Cry Club have found themselves. It’s quite clear from listening to their stellar sophomore record “Spite Will Save Us” (out now) in full that this is the case. There is a radiating confidence that shines throughout from the opening screams of “Get Up!!!” right through to the high octane energy of closing track “I Want More”. The Melbourne based duo have honed a darker, heavier, and even more honest sound than previously, which reflects the high energy and hard rock foundations of their live show, whilst still finding that slight pop gloss.

It’s not to say that their 2020 debut album “God I’m Such A Mess” wasn’t a confident affair, because it was. It’s just that this record feels even more poignant, honest, and unapologetic. 

I caught up with Heather Riley and Jonathon Tooke from Cry Club to discuss the darker tones of “Spite Will Save Us”, explored the creative processes and stories behind songs like “Get Up!!!”, “Bad Taste” and “I Want More”, and pondered the growth they’ve had since “God I’m Such A Mess”. Check out the full chat BELOW;

THOMAS BLEACH: Your sophomore record “Spite Will Save Me” is finally here, and this record is a darker, heavier, and even more honest body of work compared to your debut. What was the turning point for you during the creative process where you decided to lean in further on the darker and heavier side of your artistry?

Jonathon Tooke: Honestly, the big turning point was the extensive lockdowns we had in Melbourne! It was such a circuit breaking moment for us after a couple of years of super intensive touring/recording/writing when we could. It kinda served as this moment where we could reflect on the lessons learnt from all that stuff we’d done in a lot of ways – what did we want to say less of/more of, what kind of things do we like to perform, and even just what bar we need to hit in the songwriting to be comfortable playing these new songs however many hundreds of times we’ll end up playing them. I think that really pushed us towards other acts who’ve really stood the test of time themselves, which made us reflect on all the rock music we grew up on as teenagers – hence the shift!

TB: Opening track “Get Up!!!” Is an angsty welcome into this new world that channels the energy of songs like “Robert Smith” and “DFTM”. To me this song feels like the “turn on the amps, we have something to say” moment for you. Is that how you’d describe the feeling and urgency behind this song?
Heather Riley: Absolutely! It’s a great example of the ways we’ve grown and changed since our debut. We’re less concerned with convincing people we’re the good guys and way more focused on rallying the people already on side. Our first album is a very interpersonal affair, so “Get Up!!!” Is a reminder to look at the bigger picture and not get stuck in doom paralysis. It’s the politics of “DFTM” with the tongue-in-cheek tactics of “Robert Smith”, those were the perfect two examples to use for this song honestly!

TB: One song I have to talk about is “Bad Taste”, which to me is one of the best songs on the album. It reminds me of early Paramore meets Hole. And the lyrics are VERY relatable. Can you explain the creative process behind this track?

HR: “Bad Taste” was initially a lot weirder than the version that made it onto the album. The demos from May 2020 are so much heavier with all these math-rock elements to it, and it stayed like that until literally the week before we went into the studio! Our producer Alex did an amazing job of showing us where to reign in those more complicated parts so the big breakdown at the end could really shine. Lyrically it feels a bit like getting your hands dirty? I’d just gone through a very sudden breakup, and you have this period of time after something like that where you feel a little self destructive, my way of combating that was really embodying that skeevy 70s rockstar persona and allowing myself to be bitter and ugly about it!

TB: Another clear standout is “I Want More”, which is one I’ve seen live and it hits even bigger live. Can you talk me through the production behind this track because the pre-chorus is EVERYTHING. 

JT: Omg I love what we pull off in the pre-chorus!!! Even from the earliest phone recording of the song, we had an element that was that ascending bend between the vocals. I’d actually finally gotten a midi keyboard for production stuff (this is real entry level stuff, I got it like 10 years too late lol) and started playing around with the pitch wheel on it to get sounds to bend even when they traditionally wouldn’t be capable of it. So that big bend thing is actually a combo of guitar and a distorted organ!

TB: What was the biggest thing you learnt about yourselves as a band from releasing your debut album “God I’m Such A Mess”, which in-turn had an impact on this record?

JT: Probably that our ability to adapt is probably gonna be our strongest tool. We were aiming at 2020 being Our Year™ with the album, touring it and playing Splendour in the Grass – but super quickly most of that just disappeared. We pushed back the album to November of that year to give us the best chance possible of supporting it, but even then we ended up in a spot where we never got to tour it specifically. Pushing through all that took a toll for sure, but it also showed us that we’re capable of pushing through whatever is in front of us provided we adapt.

TB: What song on your debut record would you say is the portal song into “Spite Will Save Me?”

HR: Definitely “Robert Smith”. We had this sense of – “are we allowed to do this?” – the entire way through writing that song, we almost didn’t show it to anyone because we thought it was too ridiculous! If that hadn’t been received as well as it was, we would never have written a song like “Somehow”.

TB: It’s been three years since the release of your debut album. So from performing “God I’m Such A Mess” live and seeing how it’s connected with fans, has any of your relationships with particular songs changed? 

JT: Massively so – the main example probably being “Nine of Swords”. That song has taken on a life of its own in the live environment – it’s the song that can flip an ok show into a great show. Everyone screaming along to “all I want is to get better” is always such a powerful moment!!

TB: Now, you’re going on tour to celebrate this new record “Spite Will Save Me” in August and September. What song do you think will be the most challenging to perform, or bring into the live realm?

JT: Gotta be either “A Bit of Hell” or “Wildfire”, both for different reasons. “A Bit of Hell” is an absolute mess of time signatures, so it’s a bit of a headspin to keep on top of. “Wildfire” though just hits a very different dynamic to our usual stuff, with a chorus that’s more of a chorus than A CHORUS – not in a negative way at all, but it’s confident in not having everything just turn louder and more distorted which is a bit of a safety net for rock music. The classic “make chorus louder than everything else” gets a bit tiring over an album’s runtime so I’m super glad “Wildfire” doesn’t do it, but it’s also the feeling of losing a safety net in a live context haha

TB: One thing I’ve always loved about Cry Club shows is that you always make them a safe space for everyone. It always feels like a non-judgement room full of people, and I know a lot of your fans find it really special. Can you touch on why this has always been something very important for you to create?

HR: Our music is really just an extension of ourselves as people, with our queerness and my trans identity being a core part of that. We’re making music for people like us first and foremost, so it would be completely irresponsible to not take that into consideration for our live shows. The world is becoming such a hostile and scary place, especially for trans people, so we will fight tooth and nail to create a space that lets people breathe easy for a while rather than looking over their shoulder the whole time. As performers too, we get really vulnerable up here! By cultivating this specific audience, we can get as raw and emotional as we want knowing we’re safe in the hands of our fans. We trust and respect each other, and it’s a beautiful thing that we’re immensely proud of as a band.

“Spite Will Save Me” is out now!

Cry Club Australian Tour

Friday 25 August – The Vanguard, Sydney

Saturday 26 August – Tomcat, Brisbane

Saturday 2 September – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne

Saturday 9 September – Crown & Anchor, Adelaide