By MAX BRADFORD LESTER
THE DESERT Sea is a hidden pearl of the Sydney scene. The well-oiled three-piece generates some heavy rock hits that have plagued my mind and Spotify searches since seeing them live nearly a year ago.
It’s a band comprised of three personable and amusing blokes; Andy ‘Westy’ West, the reserved bass player whose big smile is decorated by a great beard making him the ‘look’ of the band, Justin ‘the old man’ Leef, a drummer from a heritage line of mystic musicians whose talents have been used by many Aussie acts and the holder of a pocketful of connections and Ashton Tremain, the charming frontman who builds songs as well as he does houses in Sydney’s northern beaches.
As eager as I was to meet this band with a small but sure library of songs, I was equally excited to learn all I could. Ashton told tales of the band’s rather unexpected origins. “Originally, I had a solo acoustic thing and then these boys came in to try and fill out the sound and we very quickly outgrew that.”
In their humble beginnings, the Sea was far more contained to the likes of a surfboard factory, where their manufacturer friend and fellow musician would let them jam. Upon reflection, Justin said; “you’ve got to have somewhere to get loud and this definitely wasn’t you mum’s lounge room.”
One can only imagine a dull, dank and dim workshop. Fresh boards, stacked against walls and surfing on only the vibration of Andy’s bass. Then as Justin stomps a booming kick to his bass drum, Ashton recalls the sawdust clouds smearing the air. That is certainly a gig I’d like to see.
An arduous back and forth led the trio on the conflicting title of The Desert Sea, a name which sums up their earthy riffs matched with enticing lyrics. However, as Justin points out, The Desert Sea is also an unintentional acronym for T D S (tedious) Ashton adds “(it) certainly describes the process of naming it.”
Currently the band has three epic EPs to boast, the latest and greatest being released this year. “Awake me” was produced by Justin’s childhood friend and COG drummer, Lucius Borich, and captures the rock and roll harmony that defines this band. Whether listening to their top-tier production or live in a swamped dive bar, the band’s sound is so well synchronised.
The bass feels consistently next to the lead guitar, not underneath or over. The drums are prominent and well-timed and whether Ashton is singing with softness or dealing a little more of a grungy edge, he hits the mark. The band attributes its playing perfection to practice and the genuine brotherly love. As the front man puts it “we are all comfortable in knowing our roles in the band but we are also just great mates that hang out outside of music and that I think comes through in its own way.”
“Being a three piece,” Andy adds, “everyone has their own parts to fill.” The EP kicks off with one of Ashton’s (and my) personal favourites, “Set Me on Fire”. More than a song, it’s a call for action. “In the music world things can get flat and uninspiring … in every aspect of life you get that sort of metonymy, your job, your nine-to-five and ‘Set Me On Fire’ was just a bit of a craving for some inspiration, whether that be artistic or in just generally day to day life.”
“Set Me on Fire” is a good example of the band developing a heavier sound. With the possibility of an album on the Desert Sea’s horizon, they claim to be open to trying new things. While the EP features a lot of heavier blues-inspired rock songs, often compared to Queens Of The Stone Age, the band is open to working into its other influences if given the chance to explore such concepts on an album.
Andy seemed excited to declare that “we’re about to start a new writing process and we have all been writing our own little riffs and skeletons of songs.” The band has an awareness that it doesn’t wish to betray long-term fans by abandoning the sound the members love but as creatives they certainly seem ready to try something different. While we have heard some of their influences in their work, I suggested the idea of leaning in to the sludgier side of their musical taste. The band admires stoner metal giants like Kyuss and Black sabbath and said “you couldn’t rule out” hearing something of that nature on a debut album.
The Desert Sea is an excellent band whose sound seems so familiar – yet it’s hard to find a mainstream act today that captures the hardness of the rock that they’re serving. Fans of radio friendly bands or more metal acts alike would benefit from checking out what this band has to offer and sticking around for whatever is next to come.
