I had the wonderful opportunity to ask Jelena the singer from a wonderful melbourne outfit – Outright a couple of questions. Great way to get back into the swing of interviews. This band is great, super nice people to and generally not shit, if you like music at all you should listen to them. Go buy some of there merch or go to a show and say hello to them!!
Tell me a little about yourself? How you became involved in the hardcore/alternative community?
Hi I’m Jelena, I live in Melbourne and do vocals in Outright. I grew up with a lot of my older sister’s music around the house and was lucky enough to be taken to my first punk show when I was 10. I gradually snaked more and more of her records as time went on, and started finding my own way when I went to hardcore shows at our local youth centre when I was 12. I spent almost the entirety of my teen years working in an independent record store so this just pushed my passion further and, since I got to spend every shift researching bands and labels and sharing it with others, it made this music so much more accessible to me. We had a really DIY scene so the community itself was a huge part of what we built.
You are originally from sydney right? What brought you to Melbourne? What’s your current take on hardcore between Sydney and Melbourne ?
I actually grew up in Wollongong, about an hour south from Sydney on the coast, but ended up visiting Sydney quite regularly for shows, to buy records and to spend time with friends. Rather than head up north with everyone else I spent my “schoolies week” down south, joining my friends in Deadstare and Syndicate in Melbourne for their summer tour. Quite frankly, it changed my life. I fell in love with the city, met some incredible people and ended up visiting every few months afterwards. Once I found that I could actually study criminology at Melbourne Uni, I transferred in my second year, got a job on my second day here and the rest is history!
When I first moved down in 2002 the Sydney and Melbourne scenes were pretty distinct from each other. Sydney held tight to their old school punk roots while a lot of Melbourne bands were riding new metallic waves. I copped a lot of flack for loving both sides of the hardcore fence so it’s great now to see that there’s a broader appreciation happening nation-wide. While taste is most definitely a personal thing, I’m stoked that more and more people are now open to a wider range of different styles of punk and hardcore – why would you want to limit all that both offer? Those were some judgmental and sad times back then haha. I think the people within both scenes are bridging the gap too by strengthening friendships and ensuring that their interstate guests are always supported and encouraged, whether they are bands on tour or just mates keen to check out another city or scene. Labels are branching out to support bands from other cities as well. It rules!
You have been involved in the community in other ways can you tell me a little about those things? How you feel those contributions to the community differ, and how do these differ beside the obvious?
Early on, I used to get involved by helping put on shows and promo etc purely so I could do a little something to help keep our small scene going and support the amazing people that worked so hard to build it up. For a long time, I’ve offered a couch, a pillow, some meals and a shower to bands from interstate and overseas to make it easier for them to travel but really, this is just an excuse to spend more time with friends and make sure they’re looked after. I know they would all do the same for me, and that’s part of what makes this community what it is.
More directly, I’ve tried getting involved more proactively by putting on a non-profit vegan food stall called Bake Down the Walls. I bake from home then all the proceeds go back to the bands, the show or a valued cause and I hope it serves a purpose to demystify and encourage cruelty free living. Plus, cakes and core are so much more fun together and it’s been a really positive addition to bring the scene closer.
I suppose you could say that this initiative differs because it attempts to inject a bit more of the conscience that defined our scene early on but, to me, it’s just another part of all the creative and supportive elements that make hardcore what it is. For me, it’s been a way to give back to a scene that has offered me so much and I hope encourages others to realise that the DIY spirit is strong and is our only way of making all the changes we want to see around us.
Have/do you engage in further study if so what and does it come to pare in your lyrics?
I started a Law/Arts double degree but found more satisfaction out of transferring my law credits to major in Criminology instead. This complemented my other majors in Politics and Gender Studies and my minors in Sociology and Philosophy far better. I guess that my studies do come through in the lyrical content of our songs but I can’t help but acknowledge the fact that my general interest, compassion and curiosity in social issues was already a part of me before this, and was hugely influenced by the bands and zines that challenged and inspired me early on. The best thing about my further study though was that it taught me to research, challenge and back up my ideas so much better and, in a practical sense, has lead me to my most rewarding career now at the Department of Justice so I’ll always be grateful for that.
