Start Listening To: Armlock

Armlock explore the intricacies of their production process, songwriting, and going live in this insightful interview behind the minds of this Australian duo.

Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

Simon Lam and Hamish Mitchell from Melbourne, Australia. We’ve made a lot of music over the years together, in many different styles, but Armlock is our indie rock project, and perhaps the best thing we’ve ever done together.

How did you meet? 

We met whilst studying jazz at university a decade ago. From there we have been involved in a broad range of projects, each other's and joint.

What is your songwriting process like?

We usually start with a voice memo of just guitar, maybe a melody before tracking the bones of the song into Ableton, a program usually suited to electronic music that we’ve been using for years. We then begin a process of rearranging, degrading and deconstruction via a combination of digital techniques and a series of precarious out of the box signal chains. We figure if the fundamentals of the song are strong it can survive and then it's a matter of preserving its identity whilst getting it up to standard.

What was the production process like for Trust? 

Over the years we have acquired a lot of pretty nice gear, but we always go back to the simplest pieces we have, like the Shure SM57 and SM58. We prefer the honesty it provides. When you work with mediocre gear, the quality of sound you can achieve is capped, so it takes our minds off obsessing over the recording process so we can just focus on the song. This ethos was used across the entire record. For example, we recorded the vocals with the speakers on, roaming around the studio with a handheld mic. Not great for the recording but definitely captures the best performance and intention.
We used to be gearheads, tweaking a sound into the night, but we’re past that now. We like to work quickly so software gives us the best chance at that. Also it’s heaps cheaper, and being able to make records on a tight or no budget is something we’ve always done and is how we learnt to record and mix.

We love your recent single ‘Turf War’. Can you tell us more about the lyrics in this track? 

Thank you \ (•◡•) /
’Turf War’ is about that long a tired relationship, one that has been dragged through the dirt for so long that you don’t really attempt to pick it up and dust it off, instead just cutting your losses and letting go of the string. That kind of sounds like a super dark way to handle things, but you’re both at the point where it’s actually for the best, you drop the string on each other.

What are some themes from Trust? 

Probs like an undeniably strong feeling of the unfulfillment while withstanding the passage of time. Submission to the present but a grasp for a hopeful future. Also we are trying to have lots of fun with these songs, hope you can hear that!

Do you have any plans to perform live?

Yeah, we have a couple of friends who are far better musicians than us that we’ve somehow managed to trick/convince into playing with us. I think we have a rehearsal next week so in preparation I’ve been watching Youtube tutorials on the correct way to hold a guitar pick.

Are there any specific venues or festivals you’re keen to play one day?

Yeah. I think it's important to be realistic and it does depend on the offer. I guess I’d be keen to headline Primavera, Glastonbury or Coachella but again would really depend on the offer.

Who are some of your biggest influences? 

We have quite a broad range of influences, and especially coming from a more electronic background, but I would say that our favourites are Yung Lean, Alex G , OneOhtrix Point Never, Adrianne Lenker, Boards of Canada, Tirzah, Ecco2k.

What do you hate right now? 

Doing the dishes - I reeeeally hate it.

What do you love right now? 

The F1 and Carlos Sainz.

Is there any new music from 2021 that you’re enjoying?

Believer by Smerz has probably been my favourite release I’ve heard this year. The new Tirzah is sounding really promising, looking forward to that album. Simon’s partner Juice Webster put out an awesome E.P. More Than Reaction and our friend Edward Vanzet’s album Pocket Songs is another album on high rotation.

What else can we expect from you in 2021? Any more releases planned?

Hopefully some shows. We’re also feverishly chipping away at another body of work that's starting to take shape so I imagine that will absorb a lot of time.

Do you have any final life lessons or tips for our readers?

Always remember;  ‘Life is a circus and we are but the mere seals.’