TOWN ACE | INTERVIEW + TRACK REVIEW
There's something wonderfully unpredictable about a band that knows exactly how far it can push a song before everything threatens to fall apart. For Naarm/Melbourne post-punk outfit Town Ace, that delicate balance between chaos and control has become an essential part of their musical identity. Drawing inspiration from the jagged experimentation of Wire, James Chance and the Contortions, alongside the noise and atmosphere of My Bloody Valentine, the band has spent nearly a decade developing a sound that thrives on spontaneity. Rubbery basslines, frantic rhythms, intertwining guitars and unexpected bursts of noise come together in music that feels restless, instinctive and unmistakably alive. It's a sound shaped as much by the energy of the rehearsal room as the unpredictable magic of performing in front of a crowd.
Since forming in 2017, Town Ace have navigated changing lineups, evolving musical interests and the natural growing pains of maintaining an independent band. Their journey has taken them through some of Melbourne's most beloved live music institutions, including The Tote, The Old Bar, Nighthawks and Last Chance, where they've continued to refine their ability to turn spontaneous ideas into compelling performances. Earlier recordings such as Peers captured one chapter of their development, while more recent material, including Cartwheels, reflects a sharper, more immediate approach to songwriting and recording. Working with Brent at One.Be Studios in Coburg North, the band found a renewed sense of efficiency in the studio without sacrificing the raw energy that makes their music so engaging. Rather than treating their influences as a blueprint, Town Ace continue to absorb the spirit of Melbourne's experimental musical history while allowing their own sound to evolve naturally.
With a series of independent singles planned throughout 2026, Town Ace are embracing a more fluid approach to releasing music, favouring creative momentum over the pressures of a traditional album cycle. It's a philosophy that feels particularly fitting for a band whose best ideas often emerge unexpectedly, somewhere between a spontaneous rehearsal and a packed front-bar performance. Beneath the noise and mayhem lies a genuine appreciation for community, artistic freedom and the people who continue making music simply because they love it. We caught up with Town Ace to discuss the unpredictable nature of their songwriting, the influence of Melbourne's underground music history, the evolution of their sound, the importance of independent venues and why sometimes the most exciting music happens when you're willing to let things get a little out of control.
TRACK REVIEW - How's Work
Town Ace waste no time establishing their presence on How's Work, kicking things off with a gritty, slightly fuzzy guitar riff that locks into an irresistibly tight groove. There's an immediate sense of attitude, driven by a brilliant talk-sung vocal delivery that gives the track its distinct personality. I particularly love the back-and-forth between the vocals and instrumentation, creating a constant feeling that something bigger is just around the corner. There's a similar raw, unapologetic energy to Amyl and the Sniffers, but Town Ace bring their own experimental character to the mix. It's restless, punchy and full of movement, with just enough unpredictability to keep you guessing.
The arrangement is where things become particularly interesting. Beautifully constructed grooves and shifting progressions give the song a natural sense of momentum, while the band moves between musical ideas without losing that infectious rhythmic foundation. My favourite detail is the mysterious sound bubbling away underneath everything. It has an almost synthesised quality, adding a slightly strange, atmospheric edge to the guitars and driving rhythm section. Whether it's a synth or a cleverly treated guitar, it's an excellent addition that gives the track another layer of personality. There's plenty happening here, but nothing feels overcrowded or unnecessarily complicated.
What makes How's Work so enjoyable is the balance between experimentation and genuinely strong songwriting. Town Ace have a knack for making their music feel spontaneous while keeping every element working together. The gritty guitars, conversational vocals and unusual background textures all contribute to a track that feels wonderfully alive. It's an excellent example of how post-punk can remain adventurous without sacrificing a great groove. Raw, inventive and incredibly well put together, How's Work is a thoroughly enjoyable listen that proves Town Ace know exactly how to turn controlled chaos into something compelling.
Your bio says Town Ace "thrives on the edge of collapse." That's a specific and precarious place to build a sound from. What's the difference between a Town Ace song that almost falls apart and one that actually does, and does the risk of collapse have to be real for the music to work?
A big part of it is getting in the same moment together. We’ve been playing together for years with many of the songs coming from spontaneous improvisation. It can feel like we are all nudging the tune in a different direction, looking for where the edges are or something. Quite often we’ll be rehearsing for a show and something will come out which will appear on the setlist later that week. It’s been sick to take that energy from the jam room to people's ears without over-working the core of the tune.
Peers explored the isolation of the outer world, then you locked yourselves inside the creative incubator to write what came next. What made you flip the direction inward, and did the songs feel like they were being written from a different room?
