Australian band Bad//Dreems are pressing pause after 15 years, and in this Noise11 interview, guitarist Alex Cameron explains why now is the right time to step away.
Speaking with Paul Cashmere, Cameron confirms the band will enter an indefinite hiatus following the release of their fifth album Ultra Dundee. While the decision may come as a surprise to fans, Cameron frames it as a positive and necessary move after years of balancing music with careers outside the band.
The conversation explores the harsh economics of the modern music industry, including the reality that even successful touring can leave artists with minimal returns. Cameron doesn’t hold back, describing an industry where artists are often the last to benefit.
The interview also looks at the band’s legacy and their connection to newer Australian acts like Amyl and the Sniffers and The Chats, both of whom have taken a similar raw Australian sound to global audiences.
On the creative side, Cameron discusses the making of Ultra Dundee, recorded in a unique Adelaide studio space, and how it became the band’s most fully realised work.
He also unpacks the meaning behind the album title, inspired in part by the iconic Mick Dundee, and the literary reference to W. B. Yeats in the single Irish Airman.
Finally, Cameron hints at what’s next, including a return to violin and a more open-ended approach to making music.
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