Motor Ace Knock Knock Interview

Melbourne rockers Motor Ace have officially returned from the sonic wilderness after 17 years, announcing a brand new single Knock Knock that traces its origins all the way back to the early 2000s. Knock Knock relishes in hard-rocking riffs and the potent spirit of the group's breakout 2001 debut album Five Star Laundry; a fitting connection, with Motor Ace also imminently gearing up for their Five Star Laundry Anniversary tour, kicking off at Freo Social on June 10, before rolling through to Badlands (Perth), The Triffid (Brisbane), The Factory Theatre (Sydney), The Cambridge Hotel (Newcastle), The Gov (Adelaide) and concluding with a special hometown show at 170 Russell in Melbourne on June 24. Featuring Melbourne noughties rockers, Klinger as special guests at all shows, excluding WA. Knock Knock consummately continues the legendary Motor Ace journey, blending remnants of the group's trademark alt-rock and post-grunge grit with a sharpened modern slant. Bustling with driving guitars, infectious hooks and a guest vocal appearance from ICEHOUSE's Paul Gildea, the jangly Knock Knock sprang from an idea that had actually been written between Motor Ace's 2001 debut full-length Five Star Laundry and the ravenous follow up, 2002's Shoot This; but the universe had other plans for this new 2022 earworm, as Motor Ace vocalist and guitarist Patrick Robertson explains, 'It's an idea that was kicking around back in the day, but we never got around to finishing it. We'd always loved the sound, but it was written between the first and second records and didn't really fit with what we were aiming for on the second. Probably should have finished it then!'.

The accompanying video for Knock Knock offers fans a tantalising fly-on-the-wall peek behind Motor Ace's 2019 Five Star Reunion Tour, with Melbourne video wunderkind Matt Jasper utilising up close and personal backstage and onstage moments from the tour shot for a Motor Ace documentary to adorn the band's first music video in close to two decades.

Collating an all-star cast of players to bring Knock Knock ultimately to life late last year, Motor Ace worked alongside Five Star Laundry producer Craig Harnath (Hothouse Studios) and acclaimed producer and mixer Forrester Savall, resulting in an energetic snapshot of the band's permeating essence alongside a renewed vigour for the brand new chapter that was itself sparked by the band's sold-out reunion shows back in 2019. As Pat explains, 'Coming back after 15 years away and receiving such a huge reaction at our shows was really humbling. It was a lightning rod for a new creative venture with the band. We wanted to capture the spirit of Five Star Laundry, which in retrospect we all feel had an energy and simplicity that was never fully explored. The process of recording was extremely straight forward - no rehearsals. We wanted to capture the essence of band without overthinking every aspect of production – less talking, more playing. Sonically the track is up there with my favourite Motor Ace tunes yet.'

Needing very little introduction, Motor Ace's standing in the Australian music scene harks back to their debut album Five Star Laundry which went gold within its first month of going on sale. The group would go on to relentlessly tour and release albums over a short space of time, boasting support slots alongside Foo Fighters, Oasis and Blink-182, and three studio albums in just under five years. Motor Ace's rollicking tunes were airwave mainstays at the turn of the millennium, alongside sold-out shows and ARIA chart domination, including the #1 debut of their sophomore album Shoot This in 2002. And while the world and the music industry at large has changed drastically since the early, heady days of the 2000s, the 2022 iteration of Motor Ace has aged like a very fine wine – this is Motor Ace fresh out of the noughties, and things are only just getting started.

Interview with Motor Ace

Question: Great to see you guys are back! What was the motivation to get back after 17 years?

Motor Ace: 2018 was the 20th anniversary of the bands formation. We met up for a beer in Collingwood to reminisce and one thing led to another… you know how it goes. Collectively we all recognised that we wanted to celebrate our music together again and potentially even write some new stuff.


Question: How would you describe your music?

Motor Ace: Dreamy distorted pop music


Question: What inspired your new song "Knock Knock"?

Motor Ace: We wrote the main riffs for knock knock during the demos for Shoot This. It certainly wasn't a good fit for Shoot this which was a much cleaner wide screen sound. After reforming to do the reunion shows we spent a weekend recording the track with a new soic approach and were all pretty pumped with the result. We have three more tracks to come all cut from a similar cloth.

Question: What should we expect from your upcoming shows?

Motor Ace: We are intending to play Five Star Laundry in its entirety, as well as a couple of newbies and the old faves. We've been busy rehearsing so punters can expect us to be on our A Game. We also have Klinger in support, another great Melbourne pop rock band from the early noughties.


Question: What is the story behind the band name?

Motor Ace: When the band first formed we were all in love with indie shoegazer music and late 90s hard rock… weird combo I know but makes sense when you listen to our sound… Motor Ace came from the Soundgarden song Pretty Noose: 'Let your motor race, Pick it up, And get this mother gone'


Question: How did the band come together?

Motor Ace: Patch, Dave and I went to high school together and used to jam at lunch break. We stumbled across Damo who was working as an audio engineer in a studio we recorded in. When our drummer at the time quit the band we reached out to Damo and the rest is history.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Motor Ace: I think it's probably different for each of us. Personally, I am often inspired by sonics in other music that makes me to pick up a guitar and make some noise… Often the aesthetic will influence the lyric rather than the other way around.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?
Motor Ace: I am loving the Khruangbin records, ethereal melodies and awesome basslines, who knew instrumental music could hold my attention?!


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Motor Ace: I fell into it really, Pat's singer quit his high school band and he called me asking if I could learn how to play the bass in 6 days… just in time for the St Kilda Festival… pretty sure I was terrible but we gelled and ended up getting into all sorts of mischief together.


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Motor Ace: Playing music full time is a huge privilege. How many people can say that they get paid to do exactly what they love with no compromises. We all have day jobs now so I have a real appreciation for this time in my life.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Motor Ace: Ha! Not as glamorous as you might imagine… dropping kids at school, working an eight-hour day in an office and then off to rehearsal or the studio to record in the evening. Rinse and repeat.


Question: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

Motor Ace: Go for it while you're young and don't listen to the doubters. Sure you might not make it to the top of the mountain… but what's the alternative, die wondering?

Question: What's next, for you?

Motor Ace: We have a four track EP in production that we'd love to release on vinyl in 2023. Can't wait for ya'' to hear the new stuff.


Question: Can you share your socials? (links please)

Motor Ace: Facebook 
Instagram 


Interview by Gwen van Montfort