Who makes up outright ?
Joining me in Outright is Aaron Osborne (I Exist, 4 Dead, Slowburn) on drums, Brenton Lee on guitar and Melissa Grisancich on bass. Our friend Brad Fulton (the Gun Runners) has also just joined us to push our guitar sound even more and offer a bit of flexibility when some of us get sent away on other commitments. Stoked to be doing this with such great mates!
How did outright get started? Why did it take you this long to start a band?
Outright has been a million different incarnations and half-assed attempts over the years with really nice friends trying to help get it started but ultimately never quite working out due to timing etc. It got to the point where Aaron and I were lamenting the upcoming closure of the Arthouse over dinner. I was heartbroken at the thought that, despite my wanting to play in a band for more than a decade, I would never be able to share the Arthouse stage. Aaron cracked it, said “no way” and offered to pull his drum kit out of retirement to make it happen for us. Good dude! We then hassled Brenton to join us and it all came together in weeks!
Can you describe outright’s sound? And style ? Comparisons?
Man I hate playing the style category game! If you listened to us loosely you might hear some traditional NYC and Melbourne hardcore influences, the occasional double kick, some mid-90s crossover grooves and a few of the standard punk chords.
Tom campbell said “no feature of Human societies is more evident than thAt men – as a result of humanly contrived cultural arrangements – have an easier, more varied & better rewarded life than women” would you agree with statement in the context of the hardcore community and society in general?
I would agree in so far as some cultural mores in hardcore have demonstrated the potential to limit opportunities, variety and freedom of expression for women in hardcore. But, at the same time, I would also say that the key motivation and message in hardcore espouses the exact opposite – that this is for anyone and everyone to participate and enjoy, that we make it for ourselves and that this is our home to express a counter culture, challenge ideas and even strive to better ourselves and our world. In fact, it has been argued in some counter cultural literature that punk and hardcore is in fact one of the most relevant realms for women to do so since we experience sexism in both the mainstream society and our own counter cultures directly. If this feature was not evident I would struggle to have remained here for long at all.
Does your gender play a part in what you want your band to say? Or do you feel that it should not be a point of discussion? ie not gender specific reference such as these?
I can only speak for myself, but, as far my participation in the band is concerned, gender does not play a single part in anything I want out of doing this. Hardcore for me is the exact same passion it is for others. Music is music and my love for it and for being involved in it is not affected by gender (other than the facilitation of counter cultural ideas and activities, as above) so I certainly hope this is never judged for anything other than that. They can spare me the tokenism because it just turns the dealer into a joker – especially when many of the culprits were still in nappies when I started here. The fact that we fill a gap sought by some other women is understandable though and makes me very proud.
However, the personal is political so as long as any lyrics I write are from the heart then, yes, there will be the occasional tone of gender politics coming through in some topics. If my words can represent a voice or idea that may otherwise be missed or ignored then I’m certainly one to be vocal enough to share it. In fact, sometimes I can’t help myself so bad luck haha. Importantly for me though, my lyrics need to be representative of the entire band and, while they are always supportive of what I want to say I need to reciprocate that respect to the others as well. For that reason, I try to construct my words so as to represent an entire issue and not just speak for myself. I’m so over self-absorbed frontpersons!! A hardcore band is a unit, a team!
When I have spoken to you previously you have held great belief in the need for more women to take an active role in the community, and one not soley restricted to the supporting elements of the community. Ie take up a instrument or mic. Can you explain a little further why you feel this is important? And maybe a little why you think this has not happened thus far?
I think this is important to not only balance the composition and range of voices within the scene but also to keep it challenging and relevant. So many women come into hardcore then promptly give up feeling like they don’t belong or have a say, without recognizing that this can only possibly change when these women cement themselves in the scene through participation, and change those definitions, cultures, behaviours and standards from within.
