How did any of us hear new bands, back when we didn't have satellite radio in our cars? On this day I am zipping around town when I hear, "Just Exist" by Eliza and the Delusionals, and

I'm instantly drawn in by her clear vocal, and the bands eclectic, smooth Alt sound. I ease up, and enjoy the rest of my ride when, at the end of the song, she belts it out and I'm floored. Her voice has such power and yet, it is cool how she makes ya wait for it...The other song I love from past albums is 19. I love the edge in how she sings that one.

 

The band is led by Eliza Klatt, lead vocalist and songwriter, Kurt Scuse co-songwriter, and Ashley Martin on guitar. They are curently on tour in their home base of Australia, on a small tour, and then will journey over to the U.S. in NYC, for interviews. Their background is: they formed in 2015, when Eliza was just 18, they've been featured as a Triple J Unearthed Feature Artist, won the NIDA Music Video Comp, and then kicked off 2018 last year at the Byron Bay Falls Festival. They currently have some new singles out. ​

I got a chance to catch up to her and her guitarist, Kurt Scuse, a few weeks ago and here is how it went. These guys are modest, fun, and a pleasure to speak with. 

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AD: We like your music and your sound, and I heard you from my car a bit ago. Congrats on "Just Exist,"the ending blew me away in how you sing it.

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Eliza: Thanks, it's been exciting, what is now happening with us.

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AD: I'm excited for you guys, too. Now, you are on the Australia tour, correct?

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Eliza: Yes

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AD: What types of places are you playing?

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Eliza: Smaller types of venues.

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AD: How did you get together as a band?

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E& Kurt and I have known each other since preschool, and we met our other guitarist through me. We needed someone to jump on board last minute. Kurt and I got back in touch and were looking for someone else to join, and it fell into place. 

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AD: How did you come up with your band name?

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Eliza: I had written down many names, and knew it would be Eliza and the something, til I remembered a lyric from a Blink 182 song that I liked that had the word "delusional" in it, which I really liked.

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AD: So none of the guys were like, "Um, what are ya trying to say, that we're delusional?"

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Eliza: LOL, no, they didn't mind it really.

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AD: Who writes most of the music?

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Eliza: It was mainly me, but for the new stuff now, it is Kurt and me.

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AD: When will it be released?

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Kurt: We don't know, but hopefully next year.

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AD: Your new managament is now in the US, right?

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Eliza: Yes, which is great.

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AD: Cool, so maybe we can see you guys out here live?

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Eliza: We are hoping so, yes!

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AD: So far, what is one of the best compliments you have gotten; where someone says it, and you are amazed by it?

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Kurt: Really, no one cares all that much. (Eliza laughing a lot)

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AD: (LMAO) Yes, they do! Look at your Spotify!

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Kurt: Yah, we usally just get a  sobering "congratulations." 

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Eliza: We get really nice comments overseas in America; people saying good things. 

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Kurt: We just like it when people genuinely enjoy our music.

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Eliza: I think our favorite is when people say, "Can't wait for you guys to come to the U.S."

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AD: Touring can be really rough, so what are some of the strangest places you've had to settle on between shows?

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Kurt: Pretty much, even with the schedule not messed up, we stay in some of the dodgiest places. One star motels, really dirty, it's the worst.

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AD: I don't know how you do that. I'd' bring Lysol and ...

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Kurt: One time we slept on top of the duvet.

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Eliza: Yah, we had to sleep on top of the sheets, it was so gross. The towels were dirty, the sheets were dirty. It's kind of entertaining, I mean,  we know that we have to save money. We're just pretty much staying there to sleep, so we are kind of entertained now. Before we get there, on the way to the motel, we start reading the reviews and we laugh.

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AD: (laughing) Wow. What about showering and stuff? Doesn't it drive you crazy?

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Eliza: OMG, it's...

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AD: Do you bring Lysol? (these guys are from Australia, so they pretty much have zero idea what "Lysol" is, I explain) eh, a disinfectant, do you bring a disinfectant? 

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Eliza: We definitely bring shower sandals. When the bathroom smells like bleach, then it is okay.

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AD: Yah, you better stay healthy over there so you can come play here, ha. I know you guys love Catfish and the Bottlemen,  those guys are great. Which songs are your favorite? (mine is "Soundcheck," but I stay quiet about it).

