On the eve of their North Queensland tour, Anna-Marie Harding caught up with The Amity Affliction's guitarist (and former member of The Getaway Plan), Clint Splattering.
First off, congratulations on your new album, Youngbloods. The album was released on the 18th of June, how has it been going so far?
It's been really good. We just found out it had debuted at number 6 on the ARIA charts, which is the highest we've ever reached, so it's amazing news. Other than that we've been rehearsing for our album tour.
How did you come up with the name for the album Youngbloods?
We were just brainstorming a bunch of names and none of them seemed to sound right to fit the album, so we branched out to a few friends and managed to get one that everyone agreed on.
While on the topic of names, is it true that the band's name is inspired by The Amityville Horror?
I'm not too sure about it as I wasn't in the band when the name came up, but I think the word "Amity" is more related to it's meaning of "friendship" than the movie.
Your national Youngbloods tour kicks off in Adelaide on 2 July, is there any town in particular that you're looking forward to playing at?
I'm really excited to play my hometown of Melbourne, but I'm super excited for Sydney as we're playing the Roundhouse. It's one of my favourite venues to play and always has a good vibe.
Are you looking forward to playing in Townsville on 18 July?
Yeah, it should be good. I've only played there once, but it was good to get out there, as most kids hadn't had the opportunity to see us play before.
American band Misery Singles will be one of the bands supporting you on this tour. Previously you supported them in their sold-out headline run in 2009 - how does it feel to have the tables turned?
It definitely feels weird. Misery Singles are one of my all-time favourite bands, so it's crazy to think that they're supporting us. We're all great friends, though, so when we tour with them anywhere else, I'm sure the tables will turn again.
The band was formed in 2002, what were some of your musical influences?
My main influences were bands like U2 and Tool. Their use of effects and nice delays inspired me to take my guitar playing in a different direction.
What were the first albums you bought?
First ones I can remember are Smash by The Offspring and Dude Ranch by Blink 182.
How did you meet and consequently form the band?
I wasn't in the band when they began, but I met the guys when my old band The Getaway Plan did one of our first tours with them. Ever since then we've been great friends and one thing led to another and now I'm playing for them!
Do you think your music has evolved or changed much since you began?
Lots! To a lot of people it probably all sounds the same, but I think the songwriting has improved heaps and the new album hopefully displays that.
With your second album just being released are you starting to enjoy more notoriety?
Haha, I have no idea what this means. Is this saying we're known for being bad? If so, no.
What do you guys do for fun or to relax?
Mainly just hang out and drink, every chance we have off tour is kind of a race in an attempt to catch up with our friends that aren't on the road with us.
Do you have any favourite or interesting stories from touring?
I've only done a couple of shows with Amity, but I'm sure something is bound to happen on the Youngbloods tour.
Favourite song of all time?
With or Without You by U2.
Any favourite movies?
I love Requiem for a Dream, Detroit Rock City and Jurassic Park. All have amazing soundtracks as well.
What are some of your pet peeves?
Hmmm, I don't really have any. I really hate unexpected loud noises, though....
How do you cope with being in such close quarters and spending so much time together while touring?
I think I cope pretty well. I definitely hang more with a select few people but generally we all get along well, and have our own ways of escaping it all from time to time.
What's the lady scene like with the band right now?
Haha, it's good. We all have girlfriends besides two, but I'm not sure how interested they are at the moment. Everybody's minds seem to be just on getting ready for the tour, then we'll see what happens.
What are the band's future plans?
We just want to tour as much as possible. Hopefully we can get back overseas and try to crack some other markets. Other than that we'll just try and enjoy the ride.
The Amity Affliction will perform at the Townsville PCYC on Sunday, 18 July from 7.00pm.
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