Brook McKeon of The Burbs: “If we could make changes [to the industry], we’d bring back compilation CDs and split EPs. And also bring back not giving a fuck cos at the mome there’s too many squares”
Last month, I stumbled upon a raw and fiery tune called There's No Time For Presents. Courtesy of Australian rockers The Burbs, it was a track I found myself constantly returning to, desperate for that crunchy kick of adrenaline that only this song was providing at the time.
Digging a little deeper into their admittedly still modest discography, I kept discovering tracks that hit just as hard, and I knew I needed to know more about the outfit. Luckily, vocalist Brook McKeon was up for taking a few of my questions.
Chatting about some of the band's biggest musical inspirations, why it can be hard to read too much into streaming numbers, and which three albums he'd take with him to a deserted island, please welcome Brook McKeon of The Burbs!
Hi Brook! It's awesome to have you here! Thanks so much for taking the time to have a little chat with us!
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, could you tell us about your musical journey and how the band came together?
We met through the Geelong music scene parties in 2016 then had some full on years with stacks of gigs and escapades and moving to Melbourne for a stint. And then the last few years we hid ourselves away and did a lot of songwriting and some better stuff in the studio.
Your latest single, There's No Time For Presents, is a raw and blistering track that I've fallen pretty hard for. I just love its authentic aura.
What do you want our readers to know about your new tune, and who do you hope it resonates most with?
That’s so nice to hear. I dunno, we just hope people find it catchy and it becomes part of their 2025 nostalgia to keep forever.
Who are some of the band's biggest musical inspirations? And, if you could collectively "steal" one song in the world and claim it as your own, what would it be and why?
We like a lot of older bands like Primal Scream, Ash, The Posies, The Dandy Warhols, Mansun and all that. And a bunch of new bands coming out of Australia, too. We’ve got all our favourites saved in a playlist called Aussie Local Scene Right Now (brbss.co/ALSRN).
Choosing a song to steal…that’s easy…it’d be Oh Yeah by Ash.
Last year's single, Ladder To The Moon, is fast approaching 53,000 Spotify plays. How on earth does it feel to know that so many people are listening to and, perhaps more importantly, resonating with your music?
It feels nice having people enjoy our music. That’s all we ever wanted. It's hard to know if they’re just listening or if they’re resonating, though. There’s been a lot of streams on Soundcloud too, but then there’s the thing of seeing it translate into selling out bigger rooms and stuff, and we’re still kinda waiting for that to happen.
I dunno…our inbox has got busier, but it's hard to know how much people are getting into it, you know?
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” What would your life look like without music, and what fills your days when you’re not busy creating?
Nietzsche is on the money; that’d be bleak. I dunno…we’ve got art skills…I think we’d be artists. But doing exhibitions instead of punk rock gigs would suck eggs.
What are your thoughts regarding the music industry of today? And, if you could, what changes would you make to it?
It's okay. Its cool it's opening up for independent artists and we can make lots of shit happen ourselves now. If we could make changes, we’d bring back compilation CDs and split EPs. And also bring back not giving a fuck cos at the mome there’s too many squares.
OK, Brook – desert island time! You’re allowed to grab 3 albums before being stranded on an island. Which do you go with?
Single Twin's Marcus Teague
Machine Translations’ The Bright Door
Bluebottle Kiss’ Come Across
Thanks again for taking the time to chat with us Brook! It’s been a pleasure getting to know you better! What comes next for The Burbs?
We really wanna try and capture some UFO footage as well as an Otway Panther! And, hopefully, go to a rodeo too.
We’re also finishing off an album, and we’re probably getting overdue for another Aussie tour.
