Burners

 

ORIGINS: Inner West, NSW

GENRE: Indie, Emo

YEARS ACTIVE: 2013-2016

 

MEMBERS:

• Joel Connor - Vocals, Guitar
• Graeme Kent - Guitar
• Brett Stokes - Bass
• Dan Strong - Drums

RELEASES:

• Self-Titled (2014) - Download Here.
• 1. A Human Textbook
• 2. Battles
• 3. Home Made
• 4. Say We Can
• 5. Tiger Shark
  
  
• Where We Met (2015)
• 1. Dirty
• 2. Fumble
• 3. Headaches
• 4. Milk
• 5. Tiger Shark

SUMMARY: Borne out of the Inner West, Burners was a band made up of seasoned players embarking on a new adventure together. Focusing mainly on playing in Sydney, the band did some unreleased recordings before losing momentum.

 

SHOWS: 

• Vintage Sounds Rehearsal Studios, Marrickville - 13th September, 2014
• Factory Floor, Sydney - 20th December, 2014
• Blackwire Records, Annandale - 24th January, 2015
• Frankie's Pizz, Sydney - 29th March, 2015
• Factory Floor, Sydney - 10th June, 2015
• Factory Floor, Sydney - 10th July, 2015
  Blood Sweat and Beers, Factory Floor, Sydney - 25th July, 2015
• South Street Cafe, Batemans Bay - 14th November, 2015
• Captain Cook Hotel, Sydney - 1st April, 2016
• Blackwire Records, Annandale - 1st July, 2016

ORAL HISTORY:

GRAEME: The band started pretty organically - we all knew each other from around and Stokes' and Joel's previous bands used to rehearse at the same place as mine, so we knew each other and knew we could play. I'd been dicking around and writing some songs on GarageBand so I had some stuff to get started with, as did Joel. I was listening to The Weakerthans, Jets to Brazil, and Frightened Rabbit. I wanted to do something less hectic and angular and more songwritery. Anyway, we didn't really have a "let's make a band" discussion, more just a let's-have-a-fuck-around-and-see. 

Graeme Kent (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

STOKES: Me and Joel and Graeme were good mates, lurking around the Inner West, and we started jamming together. Dan then joined to round out the madness. We were all fans of each others' respective bands and had supported each other during those days when the scene was teeming with so many epic bands. 

Brett Stokes (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

DAN: I'm not sure who initiated it, but we'd all known each other for years, and I personally always wanted to play music with Graeme, Joel, and Stokes.

Dan Strong (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

JOEL: Stokes worked at The Midnight Special - I lived up the road and would barfly solo almost every weekend. Graeme and Dan would pop in, and we all knew each other from old bands playing together. Previously, I lived with Dan and Jono for a bit and had tried out for the bass slot for Grand Fatal. By this point (2010s) I hadn't done anything in a while... I guess we all felt the urge,  you know? Got chatting and all the instruments were covered, and Graeme had some sweet riffs.

Joel Connor (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

GRAEME: Stokes used to work behind the bar at The Midnight Special and he'd make Joel and I these shots he called 'Burners' - equal parts Capt. Morgan's Spiced Rum and Fireball. I think the name came from that but the others might have more clarity on it than me, hahaha. 

Graeme Kent (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

DAN: Joel, Graeme, and Stokes all had riffs and song ideas but a lot of it kinda developed in the rehearsal room. We all came from different musical backgrounds so once we worked out what we sounded like it was pretty easy to write together.

Dan Strong (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

STOKES: We were inspired by bands like Samian, Jawbreaker, early '90s indie/punk, The Weakerthans, Jets to Brazil, early Midwest emo, and early 2000s Sydney punk scene bands.

Brett Stokes (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

GRAEME: Things came together relatively easy. Everyone had decent gear. The biggest challenge, like most players in Sydney, was finding time when everyone could rehearse in-between their work and life situations. I recall Joel was really prolific with songs so we had no shortage of things to work on. We rehearsed at Stage Door - a big place near Sydenham Station that got knocked down when that whole area got redeveloped. Dan worked next door to Stage Door at Billy Hydes, which was super convenient. 

