It might sound like a Skinkshake album, but aspiring Kraut rockers form Oz is actually the subject of my interview with All Mankind (Rich Beeston- vocals/piano, Dave Beeston- drums/backing vocals, Gavin Perkins- bass, Dorny- guitar), an Australian four-piece who have been compared with the likes of Keane and Coldplay.
Here’s a little insight into their world...
AS: Why the name All Mankind?
AM: Choosing band names can be hard and a real pain. So with that in mind we thought why not go digging through some of our favourite band lyrics to find some inspiration. My favourite band of all time is Pearl Jam so naturally that was the first place I went to, specifically their 5th album No Code. On No Code there is a song called Mankind and in it Stone Gossard sings "a pattern in all mankind". We all thought that All Mankind was something that just really resonated with us all and so we took it.
AS: What inspired the LP title Simple Desire?
AM: Simple Desire is the name of one of the tracks on the album, but it also symbolises a lot about we’re about. We are all about people, all about humanity and Simple Desire is the idea that behind every human on this planet, no matter what we do, all we really want is the simple things. We all want love, respect, intimacy, family, friends, peace and contentment; despite the masks we wear or the image we put across, they’re really all we’re actually after.
AS: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
AM: We draw inspiration from all over. I think the biggest influence is just life in general and more often than not, it's actually the normal things that you experience that have a profound influence, like love, hate, pain, joy, relationships, hopes, fears; they're all in there. Of course there are other things, listening to great music, watching a great movie, meeting different people, reading the bible, eating food, learning new ideas or ways of viewing things. Enough to say, our inspiration is diverse.
AS: What influences your sound above all else?
AM: Honestly, our heartbeats! If we hear something that we are doing and our hearts pump faster in excitement, then that’s our gauge.
AS: Where do you most enjoy playing live?
AM: So far, I have to be completely honest! Germany has been our favourite place to play. It's more than just the shows, they are great because the Germans just like good music, there’s no pretention and if they hear something and they like it, they get behind it and they’re super keen to support you... It's the way music should be approached. Apart from that, the Germans are just so hospitable; such friendly people who always make sure you are looked after and comfortable. Oh and it’s just a beautiful country to be in too, so it's all good!
AS: What’s the last gig/concert you went to?
AM: We have recently just been playing in Germany with UK band The Domino State. We played 4 shows with these guys and each night it was a real pleasure to watch them play and to sit back and enjoy their songs. It's not often we get to play with a band that has great songs and are just really cool to hang out with, so that whole experience was just a blast.
AS: What makes you better than everyone else?
AM: I'm not going to say we are better than anyone else because that would be stupid! Music isn't about what’s better and it's not a competition; it's just about finding that stuff that you love. What I do think we are good at is staying true to the type of music we love and we want to write. We won’t make music we think is rubbish or the opposite of what we want to do, just because that's currently what’s on the radio or trendy at the moment. I think music should come from the heart and that it shouldn't be fake in any way, and so in that regard I think we do really well in being honest with ourselves and our fans which in the end is, I believe, more satisfying for everyone who is keen on sharing this journey with us.
AS: Where did you sleep last night?
AM: A basement floor... You have to do what you have to do!
AS: Which fictional character would you most like to be and why?
AM: Batman! Who doesn't want to be Batman! Except from all the emotional trauma with his parents dying and the fact he seems to have hardly and friends or family, he's a badass and he has all the best toys... So cool!
AS: Thanks for your time guys, all the best for the future.
You can get all the latest All Mankind info here
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