‘80s party vibe strikes a chord

Redcliffe-based band the Killtoys have found inspiration in the pop/new wave vibes of the 1980s for their latest single and it seems the punters are loving it.

Frontman and guitarist Mick Bristow says Come Alive has received good airplay in England and Scotland where ‘they really like it’ and is gathering momentum at home.

It has had ‘reasonable support in Australia’ and was the most popular track being played by Canberra radio station Valley 89.5FM soon after its release.

“It’s striking a chord. I think it feels good. It’s an enjoyable, fun song. It’s got a great upbeat vibe around it,” Bristow says.

He says it is a flashback to the early 1980s, with a beat you can dance to.

“It encompasses that space and time, but with our own take on it. It’s more rocky than you would have got then,” he says.

“The song is about emerging as your own person and finding your own style and people being a bit shocked at first, maybe. It’s about being brave enough to be who you want to be.

“The reaction has been super positive really. It’s the first pop one we’ve put out for a little while … we’ve been doing mostly rock song. This is a genuine single.”

There’s also a touch of nostalgia for those who enjoyed music in the 80s.

“There’s plenty of hooks to sing along to. It’s something different,” Bristow explains.

“We’re not doing what everyone else is. People can relate to art you can’t find anywhere else.”

Homegrown talent

The whole band lives on the Redcliffe peninsula and Come Alive was recorded, engineered and mixed in Bristow’s King Street Studio.

The three-piece group, which also includes Stav Tsolakides on bass guitar and Bevan Bancroft on drums, formed in 2019 after playing together in other bands - most notably The Pretty Fingers who released 10 records and had their music aired nationally and.

Bristow says he’s been in the industry ‘a lifetime’, since he was a teenager and he has an endless fascination to make the best song possible – one that he loves and one that others will also enjoy.

“I always enjoy creating something new,” he explains.

The Killtoys have used their COVID-19 hiatus to record a full-length feature album, of which they will release three singles before the album’s debut hopefully by November. They’ve had two tours decimated by lockdowns.

“That’s the best way we thought we could get through this, by creating new music and content and reaching our fan base that way,” Bristow says.

So, where does the name come from? Bristow explains …

“Sometimes, I just feel like we’re constantly being manipulated by corporate-led trends. I feel like a plaything, a toy soldier, being treated like a number,” he says.

“We’re all about creating our own trend and trying to stay independent of that, resisting, and hopefully other people will do the same.”

He says they’ve been influenced by early 1980s new-wave, post-punk music, particularly David Bowie, The Cure, Spy V Spy and these days The Killers.

Some have said their new song channels the spirit of Bowie.

Bristow says he’s pretty happy with that.

Want to know more about the Killtoys? Check out their Facebook page