'While Aus Burns' / Interview with Dr Sure's Unusual Practice
Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice most recent release “While Aus Burns” is a fiery response to the “Australian” governments gas led “recovery” and an example of wiry, bass driven Punk at its best. We caught up with Dougal Shaw to tell us how art and music helps people in times of crisis, if he thinks change is coming and what influence Punk can have.
Congrats on this release! I really relate to the feeling of fire returning to the belly after hearing about a gas lead “recovery” from old Scott recently. How do you deal with the level of disconnect between the real world and politicians at the moment? Any coping mechanisms you recommend?
Thanks heaps mate, stoked to get this one out of my hands, I sat on it for so long and thought maybe I’d never put it out but yeah that whole gas-led recovery thing was enough motivation. It just baffles you doesn’t it. Like do they know something the rest of us don’t? Is this whole climate change thing a big joke that we’re not in on? Or are they actually willing to sacrifice the future of life on Earth to line their mates pockets and maintain their lives of excess and privilege? It’s pretty confusing. I usually just write music, that’s always been my best coping mechanism. These days I walk the Merri, breathe some fresh air, find a spot where the water is running and listen to it for a bit.
Where would you ideally want to launch this tape and what venue do you miss the most?
I’d take anywhere right now just to hang out with people. That’s probably a cop out of an answer so I’ll say it’s hard to go past the Oldie. I feel like I’ve grown up there as a musician and I owe a lot to that place.
How do you think music and art helps people deal with crises and the feeling of hopelessness?
I can’t speak for everyone but I know for me it gives me some kind of filter to sift through all the madness. This release was definitely a cathartic kind of thing. It was the only way I could process everything I’d seen on that trip across this fucking fire ravaged continent. And I guess to put into words some of that frustration and anger and sadness I was feeling about the way the place is being run into the ground. On the other hand, as a listener, I know I’ve had a handful of albums and art and films that have been pretty essential to helping me get through this latest crisis, making me feel like someone else out there understood what I was feeling.
Do you think “Punk” music still has a relevant place in influencing societal and political change?
Sure, not just punk music but music and art in general. If anything probably pop music is the one that can have more of a comprehensive influence. Put some anti-capitalist anti-colonialist messaging behind some big euphoric hooks haha. But nah it’s more of that same kinda thing I guess I was trying to get at. It’s that thing of putting into words - or sounds or artwork or whatever - things that a lot of people are feeling and galvanising people behind a collective intention or emotion. Then people use their own skills and knowledge to keep it rolling in their own way. It’s gotta be a collective effort. The thing is, I don’t have all the answers, people sometimes message me being like ‘righto then what’s the answer smart guy’. I know that what we’ve got isn’t working, but I’m not a political strategist, and my *number 1 hit record* won’t fix it singlehandedly. There’s plenty of different roles in a society, just like there are different roles in a riot or a revolution, someone’s making plans, someone’s making signs, making beats, shouting in the street, someone’s hiding inside the trojan horse. It’s all valuable. And I think I trailed off but the simple answer is yes.
It feels like the disconnect and ignorance / willful ignorance from “Australian” politicians and the Murdoch media is only getting more and more apparent during 2020 as a lot of the general population deals with something close to home (for maybe the first time in their life). Do you think we’ll see a mindset shift from the “Quiet” Australians after this year?
It’s hard to say. I still don’t really know who these Quiet Australians are but I hope so! It kinda felt like it was gonna be the big reset the world needed. But as long as we have this conservative media monopoly in Australia it’s hard to see a big shift. Maybe that’s them, the people who blindly soak up whatever News Corp tells them. Are they the Quiet Australians? I don’t know, but I hope they pipe up. Despite all evidence to the contrary, I hold onto some shred of hope that humans are inherently good and that goodness will prevail. Shit, am I the Quiet Australian?
How has this year affected your songwriting / creative process?
At the start of the year we were just about to start recording the second Dr Sure LP with the band, It’s gunna be the first big full band project and I have a shitload, maybe 30-40 songs I demo’d last year that we had started narrowing down and messing with, and then it all stopped. To be honest I’ve been pretty unproductive since. I actually really struggled mentally with this last lockdown. I did make a bunch of ‘merri creek songs’, just ambient synth and piano tracks, just stuff that I would listen to on my walks that probably won’t see the light of day. But yeah it affected my process a lot, I was pretty much constantly writing the last couple years and I haven’t made a song in months. Think I realised I also feed off community a lot, always been really into building community and being around other creative people, keeping inspired.
I really enjoy the bass lines on your songs, do you play all the instruments or does the live band contribute to the recordings as well?
Oh cheers, I love playin the bass. All the stuff we’ve put out so far I’ve written all the parts then taken it to the band. Not really as a rule but it’s just the way it’s panned out so far. I’m not much of a jam it out/improvise kinda player. Never really had that experience growing up so it’s pretty foreign to me. But yeah a lot of the songs for the next album I was writing pretty bare, with the idea in mind that we would work them out as a band. Super keen to get back into it with them and come up with something fresh. Also probably keep doing little solo releases like this one.
Anything else you're excited about?
Friends, gigs, the ocean, the pub, hopefully get up to Qld and see my family.
Thanks for having me on Verve, I really dig what you guys are doing.
Check out “While Aus Burns” here
Check out Dr Sure’s here
Words and interview by Winter McQuinn
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