Bringing The Party Down Under With RYAN And PEEJ From PUNK ROCK FACTORY

HEAVY Music Interviews

Interview by Kris Peters
Music means many things to many different people, but regardless of whether you listen to country or heavy metal, one common denominator remains. Music is supposed to be fun.
Which is exactly the way South Wales entertainment machine Punk Rock Factory approach each and every waking moment. Essentially a covers band who spice up everyone from Meatloaf to Michael Jackson to Abba to Disney classics with their own punk-fuelled tinge, Punk Rock Factory are a band who seem to bring themselves just as much joy as they do their fans.
Formed in 2014, Punk Rock Factory spent their early years refining their craft, toiling away without major success. But all of that changed at a time - ironically - when most of the world suffered during COVID. With more time on their hands due to the necessity of lockdown, the band invested their efforts into their social media and online presence, with immediate success.
They emerged from lockdown with enough momentum to carry their music throughout the music universe, culminating in invitations to play iconic festivals such as Bloodstock, Download and Slam Dunk to rapturous applause. These days, they are selling out venues worldwide, and the party is headed back to Australia this November.
HEAVY sat down with Peej (vocals, guitar) and Ryan (guitar) to join in the festivities. Being new to the band ourselves, we ask what to expect from a Punk Rock Factory live show.
"Fun." Ryan replied without hesitation. "It's always a laugh, man."
"Our shows are…" Peej jumped in. "I mean, the main word I would call them is ridiculous to be honest (laughs). It's full of guilty pleasure tracks and just good sing-along stuff, and we play a lot of like cartoons and TV stuff and Disney stuff, but we're not… I wouldn't say we're a child-oriented band. We're not the Wiggles. I do swear a lot when it's an all-ages show - I really do try not to - but fuck it, it's their own fault if they brought the kids (laughs). It's chaos, it's fun. We love being there and appreciate being there just as much as the fans do. The fact that people turn up night after night to come and watch us piss about on stage for an hour and a half is fucking great, and I think that comes across. We have such a laugh and the banter with the crowd… it's almost as if you're in a room with a load of your mates and everyone's involved and everyone's having a laugh and chipping in. That's the vibe of our show."
In the full interview, Ryan and Peej described their live shows as chaotic and interactive, emphasizing the importance of audience engagement to enhance the experience. They clarified that their performances, while featuring some cartoon and Disney songs, are not aimed at children.
The band shared insights into their creative process for punk rock covers, utilizing software like Moises to isolate song elements, and acknowledged the challenges of adapting complex genres. They reflected on their evolution since 2014, noting how they leveraged TikTok during the pandemic to expand their audience. We spoke about choosing songs to cover and what happens if they are too difficult, the process of breaking down and then reconstructing a song, what they get out of being in Punk Rock Factory and more.
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