2021 has been a tremendous year for The Buoys. Despite the obvious hurdles, the Sydney four-piece released two new singles, sold out national tours, and have now released a brand new EP, Unsolicited Advice For Your DIY Disaster, through the ever reliable Spunk Records. Evoking the giddiness of Bratmobile, raw sensibility of Sleater-Kinney and, without risking pastiche, a hint of Smudge's slacker pop sensibilities, The Buoys are set to be your new favourite band this year by far.

In mixing familiarity while leaving enough room for new direction, the prolific nature of the band continues with their exciting third EP - a self described “collection of experiences, trial and error, and ultimately, a timeline of self-discovery”. It’s these six fiery anthems, bittersweet hits, and fuzzed out riffs that will be stuck in your head over the next few months.

“It starts with the admission of leaning into bad habits and fantasies, and moves on to big ouch heart break, and then onto questioning what is important to you or what you want, before finishing on the realisation that you are happy where you ended up. Top to bottom in a way it outlines the relationship you have with yourself when going through the motions of navigating life, and your connection with others but mostly yourself,” the group’s singer and guitarist Zoe Catterall explains.

We caught up with the band to have a chat and scratch away at the surface of what’s behind Unsolicited Advice For Your DIY Disaster.


Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - ‘Cars In Space’

Our final gig before lockdown was supporting RBCF. It really felt like playing the last show on Earth that night. There was a real sense of joy but also one of loss as the rumblings of an impending lockdown had begun. The gig was at the Vic on the Park - a venue in Sydney - on this TINY stage and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. I remember there was steam on the windows because so many people were jammed in together. There’s not really much of a green room at the Vic, so we hung in the crowd with friends and had to really push our way to the front to play our set.

I was already riding high on adrenalin and then RBCF came on and played this incredible set. There was so much driving energy and I think they’re the kings of playing songs that are full of yearning, so when Sydney went into lockdown, I had them on repeat non-stop. I was mourning the loss of shows, not being able to be with friends, my family. I think their energy definitely rubbed off on me and it can be heard in 'Drive Me Home'. It is a really joy and energetic song, but there’s also a bit of melancholy to it too I reckon.


Red Hot Chilli Peppers - ‘Under The Bridge’

Court is a MASSIVE fan and John Frusciante is a guitarist who had a formative effect on me as a kid. I haven’t listened to the Chilli’s in years but the guitar solo in 'Best Friend' feels a lot like an homage to him. He is such a beautiful player and there’s a kind of soaring nature to his bends, which I really love. Perhaps a slight left of field influence because the rest of the song has a much grungier and heavier aesthetic.


The Strokes - 'Someday'

The Strokes is a reference that is spoken about a lot in this band and I think when you listen to 'Carpark', you can hear that. The rhythm guitar is playing single notes in the verse, and there’s a driving feel in the drums underneath. There’s not much lead guitar but there’s kind of cute melody in the second verse, which wouldn’t feel out of place on an Albert Hammond Jr album.


Favourite bands

My musical influences tend to lend themself in very subtle ways to my songwriting. It’s never one sound that inspires me but more of a concept or feeling. Come to think of it, there weren’t any particular artists or sounds I stewed on for the EP itself, it was more a culmination of what has always inspired me, bands like Wolf Alice, Best Coast, Ball Park Music, Dream Wife, all bands that I haven’t stopped listening to since I first discovered them.


Taylor Swift - Folklore

The only singular influence that directly informed a song on the EP would’ve been Taylor Swift’s album Folklore. It came out in the middle of lockdown when my creative well was running dry due to a lack of human interaction really. I was finding writing really difficult without everyday life. Listening to that album, and knowing that most songs were fiction, encouraged me to work outside the box and use my imagination a little more, rather than using only real life experiences. That’s when I wrote 'Carpark', fantasising about someone who simply parked their car at the same time as me at work everyday. It was an odd experience to say the least, but it’s a method of songwriting I look forward to leaning into.