Introducing: Salarymen

Sweet indie-pop with a serious message, we found Young Guns by Australia’s Salarymen as compelling as it was poignant. We had a chat with Thom and Renee to find out more the ViVii meets Beach House sounds of Young Guns.

First up, could you tell us a bit about Salarymen?

Renee: We’re based in sunny Sydney, Australia and we’ve been making music together since 2019. Not the greatest timing to start a band am I right?! Anyhow, we’ve been releasing as much music as we can in that time, dabbling in everything from, pop, rock, psych and folk genres and trying to find our own signature mix somewhere in there.

What motivates you and inspires your music and aesthetic?

Thom: We love so many styles of old and new music! On the one hand, you look at the pure skill of 60s and 70s bands who recorded tracks in one take, and it really makes you want to try and keep it real without over-producing the track. Some of our favourite modern bands include The Strokes and Foxygen also generally follow this aesthetic – they’re not overly commercialising their sound.

How did you meet?

Renee: We started dating while Thom was in bands around Sydney (several of which fizzled out sadly) and decided together that now was the time to start our own project! That way, the only way the band could break up is if we did!

That Man by Salarymen

How does the creative process work within the duo setup of Salarymen?

Renee: It’s quite collaborative and often last minute – we write many of our songs after we’ve set a release date! Sometimes I’ll have an idea and hand it over to Thom, and vice versa… I was going to reference Lennon and McCartney but that’s way too much of a stretch!!

What has been the biggest musical highlight for Salarymen so far?

Thom: Probably releasing our debut EP Scene Change in 2021 – we recorded this one entirely in our home studio and released it via local record label Scenic Drive run by Wayne Connolly, who is an extremely respected producer in Australia and all-round lovely guy.

Scene Change by Salarymen

If you could play or work with anyone, who would it be?

Thom: It would have to be Thom Yorke, Radiohead. That’s literally why I spell my first name with a H!

Who or what would you say has had the most influence on your music?

Renee: Probably The Beatles. Sounds cliché, but it’s true. You can hear it in our harmonies and chord progressions. We’ve got a photo of them in the studio which we always glance at when writing music.

What other Sydney bands should we be checking out right now?

Thom: The Lazy Eyes, Royel Otis and Telenova.

Was there a specific moment or event behind the lyrics of Young Guns?

Renee: We wrote it straight after the Uvalde school shooting in America. It’s about the madness of kids going to school and fearing they won’t come home.

Young Guns by Salarymen

What’s up next for Salarymen after the release of Young Guns in terms of music, gigs, videos…?

Thom: Our second EP is coming out in October and then we’re going on tour to Japan, which will be out of this world! We’re doing an album in 2022 as well.

You can stream and download Young Guns and Salarymen’s back catalogue on Bandcamp. More streaming options can be found here. To find out more about their tour of Japan, a hometown date at The Botany View Hotel, plus news on upcoming releases by Salarymen, hit them up on Facebook and Instagram