After a huge 2019 that saw Picket Palace gain legendary status in an unlikely marriage of music and footy, the crew are back with a new track. While The Footy Record turned some heads with their fun energetic tracks and culminated in a sold out show at the Northcote Social Club, ‘No Fun Intended’ shows a versatility in the band’s work.

Packed with jangling guitars and a thumping rhythm section, the track’s turbulent energy is a perfect backdrop for the lyrical themes which offer an insight into the psyche of a 20-something year old - focusing on a certain anxiety that, according to lead singer Seamus O’Connell, “makes you so worked up about everything that you aren’t really able to effectively deal with anything and you regress into a useless little baby”. Embodying this all-consuming overthinking that makes you just want to pack your shit up and go home to mum into a three minute garage-rock belter, ‘No Fun Intended’ encapsulates “how grotesque and stupid that transformation is”.

The track is underpinned by a proverbial “yeah nah” which manifests into the track’s chaotic and catchy climax. Seamus explains that this line was incorporated into the track, in order to further illustrate “the franticness and indecisiveness of anxiety and circular thinking. Sometimes we are a bit like ‘yeah nah’, but sometimes we are a bit ‘nah yeah’ - no one is immune.”

To celebrate the new single, Picket Palace invited us into their collective mind to show us what influences led to the creation of ‘No Fun Intended’.


Mid Thirties Single Scene - Scott and Charlene’s Wedding

Seamus (vocals): One of my favourite records ever, heartbreaking and catchy. The way Craig Dermody writes his lyrics is super straightforward and even kind of chatty sometimes and I definitely like to write like that too. It feels like he doesn’t use words in his songs that he wouldn’t use out in the wild, I like that. He also writes great choruses which is something I struggle with heaps so I really appreciate that talent.


Parquet Courts

Jack (guitar): So smart, so thoughtful, so exciting - basically the perfect model for the kind of band we want to be. Every detail of their performances, their writing, their recording, everything is so well executed, but it always feels honest and it’s always cool as fuck.


Arthur Penn and the Funky Ten

Seamus: Most fun you could have at a live gig. Every time they had a show from when I was about seventeen I’d save up for a couple of weeks so I could pay for entry and a pint. Their live show was super theatrical and well thought out but it was just such a fucking party too, always wanted to be able to create that energy. I’m never going be able to sing like Grace Cummings though.

The Bronx

Dan (bass): I fan-boy followed them around on their 2018 tour watching them four times in two weeks. Seeing the raw power and energy in the Australian punk scene even in small regional towns was an inspiration, which coupled with seeing the rhythm section of Joey Castillo and Brad Magers changed the way I played in Picket Palace.


12 Bar Bruise - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Jules (drums): Between the give of us we’ve probably been to something like 60 King Gizzard shows. Their first few records particularly were on heavy rotation in the house when Picket Palace was jamming and writing all our first songs and finding our sound. I remember pretty much running up the train line home from Howler after seeing them, just itching to get home and jam all night. So much chaotic energy.


Take it From the Man - The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Seamus: The reason we use tambourine on everything! I bought this record for my brother about five years ago for his 21st birthday, mostly because I didn’t have a turntable and really wanted to listen to it more. I was fiddling around trying to figure out some of the chords they use when I caught the chords for the new single, and you can hear heaps of this record in that song for sure.