Waax (band)

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Waax
Waax performing at SXSW 2019
Background information
OriginBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
Genres
Years active2012 (2012)–2023, 2023–present
LabelsDew Process
Members
  • Marie DeVita
Past members
  • Ewan Birtwell
  • Tom Bloomfield
  • Ariana Pelser
  • Elijah Gall
  • Chris Antolak
  • Tom Griffin
  • James Gatling
Websitewaaxband.com

Waax (stylised as WΛΛX; pronounced "wax") are an Australian rock band from Brisbane, Queensland that formed in 2012. The band was co-founded by drummer Tom Bloomfield and lead vocalist Marie "Maz" DeVita, who oversaw every iteration of the line-up until 2023. Waax have released two studio albums, Big Grief (2019) and At Least I'm Free (2022), as well as two independent EPs Holy Sick (2015) and Wild & Weak (2017).

The band won the Triple J Unearthed BIGSOUND competition in 2014,[1] and their single "Labrador" won the No. 1 spot on the independent Brisbane radio station 4ZZZ's Top 100 in 2018.[2] In 2019, the single was voted into Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2018 at No. 88.[3] In 2022, they again won the No.1 spot on 4ZZZ's Top 100 with their single "Most Hated Girl".

In April 2023, the band announced they were to go on hiatus.[4] Following what were believed to be the band's final shows that June, DeVita announced in November 2023 that she would be continuing the band as its sole member.

History[edit]

2012–2015: Early years and Holy Sick[edit]

Waax was formed in June 2012 by Marie DeVita on vocals, bass and keys; Elijah Gall on lead guitar; Ewan Birtwell on rhythm guitar; and Tom Bloomfield on drums. Shortly after forming, DeVita moved into a strictly vocal role, and the band recruited Ariana Pelser as their full-time bassist.

Their debut single "Wisdom Teeth", released on 23 May 2014, earned the band a spot on the Triple J Unearthed stage at that year's BIGSOUND festival and lifted the band to national prominence.[5]

Pelser left the band in February 2015, followed by Gall shortly thereafter. The pair were replaced with Tom Griffin on bass and Chris Antolak on lead guitar. Waax's next single, "I For an Eye", was released in June and added to the band's popularity. An accompanying music video was released a month later.[6] Their newfound visibility in the mainstream also landed them opportunities to perform as a support act for Australian bands such as Kingswood, The Delta Riggs, Ecca Vandal, Emperors and Stonefield, and international bands like Guitar Wolf and Upset.

Throughout their touring, the band found time to record and release their first EP, Holy Sick. The EP was released to SoundCloud on 29 September 2014 with no prior announcement. The EP was met with praise from fans and positive reviews from critics. On 14 December, the EP was made commercially available as a digital download and on CD.[7] Also in December, the band embarked on their first headlining tour throughout Australia.[8]

2016–2017: Restructuring and Wild & Weak[edit]

After a brief period of restructuring, Waax released the single "Same Same" on 21 November 2016, with a music video following on 6 February 2017.[9] Another single, "Nothing Is Always", was released on 8 March,[10] followed shortly thereafter by the title track from their second EP, Wild & Weak. The EP was released independently on 7 June. Drummer Tom Bloomfield described the band's new sound as "something spicy, like a really hot burrito".[11] To promote the release of the EP, the band performed a ten-date national tour.[12]

2018–2020: Antolak's departure and Big Grief[edit]

During Fall Out Boy's Australian Mania tour, Waax opened for them as a support band at four shows from February to March 2018.[13] Signing a label deal with Universal imprint Dew Process, Waax released their single "Labrador" on 27 April, a month after announcing they would perform a twelve-date national tour in its support. They also supported Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro on their Australian tour.[13][14] During Waax's performance at Splendour in the Grass in July, former Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning joined them onstage to sing "Don't Wanna Be Left Out" by Powderfinger.[15] In December, Waax performed at all three dates of the inaugural Good Things festival.[16]

In January 2019, during the band's performance at the 2019 UNIFY festival, DeVita announced that their then-untitled debut album would be released in June. On 24 February, the band posted to their social media accounts hinting at a new single release.[17][18] Later revealed to be titled "FU", the track was premiered a day early on Triple J's Good Nights program.[19][20] On 9 April, a music video for the single was released.[21] On 18 April, the band announced their debut North American tour, which was scheduled for July 2019. For unknown reasons, the tour was quietly cancelled.

