SCANDAL TREE – Interview

Introduce your band and describe your latest release:

Hi there I’m Dano the founding member, manager and drummer for Scandal Tree. We are a 5-piece unit hailing from Brisbane/Good Coast in sunny Queensland, Australia. We’re a 90s Garage Rock band that prides itself on its unique song construction and themes which you will get a glimpse of listening to our thought provoking and emotive track Twenty O Six off our debut album Never Look a Gift Foot in the Mouth. I’m 110% sure that our style has something for everyone!

What’s the hardest part about being a band in this day and age?

Social media marketing and being savvy and on top of this. Being independent artists we have to monitor and produce all our own content for promotion which is time consuming. So, balancing these commitments with our everyday lives and work to build a presence and engage with new listeners puts a strain on our work/life balance. It’s a battle with the above components along with the somewhat controversial introduction of AI, streaming and digital platforms, and content design/presentation. We embrace these challenges and seek to understand, to develop and sharpen our expertise in these areas to greater effect because this is the direction the world is heading. You either live in fear of it or learn to harness and utilise it for its benefits and what it is. We can’t roll the clock back unfortunately and time keeps moving forward!

When did you realise that your project had the potential to be much more than just a fun idea?

I (Dano) have always believed in the concept of Scandal Tree and the creation of original music outside of the normal spectrums. I think the realization that we had something special has been there since formation but has grown into something bigger and scarier as we’ve gone along that command’s attention ,- Yum Yum Yum Yum Yummio.

Tell us about your latest release, why should we check it out?

Twenty O Six is a mix of economic, industrial and political turmoil around the collapse of the Detroit car manufacturing industry in 1976. It focuses on the wider forces of influence that saw to its decline and tells this story from a very human perspective and the point of view of the factory workers and the impacts on their lives. The question or line in the song – ‘it don’t seem like’ raises an idea that can be found in any age throughout lived history. It is about whether anything is going to change or get better in the future. Despite this ponderance the reality is that life must go on and we need to find a way regardless.

How does a song typically come together for you?

Our songs come from any member in the band. We pool ideas starting with an original thread that once thrown into the Scandal Tree creativity blender gets churned and spun in a vortex of differing thoughts and what is initially presented after passing through the system comes out the other something else which always leaves us pleasantly surprised. We let the songs dictate their final destination and allow it to reveal itself. We never force a song to its conclusion. It happens organically or not at all.

How would you describe your sound to an unfamiliar reader?

We’ve mulled over this question before, and we all have a different answer as we’re a culmination of varied tastes and influences seeing things slightly differently to the other. What we’ve decided upon is 90s Garage Rock as it encompasses a wide variety of concepts and doesn’t specifically pigeonhole us into one particular music narrative. We in essence have a vast array of musical faces.

What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your band?

I (Dano) guess the question is for us what listeners want to hear next from us. What are they expecting from the next instalment of the Tree. We make no apologies or bones about who or what we are creating musically and as a group. We believe it is artful, intelligent and rhythmical food to nourish the soul on many different emotional levels. We just want people to take away a feeling of satisfaction, comfort and relatability to our songs that are at times quirky and eclectically themed. We carry many flavours so we’re sure to cater for most tastes. Scandal Tree is a unique outfit who are prepared to test the norms and boundaries of song structures and themes.

Where would you really like to tour that you haven’t done so yet, and why?

Sadly, being independent artists with all our family and work commitments, cost of travelling and accommodation etc… We haven’t ventured out much tour wise, but we are looking at changing this in 2027 with some East Coast tours, heading Up North and trying to expand our exposure. There is a lot to factor in these days, and money doesn’t grow on Trees (pun intended � �) We’d love to tour the States and bring our music to our fans there, but again financial constraints and the logistics has proven difficult to overcome. People need to realise that most bands are self-funded until that rare moment happens and they’re properly discovered.

How would you say that the sound of your band has progressed over the years?

The Scandal Tree sound has been honed over many years with alterations to the line up until the powerhouse line up of Huck, Dano, Grant, Peter and Joe was eventually realised. Our sound is difficult to define as we go from Doo Wop style songs like It Was Wrong to driving rhythms and the searing sonic resonating guitar work of Devoured by Wolves, to left of centre tracks such as Go-Go Music BBQ all the way to Twenty O Six…. We cover the whole spectrum and there’s something rewarding in being able to play songs of different genres and mixing these up.

How excited are you for 2027, and what can fans expect from you?

We’re looking at branching out of Brisbane and limiting our show presence there in order to chase regional and interstate show opportunities in order to expand our reach and portfolio. We’re looking to play festivals and play support slots for international touring bands. We just feel it’s time we got a chance to step it up a notch to showcase our true abilities and experience. We are also in the process of writing another album to follow on from Never Look a Gift Foot in the Mouth. We’re hoping to start dropping new tracks mid to late 2027.