Amyl and The Sniffers

Amyl and the Sniffers are Amy Taylor (vocals), Dec Martens (guitar), Gus Romer (bass) and Bryce Wilson (drums). Formed in a Melbourne share house in 2016, the Sniffers wrote, recorded and uploaded their first EP, Giddy Up, in the space of 12 hours. They followed with the Big Attraction EP in 2017, which featured the whip smart track I’m Not A Loser, the punching oi punk of Westgate and the pugnacious violence of Mole (Sniff Sniff). These early EPs had a grab bag of influences, from Australian rock to rap to 70s punk, but the sound was all the Sniffers’ own — short, fast, loud and funny.

Already renowned for an explosive live show, The Sniffers made their international debut as one of the hottest tipped acts at The Great Escape in 2018. Soon afterwards, they signed deals with both Rough Trade Records and ATO Records, made a massively hyped appearance at SXSW, and finally released their self-titled debut album, in May 2019. Written and recorded in between back-to-back tours, Amyl and The Sniffers included the singles Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled), Got You and Monsoon Rock, which was playlisted on BBC Radio 1. The album was nominated for the Australian Music Prize and ultimately won an ARIA Award for Best Rock Album.

Late in 2020, Amyl and The Sniffers went into the studio with producer Dan Luscombe to record their sophomore album, Comfort To Me. Written over a long a long year of lockdown, the album was influenced by and expanded on a heavier pool of references – old-school rock’n’roll (AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Motörhead and Wendy O Williams), modern hardcore (Warthog and Power Trip) and the steady homeland heroes (Coloured Balls and Cosmic Psychos). Lyrically, the album was influenced by Taylor’s rap idols and countless garage bands. Seventeen songs were recorded in the Comfort to Me sessions and the top 13 made the cut. They were mixed long-distance by Nick Launay (Nick Cave, IDLES, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and mastered by Bernie Grundman (Michael Jackson, Prince, Dr Dre).

A major gear shift, Comfort to Me showcases a band that has emerged from the pandemic chrysalis louder, tighter and tougher than before. The album was met with overwhelming critical acclaim and debuted at #2 in the ARIA Album Charts, #21 in the UK Album Charts, #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and #18 on the Billboard Album Sales Chart. It was BBC6 Album of the Day, Triple J Feature Album, and Album of the Week at media outlets around the world.