On 21 April 2019, during a performance at The Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle, frontwoman Maz DeVita was reportedly assaulted by a crowd member. She later took to social media to discuss her outrage.[22][23] On 10 May, the band announced that they had parted ways with guitarist Chris Antolak.[24][25] In an interview with Australian Guitar Magazine, guitarist Ewan Birtwell refused to answer a question regarding Antolak's departure. "I’m sure in the future something will be said, but I don’t really know how to tackle that one right now," he said.[26]

On 14 May 2019, Waax released a new single, "I Am". DeVita described the song as being "about wanting to please someone so much that you forget who you are in the process." A music video for the track was released on 18 June,[27] and the following day, the band's debut album was officially announced with the title Big Grief, and a release date of 23 August.[28] The band also announced their new lead guitarist, James Gatling.[29][30] During the week leading up to the album's release, it was spotlighted as Triple J's Feature Album, which saw all 12 of its tracks receive airtime.[31] Big Grief premiered on the ARIA Charts at #11 (#3 Australian album, #2 on vinyl).

On 22 April 2020, Waax released a cover of Julia Jacklin's "Pool Party".[32]

2021–2023: At Least I'm Free, hiatus and revival[edit]

In August 2021, the band posted on their social media seeking auditions for a new lead singer for the band. Later that month, it was revealed to be a publicity stunt to promote their new single "Most Hated Girl". In the single's music video, DeVita plays a radio DJ leading an on-air competition to find a new lead singer for the band, before ultimately taking the role herself.[33] In April 2022, the band shared the double A-side single of "Dangerous" and "Help Me Hell".[34] The former was co-written with songwriter Linda Perry, marking the first time Waax had ever used a songwriter outside of the band.[35] With the release of the songs came details of At Least I'm Free, their second studio album. In June, a third single entitled "Read Receipts" was shared.[36] The album was released on 12 August 2022.[37] A supporting 22-date national tour began on October 6, but was cancelled less than a month later on November 2, 2022, after just nine shows.[38]

In April 2023, the band announced they were going on hiatus. The band announced a final show at Brisbane venue The Triffid on June 9, 2023. After the show sold out, two further shows were added on June 4 and 8, respectively.[4]

In November 2023, nearly five months after the final shows, DeVita announced via social media that she would be reviving WAAX and continuing on as its sole member. "The WAAX community is who I am, and sometimes you need to take things away to get some perspective," she wrote. "Although we hold a lot of love, the boys are no longer continuing with me - life happens, being in a band is hard. But the more I thought about it, this project has always been an evolution of my songwriting and it felt weird to walk away."[39]

Musical style[edit]

Frontwoman Marie DeVita describes the band's style as "a mixture of post-punk and alternative rock".[40]

DeVita was the band's primary songwriter, with prior assistance coming from then-lead guitarist Chris Antolak.[41] On the creation of their Wild & Weak EP, drummer Tom Bloomfield shared how DeVita, while writing the lyrics, "was really getting into delving into her internal struggles and [he thought] that's what has inspired the record. Really emotive both lyrically and musically."[11]

Members[edit]

Current members

  • Marie "Maz" DeVita – lead vocals, occasional guitar (2012–2023, 2023–present), bass (2012–2013), keyboards (2013−2017)

Current touring musicians

  • Izzy de Leon – bass, keyboards, backing vocals (2021–2023, 2023–present)
  • Karelia Moloney – rhythm guitar (2023, 2023–present)
  • Jonathan Tooke – lead guitar, backing vocals (2023–present)
  • Rangi Barnes – drums (2023–present)

Former members

  • Jordan Cardenas − guitars (2012–2013)
  • Ariana Pelser – bass (2013–2015)
  • Elijah Gall – lead guitar (2013–2015)
  • Chris Antolak – lead guitar, backing vocals (2015–2019)
  • Tom Griffin – bass (2015–2021)
  • James "Flames" Gatling – lead guitar, backing vocals (2019–2022)
  • Tom Bloomfield – drums (2012–2023), backing vocals (2021–2023)
  • Ewan Birtwell – rhythm guitar (2013–2023), lead guitar (2019, 2022–2023), backing vocals (2019–2023), bass (2021–2023)

