Australia’s very own punk royalty and comedic stars These New South Whales have just released their eagerly anticipated third album, TNSW. The record sets itself apart from the band’s previous albums by leaning into a more sophisticated sound. Brimming with singalong melodies, intricate arrangements and These New South Whales’ trademark irony and self-awareness, it is well worth the listen.

Ahead of their upcoming Australian tour, we chatted with vocalist Jamie Timony and guitarist Todd Andrews about new music, comedy and podcasting.

Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind your latest single “Under the Pressure”

Jamie: This was a song we wrote together and it came together incredibly quickly. Lyrically, it’s talking about the propensity that I may or may not have for people-pleasing and how I became my authentic self again by setting boundaries.

What was the creative process when it came to creating your new album, TNSW?

Jamie: It was a pretty slow process compared to our last two albums. Our first album was born out of playing live, so we had a fair few songs ready. With our second album, we had booked video time, so there had been a bit of pressure to get our songs together. But, with this third one, for the better part of two years we would meet once a week and write together. We didn’t really bust a sweat; we took it easy and wrote songs at our leisure. Eventually, we had enough material to turn it into this record.

How did your comedy show start?

Jamie: We’re all comedy fans and sort of had this idea for a mockumentary. Fortunately, we have lots of friends that are filmmakers, so it was a natural progression into creating it. If you want to check it out, our mockumentary series is on Comedy Central which you can watch on YouTube. We’re going to create another season of our show and we’ve also got a podcast called What a Great Punk which is primarily interviews with actors, musicians, comedians and funny friends.

If you weren’t making music, what would you like to do?

Jamie: I once told my girlfriend I’d be a fireman, so I think that’s what I would be.

Todd: I would like to work on super yachts. I’d happily just clean the cabins. When I watched Below Deck, I had this feeling that if I had another go at life and wasn’t a musician, I would do that in my 20s.

What influenced the sound of TNSW?

Jamie: We listen to quite different stuff, which is great since we bring our own influences together and put it into a melting pot. I wouldn’t say that there was one particular reference or inspiration in the writing of our latest album, but we did make the decision to not overthink or bring in too many references to force the hand of the band in one direction. We just wanted to see where we went naturally.

How did you guys meet?

Jamie: Will, Todd and our old drummer Luke played in bands separately. We ended up playing a show together and quickly became friends. When we would hang out, we joked that we would start a band and eventually, we did. We officially formed in 2011 and the guy who introduced us is now our drummer.

What would you like people to take away from your work?

Jamie: I just want people to experience what I experience when I listen to music I really connect with. It can instantly change my mood from bad to good, inspire me, energise me and get me out of the house. It can also give me a general feeling of catharsis when I listen to a song that I connect with, relate to and feel less alone – I think that is where the main value of music is. And, when it comes to the comedy stuff, I just want people to laugh their arse off.

What’s next for you?

Todd: We’re taking our new album on tour around Australia and Vietnam in the first quarter of 2022, so buy tickets to that