Northern Beaches rockers Edgecliff are back today in toe-tappin’, riff-smashin’ fashion with a brand new single I’ll Be Gone. Laced with classic rock flavours and plenty of warm swagger, I’ll Be Gone embraces the group’s evolving hard edge aesthetics, while also perfectly setting the scene for what’s in store at the band’s impending show at Avalon RSL on Saturday June 11. We caught up with the band for a quick Q+A

Hi, thanks for taking the time to chat with Hear 2 Zen, what have you been up to today?

Gday! We all worked today and have actually just wrapped up a jam, we have 2 shows coming up so we’ve been hard at work for those!

Tell us about yourself, how long have you been performing/creating music for? 

We’re all pretty standard Aussie blokes who love a beer and spending time with mates. We met in highschool and bonded over our love for music. Once we all decided we were pretty serious about our passion, we decided to slap a name on it and that’s when Edgecliff began. That was about 4 years ago!

Who are your greatest inspirations?  Why?

We have many inspirations on many levels. Our parents inspire us to work hard for what we want to achieve, our friends inspire us to be good people and bands like Ocean Alley inspire us because they are proof that it’s possible to go from just being Northern Beaches boys to having great success in music. 

How do you create music?  Are you lyrics/story driven, or does the music/melody come first?  Explain your process.

It’s completely different every time to be honest! It usually starts as someone coming to the band with one part; a vocal melody, a bass line, a guitar riff, a drum beat or some keys – it really is completely random. Some songs are lyrically driven by experiences, reality and expectations, like “I’ll Be Gone” and “Calling for More”. Some of our other songs like Waitless and a few other unreleased tracks are really just lyrically driven off of a feeling. Some are completely fictional. 

What has been your greatest challenge so far in performing/creating music?

Our biggest challenge would be pushing our rock sound to the public. Where we are from on the Northern Beaches, indie surf rock is of course huge and a lot of people expect to hear that when watching a live band these days. We are all about bringing back the rock shows and sound from back in the day, which can definitely take the audience by surprise sometimes. It can be hard but we’ve learnt that there’s still a high demand for that rock energy going around and we will do everything we can to bring that back. 

Tell us about your ‘I’ll Be Gone’, how did it come about?

I’ll Be Gone is a song we wrote a long time ago and originally it didn’t really go anywhere. We all loved the intro guitar riff but couldn’t quite piece the rest together. About a year later, we came back to it randomly with fresh ideas and a new motivation and spent some time completing it. Since then,  the song’s become one of our all time favourites and it’s an upbeat and fierce song that we use to spice up our set. 

What advice do you have to artists who are just starting out?

Get your name out there! Gig as much as possible, get your mates and family involved. Write as much music as possible. Most importantly have as much fun as possible, it’s a journey indeed but it should be a fun one! It makes it so much more enjoyable!

Tell us your favourite Zen practice.

Just doing nothing in general. Going down the beach, having a beer, watching the footy or a good movie, Step Brothers or War Dogs in particular! 

I’ll Be Gone marks an energetic jewel in the Edgecliff story so far, offering a modern amalgamation of the group’s classic and more recent rock and roll heroes, with its vocal melody inspired by Powderfinger, drum and basslines inspired by Foo Fighters, and some sparkling guitars and keys a là Wolfmother throughout the catchy track. Loaded with fresh licks and affable steeze, I’ll Be Gone kicks off with a fiery riff before bursting into some technicolour rock and roll; from splashy drum fills to bright organs and vocals with just the right amount of rasp, I’ll Be Gone also lyrically captures some of life’s more fiery moments, as frontman Will Howell explains, “The lyrics are about an argument. Whether it is internal or with another person, it is up to the listener to interpret their meaning. Basically, the battle of right and wrong. With the music, we just wanted a fierce, snappy song, and it all came together after many songwriting sessions and a contribution from us all.”

Recorded at The Grove Studios, I’ll Be Gone saw Edgecliff team up with the legendary Callum Howell, aka the renowned producer, engineer and mixer for Ocean Alley, with mastering for the new single courtesy of Mike Tucci in New York. And while I’ll Be Gone may mark the first single from the quintet in 2022, it certainly won’t be the last, as bass player Kai Stackhouse confirms, “We’ve been waiting to release this single for a few months and we are so keen that we also have a few other new tunes ready to dish out ASAP. We are stoked!”.

Comprising of high school mates Will Howell on vocals and lead guitar, Kai Stackhouse on bass, Jesse Calabrese on rhythm guitar, Nick Murace on keys and Jacob Lock on drums, Edgecliff is a band built firmly on a foundation of passionate songwriting and a desire to create original music (as well as actual building, with the band members currently completing apprenticeships in their respective trades). For Edgecliff, their shared creative passion is certainly a giant factor in propelling them forward; but it’s also the group’s internal connections that truly bolsters the end result, as guitarist Jesse says, “We think our good chemistry and friendship inspires our music. We can’t emphasise how important our friendship is to our band”.  

From high school mates to bandmate brothers, Edgecliff bring their rich and varied musical upbringings and backgrounds into a hard-hitting coalescence of beats, chugs and rock and roll. And from emerging in 2021 with their first singles Waitless and Belong to the Crowd, to recently releasing Calling for More and, as of today, I’ll Be Gone, Edgecliff are hitting the throttle as they continue into 2022, with even more live shows and new tunes to come. But for now, on Saturday June 11, fans in the band’s local stomping ground can catch Edgecliff live in action at Avalon RSL – and it’s set to be a hell of a time, as guitarist Jesse explains, “Fans can expect a good rock and roll show and a good time. We really focus on live performance and making each show a bit of a journey”.

I’ll Be Gone is out now