Australian rockers KINGS OF THE SUN return with their first new material in 20 years with the forthcoming release of Rock Til Ya Die and Rock Radio NI talked to singer/former drummer Clifford Hoad about the album, future plans among other topics. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

Rock Radio NI: The big change is of course that you’ve taken over on lead vocals from your brother Jeff. Was that a bit daunting for you? Having heard the album, you’ll actually very similar in sound and I was really impressed.

Hoad: "Absolutely. I’ve never thrown myself into such deep water before. I’ll never see myself as a great vocalist but someone had to sing to keep it all going. It was a point of do or die! Brothers can sound similar though I have a different style to Jeff but the familiarity that you hear, was my voice in all the harmonies of all our past albums. Now it’s upfront, I don’t know how people will hear it."

Rock Radio NI: How healthy do you think the Australian rock scene is? Bands like AIRBOURNE, OCTOBER RAGE and LAURA WILDE seem to spend a lot of time in the USA playing.

Hoad: "People talk about a changing scene but I can remember the music biz has always been difficult, living on a wing and a prayer trying to get people to hear your music and like your show, its never been easy. We have all played countless gigs for nothing but the love of it, the music, is what keeps us going. We don’t have the population out here to sustain a band all year round, so I understand how bands can end up playing overseas more often, like Kings Of The Sun did in the early days. Aussies love their rock and always will, its a cycle that keeps revolving out here, rock n roll keeps re-inventing itself, eg the two bands you’ve just mentioned, which are both great young bands. I’ve met the two lads Joel and Ryan O’Keeffe from Airborne and have nothing but admiration for their perseverance and dedication to the Aussie sound. Some of their tracks are really kick arse and with a name like O’Keeffe, they must be carrying some spirit from the late Johnny O’Keefe, one of Australia’s first rock n rollers, hell yeah!"

Rock Radio NI: In the past few years you’d re-released the Kings Of The Sun album Resurrection as part of the Airborn Love Spirits CD and finally released the previously recorded and un-released Daddy Was a Hobo Man. Did those releases help confirm and re-establish the Kings of the Sun fanbase and pave the way to the recording of Rock Til Ya Die?

Hoad: "Yes, reuniting our back catalogue with all the old fans kinda gave it a rebirth. People just needed to be able to get the music after all these years Resurrecting the myth and legend of the band that was so instrumental in paving the way for the Australian sound overseas. People who saw and heard us hadn’t forgotten us in 20 years. This defiantly gave me the confidence to take the next step with the new album.

Read more at Rock Radio NI.