Sonic Reducer on SQUEEZE, inspirations and channelling frustration into creativity

Sonic Reducer.

Jordan Royal (Sonic Alien 4ZZZ) sat down with Ryleigh and Lachy of Sonic Reducer to talk about their latest EP SQUEEZE. From raw, biting anthems like BABYMAN to the love-letter-to-music energy of NEEDLES, the band unpacked their fearless approach to songwriting, their refusal to be boxed into a single sound, and the ways their live chaos bleeds into the studio. Along the way they spoke about channelling frustration into creativity, touring the UK and Europe with Royel Otis, and transforming EP launches into inclusive, community-driven party gigs.

Interview aired on Sonic Alien 4ZZZ 18 June 2025.

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Jordan: I’m joined here with Sonic Reducer, Ryleigh and Lachy, having a chat about their EP, SQUEEZE, which released on the 13th of June. Thank you guys so much for taking the time and hopping on the call. I really appreciate your time.

Ryleigh: Thanks for having us.

Jordan: I love your music so I'm really excited to be able to have a chat with you, but SQUEEZE feels like there's such striking vulnerability and defiance, and you've said that these songs are sort of a bit more self-conscious but never self-pitying, which I love. And with your last EP, SKEWBALL, you've noted that there wasn't really much of a defined theme. Was it different this time around? Were you guys sort of trying to capture something either in yourselves or for people listening?

Lachlan: I feel like early we were trying to capture something this time around. I think we were kind of more like trying to, I think, like broaden our reaches, you know, and try and kind of hit some new marks that we haven't tried to hit before.

Ryleigh: Yeah, I feel like at the time of the recording and writing, it was a lot less of trying to conceptualize something. It was more just like broaden our horizons, I guess, of like just in terms of like what we write, like not trying to stay in one lane of just like that whole punk kind of genre, I guess, trying to try new things.

Jordan: Yeah, I guess see wherever it takes you. I love the punk ethos that you guys bring to everything. It's truly like amazing, but BABYMAN really struck me. It's very raw and personal and biting into sort of like, I guess, confronting consumption and plastic identity, and you guys have called it a response to a world of performance. Can you walk me through sort of what this track means and what it felt like to write it for you guys as well?

Ryleigh: I feel like it's definitely like, yeah, with everything you just said, I think it's also just like angry kind of song, it's just us kind of being fed up with that kind of attitude, I guess.

Lachlan: Yeah, like putting our frustrations into, you know, that sort of behaviour and a world that forces you to do that.

Jordan: True. It must be really cathartic, I guess, having the ability to like pour this outrage into such a creative outlet. It must be really nice to have that as well.
And NEEDLES as well, which is just such an amazing song, and you guys have mentioned that it's sort of a love letter to music that raised you, you know, drawing a line from like Sex Pistols to Beatles. And I feel like that's really clear in your sound, but obviously these artists influence you in ways that's not just sound, like also values and ethos. What did they teach you guys about maybe like making music, and how did that spirit carry into SQUEEZE?

Ryleigh: I think, especially the Beatles, I think they're the be all end all when it comes to like creating music, at least for me. I feel like they really set the, they set like the groundwork for like how to write a song in my eyes, at least. I feel definitely like even if the song doesn't necessarily sound Beatles inspired, I feel like a lot of our music, at least at the songwriting standpoint, we definitely approach it that way in a Beatles kind of way.

Lachlan: I think too, from the kind of ethos of it, especially for the Beatles and the Sex Pistols, it's kind of like two bands that like at sort of at that peak, they were doing things that a lot of people didn't really want them to be doing. Like, especially with the Sex Pistols, like no one, like a lot of people were sort of upset with that sort of music being made.
And when the Beatles changed their sound from being like a really straightforward like skiffle band to like being this really experimental sort of group, a lot of people were frustrated at that too. And I think we like that kind of idea of putting your music out there and trying to go against the grain of what's normally, you know, appreciated in that space.

Jordan: Yeah, I love that answer because I feel like the commonality between them, hey, is like not caring about what other people like are going to think or do and just making what feels right to you and what feels like Sonic Reducer, I guess.
I think that definitely comes through in your releases. And it sort of takes me on to my next question, is that you said that punk is best when it's fluid and not boxed in by any one sound and sort of led by self-expression. Were there any moments in making SQUEEZE where you guys maybe tapped out of like this punk sound and were just led purely by what you were feeling in this self-expression?

