Edit the following interview to sound better: I love the name of your band - how did you come up with it?

It came from this old video of this guy getting arrested, and he went on this funny monologue where he said, 'Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest!' I thought it sounded great, as the names of many bands I like come from inside jokes or catchphrases, so we used it.

How does the songwriting process look like for your band?

Well, we're just starting out, so we haven't written too much yet, but for one of our songs I played what I had to Issy and then we wrote the rest of the guitar parts together. Issy has a whole book full of lyrics, and we just play what sounds great. We write through improvisation.

Do you ever get writer’s block and if you do, how do you overcome that? What’s your way of recharging the creative juices so to speak?

I can get lost holding my guitar for hours at a time, playing and writing new things. Sometimes just coming back to it or working on it with other people makes the song come together. Jimi Hendrix got great at guitar by doing just that – holding his guitar and playing stuff on it until he fell asleep.

Are there any films or books or art that you draw inspiration from at all? Like do you ever watch a scene in a movie or read a book and think I want to write a song that encapsulates that feeling?

The Catcher In The Rye. It's a great book that encapsulates the feeling of alienation and not being heard, and it comes through in what I write and in the vocal delivery as well. My style is very Lou Reed deadpan. Movies, I don't really get a whole lot of inspiration from them. 

What are your influences?

I could go on for ages about who we’re influenced by, but I’d say that we’re taking punk and building off it. The Ramones, The Damned, The Sex Pistols, The Fall, that kind of classic punk sound is the basis for our sound. I really like Australian punk, like The Saints, Radio Birdman and a local band called Shock Value, and a lot of it shines through in the riffs we come up with. 
Recently I’ve been getting into a variety of stuff, like Jejune, Media Puzzle, The Belair Lip Bombs, Sunny Day Real Estate, Paramore, David Bowie, The Sonics, The Easybeats and that adds another layer of complexity to our sound because now I’m experimenting with single note patterns. I know Issy really likes grunge and metal, and the scene is into that kind of stuff right now.

That’s a lot! What songs or albums make you go like ‘You must listen to this!’?

The entire Ziggy Stardust album by David Bowie. It spans multiple genres, and its pure rock and roll perfection. All We Know Is Falling by Paramore. It has that shimmering Twilight vibe, and I listen to it on repeat a lot. I’m Stranded by The Saints and the white version of Radios Appear by Radio Birdman. Lush Life by The Belair Lip Bombs, Shock Value’s self titled album, Totally Wired by The Fall, and the Ramones’ debut album.

What do you think of the Brisbane scene, especially the youth subscene that you guys are kinda spearheading?

It’s very cliquey. You’ve got to have the right connections to do stuff, basically have friends of friends to succeed. I know Issy knows a lot of people, but I don’t, and it sucks to walk into a gig and be surrounded by people in closed off circles and people who don’t want anything to do with you. I don’t know anyone in the scene to a personal level. Parental support is really what gets a lot of bands far, and I know of a lot of bands that have mummy and daddy’s money, with recording studios built into their house, and connections that allow them to be played and to appear on the radio. No shame on them, but it sucks when the industry plants get the attention instead of people who actually deserve it.

Personally, I’ve received a noise complaint for playing at a reasonable volume through my amp, in the morning. That’s why we rehearse at Issy’s house instead, because her parents are more firm in not being bossed around, and the area her house is in is loud anyway. 

Would you say that you’re breaking the standard image of some white guys in a band? Because you’re one guy and one girl, and you yourself come from a different background, like you’re from the southside and have little parental support, you’re younger than everyone else.

You’ve hit the spot mate. We’re kinda like The Saints in that we feel alienated from the rest of the scene. You look at the state of the scene and you see what? Some kids sitting outside the venue smoking dope and not caring about the music. It’s just so trashy and I don’t like the scene anymore. Gigs are costing $30 for no mosh pit. You look at the bands and they come from private schools with racks of cash. We can’t afford a single pedal or new gear. My guitar strap is made of duct tape, and my rig is all second hand. We both use budget guitars. Most of the scene is older teenagers, and they’re age out in a few years.  So yeah, I do think we’re trying to bring back the punk and rock and roll energy.

How do you get your sound?

I’m a total nerd when it comes to audio engineering and production. I learnt how to use plugins and DAWs, and how to install patches for my amp. My guitar is a cheap Pacifica I modded. My amp is a Mark 1 Boss Katana, and you can load patches to emulate famous amps, and there’s pedals built in. I just downloaded them from the Boss Tone Exchange website, and it’s pure bliss. I’d say just know your gear inside and out. Learn what all the knobs do. The only things that change a guitar’s sound is the amp, the pickups and your playing. The other things are marketed stuff get you to waste your money. 

Where are you headed as a band? Are you gonna get more members, play a gig?

I’d like to take it as far as possible. We’re currently looking for a drummer, and as for a bassist, me and Issy know of someone who’s perfect for the role. We’re looking to hold a gig around Halloween. The plan is to ask a few bands, get the gear down to Paddo Skatepark, and just play. 

Got any messages for the people of the scene?

You’re not special. Anyone can take a power chord riff and make it into a song, and with the right marketing and connections, they’ll be praised for it. People are more obsessed over how they look, what people think of them or getting the next hit of that drug. Get your act together Brisbane scene, and remember what being punk, goth or metal was originally about, which is rebelling against society, instead of forming a smaller version of the very society you’re supposed to be fighting against in your closed off friend groups and cliques.