Interview: With Confidence (Slam Dunk Fest Preview)

Over the coming days and weeks, Already Heard will be previewing this years Slam Dunk Festival in detail through a range of interviews and features.

For Sydney, Australia’s With Confidence, making their Slam Dunk Festival debut should be second nature to them. Having shared the stage with a load of Slam Dunk alumni (You Me At Six, The Wonder Years, Neck Deep, State Champs) the quartet are set to throw their hat into the pop punk ring next month with their debut full-length album, ‘Better Weather’.

As recent singles ‘Keeper’ and ‘We’ll Be Okay’ show, With Confidence serve as the ideal fit for their new label home of Hopeless Records. With a recipe of big hooks and energetic instrumentation, the Aussie four-piece are set for a busy summer. Not only will they be releasing ‘Better Weather’ and playing Slam Dunk, they’re currently touring with As It Is and will embark on their first Vans Warped Tour run next month.

Before they packed their bags and headed from down under, we spoke with guitarist Luke Rockets to talk about ‘Better Weather’, the Slam Dunk Festival and more.

AH: So we’re just days away from you making your first trip to the UK. What’s the mood in the With Confidence camp right now?
Luke: The mood is awesome, it’s a surreal feeling being on the other side of the world because of our music.

AH: For many, you’re a new band. What should our readers know about With Confidence?
Luke: We’re 4
four dudes who do what we love. We make music that makes us happy and in turn hope it makes others feel the same.

AH: Your first time in the UK sees you playing shows with As It Is and Jule Vera. What can people expect when they come out to these shows?
Luke: We tried to put a set together of our older fan favourites while showcasing a few tunes off the upcoming album. Expect a highly energetic, fun performance but most definitely expect to leave sweaty!

AH: You’re also going to be appearing at the Slam Dunk Festival. What have you been told about the festival?
Luke: We’ve heard nothing but great things. All our friends in bands who’ve played in previous years have said its the most fun festival in the whole world. We’ve also definitely heard it referred to as “Slam Drunk” a few times, so it seems like we have some good times ahead.

AH: You’re on the “Fresh Blood” stage, which highlights new music. For a band like yourselves, how important is a festival like Slam Dunk to showcase what you can do to potential new fans?
Luke: It’s so important and so awesome Slam Dunk gives a newly international band like us a chance to performance to so many new potential fans.
It’s awesome to able to showcase ourselves in the company of so many of our own favourite bands that have influenced us.

AH: With a range of bands playing across the festival, who are you hoping to watch over the three days?
Luke: There’s so many bands I grew up loving like Panic! At The Disco, New Found Glory, Yellowcard and Four Year Strong who I absolutely cannot wait to see, as well as bands we’ve toured with who are now good friends of ours like Real Friends, Roam and obviously the dudes in As It Is!

AH: This visit along with your forthcoming Warped Tour run all leads up to the release of ‘Better Weather’ next month. How would you sum up the overall vibe of the album?
Luke: There’s a lyric from a song called ‘Voldemort’ which sums up the overall vibe of the album to me, the lyric is “despite the weather, it gets better…” It’s a simple message but that particular lyric really encapsulates what this album is about and the message we hope we can get through to people.

AH: The album is coming out on Hopeless Records. How does it feel to be part of such an awesome roster of bands?
Luke: Hopeless is honestly home to my favourite bands. It’s such an honour to sharing that home with all of them. We couldn’t be happier!

‘Better Weather’ by With Confidence is released on on June 17th on Hopeless Records.

With Confidence will be playing on the “Fresh Bloo” stage:
Slam Dunk North (Leeds) – 1:30 – 2:00pm
Slam Dunk Midlands (Birmingham) – 6:30 – 7:00pm
Slam Dunk South (Hertfordshire) – 2:20 – 2:50pm

View more of Already Heard’s coverage from Slam Dunk Festival 2016 here.