Amyl and the Sniffers on their third album ‘Cartoon Darkness’ and recording at Studio 606

Jordan Royal (Sonic Alien 4ZZZ) recently sat down with Amy Taylor and Bryce Wilson from Amyl and the Sniffers to chat about their third album ‘Cartoon Darkness’, recording at studio 606 and the meaning behind some of their new songs.

Interview aired on Sonic Alien 4ZZZ.

Jordan: I'm super, super excited to be joined by Bryce and Amy from Amyl and the Sniffers. You guys are awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time to join me from London as well, so thank you so much for jumping on the call.

Bryce: No worries, happy to do it.

Jordan: I'm super excited to be chatting with you because your album Cartoon Darkness comes out, from the time that we're recording this, in a couple of days and my countdown has been on. Jerkin came out yesterday as well—just another banger. And this is your first release since Comfort to Me, which was released back in 2021, your second studio album. So how was it—sort of, you guys relentlessly toured in the time—how was it sort of getting back into this, like, writing time?

Bryce: Yeah, it was definitely like a change of pace, I think. Yeah, like you said, we kind of just, like, relentlessly toured and toured and toured that one album for, I guess, it was three years or something. So yeah, it's definitely like—you have to kind of change gears and put yourself into a different headspace when you're writing, I find. You kind of got to become a bit more at peace with yourself and, you know, take a beat and just—it's a totally different kind of headspace than when you're on tour, I think. Like, it's just kind of go, go, go nonstop on tour. But, you know, when you're in the studio, you've got to sit down and work with three other people and, you know, kind of just have a breath about it, have a think more so than you would on the road.

Jordan: Yeah, totally. And I feel like, as well, relentlessly touring for the same album for three years and then having to shift gears and go into the writing mindset would have been a really fun but, like, different experience. So that's awesome.

Bryce: Yeah, yeah, it was. It was fun as well at the same time—not to paint a picture of it being all dark and whatever.

Jordan: Yeah, yeah, totally. And you guys have mentioned as well that you sort of approached Cartoon Darkness as a studio album, body of work, and wanted to experiment and try different things and avoid this repetitive process. So can you share some ways in which maybe you explored different sounds, or you drew on different musical influences? I know that the song Facts was influenced by Black Flag and The Stooges, which is also insanely cool.

Bryce: The biggest kind of influence for me was kind of, I don't know, just my approach to songwriting, I think. And I think for all of us, maybe—we kind of wanted to just come into it with a bit more of an open mind and let ourselves maybe be a bit more vulnerable in some songs when writing. Like, Big Dreams came about—Amy and Declan just being in a room together, just the two of them—like a really stripped-back version of the band and Declan just on an acoustic guitar kind of thing.

Jordan: Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, because I love that song—it’s definitely a little bit of a different Amyl and the Sniffers song. It’s quite soft and ballady. So that’s really interesting that it came about by just a stripped-back version of the band on an acoustic guitar. And you guys, as well, recorded the album at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606, which must have been an incredible experience—especially since that space has been home to so much just amazing music. So how was it recording in that environment?

Amyl and the Sniffers. Image credit: Jamie Wdziekonski

Bryce: Yeah, it was pretty crazy. The studio is, like, this awesome, huge kind of complex—warehouse-y kind of thing. It's massive. And you go out to this back room—this huge room is just full of amps and drum kits that are owned by the Foo Fighters and, like, all this other crazy gear that we had access to. And we had Dr. Dre's subwoofers in the control room as well, randomly. So there was like—oh yeah, so random. But all this, like, crazy, crazy gear that was like—I don't know, I was playing Taylor Hawkins' drum kit, like, that was pretty crazy.

Jordan: Holy moly, yeah, that's awesome.

Bryce: Yeah, it was pretty strange, but it was, like, really, really special to—I don't know, you just kind of walk in the footsteps of other historic rock and roll artists and stuff. It's pretty cool. 

