At any one time at least 20-30% of the population in Darwin is ‘transient’ – meaning, in the process of either ‘coming’ or going’ to and from the NT’s fair capital.

It’s a fact of life Top Enders have learned to live with – as have many other NT towns and communities. Universally, the Territory is a place which attracts travellers, transient workers and others who just want to sample a different kind of life.. for a while anyway. Inevitably and chances are, many or most of the people you come to call friends and neighbours up here, tend to ‘move on’.

Territory musicians aren’t immune to these regular tidal movements in population. It can make it hard find musicians to form a band let alone keep them, even when things are going well. (Who hasn’t heard the story about a stellar young star high school band on the rise in the local scene, only to find half of them have move interstate to go to Uni..)

That said, the opposite can also be true; interesting musical unions form out of the ashes of defunct bands, sometimes with ‘the most unlikely’ candidates teaming up to begin new, exciting music projects.

Which is in a way the back story to The Wicked Garden, a band who formed in Darwin at the end of 2010, from – as their ‘running mate’ Will Morris from Burrfoot put it in a recent blog post on the Music NT Forum – “the ashes” of four Darwin bands, “Zed Major, Crassic Park, Exit Pursued, Elysium”.

Named after a Stone Temple Pilots song, and describing their music as “Heavy Saturated Guitar”, “Thick Destroying Bass” and “Ear Bashing Drums”, they’re about to play their very first gig.

As ‘the man’ said, “from little things big things grow…”

The Wicked Garden’s Zac, Lachlan and Rudy take it from here…

Music NT: Wicked Garden is a trio.. Who are you and what do you play?

Zac East: Participant and guitarist/vocalist.

Lachlan West: Also a participant and the drummer.

Rudy Navin: Participant & bassist.

MuNT: What bands have you been in previously, and what motivated you to start Wicked Garden?

Zac: As many know, I was involved in Zedmajor for over 2 years and played many great shows. But musical tastes differed and came to light after the hiatus. I wanted to try something different and explore alternative stylings, so I started The Wicked Garden with the help of Lachlan and Rudy.

Lachlan: Well I’m currently in another two projects, “Exit Pursued” and “Crassic Park” (currently on hiatus). Crassic was the band I used to gig with Zedmajor, and that’s how I met Zac, and after Zed split, Zac contacted me, introduced me to Rudy and the band jammed it out, and it took off from there!

Rudy: My previous band was Elysium. We played gigs around Darwin, not to mention Bass In The Grass, and all studied as CDU at the same time. After not playing for a few years i got an invite from Zac to form a band with himself and Lachlan and i found it too hard to turn down.

MuNT: How would you describe your music?

Zac: Hard to say really, maybe.. nah, couldn’t really nail it. Maybe Radiohead meets Marcy Playground? I don’t know..

Lachlan: Hmmm… I’d have to say come to our next show and you tell me!

Rudy: In one word: honest. I think we all share common ground about what we want to play and what influences us to write our music. But at the same time we feel that we contribute something individually to each song.

MuNT: Do you think it is a leap of faith to start a band?

Zac: Not at all, everyone should do it! It’s so easy provided you have the motivation. There are so many cool and artistic people in the NT, and we’re all becoming quite close as we band together to build on the current scene. Do it, and do it now. Everyone wants to hear what you have to say.

Lachlan: Not at all, although it’s not easy and at some points your dedication is tested. But I enjoy the whole process of starting a new band, playing different styles, and different and new ways to approach your instrument.

Rudy: I don’t think so. Everything about being in a band seems more positive than negative. When you find the right people to form a band with and have a good community that will help each other out, it never seems like a leap of faith.

MuNT: Who do you want to reach with your music – and how far do you want to take it?

Zac: As I always said in any musical congregation , I’ll push it as far as it will go. At the end of the day if ‘you don’t have it’, ‘you don’t have it’. But that shouldn’t be a reason not to start. I love performing and writing music, there is just nothing like it. Especially when it comes together and comes out better than you ever thought it might.. I would say that we would like to reach anyone looking to listen, and anyone who uses music as an escapism. There’s nothing better than sinking and losing yourself in great music.

