Metalcore band Northlane will return to where it all began as part of their All Over Australia Tour.
The band formed in Blacktown in 2009, and guitarist and manager Josh Smith explained it was humble beginnings in Sydney’s west.
“We played our first ever show in the back of a Chinese restaurant in Blacktown, and we first played in Penrith at the PCYC in 2010. There were probably more people on the stage than there were in the crowd,” Smith started.
“To come back and play at a place like Panthers with around 1,000 people in the room is just insane. When you put the progression into perspective, it’s quite staggering.”
The band’s hard work paid off, and they have three ARIA awards, two number one albums, and a huge fanbase to show for it.
“The band was formed by our original bass player Alex Milovic and our other guitar player Jon Deiley,” Smith described the band’s origin.
“Jon was dating someone who used to date Alex, and she knew they both wrote music, so she introduced them, and they started working on music together.
“I found them on the internet because they were looking for a guitar player. I sound like a dinosaur saying this, but that was on MySpace.”
Josh and Jon are the two remaining original members, and they can’t wait to play in western Sydney again.
“We’re from western Sydney. Jon was a bit further out in the Blue Mountains past Penrith, and I was in the Hills district,” Smith explained.
“Before the band, I was studying at Macquarie University, and I was working part-time as a barista. I wasn’t that far out of high school, so I’ve basically been doing this my whole adult life.”
Now, in addition to rocking on stage surrounded by chaotic flashing lights, Smith runs a management business and trains for triathlons.
“I’ve got a very patient and understanding wife and I don’t have any kids – that’s how I have time,” Smith laughed.
“Northlane is a full-time band – everyone in the band only does that – and my management business is growing pretty rapidly, so it’s all hands on deck at the moment.”
The busy guitarist gets a chance to reset when he’s training for multisport races.
“I can’t answer phone calls if I’ve got my head underwater,” Smith remarked.
Experience the heavy music trailblazers at Penrith Panthers’ EVAN Theatre on August 8. Tickets to the electrifying show are $59.90, and Northlane will be joined on stage by Ocean Grove, Mirrors, and Heists. Find out more online at https://penrith.panthers.com.au/event/northlane-2/.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.