Amy: Yeah, it was pretty special. I think the main thing was the fact that, like, being included into that space was kind of a bit of a badge—like, as in, if all the other bands that have recorded there and they're letting us record there—like, it’s a very flattering title, I suppose.

Jordan: Yeah, of course. I mean, you guys definitely live up to that badge and that title. Like, I feel like other artists would come into that space and be like, "Wow, Amyl and the Sniffers recorded here." 

Amy: Dude, that’s awesome, thank you

Jordan: I want to talk on the album’s themes as well, because I feel like the album has such amazing meaning and reflection on the chaos of the world at the moment—including climate and AI. And the name of the album, Cartoon Darkness, sort of draws on these themes as well. So can you share a little bit about how you arrived at the name Cartoon Darkness and what it means?

Amy: Yeah, for me, it's been, like, a phrase that's been turning around in my head for a while. And the kind of thought of, like, driving headfirst into this darkness. I guess it's almost more imagery. And I feel like—yeah, the future, to me, has felt for a while really dark and uncertain. And I feel like—between, like, climate crisis and technological advancements of AI and just even the way we use social media and phones. And then it's like—you can kind of think, like, how long's a piece of string? Like, everything's pretty connected. And using the phones means that someone across the globe is basically, you know, being used for labour that they didn't sign up for, for no money, so that we can get parts of the phone. And I just think it's all so interconnected and twisted. But I guess this album is trying to stay kind of positive and, like, inject some positivity around it and through it and kind of go, like—the future is not here yet. It's just a sketch, and a sketch is a cartoon and childlike, and they're for children. And to try and, like, approach the future with, like, a childlike view instead of this, like—I guess—deep worry, even though I am worried. But that’s my coping mechanism, I guess.

Jordan: Oh, I love that answer—sort of that a lot of people talk about the doom and gloom of the future, but it hasn’t arrived yet. So it is just something that is unreal, and you’re worrying about something that hasn’t come yet. So that’s an awesome name.

Amy: Yeah. And I feel like, for me, if I do think about it—and even though it hasn’t come yet—if I think about it like it’s set in stone, then I just kind of want to give up. Like, smoke three packs of ciggies and, like, I don’t know, just do whatever the fuck I want—like nihilism. But I think if we all just did that, then there would be no hope to change. Whereas if people kind of think, "I could change," then maybe it will.

Jordan: Yeah, I love that as well. And you’ve also spoken about reflecting—like, does every generation feel this way, or is it something that’s unique to us? And I love that reflection or element of the name of the album.

Amy: Yeah, because I feel like, you know, you do hear about other generations being, like—even with Y2K being, like, "When everything turns to 2000, we’re going to have a global collapse," you know, at 1999 or whatever. And nothing happens. So, you know, it’s like—I would be very happy to be proven wrong.

Jordan: Going on to the meaning behind different songs as well—You Should Not Be Doing That is such an amazing, raw, just unfiltered song. Poking fun at some heavy themes, and just a badass song that’s such a middle finger to all those times that you’re told how to act or what to wear. And it must have been really therapeutic to pour all this anger into this song and to also perform it. So can you discuss the process behind channelling your experiences and emotions into this track?

Amy: Yeah, I think it’s just super liberating because it’s my way of holding up the mirror and pointing it back at, I guess, just straight up, like, the haters and negative forces and, I guess, super conservative people and just, I guess, people that aren’t happy for other people’s success or other people’s life decisions. I think as far as we’ve come as a species, I still think there’s so much that we lack. And, like, one of those lackings is just genuinely letting other people just make their own decisions. And it’s a really fun way to be like, "Yeah, you know, I might have people sitting back and being like, ‘Oh, she shouldn’t be over there doing this,’ and, ‘She shouldn’t be doing that,’ and, ‘The band shouldn’t be doing that.’" But I say, "Well, you know what? We are doing that. So, how’s that been stopping us?" We’re making the choices that are right for us, and, like, we’re not hurting anybody. And so, it’s pretty easy to be comfortable and say, "Well, you might—yeah, you might not make this choice, but I did make this choice. And I’m proud of my choices."

