inspiration, the thriving WA punk scene, supporting punk legends Descendents, and why a European cathedral tour might just be next on the agenda.
'Frank Blackmore' takes an everyday piece of road infrastructure and turns it into a punk-rock anthem. What was the creative process behind transforming such an unlikely subject into a song?
The creative process involved sitting in the control room at Main Roads WA, gazing at all the traffic cameras and roundabouts. Immediately afterwards, the song was written. We hashed it out in rehearsals and tested it live.
There's a distinctly Australian sense of humour running through your releases, from Who Accidentally Killed The Vicar to Japanese Toothpaste and now Frank Blackmore. What attracts you to these unusual stories and characters?
As an informative and educational band, you could say we align with what legendary blues guitarist B. B. King said: "The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you."
I guess we like sharing songs about things not many other people do.
Reviews have described Running Out of Nuns as "completely ridiculous, massively tongue-in-cheek, wildly entertaining – and really good." How do you balance comedy and absurdity with writing songs that genuinely connect with people?
Four hours after each gig, Ben and I gently shake Josh's beard to extract magic dust into a stainless steel tray. Ben analyses the dust with various engineering instruments and is able to generate mathematical modelling of the audience's neural pathways at certain times during our performance. We handwrite the algorithms and discuss the results at our weekly band meeting at Dome, Scarborough.
Perth has produced a number of exciting punk and rock acts in recent years. How has the local scene influenced the band's development, and where do you think Australian punk is heading right now?
I feel there is a healthy appetite for punk and rock at the moment. Bands like Ratsalad are also helping forge WA's punk into new territories. Josh's mum has been to a stack of our gigs, and she thinks the scene is popping off.
Supporting legendary acts like Descendents while also building your own following must provide a unique perspective on live performance. What lessons have you taken from sharing stages with more established artists?
Descendents were extremely professional and effortlessly masterful in their musicianship. If I can refer back to the 1999 box office smash hit The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser, who said, "Oh, I've dreamt about this since I was a little girl."
Looking at the band's journey so far, Running Out of Nuns have built a reputation for energetic live shows, unconventional songwriting, and memorable releases. What is the bigger vision for the band, and where would you like to see yourselves in the next few years?
Doing a European cathedral tour and a headline show at St Peter's Square, Vatican City.
If you're having a house party anywhere, get us to play at it.