Introvert: Aussie Punk Built On Foundations Of Catharsis

Introvert frontman Audie Franks is open about how his band’s early material wasn’t up to scratch. For the quartet’s excellent new EP Mending Breaking, though, he was determined that they should take their time, perfect their craft, and draw on an array of genres in order to present a fresh take on punk.

“Everything before this record had been super rushed, and wasn’t the best example of what we can do,” Audie explains. “The new songs are much more thought-out. Mending Breaking is a mature record, and a real melting pot of influences; everything from old school country to Thirty Seconds To Mars has inspired it in some way.”

Having ditched their original “doomy rock” sound, which the band found restricting, Introvert’s new material is a more eclectic approach to things. Yet despite Audie’s confidence in Mending Breaking’s tracks, when it comes to the lyrics, the vocalist is very open about how self-loathing has been the driving force behind the EP.

“It’s about always being in a rut and trying to get yourself out,” he explains. “That’s why the EP is titled Mending Breaking: it covers that constant cycle of relapse, sorting yourself out, and things going to shit again. This record acknowledges how it can feel like there’s always something drawing you back to a situation that’s bad for you.”

This might sound bleak, but there’s plenty of hope within the Introvert camp for what the future holds. With a record they believe in and a style of punk that’s very much their own, the band are looking ahead to a 2020 they hope will see their newly-focussed, emotionally-charged music properly connect.

“We write songs about having to live your life surrounded by a shitty environment, and I think that’s something a lot of people can relate to,” Audie concludes. “It’s a real challenge to pull yourself out of that rut, and the struggles you have to go through to better your life in that regard can be immense. Mending Breaking is an honest look at what that all means for a person. The songs might feel like a punch in the face, but ultimately, I have a great deal of faith in them and the message they’re portraying.”

Introvert's Mending Breaking EP is out on February 21 via UNFD.