Feature / One Question Interviews
Serious Beak

June 27, 2015

Serious Beak
Serious Beak

Serious Beak

SPB: When did you decide that you want to make music for a living? 

Andrew Mortensen (bass): When I finished high school. But then I discovered to “make a living” from music, you had to play shit covers, in shitty RSLs, out in the middle of nowhere to pissed arseholes. So I got a day job and just did original music that I enjoyed. 

Lachlan R. Dale (guitar): Morts is on the money there. Making music for a living in Australia is a nightmare, especially if, like us, you play obscure or experimental music. Every member of Serious Beak has a day job, and we all bleed a lot of money for this band. The idea of covering pop songs in some drab RSL for the rest of my life just to scrape by makes me want to kill myself. 

 

— words by the SPB team • June 27, 2015

Serious Beak
Serious Beak

Related features

Skyway

One Question Interviews • May 23, 2025

Andrew Burgess (Skyway) SPB: What is your favorite protest song? Burgess: My favorite protest song? That's a tough one. I think it's impossible to talk about protest songs without mentioning the all-time greats that have held up over the years. I'm talking about songs like "We Shall Overcome," "We Will … Read more

ButcherBird

One Question Interviews • May 22, 2025

Rob (ButcherBird – guitar) SPB: How do you draw the line between taking influence vs. mimicking? Rob: When it comes to human creativity, almost nothing is truly and completely new. There’s a song by Iron Monkey called “House Anxiety” which has an absolutely crushing riff in it -- and it’s … Read more

Perfect Buzz

One Question Interviews • May 20, 2025

Petey J. Cool (Perfect Buzz) SPB: What is the best TV theme song? Petey J. Cool: I’ve still never seen an episode of Hawaii Five-O, but when I was a kid I’d get to catch the opening sequence just before I was marched off to bed. I was fascinated because … Read more

Caterwaul 2025

Music • May 13, 2025

Each year in late May, the 4-day party and noise-rock festival Caterwaul takes over multiple venues in Minneapolis. It’s a stacked lineup this year, to put it mildly, with each night’s headliners FACS, Young Widows, Naw, Pissed Jeans, and Uniform -- and that’s leaving a ton of other great bands … Read more

Ilya Arbatman (Rotary Club)

Book store co-owner

Interviews / Don't Quit Your Day Job • May 13, 2025

There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. Most musicians have day jobs – and not just to pay the bills. Jobs provide new challenges, personal fulfillment and, yes, some rent or gas money. How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative … Read more

Related news

More from this section

Skyway

One Question Interviews • May 23, 2025

Andrew Burgess (Skyway) SPB: What is your favorite protest song? Burgess: My favorite protest song? That's a tough one. I think it's impossible to talk about protest songs without mentioning the all-time greats that have held up over the years. I'm talking about songs like "We Shall Overcome," "We Will … Read more

ButcherBird

One Question Interviews • May 22, 2025

Rob (ButcherBird – guitar) SPB: How do you draw the line between taking influence vs. mimicking? Rob: When it comes to human creativity, almost nothing is truly and completely new. There’s a song by Iron Monkey called “House Anxiety” which has an absolutely crushing riff in it -- and it’s … Read more

Perfect Buzz

One Question Interviews • May 20, 2025

Petey J. Cool (Perfect Buzz) SPB: What is the best TV theme song? Petey J. Cool: I’ve still never seen an episode of Hawaii Five-O, but when I was a kid I’d get to catch the opening sequence just before I was marched off to bed. I was fascinated because … Read more