I think everyone did with the lockdowns and all, we were all playing a lot on our own and would meet up for guerilla sessions with janky recording set-ups. We ended up writing Outlaw and an earlier version of How’s Work? back in 2021. Getting out and playing bridges that gap though, seeing the different rooms we’ve been able to perform in. The way our community in Naarm shows up for one another is really invigorating!
Melbourne's Crystal Ballroom lives more as a myth now than a memory, especially for anyone who wasn't there. What does channelling an era you didn't necessarily experience directly do to a band, and where's the line between honouring it and cosplaying it?
Fantasy and myth are fertile ground for the spark, we reckon anyway and feeling a through line with the likes of Rowland S. or Primitive Calculators, even Essendon Airplane! It all helps us feel tied to a place and a living collection of people making happening music.
The influences list, Wire, James Chance, the Contortions, My Bloody Valentine, kraut, '80s avant-garde, is unusually specific and defiantly uncommercial. Was there a moment early on where you had to consciously choose that path over the more obvious one, or has it always been the only one available to you?
A friend told me recently that ‘you can’t play what you love’, which I took to mean that their true musical interests were too obtuse or confronting for an audience, but it struck me in a really strange way. Of course, people should play what they feel and should play what they love. Whenever we get together to write or percolate on an idea it will be more about a mood or shape that we might catch from revisiting old No Wave compilations or something we heard on PBS. Most of all it is something gritty that we have found in those left of centre fringe bands we all know and love.
You've spent almost a decade playing rooms like The Tote, Nighthawks, The Old Bar, Labour In Vain and Last Chance. Those venues have their own opinions about what a good band sounds like. What have they taught you that a studio never could?
Shit where do we start! Courage, the freedom to ‘give it a crack’, and how to be in resonance with a crowd for a lightning flash of a moment. Playing shows is often when the records are being shaped, so to be accepted by these venues who champion those kinds of on the edge performances is super encouraging. Always fun to tailor the set for a DIY front-bar show at The Tote or a Friday night belter at The Old Bar.
Cartwheels was tracked at One.Be Studios in Coburg North and quickly landed on PBS. What did One.Be catch that the previous sessions didn't, and what did you have to let go of in the studio for the song to come out sounding like a cartwheel?
One.Be was great for how instant it was. Each session was much more efficient than our previous go around for ‘Peers’ which took place over months in a couple of different studios. We were less experienced at working in the studio, but this time we demo’d the songs and played them out a bunch. Brent was able to work his magic behind the desk, even lending his ear to the mixing and mastering. Felt he was to get that extra bit of juice out of each session with us, and we’re better for it.
You've talked about "numerous life cycles" as a band since forming in 2017. What was the version of Town Ace that most needed to die for this version to exist, and what did you carry over that couldn't be left behind?
Playing in a band over this many years it’s easy to forget how much you change as a person, but this idea Town Ace has kept going as a project and an outlet for a creative drive. We’ve had different drummers come and go, and taken time away from playing or writing. A big shift was moving from mostly improvised, wall-of-sound like stuff to sparse, punchy, and verging on 80’s alt rock at times! Letting the focus of the band shift with time and new experiences has been a gift, we probably wouldn’t be playing still without it.
The 2026 plan is a rolling assembly line of independent singles rather than another album. What did the album cycle stop giving you, and what does the constant-single approach reward that a full length can't?
It allows for more peaks and troughs rather than trying to make it to the pinnacle and needing to align so many elements into a big launch night and trying to sell a stack of LPs. A little less pressure for the big score and more opportunity to get out with purpose in an ongoing way and we can explore some different visual elements too. It’s been great to reconnect with Carpal Tunnel Band and get out with Daveo and The Nova Fiends - they’re all legends!
Rubbery basslines and frantic rhythms sit right at the heart of your sound. When you're building a track together, who tends to lead first, and how do you know when a rhythm has become "yours" rather than a nod to the bands you love?
Many songs will start off from improvisation in the room, or a riff or a rhythmic idea brought in or stumbled upon mid jam. Each tune will have some mix of intertwining guitars, noise or freakout section or a driving beat which we latch onto. There’s something ineffable about it but we know it when we hear it. Once the main idea is present, it becomes a challenge not to overcook it , to keep that seed organic and try to preserve that initial flash to let it loose on stage.
If a listener walks into a Town Ace show at The Old Bar without knowing a single song, what do you hope they carry back out onto Johnston Street that they didn't have on the way in?
A bit of movement, melodies and mayhem, hopefully an altered perspective on the possibilities for post-punk! There is a lot of incredible art being made by exceptional people in their free-time whilst they fight to survive the perils of capitalism. Get out there to enjoy it before the fire starts! xx
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