Most importantly, I think this is vital for the women involved so we can create an environment together that is supportive and motivating and not perpetuate the alienation that so many women already feel. When women can provide this to each other and normalize and improve our own experience in hardcore then it becomes more commonplace and positive in the wider culture. THIS changes how the scene is perceived and operates and, for me, makes a difference to how both genders in general are attracted and committed to its essence.
While this has not exactly happened on a wide scale so far, it has most definitely manifested in smaller groups of women in each city who celebrate their shared experience and passion together (and with their males friends and families) and encourage, empower and motivate each other to make their scene their own. I can certainly vouch for the Melbourne women and say that this exists here and has borne an amazing and varied range of strong, intelligent and highly passionate people.
As a vocalist and writer, do you feel that your lyrics should engage with political, social, environmental issues? If so why?
I wouldn’t say that any writer SHOULD or SHOULD NOT discuss any particular issues if this is not already an inherent impulse or goal within them. Lyrics are intensely personal if produced sincerely so no single person can make that judgment or expectation on another. My experience in hardcore however, is that the bands with political, social or environmental approaches to their message not only demonstrated a sense of ethic, concern and hope that has come to define and distinguish hardcore over the years, but have also contributed to making it a culture that is more than just music. A community rather than just a crowd. This always stood out and inspired me growing up so it is not only something that feels natural and necessary for me, but is also why I look to hardcore to express these opinions and subjects in the first place. Furthermore, so many of us can say that our wider activism or consciousness in the world outside hardcore was at some point ignited from the bands we listened to. If we can reach beyond ourselves to have this effect then that is intensely powerful.
Brad Fulton! The rad dude himself has joined your band recently can you tell me a little about how his came to be? And did you recruit brad to increase punk jumps quota in the band haha
Haha Brenton already pumped the punk jump quota up pretty high – no stage is going to be big enough for these two TOGETHER!! The idea of looking around for a second/extra guitarist came about when Brenton found that his work was often calling him interstate for weeks on end and sometimes, at only a day or week’s notice. This was getting hard to organize and book shows because we could never count on the fact that we’d all be around to make it happen and didn’t want to have to decline offers all the time just on the chance. Also, there was no way that we ever wanted to have to do this band without Brenton because he’s such a great mate and awesome guitarist. Plus, what band doesn’t sound heavier with 2 shredders pumping through the PA anyway? Seriously?!
Because we all get along pretty well and have such a good time together we really wanted to make sure that the next person to join in on the fun was someone we knew to be good-hearted, relaxed, organized and just as visibly siked and passionate as we are. Any one who knows Brad knows just how easy the process and decision was to make. Plus, he has already proven he plays well in all the great stuff that the Gun Runners do so there was no question. We’re all stoked and thankful he said yes!
Another wickedly talented member of outright is Melissa, she is currently an active and talented artist, who has had numerous gallery shows in Melbourne. She is an example of when two artistic forms meet. How do other art forms, contribute to inspire, influence outright and yourself. Can you give me some examples of those influence if any? (some we maybe wouldn’t expect?)
Melissa is such a fabulous painter and illustrator. It’s insane! Aaron is a champion open-mic participant with all the fucked up stories he tells, Brad is an avid beard-sculpture enthusiast, I’m a bit of a stagedive performance artist and Brenton is a closet crochet queen – Outright doilies on sale soon hahaha! Seriously though, we all have lots of interests in street art, film, photography and a huge range of musical styles. As a band, we got hugely siked on making our own demo tapes and stenciling our CDs by hand so the DIY feel is definitely an influence on what we enjoy and what he like to produce sometimes. I love that we can combine the two.
Can you tell me about the process of the demo recording?