Graeme Kent (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

JOEL: My lyrics were about making mistakes, being a bit of a piece. The usual hurts in life. Stokes gave me lyrics to use sometimes - I love that, he's a funny guy. We weren't too serious about anything. There was a lot of self-destruction in those years. The sorcery of it all, haha. 'A human textbook'. Fake moon landings. 

Joel Connor (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

GRAEME: One of our first shows was at Blackwire Records on Parramatta Rd. My clearest memory of that gig was that it was brutally hot that day and inside the shop it was sweltering. We also played Blood Sweat and Beers that year, a big show with a huge lineup - Clowns, The Hard Aches, and a bunch of other great bands. That show stood out for just the amount of musical talent and supporters coming together. We also played a cracking show at the Union Hotel, where we all sang super well - I guess we could hear each other properly that night! Other shows that stand out are one at Factory Floor where we got a really bad review (I remember that one, hahaha!) and supporting Blueline Medic (because I love Donnie). 

Graeme Kent (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

JOEL: A typical Burners show was under-prepared and a bit messy! Nah, we played good sometimes. We usually opened up or were on second so it was all pretty tame. Maybe interesting to some. And a good party time after. Especially for myself and Stokes!

Joel Connor (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

STOKES: We only really played in Sydney but got to support Blueline Medic, Fear Like Us, Ceres, and played a big Blood Sweat and Beers show.

Brett Stokes (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

DAN: I remember every Blackwire show just being the funnest thing ever. That place was the best. We also played Blood Sweat and Beers. 

Dan Strong (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

GRAEME: Our first recording was with Dylan Adams, who everyone knew or had worked with before, so that was a pretty comfortable environment.

Graeme Kent (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

DAN: We recorded with our friend Dylan at his place in Coogee. It was superbly chill and easy. I was amazed at how good Joel, Graeme and Stokes' vocals turned out. Those guys are killer.

Dan Strong (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

JOEL: We did a demo and then a studio EP; recording with Jay from Frenzal and our good mate Dylan Adams. Lots of laughs there.

Joel Connor (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

GRAEME: We did some days recording an EP with Jay Whalley (Frenzal Rhomb). This was pre-Pet Food Factory (Jay's recording studio) so we just tracked in a rehearsal room at Troy Horse Studios. I don't think we had a specific purpose for these recordings - we weren't aiming to do a demo or to release something. It felt more like - let's just get this down now to maintain forward momentum. We never released this EP. In hindsight, maybe that lack of a plan was the problem.  

Graeme Kent (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

STOKES: We never released the EP. It was just a chaotic time for all us - I was partying like a madman. 

Brett Stokes (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

DAN: There was no real reason why the band finished when it did. Life just got in the way I guess. We never really broke up. Maybe we'll get back together again. Haha. Looking back, I'd actually love to get into a room with those guys again. It was a really fun band with a bunch of my really good friends. 

Dan Strong (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

JOEL: The band kinda just fizzled out, as it does. I was writing lots of new songs but rehearsals weren't productive. I moved up the coast shortly after. 

Joel Connor (Vocals, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

GRAEME: Burners finished a lot like it started - organically. We played a show at Hideaway and then after that we didn't have any more rehearsals booked and we just drifted apart. I don't think we ever had a definitive conversation about it. There was no acrimony that I can recall. Life goes on, right? We all moved on to different things both musically and personally. Families, work, and such. I think maybe we could've pushed a bit harder and pursued it further - for example, put out an album. It does seem a shame that it drifted away like it did. There were plenty of great songs there. But perhaps it was supposed to end like that? It was almost as if our friendship with each other was the most important thing - the band was just a byproduct of that. This is probably why we're still mates today. 

Graeme Kent (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025

RELATED BANDS: Firearms, The Riot and the Trauma, Dime A Dozen, Silencer Seven, The Quickness, To the Throne, Fait Acompli, Sans Chavelle, Sailmaker, Goons Hired Goons, ESN, Seconds Away, Grand Fatal, Dead Boss, Meat Cake, Jump to Lightspeed