More about: Confidence Man

Confidence Man, sometimes known as Con Man and consisting of Sugar Bones and Janet Planet, are an absolute riot. They're about to unleash their sophomore album TILT and though they're Australian—and therefore about to head into autumn and then winter—they've chosen to drop the LP full of summer bangers just in time for the Northern Hemisphere summer.

Maybe it's because they're going to be over in the UK for much of our hotter months, playing a headline tour in May and returning for a set on the Park Stage at Glastonbury. 

Whichever hemisphere you're on, TILT is going to be a big thing, so packed full of bangers is it. Find out more about its conception below:

Gigwise: We’re just a week away from TILT. What’s the vibe like in the Confidence Man camp like right now as we creep ever closer to the release date?

Confidence Man: To be honest it’s been bloody hectic the last couple of months. The build up to launching an album/new live show is always intense but this feels even more so somehow…we’ve been non-stop rehearsing the past few weeks and the live show is lookin so hot right now. We can finally see what we’ve created in it’s entirety and it’s a full blown beast. We’re starting to get giddy. Last thing left to do is unleash it on the world.

GW: There’s no denying there’s a spark, and rush of irrepressible energy that runs throughout each of the tracks we’ve heard so far, would it be fair to say that the feeling behind this record was born out of the repression we’ve all felt over the course of the last two years?

CM: It was a pretty brutal realisation when the pandemic first hit. The silver lining was for the first time in five years we weren’t touring and could actually put some energy into an album. Somehow we managed to exit reality and focus in on TILT world: a fun, happy world where people hugged and fucked and danced all night. For me the album is a testament to the transcendental power of music and it’s ability to take people higher. It definitely saved us in some pretty dark times.

GW: Do you somehow think the stillness enforced upon you during the pandemic, afforded you the freedom and opportunity to explore new ideas, and experiment with different genres?

CM: Having all that empty time stretch out before us was daunting, but it was also (fingers crossed) a once in a lifetime chance to go that deep. It was basically Groundhog Day with bangers. We stayed focused the whole way through and rinsed ourselves thoroughly.

GW: Did you have a clear idea of concept for this record?

CM: Basically make people feel good and look good doing it.

GW: Why TILT?

CM: Sums us up perfectly: angular, dynamic, and a little left of centre.

GW: What feeling do you want your listeners to get when they listen to Tilt?

CM: Pure unadulterated joy. With a hint of lust.

GW: It's release is on April Fools Day...do you have April Fools Day in Australia?

CM: You’ll have to wait and see!

GW: As lyricists you’re able to create a make-believe world that we can all escape away to throughout the course of a three-minute pop song, did you feel like this was the perfect moment to really go there and provide yourselves, and fans, with a sense of escapism through the stories of these songs?

CM: It was the perfect time to escape so we went all the way. Hopefully this comes through the music and it takes everyone else all the way too.

GW: Whilst you’re very much known for your eclectic dance/pop sound, sonically there are moments where you appear to really lean into the resurgence of high-energy ’90s rave. What inspired that?

CM: We just really bloody love that sound and musical era… if we had a time machine we’d go back and stay up all night with Deee-lite.

GW: How would you best describe TILT to people being introduced to Confidence Man for the first time?

CM: Wet hot Australian summer.

GW: As a band famous for their high-octane concerts, what can fans expect from a Confidence Man gig in 2022?

CM: Just imagine the Con <an show you know and love then times it by 100, pump it full of steroids, coat it in gold and roll it in diamonds and you might be getting close.

GW: What are your feelings around playing Glasto?

CM: Feels pretty magic. We played four years ago but we did three different little shonky late night sets all over the shop, it was sick but between that and the partying we were so shattered by the end. This time we have one big show on the Park Stage and then we just hangin for the rest…will probs still be shattered in the end tho lol.

GW: What personal experiences, especially in the years since your dropped your first album, do you think have helped shape you into the artists you are today, on the verge of releasing your sophomore album?

CM: I think living in Melbourne and being more immersed in the amazing dance music culture there has had a big impact. It’s a lush community and the DJs getting around are world class. The pills ain’t bad too.

GW: Are Confident Music For Confident People and TILT connected? Are they siblings perhaps?

CM: Yeh I guess TILT was born second but in reality is definitely the bossy older sister… they love each other but they’re always fighting for attention.

GW: You say this record was written and produced much more 'off the cuff'. How did that feel? What do you think it's done to your music?

CM: I guess it’s just loosened us up a bit when we approach a song. Letting it guide us rather than trying to ram it in a box.

GW: How important is it to be serious?

CM: Not very. And when I say not very, I mean very.

GW: How important is it to be silly?

CM: Very. And when I say very, I mean not very.

TILT arrives 1 April via Heavenly Recordings.

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More about: Confidence Man