Recording our demo was literally this: write a handful of songs, go to a jam room, plug in Aaron’s computer, play a track each. That’s it! Aaron then took the recordings home and gradually worked through the mix on his downtime during the recording of I Exist’s second album (yeah, he’s a multi-tasking over-achiever, I know!). While that was getting finalized, our friend Patrick Galvin threw a cover design together and I went sourcing a range of coloured sleeves. Mel painstakingly recorded tape after tape in her bedroom and went all aerosol on the cassettes. I laboured for hours through 200 blank CDRs on my poor little laptop and spent 2 days drawing and cutting stencils, and hauling in some of my dearest friends for a Belton/Ironlak spraying bee in my garage. Brenton provided the laughter and wisecracks throughout.
We played two shows the following week (all 30 tapes were gone instantly) and sent some copies to our friends distros and record stores interstate and sold almost all 200 CDs within a couple of weeks. At least it was worth it!!!
As for your lyrics, how do you structure? And go about creating your lyrics, do you have a process when writing?
I keep a log of ideas, lines, concepts or opinions in my little notebook that I carry around with me. Moments of inspiration come few and far between sometimes, in amongst full time work and lots of other commitments, so I don’t like to lose my thoughts when they hit. Then when a song comes together at prac I take a rough recording of the riffs home and see which concepts might suit the tone and pace for that song i.e. a fast song will have urgent lyrics while a slower, heavy riff might crave a more intense vocal or direct lyric. Ha, well, that’s the aim anyway.
Your vocals often surprise, your vocal intensity and power catches many of guard. How have you developed this, or is it natures gift?
Haha that compliment catches ME off guard! There has been no development other than my effort to try and improve my breathing and stamina, and speed my recovery because I’m sometimes drained or ill. This is still really really new to me so I have a lot of work to do to get my voice stronger and comfortable through repeat jams or shows.
What are your hopes for outright?
That we can get a 7” done by the end of the year, play heaps of fun and varied shows, get interstate soon so we can share our songs with our mates around the place, connect with more friends and bands, maybe challenge or motivate a few minds and keep enjoying ourselves – the rest will not happen if this isn’t the case.
Any plans for touring, ep, lp, box set, greatest hits?
We will have a drunken Brenton heckle hits compilation out soon as well as a blooper video of my stage mosh accidents ready any time now hahaha. Seriously though, we will be in Adelaide in July which we’re super siked about and are chatting a bit about possibly heading up to Sydney at a later stage. A 7” will probably happen once the I Exist and Gun Runners touring machines have a break too. Fingers crossed! For now, most of our demo tracks and lyrics are available on our facebook page for free download.
Outright have had a second to none introduction to the community, with shows with, defeater, miles away, fires of Waco, shot point blank and many others as well as upcoming shows with cruel hand. How did you get so lucky, most new bands would kill for start such as outright’s.
Luck and timing and an amazing group of supportive friends have made ALL the difference. Aaron’s work through I Exist provided lots of opportunities to hop on a couple of their shows while my connection with the SPB boys and the Haiti benefit show organizers was an amazing example of supportive friends making the way for us to join in on what we thought was a fantastic cause. I have no idea how the MA/Deafeater/FOW and Cruel Hand shows appeared for us because I don’t even believe our luck with those and can’t believe we were even considered but that doesn’t take away from how hugely greatful we are!!
What are your dream bands to play a show with. Current and past?
Too hard. I hate making lists because there’s always some of the most obvious and important bands that I’ve missed. I actually started a list that included the usual Cro-Mags, Youth of Today, Trial, Bane, Indecision, Chain of Strength, Warzone, Antidote, Arms reach, Deadstare but it got too huge. I’m sorry.
Any shout outs? Random thoughts?
Thank you for asking such interesting questions, seriously, and for actually wanting to know more about us and about me too. So cool. This is going to be so lame but I personally want to thank the others for doing this band with me. I’ve wanted it for so fucking long and I love it. I’m so grateful. The bands and bookers that have helped us get started deserve a huge amount of thanks as do the bands and families we share members with for being patient. Most importantly, the amount of support and feedback from friends old, new and unknown has been overwhelming. Thank you.
