It was twelve months to the day where I nearly saw Square (missing out due to my poor event planning). I’ve since made up that ground by seeing them four times since, and I tell you what, they were not four sides of equal length, they are just getting exponentially more brilliant each time I see them. Or maybe the bond I share with their music is getting stronger, perhaps they are more rectangular to me now? Hey, it wouldn’t be one of my Quickfires if I didn’t drop dumb cheesy Dad puns into the mix.
It’s post-punk perfection! With Tom’s eleven-foot frame pole vaulting around on stage with fly kicking air splits, and somehow keeping his sequined cap in place, his baritone voice bouncing deep against the thick bass layers from Seb (often in costume as a medieval knight) and James’ melding jangly guitar with warped effects, all strapped to the disco beat drums from Sam. The result is a crowd covered in smiles that wrap over their heads like their faces don’t fit. Square are a Brisbane band that deserve to be a national brand, so let’s profile the most cherished regular quadrilateral of love and grooves.
Square are:
- Tom Czerwinski (Vocals)
- James Marko (Guitar)
- Sebastian Ward (Bass)
- Samuel Deehan (Drums)
(I had a blow out with my phone, and had to purge the treasure trove of interviews I have carried with me. luckily James saved the day by recording the interview)
1. When you start shaking those maracas, adding that beefy walking bass line, subtle drums, circular guitar swing, and Tom comes in like an eighties Brit-pop extravaganza with “It’s Rock N’ Roll in your head, well let’s hit the seat”, that has my head rotating on its spine. What current artist has your head Spinning Around?
Tom: I feel Ghost Mutt. Seeing them last night was insane. It reminds me… I don’t know if this is fair to say but like Slowdive almost. There’s this shoegaze element to it, to their songs, and particularly their new songs. They are completely melodic, and I wish I could do their harmonies.
James: We should put it in our songs.
Tom: Yeah Ha! But honestly Ghost Mutt, and is so great to be playing with them. As is Girl and Girl, but I’d say Ghost Mutt for sure.
James: I suppose for me I’m more into US post-punky bands, like Wongo and Mannequin Pussy.
OB: And A. Swayze and the Ghosts Tom (referring to my earlier attempt to interview where my phone exploded).
Tom: And A. Swayze!
James: I just fucking love the drive and the energy and the weird soundscapes they have in their songs. On top of that, I’ve been listening to a bunch of real “Cunty Rave Music” (Tom has a decent laugh at this).
OB: Cunty Rave Music?
James: Yeah, yeah, like Star Junk 95, and… not Charli XCX, but acts like her, (in ways) that can’t come to mind right now at the moment but a lot of play offs like that. So that’s what I’m going between. And just real hard ravey bass music.
2. James’ Love Song, can you give me a list of your top five favourite James’? What about the singular most Indecent Fred?
Tom: Ha-ha-ha-ha! Um….
James: James Marko.
Tom: James, James…. James Blunt!
James: James Walker. He’s a good James.
James: Oh, I know so many James’s.
Tom: James Dean…Is it James Dean?
OB: Yep.
James: James… Acaster… and King James the Third!
Tom: The third edition ha!
OB: Wow! Ok, I am kind of cheating here, but I am squeezing in a second one out of this question. What is the singular most indecent Fred?
Tom: The singular most?
OB: Yep, only one.
Tom: The Fred from Scooby Doo.
James: Ha-ha-ha. Particularly in the first movie because he is particularly a bit of a pervert in that movie.
Tom: Yep, we will go with that then! Ha-ha.
3. Tom? Why are you moving your feet to the speed of a disco dancer? I do believe that for a minute, your set’s are crazy energy. We wait for you to put your head through the ceiling at the Beardo! Or is Your Dancer’s Clock set to daylight savings time?
Tom: I love that, as I always try to jump through the Beardo ceiling. Thank you, but never. Never would I interfere with the dancer’s clock.
James: It is actually entirely set to Peru time.
OB: Peru time ha!
Tom: I would say the dancer’s clock has its own time; it doesn’t need to be altered at all. It’s a constant.
OB: is that what yours is?
Tom: It depends if I am going interstate. Ha-ha.
4. Speaking of a singer, “Who, Who, Who”, who has the skillsets in the band (outside of music) to help keep Square on the straight and narrow?
James: At the moment I think, with bookings and behind the scenes, it’s definitely Seb.
Tom: Seb is doing a lot of the behind-the-scenes admin… He is pulling the strings of organising gigs, and it’s a team effort though.
OB: So, who is early, who is always running late to gigs etc.?
Tom; It changes every week.
James: I’m always late these days. I used to be the early one.
Tom: I used to be the late one too.
OB: James, I remember seeing you running very, very late at Felons. Doing that six-hundred-meter walk with your guitar case from the entrance with about two minutes to get on stage for your set. I was thinking that’s James from Square, on next set!
James: I was frantically running… in heels, I think.
Tom: Same. The latest I ever was to a gig was also at Felons. I was stuck in traffic. And I got in. Two minutes before set time. I couldn’t warm up either, no soundcheck, and it was just go, just GO!
OB: Oh, that’s pressure! But I reckon they are some of the best, because you are all hyped up.
James: Oh yeah, on adrenaline.
5. If you were to reissue a classic album, rerecorded and mixed in the Square wave sound, to make it a Brand New… (Haha) album, what would that album be? You could choose one each.
James: A new one? Oh my God.
Tom: A re-issue? A previously existing album?
OB: Yeah! Think a classic album. And make it your version of.
James: You know what? Personally, I think we could do something with the Joy Division album (Tom and James discuss which album it is). Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division. I mean that’s my choice, yeah.
Tom: Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of Joe Jackson. And the two albums I’ve been listening to the most; Look Sharp! and I’m the Man. Every time I listen to it, I’m like I want to be singing those songs. Not that I don’t always believe what Joe Jackson is singing about, because a bit wrong you know with like “All these girls should be going out with me” kind of vibe. But I’d go Look Sharp! by Joe Jackson.
All the cracking shots of Square at the Girl and Girl show at The Brightside are courtesy of Luke Shots (@luke.shots), perfectly capturing the on-stage antics of the team in full flight.
Make sure to give Square a listen below:
