Delivery

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Confined to quarters during the longest lockdown in the world, a couple - who happen to be musicians - have all the time in the world and nowhere to go. Both Bec and James have been part of Melbourne's music scene for years, with Bec involved in the punk community while James played in a string of garage/pop acts. Although they've been a couple for a while, they've never actually made music together. As it turns out, the city's cautious approach to a global pandemic was the catalyst for Delivery - one of the most brilliant and forceful rock'n'roll bands to emerge from the southern hemisphere in years.  

Bec Allan: "We started the band at a point where we couldn't leave the house or see anyone. Locked in the same room for 24 hours, it was something to kill the time." 

James Lynch: "The lockdown persisted for nearly two years. We'd been together for six or seven years now but prior to lockdown we weren't living together and although we were each playing in a bunch of bands, we'd never played in a band together. When lockdown happened we moved in together and decided to try to play music together as something to do."

Initially inspired by local heroes Eddy Current Suppression Ring (Bec: "they're the masters of no frills, honest rock'n'roll") and bands like Seattle's The Intelligence and The Yummy Fur from Glasgow, James and Bec began to hone a sound that nodded to their separate musical upbringings. Over the next few months, they filled the spare rooms in their house with musicians. Each bedroom, a different player. As the months passed, songs were written and a sound was honed. As could be expected given the circumstances, Delivery's music was razor sharp, tight as hell and properly heavy, sounding like it was trying to punch its way out of the speakers. 

James: "Lockdown was crazy and hard for so many people but we kind of lucked out. We thought it might be a little one off project but one thing led to another and we had a bunch of songs. By the time it was over, we'd had enough time to have a fully fledged band emerge from all of our housemates. The first bedroom over was the drummer, the next one to that was the guitarist..."

Bec: "It made it very easy for us to practise as a band. And it was very lucky that our housemates could all play instruments brilliantly."

James: "We began really bleeding into each other's wheelhouse when we played music together. Early on, someone said it was the most punk thing I've ever done and the least punk thing Bec's ever done. That thought really stuck in our minds."

Delivery's first lockdown year was extremely productive. They recorded two seven inch singles (Yes We Do and Personal Effects / The Topic) and rehearsed a live band for a hometown gig made up entirely of bands formed during lockdown. Unfortunately for bands and gig goers alike, Melbourne soon locked down again. Delivery went back inside and began work on their first album, 2022's critically acclaimed Forever Giving Handshakes. 

James: "Our early tracks were absolutely a product of our environment. There was a lot of pent up energy. Initially we were together in the house working with drum machines and a tiny practise amp that all of the guitar parts were recorded on. That dictated how the band initially sounded - the tightness of the drum machine, the crappiness of the amp. By the time we recorded the album there was the five of us, playing as live as possible." 

Bec: "Over time, touring a lot really helped develop the sound. Tracks became more orchestrated, and we got a bit smarter with how we stack our instruments together. It made us think a bit more about playing to our strengths, realising that we weren't a new band playing live for the first time ever, turning everything up to full."

Following the release of Forever Giving Handshakes, as Delivery's line up shifted, the band honed their sound by constant gigging. In turn, they became a key part of the Melbourne music scene they'd grown up in.