WAAX
release acclaimed debut album
‘Big Grief’
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“You would be hard-pressed to find a live act in Australia right now that’s more feverish than WAAX.”
– Pilerats
“The riffs are sick, the energy is explosive, but once again, the highlight is the group’s not-so-secret weapon: singer Maz DeVita, who manages to sound raw and pleading one moment and invincible
the next.”
– triple j
“Takes the punk rock verve that characterised the outfit’s early years and sprinkles it with a broader alternative flavour… Onstage DeVita is a firebrand, whether leading her band in a club or in an arena supporting Fall Out Boy.”
– The Sun Herald
“WAAX have redefined what it means to be punk in the 21st century.”
– The Music
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It all started more than a year ago with the release of the shock and awe brilliance of ‘Labrador,’ andtoday we finally reach the end of the journey that has been the long road to release of Big Grief – the phenomenal debut album by Brisbane rock force WAAX – which we’re extremely proud to say is out now via Dew Process / Universal Music Australia.
WAAX is a band that’s been making a lot of noise for a while now, but today after years of evolution and growth the expected shape of their punk to come has finally taken the form of Big Grief, songs from which you would have already heard while the record was celebrated as this week’s coveted triple j Feature Album.
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Already universally praised by media and fans alike, the album has commanded the attention of some of the most respected names in Australian music, backed by sell out shows around the country. Those shows are set to continue this weekend – starting off tonight in Newcastle at the Cambridge Hotel, Sydney tomorrow night at Oxford Art Factory, and finally with an All Ages afternoon show at The Zoo in Brisbane. PLUS – the band has just announced a third show at the hallowed Brisbane venue the Triffid on September 29, after their first two hometown shows at the venue were sell outs. Details for all shows can be found at www.waax.band
Committed to tape over several inspired sessions across 2018, the 12 songs that make up Big Grief were crafted with legendary Powderfinger front man Bernard Fanning and Grammy-winning Nick DiDia (Springsteen, RATM, Pearl Jam) at the production helm – the band writing much of the material around those sessions. With Fanning and DiDia pushing them to their max potential, the band instantly saw success with the roaring first single, ‘Labrador,’ becoming their inaugural entry into the prestigious 2018 triple j Hottest 100 at #88. The follow up singles ‘FU’ and ‘I Am’ both went on to receive instant triple j rotation, while streaming services have drenched their rock dog playlists with as much WAAX as they could get their hands on. Put simply, the band’s momentum over the last year has built them to the point where they’re considered one of the premiere musical acts in the country – and on Big Grief that is in full display.
Big Grief explores the very definition of the word ‘grief’ in universal terms. As singer and chief songwriter Maz DeVita explains,
“the whole album is about grief for so many things that I felt when we were writing the record and still do now. The way the world is so volatile at the moment, our environment, I talk about anxiety, mania, cutting ties with old friends and habits, my problems in the past with body image, and it’s almost like a big mourning for all that. It’s definitely an outpouring of grief in every sense of the word. But as much as I explored darker themes for Big Grief, I framed my melodies and vocal very colourfully and lively.”
The record is unrelenting in its exploration of a range of themes relating to modern day grief that are disarmingly frank, with DeVita opening her lyric book and indeed her heart aches for all to see – supported by a the wave of noise generated by Ewan Birtwell (guitar), Tom ‘Griff’ Griffin (bass) and Tom Bloomfield (drums). From the anthemic title track that opens the album with a triumphant fist held high, through to the barn burner ‘No Apology,’ and the quietly tender ‘History,’ Big Grief is a record that is dynamic and wide in scope, as it announces the graduation of WAAX from the little Brissie punk band that could, into the rock and roll force they are today.
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