INTERVIEW: JAMES (BASSY) KARAGIOZIS - BETWEEN YOU AND ME
With over two million streams in the first week and picked for triple j spotlight album of the week, BYAM are on a rollercoaster that only goes up my friend.
For those of you living under a rock, there is a not so new band taking over - Between You and Me (BYAM). The pop punkers signed to Hopeless Records and recently released their second album ‘Armageddon’. With over two million streams in the first week and picked for triple j spotlight album of the week, BYAM are on a rollercoaster that only goes up my friend.
There may be some bias in my affection for the band as I happen to be friends with bass player and all around legend, James Karagiozis aka mister bass or bassy. I convinced him to sit down for a chat and tell me more about the band.
Image: Travis Suttie
Who are BYAM?
A five piece rock and roll band originally from Melbourne, but now we live in Victoria and NSW.
How did you meet?
I was the final piece of the puzzle, Chris and Jamie obviously met when they were born. The twins moved down to Melbourne. Me and Jai played in a band prior to Between You and Me. They needed a bass player somewhere down the line….Jai called me to fill in for a tour and then me and Jake became best friends.
And that's it.
What's your favourite song on the new album and why?
My favourite is Real World. I didn’t have anything to do with it. I said to do one thing, and it was the break before the first chorus. That's all I did in Real World. I remember sitting in the studio a month or two after we'd finished with Sam [‘Armageddon’ producer, Sam Guiana] and Jake was flying down to Melbourne to finish the rest of the vocals. When he laid down that chorus, they had just made it and because it was newer, we hadn't heard that song, that's why I liked it.
It also has a vibe of living carefree. So that's why I like that song, it's basically how me and Jake live our lives. He told it in a song, we get money and spend it because we want to have a good time.
“And we’ll worry about real life tomorrow. ”
Where did the name ‘Bass’ come from?
This is the most random story. It was one of my friends, the first time I jammed with him to join the band. I was joining to play bass. At the end of the practice, Stu [Stu Watts of Marshall Street Studios] was saving my number in his phone so he could call me if they wanted me to be in the band. He saved my name as James Bass [like the instrument bass]. But then he said James Bass instead [like the fish]. And then from that point on, they called me Bassy and that's how I had Bassy until this day.
What would your dream venue be to play?
Both in Melbourne and internationally?
Melbourne - obviously it's The Forum. Absolute dream. I saw Jet play there two years ago and it was sick. They're one of my favourite bands. Playing in there is such a cool vibe, that venue with the blue roof and everything. It feels like you're playing outside. I saw Temper Trap there and it was amazing. If you can play The Forum and sell out The Forum, you have made it.
International - probably Madison Square Garden if that ever happens. That would be the ultimate, headlining Madison Square Garden.
Attainable? I don't know. But we'll see what happens.
Bieber did it in a year.
Well……it's taken us five years to play The Corner! [laughs].
Who are your biggest band influences?
Number one, Blink 182. Everything I learned is from them. I remember in high school, jamming with one of my mates. We didn't really know how the songs went, but it was so easy to figure out, we taught ourselves how to play music by listening and playing blink. That would be the ultimate influence.
If we're talking influential for me as a musician, it'd be a lot of early pop punk bands. Pretending to be Deryck Whibley from Sum 41 in my mirror with my Les Paul, singing ‘Fat Lip’ over and over again after school. New Found Glory. In pop punk I like those jokey characters in bands, the bassist from New Found Glory. But anyone that told jokes, I felt jokes and being funny on stage came before actually being good. The instrument kind of came secondary at the start. Then I started to try and write songs after that. I could get on stage and joke around, and then we'll play songs in between our jokes. That's it to me.
UNIFY 2020
Bass riding an inflatable boat across the crowd
After a show, what is the best post gig food?
I enjoy playing in Philly because we always get Philly cheese steaks after the show at like 2am That's always fun. It's meat and cheese and onions in bread. Whenever we finished playing, it's always late, so it's something disgusting. I do enjoy waffle house late at night in the US. In Australia we go Maccas or something. Any junk food really. I don't like eating before a show so I'm super hungry when we finish because if we're onstage on stage and I feel full I feel disgusting. I'll starve myself before show. And then after we'll pick out whatever is available.
