Northlane

Northlane are a five-piece galacticore outfit from Sydney, Australia, built on an ethic of open-mindedness and expression both instrumentally and lyrically. Since formation in early 2009, the band has created music with blatant intent: to reject ideology, conformity, convention, and expectation. With an appreciation of music that surpasses genre constraints, Northlane produce a blend of their passion, influence and desire, rather than succumbing to mimicry and cloning. Their extensive knowledge is reflected in the maturity of their work, which is composed with a technical complexity and expertise that aims for perfection. This pursuit of perfection is unrelenting, and to prepare for tours the band has been known to camp out at their rehearsal shed in NSW’s blue mountains for days on end rehearsing in the most bitter and Spartan conditions.

The band hit the stage in mid-2009, delivering powerful and dynamic live performances. Their popularity soared, with local attention rapidly amounting to national support with each show. Within a year, Northlane were a common name, demanded across the nation due to their reputation as one of the tightest bands; they are known for their ‘take no prisoners’ attitude when it comes to buckling down and working hard with a DIY attitude.

In early 2010, Northlane released their debut six-track EP, titled “Hollow Existence”, which they co-produced in a friend’s garage studio. The positive response it bolstered their recognition. Kill Your Stereo awarded the release an 80/100, stating that “the majority of the songs present... have the capability to trounce numerous well established bands in our country,” labelling it as a “fantastic six track EP that has substantial replay value and will leave you craving more.” The focus on instrumental detail was also noticed by Blunt Magazine, who featured “Hollow” on their “Loud Noises #13” compilation in May 2010. With EP in hand, Northlane spent the rest of the year on road, travelling from Western Australia to Queensland, with stops everywhere in between. At the conclusion of the year, Northlane released the single “Abrasumente” as a preview of what’s to come and the band’s future directions.

Early 2011 saw the band’s return to the studio. Their ten track full-length debut album was tracked with Shane Edwards and Dave Petrovic at Electric Sun Studios (Tonight Alive, Thy Art Is Murder, House Vs. Hurricane) in Sydney. This process involved numerous weeks of perfecting every element. The CD then made its way to Will Putney at the Machine Shop (After the Burial, the Amity Affliction, Chiodos, Suicide Silence, Four Year Strong) in New York, USA, where it was mixed and mastered. Entitled “Discoveries”, the CD, which was labelled by Kill Your Stereo as “Australian album of the year” coincided with their signing to We Are Unified and was released to much anticipation on 11/11/11, straight off the back of a 24 date regional headline tour.

Discoveries was a game changer for Northlane, the critical acclaim following it’s release was unprecedented and their fanbase exploded almost overnight, finally the unrelenting kilometres on the road, and service station pies were paying off. The Discoveries tour in support of this release was by far their most successful tour to date, once half empty rooms were now packing out across the whole country.

2012 is set to be a huge year for the band, they show no signs of letting up or slowing down. In the words of Hysteria Magazine’s David Young “They’ve captured a remarkable sound on their debut that can often take years for bands to achieve, the future is here – and Northlane’s time is now. - Facebook Page

Photo: Copyright BenClementPhoto 2012