Shady Nasty, unlikely dance visionaries

The story of Gadigal Land/Sydney band Shady Nasty’s ascent into the highest echelon of dance popularity is, as one might expect, a slightly unlikely one.

In a world seemingly overflowing with moments vying for virality, one, in particular, stood out among the rest for Australian music fans recently. UK artist Fred again.., arguably dance music’s most ‘hyped’ act, along with Irish producer KETTAMA, cut from a very similar cloth of hype, listening to the band on a live stream.

The group, consisting of singer and guitarist Kevin Stathis, bassist Haydn Green, and drummer Luca Watson, has enjoyed a quiet yet consistent cult following across the country since its inception. An ever-changing mix of post-punk, paired with partial hip-hop lyricism and production, has kept their fan base in a constant state of growth. Their debut album, ‘TREK’, released in February of this year, is a perfect embodiment of the work they’ve put into their art until now.

That work was noticed by some of dance’s more post-punk inclined names.

The group supported KETTAMA and collaborator Tommy Holohan on their most recent Australian tour, leading to a collection of bemused TikToks on “why a guitar band was on support”.

This recent collaboration, however, appeared to have come out of nowhere. The band, though fresh in their approach to post-punk, has never veered so totally into dance and electronic music. It was a collaboration that, when amplified by the thirst of Fred again.. and KETTAMA’s fanbases, immediately saw a massive amount of anticipation in a very short period.

‘Air Maxes’, released via Steel City Dance Discs and featuring an ‘ambient’ cut as well as a ‘KETTAMA MIX’ filled with a variety of breaks, stands as an unlikely contender for one of Australia’s largest dance tracks of the year.

Mixmag ANZ sat down with the band, suddenly thrust into the limelight of mainstream dance popularity, for a read on how it all feels.

HAYDN: Happy to be here. Glad we could make it. It's very exciting, obviously, because it's a big deal for us.

But, it also feels different in that the release hasn't come with the feeling of relief which we are so used to after the endless writing sessions we go through to get our own music across the line.

HAYDN: Not at all. We had definitely taken inspiration from that kind of music before, particularly on our previous EP ‘CLUBSMOKE’, but it wasn't until people started remixing tracks from ‘TREK’ that it seemed possible.

KEVIN: We met Kettama at Steel City Dance Discs’ Hazard Festival in January this year. We were the only band on the bill mixed in with a bunch of electronic acts and full-on DJs. We’d heard that he’d been shown our music beforehand by his label and manager, who are pretty tapped into the Aus scene. When we played, the mad man was in the front row, mouthing every single word to our songs in the middle of a confused group of hardgroove fans - it was mental seeing that from the stage.

He invited us to hit the studio with him later that week where he showed us some instrumentals he’d been cooking up for his album. We chose one that felt best suited to our respective worlds, and the boys and I immediately started writing some lyrics to go on top—shoutout to Loods, who was there in the studio helping out.

We left feeling like… fuck that was so sick but tried not to get our hopes up. Maybe what made the track stick for Kettama was the fact that he is a car head too. My friends and I meet up most weeks at Brother’s Kebabs in Banksia with our drift cars so I took him to have a kebab wif da boiz and then go street drifting. Coupla shots of the night made it into the ‘It Gets Better (Forever Mix)’ video.

He must have shown Fred the track a month or so after because Kettama sent me videos of him and Fred working on ‘Air Maxes’ together plus a remix of ‘HARDSTYLE’ and ‘Get Buff’. Cooked to learn later that Max Richter contributed to the ambient version of ‘Air Maxes’ as well.

LUCA: It was a lot more fast-paced than we are used to. Typically, we spend months playing, listening back and re-writing to realise even one song we are happy with. Here, you only get a few goes to get it right, so whatever you end up with is whatever you end up with.

You can’t curate the output to the same extent. But, at the end of the day, we knew we were in good hands and never doubted that both Kettama and Fred would make it GOATed.

It was refreshing, albeit a bit sp00ky to mix it up from our usual gruelling process.

KEVIN: It seems like they did. I’m always pleasantly surprised when people relate to our lyrics so heavily because they are just ordinary moments plucked from our day-to-day lives.

The Mike Skinner comparison from Fred was huge.

LUCA: We went away to Oberon to make the videos with our long-time visual collaborators and dear friends Harry Welsh and Ben Lindberg.

It was special to be out on a farm as a group because we’ve all worked together on Shady Nasty’s visual identity since the very start. It felt like a bit of a reunion, and that our hard graft as a team had paid off.

HAYDN: I think they’re great in theory. A lot of people do listen broadly enough for it to make sense. But there's no denying that we definitely felt like a curveball.

I'm not saying we struck out, but we did have to get the V.A.R. out for some post-show analysis.

HAYDN: I think all of us listen to such a wide range of music ourselves, and that really seeps into the writing. Also, there seems to be a common attitude or essence shared between post-punk and hip-hop.

Hard to define it musically, but we all agree on what it is in the rare moments we find it.

Fantastic beats and where to find them. That's the goal.

KEVIN: I think we’ll take it as it comes… there’s so much talent and awesome music coming from every direction. Always keen to explore and try different things.

Maybe Nettspend and Ocean Alley next?

LUCA: It’s been a very funny and interesting time. New followers from people you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see at our shows. It’s awesome to see that cross-section diversify and to think about Shady Nasty becoming a broader church that’s capable of welcoming the mainstream without compromising what we do. I don’t think we ever really thought we’d have a moment in the dance music space, let alone one with such heavyweights. And, to be honest, neither did any person that we’ve ever met in our entire lives.

The ambient track is a little left-of-field given what you might expect from a collab between EDM A-Listers Kettama and Fred. I think a few Neovision NPCs were let down and/or perplexed by the songs, which to me, made them even more fresh.

LUCA: Well, my car stopped working properly during this interview so I will begin by attempting to start the engine multiple times, observing any signs such as a clicking noise, dim lights, or no electrical response.

Once I have reasonably concluded that the battery is likely flat, I will locate my NRMA membership details—this may include my membership number, identification, and vehicle registration documents. I will ensure that I am in a safe position, with the vehicle parked securely and hazard lights activated if necessary, especially if I am near or on a road.

Using a mobile phone with sufficient charge, I will then call 13 11 11, the official NRMA roadside assistance number.

I will carefully follow the voice prompts to navigate to the correct department, selecting the appropriate options for battery or roadside assistance. When prompted, I will clearly state that I require help with a flat battery. I will provide all necessary information to the operator, including my full name, NRMA membership number, contact details, vehicle make, model, registration number, and my current location.

If possible, I will provide nearby landmarks or enable location sharing to ensure the technician can locate me efficiently. I will remain with my vehicle until help arrives and will be prepared to confirm my identity and authorise any services that may be necessary, such as a battery test or replacement. Once the service is complete, I will request and retain any documentation or receipts provided for future reference.

Should the issue reoccur or further assistance be needed, I will not hesitate to contact NRMA again using the same process.

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Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Managing Editor, find him on Instagram.