THE TAKE 5 SERIES
BOMBS AWAY
Bombs Away is an Australian DJ and vocal duo comprised of brothers Matthew and Thomas Coleman, also known by their stage names “Sketch” and “Tommy Shades.”
Like their name suggests, Bombs Away started out their music career with a bang––their debut single “Big Booty Bitches” (2010) reached number 3 on Beatport Electro Top 100 and was certified gold three years after release. Their third single “Super Soaker” was released the following year and certified platinum in 2012.
Of all their commercially successful hits, they are best known for 2012 single “Party Bass,” which peaked at number 25 on the ARIA Charts and was their second release to certify platinum. In 2013, the song was nominated for an ARIA award for Song of the Year.
“Drunk Arcade” is also a fan favorite. The track debuted at number 15 on the ARIA Dances Singles Chart in 2013 and boasts millions of streams across listening platforms to date. Just like “Party Bass,” the song is a collaboration with DJ act The Twins.
Their latest release is single “Love Magic.” The song was released earlier this year with Radikal Records.
To learn more about Bombs Away, including which artist they’d bring back to life if they could, check out of interview with them below:
Q: Before we dig in, what’s next for you? (current or future projects)
We are always evolving our sound and style but i’m really excited about getting a lot deeper into this new direction of music. I suppose it’s a dance crossover with a lot more emotionally driven themes. It seems to write itself a lot more naturally and it’s really satisfying to be able express yourself through an outlet like this.
Q: What advice do you have for someone looking into getting into electronic music?
I think the best piece of advice (and it really applies to any aspect of life) is to stay humble, always respect those around you. In the end they’re the ones that decide if you’re worth working with.
Q: What is the last song you listened to?
Machine Gun Kellys entire album, about 10 times, haha i suppose there is a lot of nostalgia in there from the music we listened to growing up. it’s nice to hear the modern version of that.
Q: What/when has your favorite performance been?
It’s a tricky question, festivals are always amazing to play at, the atmosphere is great but it’s always an opportunity to catch up with good friends, everyone in this industry is always crossing over but we rarely get the chance to catch up properly. But performance wise some of the smaller venues can be so intimate, the energy and connection with the crowd is amazing for 2 hours you are plugged into the entire room and it’s like you’re in control of this wild tribalistic force.
Q: What type of musician would you prefer to collaborate with?
I suppose we come from a production background, so we always focus on finding artists that will compliment that, mostly singers but even more so we find that mixing singers from different genres with electronic music often results in more unique melodies and ideas.
Q: If you could bring one artist back to life, who would it be? (Why that artist?)
Only one ? That is unfair. I saw somebody posted a similar question on one of those Facebook questionnaires. It was to choose a rapper to listen to forever. I almost chose Nas because he was my favorite when i was younger. But Eminem has the most diversity, he is Hilarious, he is serious, he is emotional. I don’t think i answered the question, haha. hmm I would love to hear MJ working with modern producers. MJ and Skrillex ? comeon
Q: Which fictional character is the most interesting to you?
hmmm, I really like how raw the characters in ‘The Boys’ are. Homelander is just insane, Billy the butcher is ruthless. i think their dynamics really create a great show. whenever i hear a question like this. It just makes me think about superpowers. and how teleporting is by far the best. You can essentially fly by just teleporting through the sky, You can be invisible, You can see through walls. you can definitely steal Gold Bars. yeah, turns out i would be a villain, haha my bad. i don’t want to hurt people, i just don’t think anyone needs 180 billion dollars. Am I getting side tracked?
Q: What ridiculous thing has someone tricked you into doing or believing? Or What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week?
haha, there is an old Michael Jackson film clip where he turns into a car. and another where he turns into a robot. Sketch was about 14 and I was 10-ish. He managed to convince me MJ was an Alien and could actually transform into assorted objects. He elaborated with stories of scientific research. i can’t remember the exact moment i realized it wasn’t real. but it was at least a couple years, i was also trying to explain this to other people. haha oh no!
Q: What’s the first trip you're going to take once the world reopens?
Hmmm, there’s so many options. We had a big tour planned as everything got shut down, so the plan is to try to resume that in some way shape or form.. but I personally really want to go snowboarding. maybe we can combine the two.