Jordan: Yeah, just being unapologetically yourself. And obviously, that’s just what you have to do and you have to be—because otherwise, what’s the point, I guess?

Amy: Yeah, exactly, 100%.

Jordan: And sort of touching on these things as well—you recently had a keynote speech at Big Sound a couple of months ago now, where you were talking about having these dreams. I loved your poem in that, by the way. But you spoke about having these dreams and wanting to experience the world and having that theme of ambition. Bryce and I had sort of touched on this a little bit before as well, and I feel like it’s touched on in Big Dreams—this theme of ambition. And you said that you were sort of a bit nervous to release this one because it’s a bit of a ballad and a softer song. So can you walk us through the meaning behind that one?

Amy: Yeah, I guess it’s just like this feeling of feeling really trapped and suffocated and really wanting more and knowing that there’s more out there—but, like, trying to get through the struggles to actually get to that point. And I think as well—like, which is happening, I said on my Instagram—but I feel like success is measured in such specific ways, especially in the music industry. And it’s all, like, numbers and charts and all of that stuff, which is really fun and exciting. But honestly, when I see so many different bands play—whether it’s a punk band or a metal band or a pop act or whatever—and they’re just playing to even 50 people, their talent just comes through the roof and their passion for what they do comes through the roof. And I think that’s unstoppable and no one can ever take that away from people. That’s why, I guess, the chorus of that song where I’m like, "It’s been a lit one, you’ve never been a dull one"—it’s like, even I’ve got friends who are drag queens or whatever, and they’re just lit as hell. And when they’re doing what they do, I’m so inspired by that. And it’s not commercial and it’s not en masse, but it’s beautiful. And I think it’s sometimes forgotten—that part of making stuff.

Jordan: Yeah, great meaning. I feel like definitely things being measured by commercial success isn’t a true measure of just how amazing something is. But the last question that I had for you—I just love these music videos that you guys are releasing, and they looked really, really fun to film. And you worked with your friend H.C. Films, who you guys are quite close with as well. But Big Dreams—that music video was recorded in one continuous take. Can you tell us about that experience?

Amy: Yeah, it was really fun.

Bryce: I was just going to say—we had sore bums afterwards.

Jordan: Yeah, because was that just one take? Did you guys do multiple takes or was that all just—

Bryce: We did—I think we did about seven.

Amy: Yeah, we did seven or eight takes. 

Bryce: We were there all day, just out in the desert, continuously running back and forth, doing laps. 

Amy: And it was super bumpy—yeah, all of us had bruised butts and shit, but it was really fun. And we got super lucky. It was a hot, hot day. I think it was almost going to get up to 40 degrees. And it was out in the desert, and we got all these text warnings saying it was going to be a flash flood. It was super windy. We thought we might not be able to do it—because if it rains, the dirt’s going to be too slippery for the riders. And then, for some reason, the flash flood just skipped over us. Got every other kid out except for the place we were filming. So we were like, "Yeah—hell yeah, Bon Scott’s smiling down on us today."

Jordan: Yeah, it was meant to be.

Amy: Yeah, exactly.

Jordan: It’s funny seeing the behind-the-scenes of that type of stuff, because when you look at it, you’re like, wow, it’s a really cool desert environment. You guys look amazing. Those outfits are cool. It was one continuous take. But then, in the background, it's like—it was seven takes. It was 40 degrees.

Amy: But it was probably—that was the funnest one to shoot, I think. Like, because I just got to sit on the back of, like, the person’s bike I was riding. Her name was Amanda, and she's just awesome. So I just got to sit on the back of her bike all day. And I was like, "Yeah, I'm a sick bitch."

Jordan: No, that's awesome. Well, thank you so much for jumping on the call and coming on. We love you guys at 4ZZZ, so it’s just such an honour to have you on the show.

Amy: Yeah, we love you guys too. We always have time for you, and thanks for the support.