Actually got it!! Peanut butter jelly sandwich! When we were doing the US and we didn't really have any money I'd make sure we always had peanut butter jelly and bread
When you are touring, what's on your rider?
On our actual rider is a bottle of vodka, a slab of beer, slab of Coke Zero and then a meal each. Dream rider would be a masseuse or someone to feed me grapes…..maybe someone to paint my nails a different colour every night.
I think you will have people volunteering to do that.
Actually, on our first US tour, I'd said that I would paint a fans nails at merch and then they bought a sign that said “Sassy Bassy Nail Salon”. I would have to set it up every night….it only lasted two nights. That's pretty fun. I made six bucks. That's pretty good. In Australia, someone paid me $20 to paint their nails.
Between You and Me are embarking on a headline national tour in February 2022, they are not to be missed! Buy tickets here
BYAM are my top pick for Hottest 100, don’t forget to vote!!
INTERVIEW: CHATS WITH MELBOURNE POP-PUNKERS PAPERWEIGHT (FKA NORTH SIDE STORY)
Suze chats to melbourne pop-punkers Paperweight (formerly-known-as North Side Story) about their development as a band and their latest release ‘The Kids On The Ground’.
How has Covid been treating you guys?
Actually, we’ve been quite lucky - we had a lot of our projects finalised just before Covid hit, so we’ve been able to stick to our release schedules, even during lockdown. We filmed our music video the week before that first lockdown was put into place - phew!
You’re about to drop a new single - what can you tell me about it?
Our new single “The Kids On The Ground” is a bop! It’s all about the bittersweet reality of growing up, moving forward and embracing a place in time. It's a celebration of good memories that are no more, and thus was written with the intention of being upbeat and happy with an undertone of bitterness.
What has been the toughest thing for you guys through Covid, being that you are a new band?
Not being able to gig! After all, nothing beats the experience of a live show... we were so ready to get out there and smash it - but best believe, when we’re able to, we’ll be one of the first back on the stage.
Who are your biggest influences?
Haris: The Beatles, Twenty One Pilots, Blink 182, New Found Glory, Green Day.
Luana: Sum 41, Heroes For Hire, Simple Plan.
Basil: Led Zeppelin, Blink 182, Metallica, Rage Against The Machine.
Tom: Blink 182, Ben Folds, The Beatles.
What made you decide to become musicians? Was it from a young age, parents/family influence or a band you heard and that made you think ‘yep, that’s what I want to do?’
Basil: I started playing drums when I was 13. At age 10, I’d play on my older cousin’s kit - it was the one thing I looked forward to every week!
Luana: I do come from a musical family, but my real lightbulb moment was when Joel Little from Goodnight Nurse gave me his guitar pick at the first local show I ever attended - that was all I needed to pick up a guitar!
Tom: School of Rock! Having a family full of different musicians helped broaden my music taste and I now appreciate all kinds of music.
Haris: I don’t come from a musical background, but I don’t have any memories of any time in my life where I wasn't completely enamoured by music/creative storytelling. I guess it has just always been there.
What is on the horizon for Paperweight?
We are always writing and creating. The hardest part is being patient with our release schedule - all we want to do is show everyone everything as it happens! But rest assured we have plenty of things lined up that we truly can’t wait to share.
Your dream line up to tour with?
Haris: Cannibal Corpse, Baby Metal and The Wiggles would go off.
Luana: Sum 41, Simple Plan, Zebrahead
Basil: All the bands I’d have wanted to tour with don’t tour anymore...
Tom: Blink 182, New Found Glory, Sum 41
Top 3 favourite Aussie acts at the moment?
Haris: With Confidence, Between You & Me and The Dead Love
Luana: Between You & Me, Drastic Park and Terra
Tom: Children Collide, Stand Atlantic & Down For Tomorrow
Catch Paperweight's 'The Kids On The Ground' below and jump on their socials to keep up to date with what they are up to.
FOLLOW PAPERWEIGHT
YOUTUBE FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM TWITTER