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Eliza: When I saw them, they opened with "Homesick," and that was really cool. It's such a great song, anything from The Balcony we love.

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AD: Which other bands influence you guys?

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Kurt: I would have to say, definitely, Coldplay.

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Eliza: Both of our first concerts we ever saw were Coldplay. We also love Paramore.

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AD: Yeass! I love their song, "Hallelujah." A great, path-paving Alt rock band. The guitar pedal you use, I hear Coldplay, def.

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Kurt: Well thank you, yes. I guess we have our own thing, but they influence us, too.

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AD: Who isn't influenced by someone else's music? I've never met an artist without an influence.

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Kurt: Coldplay is our religion. 

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AD: They are a genre-bending, worl-appeal type of style. It never gets old, crosses over, and it has that easy quality. Yet, that is how I feel about what you guys are doing. I love the song, "Salt" because of the 80's to 90's vibe of rock and danceable.  I really like"Falling Out" and here is why:  It stuck with me in the lyric about how you sleep at night, yet it also is strong, and subtle. I love your other new songs, too. You guys are slick.
 

Eliaza : Thank you, I"ll make sure to keep that one in our set. That's really nice of you, that's my new favorite song of ours now, ha.

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AD: Your new single out, "Just Exist" is  beautiful. Let's talk about the video, it's so natural, black 'n white, as if your audience can just be right there with you guys. Most impressive to me, is at the end where you belt it out, wow. So strong, clear and amazing. I wanna hear you sing like that some more. Who created the way you did that video?

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Eliza: Thank you, "Just Exist" was all us. We were on a budget and they needed it in 2 days, so we said, "Let's just get the camera, and we filmed things around our area, so that's what it ended up being. 

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AD: How do you categorize your sound?

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Kurt: We always say that we are ALT cause that leaves it open to Pop/Alt, or Rock/Alt and...

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Eliza: I think there are so many genres and everyone has their own way of describing it, so it is just Indie Rock to me.

I instantly think of dreamy chords, and them, if someone says "Alternative Rock," I think  of "Queens of the Stone Age, and everyone has  their own way of defining it.

 

AD: Within ALT would you guys explore other styles do you think?

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Kurt: We will always progrses and add layers, but even as we evolve, it will still kind of be the ALT thing.

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Eliza: We definitely wanna dabble and add in some synth. I think it will depend on how we both grow as songwriters.

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AD: The song, "Cigarette," I liked the lyrics when you say how, "Just because I didn't want your cigarette,
doesn't mean I didn't wanna be friends," What is this song really about, cause I was taking it literally? Then I thought, "That can't just be it, yet, maybe it is?"

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Kurt: We both had a smoke and...Nah, lol

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Eliza: I wrote that when I was 18 and I'm 23 now. It was a metaphor for how, as you are growing and leaving school and changing, how easy it is to drift apart from people, just by being into different things. Not that you can't still be connected, it's just you go your own way with interests, and you don't talk to them anymore.

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AD: Cool metaphor.

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Eliza: I love that everyone can put it into their own contexts.

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AD: In the ears of the listener, yes. So what happens after your Australian tour? What is the plan? How long does this tour run for?

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Kurt: The tour ends in November and then Eliza and I are going to the US. We'll be in NY for 5 weeks.

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Eliza: Originally, we booked it as a vacation, but then this Alt Nation started happening, so now it has turned into radio interviews and that sort of thing.

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Abbe: I'm so excited for you guys!

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Eliza, Thanks, and hopefully we can bring the whole band over.

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Abbe: Yah, my chances of going over to Australia right now to hear you guys is slim. When is the next single being released? 

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Kurt: Things are in the works, but I don't wanna jinx it about the dates..

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Abbe: Can you tell me how many songs you're sitting on?

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Eliza: We pretty much have a 5 song ELP done. We've been working on about 10 new tunes lately.

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Abbe: Do you write music on tour, or when you are not on tour?

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Kurt: I think it is , well, touring and writing to us, is the same thing.

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Eliza: A lot of our touring right now is in and out. So, for example, we do Sydney tomorrow, and we drive 10 hours from where we live, do the show, and then come back. 

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AD: Whoa.

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Kurt: Yah, when we are in between, we are writing and stuff.

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AD: Great, well we here at Tru Rock wish you guys the best of everything. We're looking forward to hearing more.

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Eliza and Kurt: Thank you, Tru Rock Revival!

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