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No Grace.
 Melbourne
hardcore act No Grace have been busy writing new songs and rehearsing
in readiness for what they hope will be their biggest year yet.
"Passionate" and "energetic" are two words that describe my
interesting conversation with lead singer Matthew Naudi who
was clearly excited about coming back to play in Adelaide.
"We just had a couple of problems; a few years ago I got really sick and had glandular fever," he explains when I ask where the band have been of late. "We played five shows in a year and people were under the impression that we broke up. A couple of members left too so there was a few speed-humps but this is the best the band has ever been with my brother [Adrian, guitar] joining the band. We're not 'reformed,' but with every band you have your problems, keep on going and that's it. The sound we've got is unbelievable at the moment. We're really happy with the songs we're writing. Every single person in the band is really excited to keep on going, pump out as many songs as we can and have the best time possible."
Speaking of those songs they're pumping out, Naudi enthuses that songwriting is "something I love doing. I've been doing it since I was thirteen, they weren't that good but you learn as you go along. It's not something that bites you in the arse and you've got it one day, it's something that happens over a period of time.
"I never see it as work, I see song writing as fun. There are a number of different things I do to write; most of the time I try and put a melody or a yell over a riff, words come to my head, I take a bit of time out to write or I have pre-written material. Than I bring the stuff to rehearsal and if the boys like it they like it, if they don't we try again.
"I suppose a lot of lyrics I write for No Grace are really personal. I don't really see the point of writing something that's not personal: we're not the generic hardcore band that writes repetitive lyrics. I try and keep them as personal as possible but help other people to relate to them. I know that sounds pretty cliched. I suppose everyone says that but whether they mean it or not is a different story. I try to write it as personal as possible without giving away to much about what's happened."
One of the more personal songs on their latest EP 'Forced Expression' concerns a friend who chose to go down a different path. "Decision is about someone we were friends with for a very long time and shared heaps of time with and ended up losing to drugs which is really sad. It was a confrontation and we asked him to make a decision and tell us how it was going to be and he ended up choosing drugs. It was really hard because we had come so far, we'd been friends for over ten years. Being on heroin I guess you really don't have a choice, so that's why it's called Decision. There's a lot of emotion in that song."
No Grace started out playing local shows in a music scene that was very small. It has come a long way since and Naudi is still a firm believer in supporting young and upcoming bands. "There's a lot of new bands. One thing Melbourne was really well known for a few years ago was variety. We have a really good scene down here. A scene that has diversity, good quality bands, a lot of old good bands, a lot of people who attend shows and support it. There's also a lot of younger kids coming to shows now, every time I go to shows there's new people or familiar people who I haven't seen in ages which is really humbling I suppose. I try and get to shows whenever I can. I'll go down and support as many bands as I can. Whenever I'm in the city I'll go to a show, pay my cash and watch as much as I can. Supporting the music scene is what it's all about I suppose!"
Adrian Lee
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No Grace and tour buddies Staying At Home play at the Austral on Fri 12 March (with EdisonMusic) and the Enigma Bar on Sat 13 March (with Wendy Icon).
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