Above: After the Fall

New South Wales rockers After The Fall has just released their first album in four years, [In] Exile, and are heading around Australia alongside Calling All Cars for their biggest tour yet.

The collaboration with the Melbourne band came about for simple reasons - "they wanted to tour, we wanted to tour, it was only a matter of time that our powers were combined into a sweaty ball of energy, providing sustenance to the hungry public," vocalist Ben Windsor said.  After The Fall had a difficult time getting together what was essentially the album that would make or break them as a band.  Reports from the band were bleak ones as they struggled to pull it together.

It was these "dark times" that created the back bone for the music the band are currently pushing to the crowds. "Everything around us was falling apart," Windsor said. "But going through all that has only made us stronger and I couldn’t be more proud of this record." The album features running themes of love, fear, desire, death and neglect with not a single mention of the word ‘baby’ - these guys are no pop artists. "It’s about the struggle within - the fear and frustration of generally not knowing where you’re going or how you’re going to get there."

The boys spent most of the recording time in a house owned by a wine company, which lead to many a night drinking "plonk" in front of the fire - a vice for keeping the inspiration flowing.  As with all bands, After The Fall hit a wall during the recording process of [In] Exile and admitted the time spent off the road for so long was difficult.  "But it’s the same with touring, once you’ve been on tour for a while you just want to get back into the studio, it’s a vicious cycle.”"

The album cuts to the core for the young vocalist who sings of his time growing up without a father on a track entitled A Feather Afloat. However he admitted most songs on the album to hold a lot of meaning. Windsor said he thought The Big Exit would win with audiences because it was one of the more unusual songs on the album. "It’s a slow burner and needs a couple of listens before you actually get it," he said. "When we play it live people are usually at attention staring blankly into space...but I don’t know if that’s a good thing," he added.

Described as a "dark, expansive, atmospheric, sonic delight for the ears", [In] Exile will be a prominent features of After The Fall’s tour. Catch them playing alongside Calling All Cars who are currently on the last legs of their current touring before launching into a new tour in support of their upcoming new album.

By Nikkita Dixon