Lachlan: Zac summed it up pretty well – anyone who uses music as an exit, a place to go by yourself and appreciate the music for what it really is.

Rudy: Anyone who is willing to give us a chance and listen to the music that we make. I hope we can interest people with the music that we make and pick up a lot of fans along the way. Like Zac, I really enjoy writing and preforming music there really is nothing better than banging out a tune live in front of people

And as for how far? The sky’s the limit isn’t it?!

MuNT: How do you want to distribute your music?

Zac: I would say, through selling  CDs at shows and also via the internet. You can get your music through to other countries and new listeners all the time through simple social networking, like Facebook. Basically any way we can. I’m excited to put our stuff up on iTunes, that’s a little personal goal for me…

Lachlan: Well I’d like as many people to hear the tracks as possible, so any means – as long as it’s easily accessible for people who want to listen.

Rudy: Well in this day and age there are so many ways to get your music out to other people. There’s CDs but I guess the more modern way is to get it onto social network sites and start promoting it yourself in any way possible to get noticed.

MuNT: Zac – what is your NT story? Were you born here?

Zac: I moved to the NT from Ocean Grove, in Victoria. There was such a big emphasis on music when I was at school. For example, we had this guy that basically he would run Band Development classes, from Sound to Overall Performance, and at the end of the term, mark you.

I was playing in a band called Anti-Me at the time, the first project I started. We participated in Battle Of The Bands and placed a nice second place. I moved from Qld to Vic, and had a hard time adjusting, so I just used to sit in my room with my acoustic guitar and just write – all the time.

I recorded some of that at my then-drummer’s place, and called it “Sollow”. I still listen to it now, because it was so concentrated and such a reflection of where my life was at that point. CD ‘Anti-Me’ was the rocked-up version of some of the songs I wrote. Before I left Victoria, I was involved in 5 different musical projects. One my favourites being a band called “The Kings Of The West”.

MuNT: Does living in Darwin shape or inspire your music? If so, how?

Zac: Absolutely. Being in Darwin gives you the opportunity to be 100% unique and different as no two bands are alike and everyone is willing to listen. I don’t think I’d want to play live music anywhere elsev- for now anyway. Personally, I’m too excited to show Darwin what can be achieved.

Lachlan: It definitely motivates you more to get heard, and being sort of disconnected from the other states is good. It allows you to take a step back and learn from the music being heard today and focus on your own.

MuNT: Plans to record? Can you give us a bit of a glimpse into what to expect  and when it will be out?

Lachlan: No recording as of yet, but it will be sooner rather then later.

Zac: Yeah unfortunately we aren’t recording at the moment. However I’d like to say that our ‘demo’ will be nothing less that what we want it to be, and I’d like to think that our EP will be something of a musical event. When you listen to it, it will take you from start to finish. Not just a whole bunch of stuff thrown together.

Personally, I’d really like to write it from scratch and put a theme around it. Almost album-ish. Dunno, see what happens really.

MuNT: What inspires your music?

Zac: I like to express myself through my writing and playing and singing, and for people to be able to connect with that and realise that you’re not alone, and appreciate music for what it is – like Lachlan said.

And also the thought of writing/performing music as more than a hobby one day.. And also my daughter, to bring her up in a world full of great music, and being able to show her what she can do with a guitar and few words..

Lachlan: Hearing any great piece of music that pushes the boundaries of what we consider, that pushes me to play at the best I can be and hopefully become a band that does the same.

MuNT: Zac, recently you started the Darwin Music Scene group on Facebook – do you feel part of a music community in the NT? Can you describe it?

Zac: Yeah, you know it was such a impulse thing.. I was just at home one night and getting all these different posts from different pages, so I decided to throw it all together in one group. And I’m really proud that others have just picked it up and realised it’s ability. I mean, it’s hard enough trying to find out what’s going on all the time, so it’s easier to have one location for it.. And for everyone to post things makes it really easy. And easier to network and connect with also. I mean, I haven’t heard all that much Roymackonkey stuff, nor Leah Flanagan, and both people and members from the aforementioned bands have posted. I know it might seem to some bands as just another place to update, but hey, it’s all in the one site, so why not just copy and paste.

