Street Carp answer five questions that reflect on their journey from a high school project to a full Melbourne five-piece, unpacking their upcoming shoegaze-driven EP.
Who initiated the idea of forming the band, and how did that conversation unfold? Especially with landing on naming yourselves Street Carp?
Hunter: Street Carp was my solo project back in 2024, and it wasn’t until I discovered my mate Sam was a drummer that we started jamming. Then Riley joined in, and by early 2025, we were a band with a full setlist of material. It wasn’t until we played a few small local shows in July and August last year that we decided to commit to actually being a band outside of just high school.
The name Street Carp I just ripped from one of my favourite Deftones songs at the time; they’re a huge influence on us, and when I was starting the solo project, I wanted to kind of reference them in some way. I guess now we’ve made the name our own, while still obviously paying homage to our inspiration.
You have had a few changes overall in the group thus far and have relocated to Melbourne. How has that process felt for the band overall?
It’s been crazy! We started in our regional hometown of Wangaratta as a trio of three high-school mates, and now, we’re a full five-piece group primarily based in Melbourne. The change has been drastic and difficult at times, but it doesn’t feel like anything has been lost in a sense. The music has always remained and has only improved with the addition of Liam on drums, Spencer on lead guitar, and Evie on vocals.
The relocation to Melbourne was necessary, though. I was moving to Melbourne for uni anyway, and Riley was planning to move at some point in the year, but I’ll admit by the end of summer, it got to the point where we realised all of the opportunities and gigs for us were in Melbourne, and no longer in Wangaratta.
The latest E.P is currently in the works; where are you at, and how does it sound sonically compared to your current release?
Our debut EP is currently getting mastered as we speak! We finished recording and mixing a few weeks ago, so now we’re just waiting to get the master tapes back. Sonically, I think the EP for the most part captures our current sound, especially since the ‘Passaggio’ single is nearly 2 years old now, and was made before any of us started jamming.
The EP is still shoegazey by all means, but it expands a lot more into other genres and sounds than ‘Passaggio’, a track of pure shoegaze and dream pop. We’re always writing new material and coming up with new ideas, though, so maybe our sound will change lots by the next time we release music!
What about the recording process this time around? What was it like putting the E.P together
The recording process was hectic. We originally had planned to record in Torquay in early January, but due to the bushfires all along the Hume Freeway, we were unable to drive down from Wangaratta. We ended up recording at local studio Springtown Sounds with Rhys, where we initially recorded the instrumental ‘base’ tracks in a day. In between mixing and locking in a tracklist, we were still searching for an actual vocalist to join the band! Eventually, we welcomed Evie into the band and recorded vocals for the 4-track EP with our good friend Jose. Additional guitars, vocals, and synths were all recorded D.I.Y with my laptop. Also mixed the EP D.I.Y too, so shoutout D.I.Y., I guess! (laughs)
Are there any live shows that people can catch you at in the near future to hear the new songs?
Yes!! Our EP release festival, ‘CARPFEST’, is on July 18 at The Tote; a 6-band bill featuring incredible local acts such as Ethereal Gone Kids, All That’s Left Of You, and many more. It’s going to be a gig for the ages, so definitely don’t miss out on tickets. We’ve also got a ‘hometown’ show at Tanswell’s Hotel in Beechworth with local legends Lowline on July 24, for anyone heading north-east in the winter holidays. Plus, we have a few more shows to be announced, so keep an eye out. But in the meantime, tickets for CARPFEST are going quickly, so definitely get your hands on one before they’re all gone!!
You can buy tickets to see Street Carp at CARPFEST on the 18th of July at the Tote Hotel now. This is an I Don’t Blame You Media interview.
