Premiere: The Pinheads share the clip for Is This Real, announce tour supports

While they've been a cult-favourite of the Australian punk and rock scenes for a while now, Wollongong-centred highlights The Pinheads have really blossomed into a rising force over the last two years, largely off the back of their two albums thus far - 2017's self-titled The Pinheads, and this year's captivating sophomore, Is This Real. The latter in particular, released back in May, has really helped the band define what exactly The Pinheads are, following up a series of releases that swerve between genres by doubling-down on a sound that's distinctly The Pinheads regardless of what genre they bite. Whether it's something more groove-fuelled or their blistering punk-rock charm, Is This Real is brimming with The Pinheads' bright, unmatched energy, and that's what they're all about; or, in other words, while other bands get locked into genre boxes, The Pinheads' genre box is that they have none, and that's part of the attraction.

They'll be touring the album throughout August with shows across the east coast, which today, sees them joined not just by a handful of tour supports (which we'll get to shortly), but the clip for the album's title track, Is This Real. Produced by the band's drummer James Kates and William Robertson, the clip is a heartbreaking, yet beautiful ode to Kates' 94-year-old Nonno, who visits his late-wife at her grave on the 7th anniversary of her death. It's a remarkably personal moment of the band - for Kates specifically - so we'll hand it over to him to explain the clip's creating, meaning and inspiration:

"My friend William Robertson and I connected over our mutual love of Warrawong and surrounding suburbs. The pride in which the ageing European population had for their homes juxtaposed with the decrepit industrial surrounds is a thing of beauty and we had a general affinity for the area for its lack of pretension. On one hand, the steelworks brought prosperity and a new start but over time this rich cultural pool is slowly fading away as smokestacks fall and culture lost. This time last year, Will & I tested a couple of rolls of 16mm film around 'The Wong’ & I started getting some shots of my Nonno around his home and at the cemetery. Nonno, now 94, goes to visit my Nonna’s grave every week like clockwork at Kanahooka cemetery 12kms from his home in Warrawong, 2kms over which he’s legally allowed to drive. It was my Nonna’s 7th anniversary of her death and I captured what I think to be a very personal and profound experience. The idea of being with someone for 60 something years and continuing to be there for them after they pass was something beautiful and heartwrenching. In the same cemetery were both my Dad’s parents and his brother which appear in some shots along with many relatives. Nonno makes sure all their floral arrangements are always tidy and up to scratch. I got the film back around the same time we wrapped up The Pins record & we were all kind of going through our own existential glitches dealing with death, break ups and mental issues. Is This Real was a direct bi-product of all that & the footage although not initially intended for a film clip really suited the song. I’ve been umm-ing and ahh-ing about releasing it as it seemed too personal or earnest. If anything it’s a reminder to myself that we’re all going to die sooner or later, so appreciate what’s in front of you, live your life and treat people right."

Tour Dates:

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