One Direction - Forward

Volume. A good descriptor to use when talking about New York City's A Place To Bury Strangers. Force. Fury. A couple more. Over the past decade or so, the experimental rockers have somehow got melody and noise to like each other, introducing the elements to create what Ackermann calls “sonic mayhem”. “I think somewhat [our focus back then] is still our focus today, which is to concentrate on things like intensity and power, and create music which is over the top and relentless in some ways,” drawls the frontman, discussing their songwriting goals. “Especially marrying those things with beautiful sounds; I don't know too many bands who are doing that sort of stuff, soundscapes and what have you – those intense pop songs. So I think there's an opening for that kind of stuff for people who want to hear it; it's certainly what I enjoy doing and listening to.”

According to Ackermann, their third and latest LP, Worship, is a record that takes a look at his whole songwriting career. The last movement in a piece, it's a culmination of everything before it: good, bad, sad and otherwise. Immediately well received when it was released in June 2012, the album inevitably found its way onto a number of end of year polls six months down the line. Ackermann assures, however, that such plaudits are rather hollow and have never brought anything that has been of great benefit to the group.

“I try not to take any interest in that, as much as I can, and take no influence,” he concedes. “I feel like any of the decisions that I have made from what people would want to hear have always led me down bad trails. I try to just see what would be truly interesting and inspiring for me, and try and keep my ideas away from Rolling Stone or whatever. When this band started I had this idea that we needed to be doing things a particular way,” he continues, “with maybe very official people and try something quite 'industry'. But we ended up not doing that and it worked out really great for us. And that gave me the confidence to not go down a certain path.”

Now playing alongside recent addition Robi Gonzalez (drums) and former D4 frontman Dion Lunadon (bass), Ackermann stands as the sole surviving original member of A Place To Bury Strangers. Because of this, the sense of amazement and accomplishment that he enjoys is amplified, and he admits that the fan boy who still inhabits his being is genuinely thrilled to be playing shows around the world and sharing the stage with people he admires. But the band have and always will be prolific, their glut of EPs, 7” and 10”s attesting to the fact, and even though there's roses to smell, there are many more seeds to be planted.

“We've got an EP coming out this year that's already been recorded, and then we're working on recording a bunch of other stuff even right now, and we're writing a lot,” he reels off. “Then we'll go record [some more] later this year and do some sort of project we have no plans for – who knows what it's going to be at that time. We'll just try and take it as it comes, try and record as much as we can and come out with good music. I mean, it's nice to take a break too, but we all love writing music. We're always thinking about ideas for songs which could be cool and writing [tunes] that you would want to listen to. As it is with music, you get tired of listening to the same thing all the time, so you've gotta make more.”

A Place To Bury Strangers will be playing the following dates:

Wednesday 23 January - The Zoo, Fortitude Valley QLD
Thursday 24 January - Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay NSW
Friday 25 January - Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst NSW
Saturday 26 January - Northcote Social Club, Northcote VIC