I say this a lot, but as a former Adelaidean, I really do enjoy listening and chatting to musicians from South Australia.
If you’re someone whose finger has firmly been on the pulse of the City of Churches’ music scene, then you might be aware of Any Young Mechanic, a quintet whose music is a true delight for anyone who enjoys a blend of indie, folk, and rock in equal and appropriate measure.
They’re actually a somewhat nascent addition to the music scene, because before they adopted their current name in late 2024, they were better known as Wake In Fright, having taken their moniker from the 1971 film of the same name.
Due to issues with the film’s estate, they took on this new name and made a very auspicious ‘debut’ of sorts.
That debut has taken on a tangible form by way of their stellar record The Modern Shoe Is Ruining The Foot. It’s not just a dire warning for any fans of podiatric health, but also one of the finest records you’ll hear this year.
Former triple j Music Director Richard Kingsmill likened the record to The Middle East (the band that is, not the region), and as a massive fan of that group, I have to agree that this is an album that one can only describe as truly special.
Now, all of that glorious praise I just shared above is why I’m heartbroken to actually note that this is possibly the worst-sounding podcast I’ve recorded to date.
For those unaware, a lot of media interviews take place these days either in person, over the phone, or – most commonly – via Zoom. Any Young Mechanic were taking part in a press day in Sydney while we chatted, and while press days may usually feature in-person chats, our differences in distance necessitated the five of them speaking to me from a couch over Zoom.
While that usually wouldn’t present any problem, this one did – for some reason – find itself presenting numerous audio problems whereby there are times when members simply cannot be heard, and their answers are almost entirely unintelligible. This isn’t just a you problem either, listeners – I couldn’t hear the band either during these responses, which is a shame, because what I could hear sounded very passionate.
I’ll offer a promise to have the members back on an episode at some point in the future (perhaps when they’re next in Melbourne), but in the meantime, I’ve presented the episode here with the audio cleaned and enhanced as best as I could.
Anyway, have a listen to Any Young Mechanic’s The Modern Shoe Is Ruining The Foot, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.
Any Young Mechanic’s Trusty Chords
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