From the opening moments of ‘Hospital Gown’ through to its final chords, it’s clear that Mount Defiance aren’t the type of band to half-arse anything. The track bursts open with the whole band pounding away over a driving beat, with warm chords and a searing lead guitar on top. Things cool off slightly as the verse hits, however that’s not to say there’s any drop in intensity.
As vocalist Ed Tripodi steals the limelight with his antipodean drawl, he tells a tale about transitioning into adulthood and the confusion that comes with real life. With a sense of doubt combined with self-assurance, and dripping with emotion, his lyrics pack as much of a punch as the track’s blistering intro. By the time the chorus hits, ‘Hospital Gown’ almost feels like an anthem, and complete with monstrous hooks, a powerful rhythm section and endearing group vocals, it’s hard not to wrap your arms around your closest mates and scream along.

‘Hospital Gown’ is a really solid return for the band and can only hint towards big things coming as they work towards their next release. To get a better insight into what makes Mount Defiance tick, we had a chat with the band to find out what has been influencing their latest tracks.

Ed (guitar/vocals): Conor Oberst takes the cake as maybe the supreme songwriter in my universe. I remember listening to his first solo album when I was fourteen-ish and thinking “oh… okay… great… you don’t have to have the most beautiful singing voice in the world to make really great music and really great songs.” It was a beaut feeling for me because I’ve never had the most technically gifted set of pipes and thinking critically about the words I was using in songs took over from trying to sound immaculate. All thanks to one gorg album. Bring back 2008.


Foals

Luke (drums): My 14 year old self would never forgive me if I said that anyone other than Foals’ drummer Jack Bevan is my greatest influence. The styles of Manchester Orchestra’s Tim Very and Death Cab’s Jason McGerr are probably more evident in my approach to writing for Mount Defiance but I constantly catch myself adding little embellishments that could come from my teenage obsession with Foals. It shouldn’t really surprise me; I used to sit behind the kit and play their album Antidotes from start to finish, note for note, virtually every night. It was quite sad really...


Talking Heads

Will (bass): Talking Heads are one of my favourite bands and biggest influences. I love the way they balance really nice musical arrangements and interesting lyrics with David Byrne’s unique singing style. Tina Weymouth is also probably my favourite bass player ever! I reckon she takes the best aspects of Motown and early pop to create basslines that always have great hooks and motifs with a stellar tone which, for me, often makes the song.


New Riders of the Purple Sage – 'Lonesome L.A. Cowboy'

Sean (guitar): New Riders of the Purple Sage were a 70s Country band that the Spotify algorithm thought I might be intro; probably because Jerry Garcia was involved with them at one point and I was listening to a lot of Grateful Dead at the time. I played this song to Luke in the car once when we were driving to Newcastle and he thought it was a joke. Maybe it is. On the one hand, with its corny harmonies and lap steel, it evokes a specific period of drugged-out Californian country rock; kind of like a much worse Flying Burrito Brothers. On the other hand, it’s a really stupid and bizarre song that makes me laugh.