A Quick Chat with William Street Strikers

You’ve been at this since 2008 — what’s changed most about your relationship with music since those early days of touring and EPs?

What has changed most I have more freedom which has been granted by the core group of people we've accumulated who buy everything we put out, I feel pretty blessed in that sense and less concerned about what I write.

Cabramatta Sunrise feels like both a reflection and a reckoning — was there a moment where you realised this album had to be more than just a collection of songs?

There wasn't a moment of clarity as such more a drive to write a cohesive narrative which is driven by my desire to be able to write a book, which I haven't been able to do but this is easily the next best thing.

You’ve made the decision to release Cabramatta Sunrise solely on vinyl — what inspired that move, and what do you hope listeners take away from that kind of tangible, start-to-finish experience?

The inspiration was the lack of ROI on streaming, the AI bands with 700,000 listeners and the turpitude of EK. Besides the aforementioned I like the listeners to have the tactile, audio and ritualistic nature of playing a record and enjoy it like I do.

Stupid Little World captures that post-tour, post-album exhaustion so perfectly. Do you remember a specific ‘breakfast moment’ that sparked the song?

Not a specific moment but I'm well versed in the neurological tickle humans get in pursuit of an aim and the crash after attainment and I know that's usually when I create the best art, on the other side of the high.

The new record dives deep into the existential side of making art — how do you personally deal with those ‘am I doing the right thing?’ moments?

I usually refer to stoicism "momento mori" and other such relativity defining maxims to pull myself out of that indulgence.

You’ve always prioritised independence and self-direction. What are the biggest rewards — and challenges — of doing things completely on your own terms in today’s music landscape?

Choice and longevity, when you are funded and run by an external source you can become complacent and lazy, then the rug can be pulled from underneath you when the numbers are crunched. When you run your own business you quickly learn the bottom line and naturally do what you have to do to keep yourself afloat.

Listen now via williamstreetstrikers.com