We catch up with the Northern Beaches outfit in Mary’s Underground…

Winston Surfshirt have become something of a mainstay in the Aussie music scene. Having serenaded audiences for years on end with their signature blend of R&B, indie and soul, they’ve earned themselves a place of distinct adoration in the minds of music lovers around the country. It’s resulted in three studio albums (Sponge Cake, Apple Crumble and the most recent, Panna Cotta) along with performances at some of the biggest venues and festivals in the country, with Splendour in the Grass and Spilt Milk to name a few. Now, however, in celebration of Panna Cotta, the band have decided to go back to the smaller rooms, giving fans a rare chance to see one of the countries biggest artist up close and personal.

Aptly named the So Close You Can Taste It tour, the recent run of sold out shows have seen Winston take to the likes of The Nightcat in Fitzroy, Victoria as well as Mary’s Underground in Sydney, The result has been an intimate string of gigs that make you feel like you’re right there next to Winston, which is especially true when he wonders into the crowd for a cheeky dance off or beer, while continuing to perform. It’s a great reminder of how well the Winston Surfshirt sound can translate to any room or setting with ease, and just going off Thursday night’s show, we’re convinced that they’ve been some of the ‘Be About You’ singer’s best shows to date.

To celebrate the tour, we caught up with Winston on Thursday for a quick chat before his first night at Mary’s Underground. Check it below.

We’re sitting here in Mary’s Underground right now. It’s a pretty historic venue for Sydney. I’m guessing you have some special memories here?

I do indeed. I saw a band called Sirens, a 17-piece female funk band that just jammed. And Milan Ring, who features on Panna Cotta, was actually the guitarist at the time. That was years ago. I saw Napalm here as well, which was amazing. And Charles Bradley was incredible. He full came out and said to the crowd, “I’m really sorry, I’ve lost my voice,” but then it was the best concert I’ve ever seen. It was great. But that was when the stage was the other way.

I was just starting Winston Surfshirt at that time, and I was stoned a lot of the time [laughs]. It was such a good experience. Charles Bradley was the number one though, for sure.

You guys have played some of the biggest festivals and stages in the country and world. What was the motivation behind this tour of Australia’s smaller rooms in 2023?

Those earlier years were the best times of our lives. When I came over here to see Charles Bradley, we were playing as Winston Surfshirt at the time in Manly at places that could fit like 100 people. We’d do covers and three hour sets every single Sunday. It was super fun. Those were the best times of our lives. So, we wanted to do something smaller, and we did it in Melbourne and it was amazing, so this run in Sydney is going to be fun.

You’re hot off your recent Melbourne shows, what were they like?

That was the first time I’d spent more than a day in Melbourne [laughs]. I’m usually there, I play and then I go home. But this time, we were there for a long time. It was fun.

Were there any memorable moments? Any crowd surfing?

I went to the bar every single night and ordered a drink while I was playing. The second night, they were all confused. They didn’t understand what I was doing. And I was like, “Can I just have a drink?”

I think the microphone threw them off and they scurried to the back of the venue and were just like, “Is he serious?” But I genuinely was. I was like, “I’ve got my wallet. I just want an espresso martini.” [laughs]

Given that you’ve toured quite a bit, I’m guessing you’ve pulled off some pretty crazy antics on (or in this case off) the stage. Do you have any go-to moves?

The second time we played Splendour, I came to the stage from the crowd on someone’s shoulders and came all the way through to the front. That was super fun [laughs].

Is there a difference you’ve noticed crowd or energy-wise going back to these smaller rooms?

Completely different. You’re just closer and it’s much sweatier.

Sticky floors?

Definitely stickier floors the next day [laughs].

Do you have any antics in store for tonight?

I’ve got a very long cable, so I’ll be going for a walk through the crowd.

I just saw you guys soundcheck. Do you have any other pre-show rituals you can share with us?

Sambuca. It helps my throat a lot. It’s a shame though because I could probably get a non-alcoholic sambuca [laughs].

What about post-show rituals?

