Amyl And The Sniffers Interview Podcast by Todd Taylor
Amyl And The Sniffers—live or on record—are like getting struck by lightning. You may not know what just happened, you may lose a shoe from the impact, but you won’t soon forget them.
A stark and brilliant contrast, a little bit out of nowhere, Melbourne’s Amyl And The Sniffers play the type of punk that’s primitive, sharp, and uncomplicated but incredibly effective. If you want difficult literature set to music, or music that needs to be explained, look elsewhere. If you crave live wire, chew toy-simple contemporary punk and want to sing along to songs about stolen bicycles, lost love, munchies, and self-empowerment, their songs will make your ears glow blue and your eyes to spring out of their sockets.
Due to their Australian pedigree, I hear a through-line of Cosmic Psychos, Bits Of Shit, Ooga Boogas, and early Eddy Current Suppression Ring with one important difference. This band-gang is fronted and led by a woman, Amy. There are more than just common punk weather patterns when Amy sings, “I’m not a loser.” As the backups kick in, The Sniffers form a united front and refrain, “She’s not a loser!” It’s 2019 and it sucks that Australia’s history of wonderful punk music has largely been bereft of strong female musicians. (Thankfully, this is changing.) What you hear and see of Amyl And The Sniffers is directly from their brains and fingers out into the world without the capitalism-calculated gloss and predatory slime of the music industry. Self-representation makes all the difference in the world.
Turning gutters into butter and lightning into electrifying music, say hello to Amyl And The Sniffers. They’re folks you can trust.
-Todd Taylor
Songs:
“I’m Not a Loser”
“Balaclava Lover Boogie,” both from the EP Big Attraction