Interview: End Boss Talk About Debut Album 'They Seek My Head'

With one of three album release shows done and dusted, They Seek My Head debuting on the Official New Zealand Top 40 Albums chart, and two major shows ahead of them this weekend, shiny new Pōneke metal group End Boss are absolutely thrashing the roll out of their very first LP. The trio hit Ōtautahi tomorrow night before ripping up to Auckland's Whammy Backroom for the final stop in their tour. Despite the busy riffing, End Boss front person and vocalist E.J. Thorpe found a moment to respond to a few email questions from yours truly, revealing the delightful term 'Friend Bosses', who she's been listening to lately, and the band's odorous jam space woes...

End Boss They Seek My Head album release tour

Friday 17th June - Darkroom, Christchurch w/ Borer, Old Haven
Saturday 18th June - Whammy Backroom, Auckland w/ Demons of Noon, Slumbug

Tickets available HERE via UTR

Annabel Kean: How has End Boss been preparing for the tour?

E.J. Thorpe: To be honest it's been business as usual for us Friend Bosses! We're all pretty busy with our day to day lives and getting everyone together for practices can be tricky. We have a sweet wee jam space that is possibly haunted by a poo monster (long story) but we've managed to brave the smell and get our proverbial shit together!

What song from the album are you most excited about performing live?

I say this to the guys a lot but the end riff in Heart of The Sickle gets me every single time. Whenever we play that song I feel like I'm standing in front of a huge machine and in that moment I feel so grateful to be in a band that can make such a powerful sound.

You're high in the charts, the LP sold out, and you're racking up the positive reviews. Did you have any clue that They Seek My Head would have the response it's had?

It's such a privilege to be able to make music with others, to have it professionally recorded is another level of privilege again. It still blows me away that we got to have the experience we did with James Goldsmith at The Surgery. We make music because it's fun and something we love to do and having it archived so to speak is really special. To have other people dig it is another level again, it's such a radical bonus to me. You create this stuff without wondering if others will like it, if anything, assuming they won't - haha! I still feel kinda shocked when people come up to us at shows and say they enjoyed it, so it's a total buzz that the album has been received as well as it has.

What New Zealand music are you excited about at the moment?

I recently saw the Pōneke based band BODYSIEGE and was absolutely blown away. They play industrial, doomy sludge with a killer bass tone and savage vocals. It's the most amped a live band has made me in a long time and I'm excited for their release which comes out this month on Deadboy Records. Check them out!

I saw a picture of Greg on your social media literally bleeding from the head from headbanging! Has the band had much in the way of injuries from rocking too hard?

I'm sure the guys have some stories to tell in regards to injuries at gigs over the years! Personally I've just had your classic run-of-the-mill close calls in mosh pits. Earrings getting caught on a bogan's hair, head banging ya face into a spikey, studded jacket - it's all just part of the fun eh!

Favourite video game End Boss?

I'm not a gamer these days, but Final Fantasy 8 will forever hold a special place in my heart ?