Hailing from the sun-drenched shores of Queensland, Australia, Same Pains is a metalcore powerhouse that’s rapidly carving out a name for themselves in the heavy music scene. Known for their intense live performances and emotionally charged lyrics, Same Pains delivers a sonic assault that resonates deeply with fans of the genre.
Their latest album”closure-an aggregate” showcases the band’s ability to blend brutal riffs with haunting melodies, creating a sound that’s both aggressive and captivating. Same Pains is not just another metalcore band; they’re a force to be reckoned with, pushing the boundaries of the genre and leaving a lasting impact on all who listen.
Firstly, can you tell us the background of SAME PAINS? – Ben
Ben: “It all started several years ago when we were in different local bands. Myself, Mike, Jim and Justin were out having dinner and were talking in the parking lot. Jim & Justin cornered us and said they wanted to start writing music and make something cool happen.
This started a 4+ year journey until SAME PAINS went live July last year – Jaden came along and we came out the gate with a goal of taking a Regional heavy band further than we’ve ever tried to before.”
Is there any musical figure that has significantly influenced your sound? – Ben, Justin
Ben: “Honestly with the music being written over the course of 3 years we really can’t pinpoint any one figure, a lot seeps in with that much time.
Really it’s a mash of bands we grew up loving (Norma Jean, Underoath, Sworn In) and modern bands that rip hard (Loathe, Static Dress)”
Justin: “Everything derives from personal experience. If it doesn’t then it would be feel dis genuine. Time is spent building on certain ideas or feelings and exploring them in different perspectives. A lot relies on which direction we take instrumentally also. I don’t mean to always write with a depressing notion but that is what comes naturally. Self depreciation Ro0Lz dude. The weight words can carry intrigues me. To create an image in your head or provoke an emotion someone can relate to is what we aim for.”
Coming from a regional area what have been challenges you have faced? Jaden
Jaden: I find regional is both a blessing and a curse in so many ways. On one side of the coin, we find the community to be so rich and rewarding, it has always had a big family energy around it, people get crazy, but always look after each other and they all feel like a familiar friendly face.
On the other hand, getting literally anywhere metro is either a logistical nightmare or a financial punch in the gut.
Regional also comes with this weird badge of honour, most people have either no expectation from a town they haven’t heard of, or have some crazy story they’ve heard from their mates band who played in Mackay a decade ago. Being able to help live up to these stories I feel helps us stand out from our peers.
What impact do you believe social media has on SAME PAINS?
Ben: “Such a double-edged sword, it can be really distracting and draining, but we wouldn’t have found our audience as quick without it, especially being far away from Metro areas.
We’ve definitely found a lot of awesome folks through it – and we wouldn’t exist without it in all honesty as that’s how we all connected ,at least initially.”
And how do you feel that social media changed the way you interact with your audience?
Jaden: I don’t think it has really changed how we approach anything, our subject material in our music is quite bleak, so our socials tend follow that trend. But we let our yobbo charm shine through from time to time and people find that really endearing.
Could you walk us through your songwriting process? Some of the lyrics are incredibly powerful, how much personal experience versus imagination play into your songwriting?
Ben: “Instrumentally, Jim and I will lock ourselves in and really crunch out tracks – once we’ve got a few tracks together we lock everyone in the same room for a weekend as well until they’re where we want them to be. I swear it’s more fun than it sounds.
It did take a while for our writing styles to sync, I’ve been writing music with Mike for almost 8 years so we can bounce off eachother fairly easy.”
Do you ever write songs with the intent of them being interpreted in multiple ways?
Justin: “Most definitely. Some lyrics and phrases have the intention of meaning multiple things or trying to at least trigger the listener to interpret something in various ways. It doesn’t phase some but there are people who are real lyric buffs like myself. That’s generally what makes me love a band. When you are writing and you stumble across a double entendre that actually stays on line thematically it is very rewarding. You just hope people notice. Btw, no one notices hahah.”
How does your hometown or background influence your sound or lyrics?
Justin: “There have always been so many heavy bands that we admired from regional QLD. It’s been a real hotspot over the years of awesome acts and ballistic live shows. I’ve always loved heavier music growing up, you can thank my old boy and his crusty demons for that one. Skateboarding and all of my hometown homies have all had a massive influences as well.”
In early September, you played at BigSound, can you tell us some more about the experience you had there?
Jaden: “It was nutty to say the least, getting our buisness caps on during the day linking up with industry people and putting faces to names and then giving it our all in the evenings was so taxing but so rewarding at the same time. Looking out into the crowd and seeing people sweat the set had me cheesing the whole time, and conversations shared after our sets made us feel at home. It was our first time playing Brisbane, but the crowd made us feel like we were playing at home to our families and friends.”
Can you share the most unexpected thing that happened during a show?
Ben: “During our first ever show, I noticed the snare hits kind of disappeared towards the end of a song and thought something weird must have happened, turns out Mike’s snare just blew up and the skin had exploded everywhere, I’ve never seen anything like it, luckily Dan from Arcade Stories had the exact same snare that wasn’t prone to self-destructing and he let us borrow it for the rest of the run.”
What’s been your most memorable venue or place to perform in, and why?
Justin: “I would say our recent performances at Big Sound festival in Brisbane were some of my favourites. Between catching up with old friends and playing alongside an array of gnarly bands it was extremely hard to be back at work after those ones for sure :”
What short-term and long-term goals do you have for the band? And details for any upcoming projects or collaborations?
Ben: Short-term would definitely be to try and get our footing in the Australian live circuit, get our music in front of as many people as possible.
Long-term would be to tour abroad and get our music in front of as many people as possible, finding like-minded artists and creatives along the way.
Jaden: “Short-term I really want to focus on some hectic east coast weekenders with friends, there are an insane amount of bands across Australia that deserve all the attention and working with them I find to be super rewarding.
Long-term im super keen to break into an international market, cause that’s kinda what being so regional feels like anyway, especially after our show in Darwin.”
Any final words/shout outs or advice for the people out there?
Ben: “Shout out to all the friends, artists and publications that have helped us along the way, we’re just getting started!”
Justin: “A big fat hug to all the legends we’ve had the privilege of working alongside and to all that have supported us thus far <3
Word of advice. Buy good cookware, shit will change your life.”
Jaden: “shout-out to all the homies bands we’ve played with; Deadnerve, Deadskin, Headwreck, Kin, Weightless, Zuko, Vatic, Liar, KOH & Late Nov.”
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us, cannot wait to see what is next for you all!!
Links hit them up and show your support
- website: https://www.samepains.com
- facebook: https://www.facebook.com/same.pains
- instagram: https://instagram.com/same.pains
- tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@same.pains
- youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SAMEPAINS
