Accidental Goths: A Q&A with Broadcast State

​If you were loitering around the Contact studios and office in the 1990s, or going out to bands through that time, you will likely recognise the members of Broadcast State. We spoke with Broadcast State front-person Scott Newth – formerly an announcer, a Production Manager and Programme Director at Contact 89FM, and also familiar through that time as a member of Love & Violence, FALLen and Rumpus Room – about the evolving sound of Broadcast State, recording, the chances of hearing a Love & Violence song entering the mix at the Contact 50ish, and more!

​HUP: Broadcast State is full of familiar faces, including some important connections to Contact, either as staff or in bands that were played on the station. Can you tell us about some of your connections and experiences with the station?

Scott: Three of us had involvements with the station. Both Kent [Newth] and I were announcers and both Andrew [Newth] and I worked in ‘The Fridge’ recording studio making ads and promos and recording bands.
 
HUP: HUP last talked to you in 2018, when you had just formed and were still finding your sound. Since then you have had a couple of lineup changes. How has the loss of a guitarist and change of drummer changed your sound through time, and where is your sound at now?
​
Scott: We didn’t set out to be any sort of sound, but with three guitars, there was an element of shoe-gaze about the place.  Now we are down to two, there hasn’t been a fundamental shift, but we’re less shoe-gaze than before.  We still sound post punk / goth, although that was never something we were chasing.  We are accidental Goths.
 
Dynamically there is more space, so we are probably more dynamic than before, and a lot more conscious of the rhythms and drumming, and locking on more to that.
 
HUP: The addition of Nathan Bregman on drums must be a big part of the greater focus on rhythms?
 
Scott: Yes. That and an increase in dynamics. Less wall of noise and sheen than before. So the drums drive it more.

​HUP: Three of you were in Rumpus Room, who over 25 odd years were notorious for not recording an album. How much time do Broadcast State get together for practices, writing songs, and do you think you will find time for an album one day?

Scott: Not enough.  If we can get a good run we can meet up once a week, but that is always interrupted by breaks.
 
We have enough material for an album, and it might get recorded this year after all this practice.  We have some recording done already, so it might just be one song at a time rather than a whole record.
 
HUP: Tell us about some of your songs. What are your favourites to play, and are there lyrical themes that your songs have?
​
Scott: Well, it’s hard to speak for all at once, but I think we all like our songs enough to keep playing them.  Lyrically, there isn’t a central theme.  Initially we would stay away from anything controversial or political but that’s changing a bit now.  I’d go with ’social commentaries’. 

HUP: You were all in bands from the Contact days. What are the chances of you pulling out an alternative version of, say, ‘Sin’ by Love and Violence, or ‘She’s Like a Tree’ by Rumpus Room?
​
Scott: None at all.  We barely know our own songs.  We had a flutter with a couple of Rumpus Room songs, but couldn’t remember them well enough and aren’t convinced anyone else would either.

Ian Duggan