The following interview was originally conducted and intended for publication before April 5. Due to internal issues and the hiatus from April to mid-May, this did not happen. The band toured North America from March 7 to April 6.

Australian band Between You & Me are ready to show what they can do, and they can do it all on their own.

The band are gearing up to release their very first independent EP Sh!t Yeah. This is their first full body of work since 2021’s Armageddon that was released on Hopeless Records. Their first independent single release “Nevermind” received great support, including being added into the rotation on the Australian radio station triple j. Since then, each release following has been loved and supported by fans. The group is also currently embarking on their very first headlining North American tour ahead of the EP release. We had the chance to talk to  bassist James “Bassy” Karagiozis about working on their first independent record, fan support and how the tour is going so far. 

Congrats on the new EP SH!T YEAH! How does it feel to (almost) finally have your fans be able to hear the new music?  

“So stoked to have new music for our fans. Personally, I think it’s our best music to date. Hope everyone vibes with it.”

 This is your first Independent release, how did that affect your mindset or process when going in to make the EP? 

“To be honest, it feels like we have been an independent the whole time. But going in to make it and knowing we were spending our own money, fully investing in ourselves felt exciting and daunting at the same time. We’re stoked to put out something that was under our control the whole time.”

Were there any bands or genres that you took inspiration from when creating the EP? Can we hear any of those influences on the project? 

“The starting line, COLDPLAY, Korn, all American rejects. If you listen to the songs on repeat for 60 days you might be able to hear it.”

For those who haven’t heard any of the EP yet, how would summarize the sound in just a few words? 

“Sh!t fucking yeah.”

Knuckle Puck is featured on the song “Kill My Vibe”. I had the chance to listen to the track and I absolutely love it. I was singing along to the chorus by the end, and their feature works so well on the song. What was it like getting to work with them on that track? 

“We were able to tour with KP back in April ‘23 and I don’t know we just clicked socially. We really hit it off so when it came to features, hitting up the KP boys was a no brainer. We asked if they would be keen to collaborate on the track and they luckily said yes and now we have a kick ass track.”

Do you have a favorite track on the EP? What track are you most excited for your fans to hear? 

“Virus. It was a dark horse when it got bought to the table. It’s our most experimental. But once we heard JT’s lyrics and melody, off the top it quickly became a favourite. So we hope people like where we took it.”

 The reception online to the single “In The Middle” has been incredible. What has the support from fans meant to you as you gear up for the release of SH!T YEAH? 

“It’s almost given us a second wind. It’s made us even more excited for the future of our band and what we can achieve. We released the song during our UK tour and it’s been incredible seeing people sing along at our live shows since.”

Since beginning your journey of releasing music independently with “Nevermind”, has there been anything that surprised you positively or negatively?  

“Honestly, the way our fans have gotten around us, it feels like we have this underground popularity vibe almost. Our fans have backed us and supported us when we’ve wanted to take our music somewhere else and keep it in our own hands. Like we have revamped and come back stronger than ever. Nevermind was a great example.”

Was there anything you learned while making SH!T YEAH that you will take with you when working on future projects?

“Letting the songs breathe and become their own pieces of art, for lack of a better explanation.”

You are on your first headlining North American headlining tour! How does it feel to finally be headlining a tour here? What has the experience been like?

“ Honestly, it was daunting. This is familiar, but new territory — getting to go to the venues we’ve supported multiple tours on, but now being the headliner. Seeing so many new faces at shows, people we have never seen before coming out: be it their first time ever hearing about us because their friends dragged them or they had recently just found out about us and decided to come through, it had been very fulfilling and rewarding. Like our hard work Is starting to pay off. “

 What songs have been your favorite to play live on this tour? What songs seem to be the crowd favorites? 

“In the middle for sure, people have really been singing out for it. We have been riffing kill my vibe and we see heads nodding and the chorus being screamed. Repeat show visitors have really been getting into it.”

Anything else you would like to add? 

“Thank you for supporting us at shows or even just listening to our band. It all means the world To us. Shit yeah! <3”

Sh!t Yeah is available on all streaming platforms. All upcoming tour dates can be found on the Between You & Me’s official website. You can also stay also stay up to date on all things Between You & Me by following the group on Instagram, X and TikTok: @byamaus.