Interview by Kris Peters
The Superjesus have been a mainstay on the Australian rock scene for more than three decades.
Their infectious music coupled with arguably one of the best live shows in the country have endeared the band to generations of music lovers since their inception in the late 1990s, with the band's debut album Sumo in 1998 spawning fan favourites such as Down Again, Saturation and Now and Then.
The follow-up, Jet Age, magnified the growing popularity of The Superjesus, delivering the smash hit Gravity as well as Secret Agent Man before Rock Music rounded out the trifecta in 2003.
A brief hiatus from the mid 2000s gave the band members time to reflect on their personal music ambitions before deciding the world needed more of their music in 2013. This produced an EP, Love and Violence (2016), as well as a double live album but despite The Superjesus quickly reclaiming their status amongst Australia's elite touring band's, no new music has been forthcoming.
That changes this Friday, March 21, when The Superjesus (self-titled) comes out, fuelled by the success of six previous singles Money (We’re Only In It For Love), Lights Out, We Won’t Let Go Until It’s Over, Something Good, a cover of Generation X’s Dancing With Myself and beautiful ballad Diamonds. This is the new Superjesus, a more soulful, engaging version of the band we know and love where song writing is king.
HEAVY caught up with frontwoman Sarah McLeod to find out more. We bring up a quote she made to HEAVY in October last year where she proclaimed "I shit you not, but it's the best stuff we've ever written", and ask if she still feels that way after the album has had more time to digest. A smile swept across her face before replying with a simple "yeah".
"I guess maybe that's why I love it so much," she continued, "because I'm so connected to it. And I just feel like we've got better. I feel like we did a great job in the 90s, and we were happy with those records, but we had 10 years off, and we all went and did different music. We learnt stuff. Ruddy (Stuart, bass) was in all these different bands, and he came back with a whole library of new influences and so did I. And we're like, okay, we're the same people, but we're not really because we've learnt all this stuff. So why don't we bring in the cool shit that we've learned and make something different, but paying homage to who we were. And that's where we're at. And I think it's been really good for us. And I love it."
In the full interview, Sarah expressed her excitement about the album, which has seen the release of six singles over the past 18 months. She highlighted her favourite track, Gangbusters, and explained the strategic decision to hold back some songs to build anticipation. She emphasized that while there is no external pressure, she feels a personal drive to deliver quality music, reflecting the band's evolution and commitment to their craft.
Sarah shared insights into her songwriting process, noting a shift towards creating cohesive narratives rather than standalone lyrics. She discussed the challenges of balancing her solo work with that of The Superjesus, particularly in terms of lyrical content and audience resonance. The conversation also touched on the creative process, where Sarah likened songwriting to an alchemical journey that requires refinement to achieve simplicity. She said she believes that effective songs often stem from straightforward lyrics that engage audiences, a principle she strives to uphold in her work. We discussed the band's upcoming tour and what to expect musically, as well as the opportunity for local band's to open in each city and more.
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