Former touring musicians

  • Michael Richards − drums (2018)
  • Michael Hardy – drums, lead guitar (2019)
  • Campbell Burns – rhythm guitar (2023)

Timeline[edit]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

List of studio albums
Title Details Peak chart positions
AUS
[42]
Big Grief 11
At Least I'm Free
  • Released: 12 August 2022[43]
  • Label: Dew Process
  • Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming
 20
[44]

Extended plays[edit]

List of extended plays
Title EP details
Holy Sick
Wild & Weak
  • Released: 2 June 2017
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD-R, digital download, streaming

Singles[edit]

As lead artists[edit]

List of singles, with year released and album name shown
Title Year Album
"Wisdom Teeth"[45] 2014 Holy Sick
"I for an Eye"[46] 2015
"Holy Sick"[47]
"Same Same"[48] 2016 Wild & Weak
"Nothing Is Always"[49] 2017
"Wild & Weak"[50]
"Labrador"[51] 2018 Big Grief
"FU"[52] 2019
"I Am"[53]
"Pool Party"[54] 2020 Non-album singles
"Fired Up"[55]
"Most Hated Girl"[56] 2021 At Least I'm Free
"Dangerous"[37] 2022
"Help Me Hell"[37]
"Read Receipts"[57]
"No Doz"[58]

As featured artists[edit]

List of singles, with year released and album name shown
Title Year Album
"Cheap Seats"
(Illy featuring Waax)[59] 		2020 The Space Between

Videography[edit]

Music videos[edit]

List of music videos, with year and director shown
Year Song Director
2014 "Wisdom Teeth" Jaymis Loveday
2015 "I for an Eye"
"Holy Sick"
2016 "This Everything" Chris Antolak
2017 "Wild & Weak" Pernell Marsden
"Same Same" Gregory Kelly
Pernell Marsden
2018 "Labrador" Waax
2019 "FU" Marty Moynihan
Jeremy Hancock
"I Am"
2022 "Dangerous"/"Help Me Hell" Phoebe Faye
"Read Recipes"
"No Doz"[58]

Awards and nominations[edit]

National Live Music Awards[edit]

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2018 WAAX Live Act of the Year Nominated [60][61]
Best New Act Nominated
Queensland Live Act of the Year Won
Best Live Voice of the Year - People's Choice Marie Devita (WAAX) Nominated
2019 WAAX Live Act of the Year Nominated [62][63]
Live Indie / Rock Act of the Year Nominated
2020 WAAX Live Act of the Year Nominated [64]
Queensland Live Act of the Year Nominated
Tom Bloomfield (WAAX) Live Drummer of the Year Nominated
2023 WAAX Best Live Act in QLD Nominated [65]
Marie DeVita (WAAX) Best Live Voice in QLD Nominated

Queensland Music Awards[edit]

