A warm summer night in São Paulo, and a clear blue day for Australians Amy Taylor and Bryce Wilson , from the punk band Amyl and the Sniffers, when we spoke this week about their first visit to Brazil.
The band arrives not only to present their new album Cartoon Darkness, but also to accompany The Offspring 's Supercharged tour , demonstrating the strength of punk in music – and more than that – the strength of female presence in the genre. Read the full interview below:
WIKIMETAL: Third album, Cartoon Darkness , completely insane and with a lot of power behind it. I won't waste any time and will ask you right away: what's the process of writing these songs like?
Bryce Wilson: It was great. We had plenty of time to record this album and for the first time we had our own studio. Our last album [ Comfort to Me] was recorded in a warehouse, practically, so this time it was much more comfortable with the studio that our manager built himself.
WM: We really need more women like you in the punk scene – I feel it's a really powerful voice. How do you see your place in music and the industry?
Amy Taylor: I think it's extremely important that punk has more female representation. I can't speak for the industry, because I feel like we're pretty closed off in our niche, even knowing that outside of pop, everything is very much dominated by men. In punk itself, I think I'm a very feminine figure who carries a strength showing that we can do shows and tours.
WM: We know how much you express yourself on stage with the audience, and it's incredible to see punk resurfacing in the music industry. As one of the biggest female voices in punk today, what message would you like to give to girls who are starting out in music?
Amy: I think that both inside and outside of music I want to show people – and girls especially – that we don't need permission to do what we want. It's so hard to be ourselves without thinking about external judgment, so I always think about showing who I am from the inside out so that all this energy is contagious and liberating.
WM: You mentioned in an interview that you wrote the lyrics for Cartoon Darkness . How do you think that affected the album's outcome?
Amy: I did that part alone because I wanted to hear myself more and I didn't want the guys to keep playing the same thing all the time. I got to sing more instead of shouting, it was really cool.
WM: You're coming to Brazil right after Carnival, which is a celebration of freedom and the expression of bodies and people, and that reminds me a lot of your sound and expressiveness (like in the song " U should not be doing that "). Do you listen to any Brazilian music?
Amy: Yes! I heard about that, and I really wanted to arrive early to enjoy some of the carnival, but it's going to be a rush. Maybe Declan will participate in something; he'll arrive a little earlier for the carnival. We don't have a specific Brazilian artist or band in mind, but we listen to a lot of Latin music in general.
Bryce: But I don't think you can tell from our music. (everyone laughs)
Amy: I really like cumbia. (everyone laughs again)
WM: Your music videos are always incredible and super expressive. How does the creative process work with the visuals? While it seems improvised and super free, I always wonder how many times you filmed the scenes for your music videos.
Amy: It's all pretty improvised, but with a basic script that reflects the director's [ John Angus Stewart ] vision of our songs. But it's fun, we took his idea and just added our own touch.
WM: You're going to tour with The Offspring in not one, but three cities in Brazil. How are you feeling about these shows?
Amy: We've heard that Brazil has an insane audience. Our guitarist, Declan [ Mehrtens ], is especially excited for these shows, so I think it's going to be amazing. We know you guys have a special energy with music.
