Now celebrating the launch of their recent third album and a celebrated return to the live music circuit, Gang Of Youths continues to garner acclaim for raw, deeply personal work that explores the full spectrum of the human experience. We caught up with the band to discuss their lives on the road, pre-show rituals and their steadfast appreciation for R.M.Williams boots.

You’ve had a huge year so far, with the launch of your third studio album, a new EP and a national tour attended by none other than the prime minister. What have been some of the highlights for you?

It’s been a trip! We’ve been here, there, and everywhere promoting our album “Angel in Realtime”, of which we’re incredibly proud. Given we now live on the opposite side of the world in London, and the uncertainty of the last couple of years, it was great to finally make it back home to Australia and get reacquainted with our incredibly loyal and supportive fans, playing some amazing shows in the process.

The arena-level touring was a Larry David “huh?!” moment, and mad that we got to put on our own festival “A More Perfect Union” in both Brisbane and Hobart. Our impromptu show at the Enmore in Sydney was so special for us.

As for the Prime Minister, they say never meet your heroes, but we treat all our fans equally.

You’re often heralded as some of the country’s biggest musical talents. How does it feel to be representing the Australian music industry on a global stage?

It would be remiss of us to entertain such an accolade as it’s simply untrue, but we are ever thankful to the support we receive from our fans.

The thought we might be representing the Australian music industry on a global stage is one that fills us with absolute fear, not quite on a level of Sisyphus looking at that big boulder, but not far off.

Can you take us behind the scenes at a typical show for you? Do you have any pre-show rituals?

If there’s a table tennis table it’ll usually get a pretty good workout, and with some players, more of a workout than others. We huddle before showtime, sure. If you were to report that backstage antics more often than not involve someone ironing a shirt, another curled up with a book, perhaps some light-hearted japery between the more feisty in the group, all played out over a bed of light jazz music, we’d have to call you out for journalistic inaccuracy: jazz is the red rag - Tom, the bull.

You’re often seen in your RMs. How do you like to style them? Will they be coming on tour with you?

We always have RMs on tour - it’s an open secret by now that we have a penchant for the boots. You could bet your house that, at any one time, at least one band member will be sporting a pair. Some have even been known to sleep in their boots, by choice or otherwise. In a word, they’re versatile. We won’t have a bad word said about them.

What’s next for Gang of Youths? Do you have any tours or exciting projects coming up?

We’re making final preparations for a Northern Europe and UK tour, our last outing for the year before we return to our lives of domestic bliss - that in itself is a very exciting prospect.

Lots of stuff in the works for 2023, we’ll keep you in the loop.

Angel in Realtime is out now.