photo : Kim Quint
31st May, 2023
How does it feel to be a part of the upcoming Parkway Drive-led Monsters of Oz tour of North America?
It’s without a doubt going to be our biggest tour as a support act to date. I’m extremely chuffed to have been included in the lineup as there are certainly other bands from Australia who might also be considered fitted to this bill. We’ve toured with Parkway before (2016 Australian regional) so we know what we’re in for.
How would you personally describe Make Them Suffer’s current sound?
It sounds like how you would expect a band to evolve. I like to think every album has been one of a kind, their respective realms, and comparing Neverbloom to our modern sound is like comparing the evolution of Star Wars movies – the latest one’s are fitted with all the latest tech!
Why heavy music? What is it about this style and sound that attracts you to it?
I always have to explain this one to my parents all the time. While there are songs written about hatred, violence or destruction embedded in the lyrical content, a good majority of music in this genre is actually directed toward self empowerment. This is the sound I would describe as “heavy”. It exists in other genres too (e.g: EDM and techno) however the metal genre is dominated with this style and is unique in its method of achieving this feeling. The drums feel like wardrums, the guitars feel like an energy weapon, the bass guitar pierces through any kind of layer and the frontperson is the deliverer. It makes it sound like some sort of fantasy but you just don’t get this with any other type of genre of music.
How did you first discover and get into metal?
I got into metal before I learnt to play instruments. Limp Bizkit must have been the first band I listened to that had metal elements. Some early records I owned were by Korn and Slipknot, then my collection expanded from there. Killswitch Engage was my introduction to the sub genre MTS currently belong to. I remember not being able to relate to vocals but having an affinity to the sounds being emitted from the drums, bass and guitar.
Who were/ are your music heroes? Who inspired you to want to play metal?
Wes Borland from Limp Bizkit – unique guitarist. His guitar melody, philosophy as an artist and guitarist, I reckon is the embodiment of what metal is. Metal should be about not having to conform or follow all the rules, an expression of individuality and uniqueness. In an environment where you have groups of people or characters who are unique, he is unique. He doesn’t care his guitars are modified or beaten up. He makes it work and plays his instrument well.
Was there a defining moment that made you decide to play an instrument?
It was before my parents bought me my first guitar, I think I was watching my friend’s cover band perform in middle school.
photo : Kim Quint
Do you just play guitar, or dabble in other instruments??
I produce music so I have some (if not limited) knowledge of other instruments and how they interact with one another. Guitar is certainly my primary instrument which I build everything else off of. Outside of rock instruments, I also actually happen to be able to play flute and read music from it.
How did you learn to play guitar? Formal lessons, self-taught, online?
I had lessons early on from a teacher that showed me all the fundamentals, although I would attribute my current style to learning to play on my own and recording my own songs. Recording your own songs and actively paying attention to the methods in which you produce sounds in my opinion is the best method of improving as a guitar player.
Were your parents supportive of your choice to play an instrument, and play in a band?
They were certainly supportive in my choice to play an instrument. I think it took them a while to understand the scope of what I was doing with the band. They’re very old school, although in recent years I think they’ve been able to put two and two together and see where it is all going.
What was the scene like when the band started? Many other bands in your area to play shows with?
We were geographically disadvantaged in the sense that we lived in WA so it would cut us off from touring opportunities, or even learning opportunities with regard to how to be in a band. Despite all this, Perth’s music culture was rich and the scene was vibrant – sold out shows happening every weekend in the all ages circuit, hardcore bands touring through the city every month, there was certainly a ‘golden age’ period where shows were packed, there were photographers, pit lords etc all contributing to the community. The first five years for the band was spent doing the Perth circuit with local bands and the venues in the city became their learning ground.
Do you remember the first show you played with Make Them Suffer?
I was actually in another local Perth band and we had Make Them Suffer open the bill. It would have been October 2009.
How often do you get to practice as a band?
We usually only practice for a day (two if we’re lucky) the day before leaving for a tour. Everyone practices at home, we all meet up and check that everything works, then fly out.
How often do you practice your instrument? Is it playing along to songs, working on specific techniques, etc…?
Literally only while I’m producing music or rehearsing for live performances. By default, it’s generally always to a click.
How are Make Them Suffer songs conceived? From jamming ideas at practice, working individually, music first then words, etc…?
It almost always starts from guitars or samples. The aim is always to “catch a vibe” and base the rest of the song around it. It’s always done in the studio. A song arrangement is formed using demo recordings and then lyrics are added after.
Do you write and/or record your own music? Are there any Nick McLernon solo tracks recorded?
A few months after the lockdowns in Victoria I actually recorded and released ten songs on streaming platforms under the title Anasazi: Rainsongs – it was a pandemic project just for fun that my friends knew about and I never really thought to pursue it.
