PREMIERE: Brisbane's Strange Fiction Encourage You To Give '100 F**king Percent'

Before the year wraps up Brisbane metal heroes Strange Fiction have debuted a party jam anthem for you to back yourself and we can not get behind the message enough!!!

The boys - who sound like the Aussie cousin of Every Time I Die - have kindly let us premiere their new belter '100 F**king Percent' and it's full of riff city screams that'll have you giving your all in the pit when they play it live next! We sat down with guitarist Jackson Barnes for a chat all about the song, their next moves and more!

Jackson, where the fuck have you boys been all year? Well, besides covid fucking up your show plans, what's been happening behind the scenes?

We’ve been, for the most part, taking it easy. With how the world is at the moment, we’ve been working on some new songs and future plans of the band and not rushing the process. We’ve also welcomed on our new drummer Miguel, who’s jumped in and was a perfect fit from the first rehearsal.

Niceeeee! Last year you teased us with your Captivated By The Chaos EP and got us moist in anticipation for the next phase of the band. How have you lot fine tuned your sound since that EP?

Well this time around we worked with Tynan Reibelt of Deadlights fame. He’s really whipped us into shape and told us what sucked and what works. He got Grant [McMillan] doing some different techniques on vocals and telling me that I suck and to do it better till I got it.

Hard love gets the best results! The evidence is here with new single '100 Fucking Percent' which is absolute fire from the get-go with the opening lines of "Show me what you gottttttt!" How'd this song evolve from the idea to the end result?

It started with a riff from about 2 years ago that I couldn’t work into anything but had a groovy hook. Then Grant came with a few ideas that just fit perfectly. We wanted something punchy and fast but not over stay it’s welcome. Clocking at less than 3 minutes, it’s punk riff city.

And that opening quote, what's it from and why'd you pick it to lead into the track?

That came from Grant's trip to Buffalo, New York to see Every Time I Die at their 2019 Shitmas show. It’s was during the wrestling event and it was a speech the big man Andy Williams gave. It gave the inspiration to the lyrics being a positive and motivational vibe. A reminder for all to keep pursuing what you love doing, to keep creating through these shitty times.

I haven't been able to see you lads performing live yet (life and covid getting in the way) that'll change in the new year but can we expect a show much like your performance in the video?

We take pride in what we do on stage, throwing as much energy around as we can to get the crowd going. So if we're not gross and sweaty after each set then we know we haven't done our job properly. But you'll just have to come to a show to see if it meets your expectations.

Ending the year on a huge high is a great way to keep us intrigued over the holidays, - what's on the horizon for you lads?

We’ve been trying to get over the border and up the coast to break out of brissy for a bit. But with how it is, it’s hard work getting solid confirmation on shows. Once restrictions have eased, we’re definitely gonna be booking some shows on our own and hopefully make some friends alone the way. Might be another new single in the very near future coming also.

It's no secret you're BIG fans of ETID - their sound oozes through your own tracks and you're essentially the little cousin (of theirs) that got into the same kind of music. If you could say one thing to the band, what would you like them to hear from your mouths?

How dare you go that hard on Radical! 16 unskipable bangers?! How is anyone supposed to top that? Beers and good vibes on us next time you’re in Brissy.

For those who haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, why should they give 100 fucking percent dedication to Strange Fiction?

Because we’re just here to have a good time and put smiles on faces, to play riffs, talk shit and look good while doing it. We don’t want to be that super edgy and serious band. We just want to help people forget their worries and cut loose.

Any final thoughts?

Just a massive thanks to everyone involved in the music industry for staying strong and keeping the scene alive, there is light at the end of the tunnel and we will see live music thrive again. Stay safe and hope to see some fimiliar faces at shows soon 😘

You can count on it mate!

Interview by Paul 'Browny' Brown @brownypaul

Strange Fiction is Grant McMillan (vocals), Jackson Barnes (guitar) Faber (guitar), Arlen McDonald (bass), Miguel Mendoza (drums) and Mitch Bruce (The Shoey Shark)

Find the band on Facebook and Instagram

Pre-save '100 Fucking Percent' here