Well, the band and I are very different people. They’ll go out and have some fun and enjoy themselves, but I’ll go straight to bed. Although this past Saturday in Melbourne, there was a funk band playing after us and I got up on stage with them, which was fun.

Has there ever been a shoey at a Winston Surfshirt show?

Definitely not. If it were it’d be red wine out of a flower vase or something. No one has ever asked us to do a shoey, thank the Lord. But if someone were to ask tonight, I’m going to tell them, “Put that shoe back on your foot.” If someone brings a flower vase however…

I also want to touch on your latest album Panna Cotta, which was released last year. You’ve referred to this album as the one you’ve always wanted to make. How so?

Just in terms of the features. I’ve always wanted to do something that was heavily full of other people.

You have a crazy list of collaborators on this project, with the likes of Genesis Owusu, Milan Ring, Kimbra and even Talib Kwali. Out of all the artists in the world, how did you decide on this group?

It was a result of the songs we were writing. Most of them ended up fitting that person. And with most of the songs, we were just like, “We should ask that person,” and we’d ask them, and they’d say yes. It was pretty easy.

My favourite single is ‘Of Another Kind’ featuring Milan Ring and Jerome. It’s a smokier, jazzier number than what I was expecting. What was it like delving into that side of the genre like that?

That was a fun and weird one. I can’t even explain that song. It’s almost like jazz house. It’s got jazzy bits and then it goes into a Crystal Waters type of chorus. Ir’s really fun to play live though.

What was it like playing it in Europe where the crowds are a bit more inclined to that type of music?

That song hits differently to all of the other songs. Everyone is always like, “What the fuck’s going on? “And then the chorus comes in and everyone’s like, “Whoa.” That one hits well. For sure.

Can we expect a jazz album from Winston Surfshirt in the future?

You never know. I’ll keep it mysterious [laughs].

Say you guys did rebrand to a jazz or rock band, how would the name Winston Surfshirt change? Would it be ‘Winston’s top hat’ or ‘Winston’s ripped jeans’?

For a jazz album, it would be ‘Winston & The Surfshirts’. For a rock album, it would have to be…

‘Winston No Shirts’?

[laughs] ‘Winston No Shirts’. That’ll play.

Now, I’m sure many fans of your work have enjoyed the occasional bevvy (or seven) to your music. I’m going to list a couple of songs from ‘Panna Cotta’. In return, can you give me the best drink to down while listening to each song?

Let’s do it.

‘All Of The Little Things’

A gin and tonic!

‘Maybe I’m In Love With You’

‘Maybe I’m In Love With You’ is an espresso martini, for sure.

‘I Want You To Be My Woman’

‘I Want You To Be My Woman’ is a negroni. That’s exactly what Angus would have.

‘Complicated’

That’d be like a Long Island iced tea. This game is really easy. Keep going. This is fun.

‘Of Another Kind’

‘Of Another Kind’ would be an old-fashioned, obviously.

‘I Could Play The Part’

That’d be a shot. What’s the awful one I had the other night? Fireball, that’s it. Someone in Melbourne gave me a shot of Fireball during the set, and I was nearly sick on stage. I was like, “I might have to leave.”

Now, for any punters coming to your shows tonight or over the next couple of weeks, what should they expect?

Cocktails [laughs] and us singing on stage.

Now, your albums are noticeably named after deserts. Is there a reason for that?

It was a total accident [laughs]. Nah, I’ve always done it for some reason. It started with my granddad. He would make an amazing apple crumble. So when I first started 15 years ago, I made loads of EPs, and the first one was called Apple Crumble. And now I’ve done three actual albums. So I’ve got more names, but we’ll see.

Lastly, say you were serving me dessert at your home and you had the choice of Panna Cotta, Sponge Cake and Apple Crumble. Which one would you serve me and why?

Apple Crumble, for sure. Because it’s the best. Not the album, but the dessert [laughs].

Be sure to cop tickets to Winston Surfshirt’s last Sydney show tomorrow here along with tickets to the rest of the So Close You Can Taste It tour here. Check out some more pics from our photoshoot with the band below.