As with every other year, anticipation surrounding the first line-up announcement for Good Things 2025 was almost at a fever pitch. Social media experts and promoter wannabe’s all shared their projected line-ups, but most were well off the mark.
Good Things is possibly one of the hardest festival line ups armchair critics get to sink their teeth into, with the diversity and seemingly flippant mashing of genres meaning pretty much any band from any genre could make the final cut. And this year was no exception.
When TOOL were announced as headliners, a large number of punters were already scrambling for tickets, but a quick scan through the rest of the line up proves the eclectic tastes of organisers and the variety of live music on show for fans of most persuasions.
Rock? Tick. Weezer, Garbage.
Pop Punk? Tick. All Time Low, New Found Glory.
Punk? Tick. Refused.
Metal? Big tick. Machine Head. Knocked Loose, Lorna Shore.
But one of the best things about festivals like Good Things is the chance to come across bands you might never have otherwise heard of, and for many people, one of those bands this year will be American rock outfit Dead Poet Society, who are well known in most other parts of the world. HEAVY caught up with Jack and Dylan from the band to talk about their debut visit to Australia.
The name Dead Poet Society may not mean all that much to Australian audiences just yet, but you can bet by the time Good Things 2025 has swept through the country, that equation will have changed drastically.
Since forming after meeting while attending Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in 2013, Dead Poet Society have elected to drive their journey on the hard road, starting off as an indie group before steadily making their way through the musical maze. Their hard work and dedication proved fruitful when, in 2018, Spotify editorial staff added the single American Blood to their playlists, after the band had built a strong organic following on social media and the streaming platforms. Josh Katz of the band Badflower, was one of their early fans, notably of their song CoDA, which he championed to his label Big Machine and others, resulting in interest from several labels, including Spinefarm, where they later signed and released their debut album -!- in 2021.
Fast-forward four years and Dead Poet Society are currently touring North America alongside Chevelle and Asking Alexandria, with their flights already booked for Australia this December.
HEAVY sat down with Jack and Dylan from the band to find out more about the band and their debut trip Down Under. As such, we ask what they are expecting from Australian crowds, warning them that we can get pretty rowdy.
"That's what I'm hoping for," Jack smiled. "I've heard you guys are wild, and we love a wild audience."
On the flipside of that, we don't know what to expect from a Dead Poet Society live show, so we ask what a typical show from the band looks like.
"It's pretty high energy," Jack promised, "and sweaty. We try to redline ourself the entire set."
In the full interview, Jack and Dylan talk more about Good Things Festival and who they are most looking forward to playing with, their first trip to this country and how they are approaching it, their thoughts on the diversity of this year's line-up and what it means to them to be a part of it.
We talk about their formation at school and how it came about, planning their future and then working towards it, new music and more.
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