THE FRONT BOTTOMS

THE FRONT BOTTOMS | UNSW Roundhouse | 12 APRIL

For the past few months, my friend and bandmate Callum has been singing the same few lines from The Front Bottom’s song montgomery forever.  A catchy habit that has quickly passed on to the rest of the band and myself.           

“Cos’ we used to live here, and now they’re blowing it up”, we sing with affectionate impressions of singer Brian Seller’s American accent and quotable lyrics. 

This was my first introduction to the band, without fully realising who they were.

 Last month, while writing for the wanderer gig guide, I came across the upcoming Front Bottoms show at the UNSW Roundhouse. It became clear to me how prolific of a band they were. Some of their more popular songs I recognised from when they were trending online years ago.

Again, these songs were all memorable for Seller’s lyrics. It was an easy choice for the guide, and was fortunate enough to be invited to see the show as a result.

One thing I had noticed from live videos of the band was the tendency for the audience to be shouting the lyrics throughout the entire set.

While at the Roundhouse, I was waiting to take photos by the side and saw those at the front, hanging over the barrier, eager to do just that.

As the night went on, and I moved upstairs, it seemed like the whole room was singing along too.

It’s their first self-titled release from 2011 that resonates with me the most. The track Flashlight is a peak example of the emo folk hybrid that made The Front Bottoms so notable and makes them so good.

Montgomery forever is from their newest release from 2022, but I feel still holds the same quality of their debut. It shows how the band has continually produced great music and maintained their distinct sound across their career.

Words and Pictures by Lewis Gardiner