Ryleigh: I feel like most of it, like when we were in the studio, writing in the studio as well, I feel like a lot of it was just we were kind of just doing what felt right at the time and like not really trying to lock into any kind of sound or anything really, I feel.

Lachlan: Yeah, I think it was more something that we brought in post after making the songs where we'd kind of come up with something that wouldn't necessarily at all be something that we would normally make or play, and then kind of try and put our sort of influence onto it after. And that kind of brewed out what we have now.

Jordan: That’s amazing. I love seeing you guys live as well. I saw you at BIGSOUND last year, and your set is like unbelievable. It's very honest and chaotic and full of connection, and I think the live identity is a core part of your identity as a band. But I was wondering how that, I guess, like that live ethos translates into writing and recording, especially in a studio environment.

Lachlan: It's quite hard to capture, I think, especially on our, we did a lot, I think we did a much better effort of it on our last recordings, but when we were doing our first EP, we were kind of recording it all in like split tracks and stuff, which works out well in our favour. But I think, especially for the type of music we make, and I think it's an important thing for us to want to bring our live energy into our recordings, even if, you know, you can't really be there to see it. So, we kind of tried more doing like full, everyone playing at the same time to kind of capture that energy that we can hold live, but in a recording.

Ryleigh: I think definitely, at least from my standpoint, playing in the band, the live performance is the most important part of the band. To me at least, that's not just my favourite part, but I think that's, you know, it's just the best part. And I feel like all of SQUEEZE, like you can definitely - it definitely has like a live energy to it. I think it was like, it was just recorded so well in a way that you can really like, you can feel that energy.

Sonic Reducer. Photo credit: Charlie Foster

Jordan: Yeah, absolutely. I feel like a huge part of live, of course, performance is like connection with an audience. And I was just thinking like, it sounds very live when I heard BABYMAN and feel like they may have done some live tracking and sort of recording of this. So that's awesome. And you guys, since BIGSOUND, have toured Europe and UK with Royel Otis at the end of last year, huge congrats. That's amazing. And obviously, like a lot of your music is rooted in sort of UK music history, music scene, and their music scene over there is insane. So, I was wondering what that experience was like for you guys and maybe if it changed how you perceive the songs in any way or your recording.

Ryleigh: Well, yeah, I think for all of us, especially like we all are in love with so many bands from like England and stuff. And it was just so surreal getting to see these places. Like me and Cormac went for a walk one day and we like were just like at the location of the front cover of (What's the Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis. Like we just saw like where it was taken. I feel like, especially after we played a lot of the SQUEEZE songs on tour as well, I feel like a lot of them definitely, they have like, I definitely think of a lot of those places we played now when I hear those songs and we play them live here as well.

Lachlan: I definitely think sort of music's a product of its environment. And there's a reason why we like a lot of these like sort of British bands and stuff, just because of all of their lyrics and everything they write about kind of stems from how they grew up. So actually getting to see that in person and be in those areas, I think it definitely inspired us a lot because at least when we're a band from Canberra, like there's not much here to inspire us. So, you know, you got to find it elsewhere.

Jordan: Yeah, amazing. I love in your answer how you touched on that like music is a product of sort of the environment and where you are. And I can just picture like, I don't know, the crowds over there going like crazy for you guys and seeing like that punk element being brought back. Like it's just amazing. But you've spoken about, we've spoken about punk shows a lot but you guys have sort of taken a different approach with SQUEEZE, doing like sort of party-like gigs and party releases, which I thought was a really cool celebration of the release. Can you tell me a bit about what inspired this and how these parties were for you guys?

Ryleigh: I think it was definitely like taking it in more of a party approach. It's just more of an inclusive way. It's like it's not just like a regular rock show, you know, like we have like drag acts and DJs and stuff. And I think it's just like it feels a lot more welcoming, a lot more like community based. Like it's not all about the bands and the artists that play. It's also about the fans that come, and like we welcome everyone to come to all of them. And yeah, it's been a lot of fun doing them.

Jordan: That's sick. I saw a couple of like the bands you had play with you guys, like Mr. Industry, and I was like, this is crazy. Like these looked so much fun and so inclusive and like very interactive as well. So, I thought that was such an amazing sort of celebration and party. But thank you guys so much for hopping on the call and having a chat. I really appreciate your time.

Ryleigh: Thanks for having us.

Listen to ‘SQUEEZE’ below.