Start Listening To: HighSchool
From Melbourne to London, the insatiably creative Highschool have wasted no time getting acquainted with their new home.
Band members Lilli and Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott grabbed 2021 by the horns, releasing a slew of banging singles ( along with band-made singles) and Forever at last, their critically acclaimed debut EP. This led to the gigs flooding in, seeing the band play gigs with CHVRCHES, Mitski, NewDad and Wet Leg and appearances at All Points East, End of the Road, The Great Escape, Manchester Psych Festival, Sea Change, Standon Calling and Visions.
Having caught one of their early Great Escape shows, Speedy Wunderground co-runner Pierre Hall jumped at the chance to work with them, saying, “They’re like the perfect amalgamation of all my favourite bands… We met up with them when we got back to London and asked them to play our compilation launch a few weeks later. They fitted in perfectly and just felt like family straight away.”
After a summer spent writing in Sicily, the band returned to the studio to work with Speedy Wunderground boss Dan Carey. The result is the anthemic new release, “Only a Dream”, — a song fans will know as the band’s go-to show closer! The band caught up with us for a quick chat about all things Highschool.
Can you tell us who you are, where you’re from, and something about the music you make?
We are HighSchool from Melbourne, Australia. We make lots of music, all different styles, but it all sounds like HighSchool.
How did it all start?
The band started in the confines of Melbourne’s strict covid lockdown. We snuck over to each other’s houses and wrote and recorded songs. Our first single, “Frosting”, was picked up by UK-based label Dalliance Recordings, and we left for London before we even had a chance to play a show in Melbourne.
How did you guys meet, and what is the story behind your band name?
Rory and Lil are siblings, so I guess they met when Lil was born. Scotty and Rory met working in adjacent restaurants in Melbourne, and then Scotty met Lil through Rory, so none of us met in high school. I think we were just surprised that the name HighSchool hadn’t been taken. High school is such a strange time in a person's life. That’s why we like it as a band name.
We love your new single, “Only a Dream”. Can you tell us a bit more about how this single came about?
The song is the newest member of the infamous Speedy Singles Club, the quick turnaround 7” single collection curated by Dan Carey’s label Speedy Wunderground. It was recorded in Dan’s south London studio in one day, mixed the next and mastered soon after.
You guys directed the music video for “Only a Dream”. What was the inspiration behind the video?
Old films like Picnic at Hanging Rock and the Virgin Suicides, our editing style and performances were inspired by trap music videos, and Meat Loaf’s music video for “Bat Out of Hell” was a major inspiration for the grade.
What’s it like working with Dan Carey and his Speedy Wunderground label?
Dan is a total visionary and an absolute pleasure to work with. The way he works is, in many ways, the opposite of what we are used to, and this was liberating for us. The process of making our debut EP – from composing to recording to releasing – took ages. We labour upon every detail and do like 30 mixes of the same track. Completing the recording of an entire song in one day and completing the mix the next was a good exercise in quick decision-making and being musically economical.
What advice would you give anyone trying to achieve a similar sound to you?
Start with the bass line.
What inspires your music?
80’s new wave/post-punk and early 2000’s indie. Film and fashion, Instagram, and Tumblr.
What do you miss most about Australia?
Cheap Vietnamese food and beer that is actually cold.
What has surprised you most about London?
How friendly Londoners are. How much the UK likes sandwiches.
Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it is important to you.
In Ghost Colours by Cut Copy. It’s peak indie electronica and makes me reminisce about The Big Day Out festival, where I saw them play alongside Hot Chip and Crystal Castles.
What do you hate right now?
The hole in my puffer jacket.
What do you love right now?
The teaser for Meet Me in the Bathroom is getting us pretty excited.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played?
Supporting Chvrches and Robert Smith at Brixton Academy.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
AC/DC Black Ice tour 15th of February 2010, Etihad Stadium, Wolfmother in support. Highlight: “High Voltage”.
Is there a particular place in the world you would love to play a gig one day?
China. Why not?
What comes next in the HighSchool story?
We’re playing our London single release show at the Shacklewell Arms on November 10. We’ve got an EP in the works to be released early next year. Hopefully, we’ll be making our way back home and playing our first run of shows in Australia soon too!
What upcoming 2022 music releases are you most excited about?
Pretty keen for the new Paramore album to drop ngl.
Is there any new music from 2022 you have been enjoying?
Everything Two Shell has released this year the C Turtle EP This Is Not Karate, the new Pretty Sick record, Burnt by Slater.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Come to our single launch on the 10th of November. HighSchool 4eva!