What artists, old or new, are you listening to currently?
I keep up with the most current metalcore bands, honestly though I just enjoy music that is “vibey” so I’m certainly not limited to any musical genre.
What have been some of your most memorable shows to date?
This is always a hard question and my answer is always different depending on the context, so right now I would have to bring to mention that our tour in North America with Bad Omens, Dayseeker and Thousand Below last November would have been the most memorable shows, all things considered.
photo : Seppe Germaux
What do you do for work when you aren’t playing with Make Them Suffer?
I do shifts at a 000 exchange. I love it there and it’s hard seeing myself not doing it at least once a week .
Is it hard to juggle work and a touring schedule? Are your employers ok with you taking leave to tour?
I’ve got it pretty good, my employers value me enough to let me take leave when I need. The hardest part would be preparing finances so you can preserve the health of both personal and business finances.
Worst touring experience?
At the time I didn’t think so much about it but in retrospect I would say it would have been our first time touring Europe – we opened that tour, the tour didn’t do so well and many of the members in the other bands were taking themselves very seriously. We weren’t a very good band back then and no one really wanted to take us under their wing. Figuratively speaking, we were bullied by a lot of the older metal bands. Job for a Cowboy were one of them, and they broke up after that tour. I always use that experience to remind myself what not to be like when we share a tour package with other bands.
Who’s your bucket list artist to tour with?
Honestly, Limp Bizkit – I’d probably be prepared to lose money.
Touring – how do you keep occupied on long plane/ bus trips?
I fulfil band errands, and write to interviews and questionnaires like this when I can.
Any pre-show rituals?
We bring a personal speaker and crank up Prodigy, Rammstein, or anything that is considered pump up music.
Favourite countries to tour, and why?
I love touring all of Europe – not necessarily for the shows, but for the people, hospitality, history and culture.
Festivals or venues, which do you prefer and why?
I always love playing festivals – it’s what it sounds like, a festival! Enough said.
What’s the last show you saw that you weren’t playing at?
I went to Knotfest in Melbourne. What a time to be alive!
What do you do in your free time? Any other hobbies outside of music?
I enjoy photography, going to the gym, and watching podcasts.
photo : Kim Quint
Favourite holiday destination?
I haven’t taken many holidays but I would love to see some of the lesser known places by westerners. I want to experience the Middle East and border nations e.g: countries like Jordan, Turkey, Israel etc..
Are those prescription safety glasses you wear on stage? Do you have trouble with them fogging up and getting smeared with sweat during a set? Will we see Nick McLernon signature Bolle safety glasses at the merch desk?
They’re prescription Oakley’s – I apply anti fog spray to them before the set. I was one of those people who left their contact lenses in every night. I was doing this for fifteen years more or less and one day I copped a corneal ulcer. I was admitted to an ophthalmologist who said I would avoid eye surgery but I needed to avoid wearing contact lenses. I wasn’t going to wear everyday glasses on stage so I needed something that looked more aesthetic to the genre of music, so the best I could get were baseball glasses custom made to prescription. I’ve been exploring different options in terms of glasses aesthetics, thanks for recommending me Bolle! If I earned my own signature pair one day with a prominent brand, that would definitely be a bucket list thing ticked off.
Specifically, what gear do you play? Guitars, amps, pedals, strings/gauges, picks? Any endorsements?
I play Jackson’s and have a deal with them. Bareknuckle pickups, D’Addario strings, Neural DSP, and EVH. My 6 string guitar setup could be considered quite unorthodox. I play .74 down to .13 in drop A on a 25.5” neck, Floyd Rose bridge. A guitar in this setup wouldn’t be able to support lighter strings and is considered to be unplayable to some people. For me, it forces me to play tough and enables tension support so that the strings don’t go out of tune. It certainly forces you to play in a certain style of rhythm guitar you wouldn’t otherwise play on a lighter gauge in this setup. My 7 string has an Evertune bridge, which lets me play lighter strings in low E tuning.
Thoughts on Evertune bridges?
If you’re playing a fixed bridge guitar that doesn’t have one, then what are you even doing??
Any chance of a signature Jackson in the works?
That would be a dream, register your interest with them!
What’s your dream gear?
My own signature Jackson guitar, all the amps and cabs in the world. I’d love to tour with a wall of cabs.
Thoughts on U18 venues/gigs?
I haven’t played an all ages show in a very long time, but I think they’re important for the future of the genre.
Cats – lovable family members or Satan’s spawn?
You’d have to be a very certain type of person to hate cats.
What does 2023 have in store for Make Them Suffer?
Writing our fifth and biggest record, touring, more writing and more touring, some music videos then more touring.
photo : Kim Quint
Nick McLernon : @nickmclernon
Make Them Suffer : @makethemsuffer