Plus we get to broadcast some of the awesome stuff on the Music NT Forum, which has a lot of reviews and interviews that people don’t get to see. So yeah, I feel a strong sense of community in the Music scene and I’m very proud of that, it’s just trying to get everyone to bring down their separators and break away the “Leagues” of bands and performers, and basically get everyone talking and seeing what talent the NT has.

I tell you what though, Nico Liengme [Top End Terror promoter] has done a lot of breathing for the Rock/Metal genres here over the last 12 months, so I think it’s time we start to expand those lungs and get everyone to carry on his efforts.

MuNT: What’s the best thing about making music in the NT, and the ‘most challenging’?

Zac: The opportunities for live gigs. I know a lot of people might disagree with me, but last year, I performed over 15 shows with Zedmajor, and when we played in Adelaide for the ScorcherFest, there was one Adelaide band that I chatted with who had debuted there. That was basically their first gig since they got together and rehearsed in 8months. Couldn’t believe it. So it made me grateful for the opportunities to play here.

I think the most challenging is keeping it going and moving on from there. For example, Roymackonkey and Terracotta Pigeons have been rocking the clubs in the city, and I know both those bands have had to self-fund in order to take it to the next level. So I guess that’ll be our challenge.. But hey, I have a lot of belief that if we keep going the way we are in terms of the NT music scene, people are going to start looking up here.

Lachlan: Being able to play live pretty much whenever you want if you book it right, I guess the challenges are the same as in any music industry but the NT may be a little more remote.

MuNT: What are some of the best gigs you’ve seen in the NT? And been part of yourself?

Zac: The Terrorfests always come with quality. I don’t think I’ve played at better shows. I really enjoyed being a part of the Terrorfest crew myself, it’s nice to take a step back and seeing how you are as a performer and seeing the other side of the coin.

And The Chippo gig I did with Zedmajor, that went off. People were everywhere and it just rocked the f-ck out! Great atmosphere and the SiND blokes are really friendly. Rod and the boys are champs.

Lachlan: Terrorfest goes without saying, the BIG GIG is also another one to watch out for – I had a ball playing in that. And one of the best shows I’ve played in was the the ‘Crassic Park’ EP launch. Months and months of work for one hell of a night!

MuNT: Do you see the Darwin music culture changing at all? If so, how?

Zac: I would like to say yes, with more quality bands coming through. But I think it’s still a ‘work in progress’ at the moment. But I can say, since [Darwin original music club] Happy Yess moved, it’s really opened up a more diverse and new crowd. Just can’t wait to start playing again!

Lachlan: Well it’s come along way from what it used to be. This was pretty much done by the hard work of Nico Liengme, so let’s see what this year holds.

MuNT: What are your day jobs – and is it tough balancing that with your music life?

Zac: I’m the assistant/floor manager at the Telstra Store in Darwin City. Most people probably know that by now, so it can be hard balancing that.

I think the hardest part for me at the moment is balancing music with my new family, as my partner and I have a beautiful 6 month-old daughter. Ducky Richardson – previously of the now-defunct Sweet Amber – gave me lots of good advice about balancing it all out, not to mention Rudy as well as he too has a little man running about.

But I think it all comes down to how we make it work. If I had to give up music, I think I would lose about three quarters of myself, and I’m extremely grateful my family hasn’t asked me to do that.

Lachlan: Air Traffic Controller, haha nah it’s a long story.

MuNT: Where do you want to be with your music in 5 years?

Zac: Recording an album with a producer of our choice, recording an album that we want to write, and coming out with something that I can proudly give out and know that the ride has been worth every mile.

I also wouldn’t mind being on tour for a few weeks, but hey, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Lachlan: Hopefully playing as much as I possibly can, touring, recording everything.

Rudy: I would love to be playing gigs outside of Darwin!

The Wicked Garden play Happy Yess on Friday April 1, 2011. Visit this link for gig details.

And join The Wicked Garden community on Facebook.

Words: Megan Spencer. Thanks to The Wicked Garden for the interview.