The Queensland Music Awards (previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating Queensland, Australia's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006.[66]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only) Ref.
2018 "Same Same" by Waax
(directed by Gregory Kelly, Pernell Marsden) 		Video of the Year Won [67]
2022 "Most Hated Girl" Rock Award Won [68]
2023 "No Doz" Rock Award Won [69]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "WAAX". Triple J Unearthed. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  2. ^ "4ZZZ - "#ZedHot100 2018 #01 WAAX @waaxband "Labrador" CONGRATS! New #01 Band in #ZedHot100 history… "". Twitter. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Hottest 100 2018". Triple J. 27 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  4. ^ a b "WAAX To Farewell Fans With 'The Parting Gift' Live Show". The Music. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  5. ^ "WAAX Release Debut Single". AAA Backstage. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  6. ^ WAAX (15 July 2015). "WAAX - I For An Eye - (Official Video)". Retrieved 25 February 2019 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "Holy Sick EP | WAAX". BandCamp. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  8. ^ Doonar, Jack. "Review: WAAX Debut EP "Holy Sick"". AAA Backstage. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  9. ^ WAAX (6 February 2017). "WAAX - Same Same (Official Video)". Retrieved 9 July 2019 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "Nothing is Always | WAAX". Bandcamp. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  11. ^ a b Wainwright, Clair (24 May 2017). "WAAX: On Calling For Help & Tom's Drunken Mistake". LunchBox TV. Retrieved 17 December 2018
  12. ^ Brown, Paul (24 June 2017). "Get 'Wild & Weak' with WAAX". Wall of Sound. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  13. ^ a b Sloane, Shannon-Lee (17 September 2018). "Get To Know The Good Things 2018 Line Up – WAAX". Overdrive Mag. Retrieved 17 December 2018
  14. ^ Williams, Tom (26 March 2018). "WAAX Announce 2018 'Labrador' National Tour". Music Feeds. Retrieved 17 December 2018
  15. ^ Edsall, Rudi (22 July 2018). "Bernard Fanning Popped Up For A Surprise Cameo At Splendour In The Grass". Triple M. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
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  22. ^ Langford, Jackson (22 April 2019). "Kira Puru, Alex The Astronaut & WAAX Were All Harassed/Assaulted At Their Gigs This Weekend". Music Feeds. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  23. ^ "W A A X on Instagram: "PSA"". Instagram. 21 April 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  24. ^ "WAAX - Hey everyone, Just wanted to flag a change within..." Facebook. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
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  28. ^ "WAAX - "📞well, this is emotional: we finally have the pleasure of announcing that our debut album..." Twitter. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  29. ^ Brown, Paul (19 June 2019). "WAAX FINALLY Announce Debut Album 'Big Grief' + Reveal New Member". Wall of Sound. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
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  31. ^ "WAAX - Big Grief - Feature Albums". Triple J. ABC. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  32. ^ Gallagher, Alex (22 April 2020). "Listen To WAAX Covering Julia Jacklin's 'Pool Party'". Music Feeds. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  33. ^ Baker, Bruce. "Track of the Week: WAAX "Most Hated Girl" (2021)". the AU review. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  34. ^ Robinson, Ellie. "WAAX share bold new singles 'Dangerous' and 'Help Me Hell', detail second album". NME Australia. BandLab Technologies. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  35. ^ Newstead, Al. "First Play: WAAX share piano ballad and punk thrasher from new "album of extremes"". triple j. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  36. ^ Harris, Brenton. "WAAX Shares Video For New Single 'Read Receipts'". Music Feeds. Evolve Media. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
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  40. ^ "Meet WAAX". The City Sounds. Visit Brisbane. Archived from the original on 17 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
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  52. ^ "Brisbane's WAAX drop new "FU" Music Video". wallofsoundau.com. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  53. ^ Newstead, Al (15 May 2019). "First Spin: WAAX bring guts and heart on "I Am", announce album tour". ABC. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  54. ^ Langford, Jackson (22 April 2020). "Waax release cover of Julia Jacklin's "Pool Party"". NME Australia. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  55. ^ "Fired Up - single". Apple Music. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
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  57. ^ "New Aus Music Playlist Additions – 10/06/22". Music Feeds. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  58. ^ a b "WAAX - NO DOZ (Official Video)". YouTube. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  59. ^ Rose, Anna (5 November 2020). "Illy takes a new direction in new single 'Cheap Seats' featuring Waax". NME Australia. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  60. ^ "NLMA announce 2018 nominees and Live legend". NLMA. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  61. ^ "Winners of the 2018 NLMA". NLMA. December 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  62. ^ "HERE ARE YOUR 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES!". NLMA. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  63. ^ "AND THE WINNERS OF THE 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS ARE…". NLMA. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  64. ^ "Nominees announced for 2020 National Live Music Awards". NLMAs. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  65. ^ "Nominees Announced For The 2023 National Live Music Awards". The Music. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  66. ^ "About the Queensland Music Awards". Queensland Music Awards. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  67. ^ "Past Winners 2018". Queensland Music Awards. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  68. ^ "2022 Queensland Music Awards Winners". Scenestr. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  69. ^ "Thelma Plum, Ball Park Music win top gongs at 2023 Queensland Music Awards". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
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