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Mt. Mountain rises to new heights

Sara FitzpatrickEastern Reporter

IF it wasn't for the sport of skateboarding, Perth psychedelic outfit Mt. Mountain, may never have formed.

After meeting through the pastime and riding together, the members discovered a shared interest in music.

In 2012, they began jamming with a serious view of launching a band.

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"Before forming I was in a few other groups with Derrick, who also plays guitar in Mt. Mountain, but none of them went too far," guitarist Glenn Palmer said.

�This one was the first that actually made it to stage.

"We met Thomas (drums) throughout the first year of playing shows and asked him to join after deciding to get someone to take over on drums to free up Steve (vocals, organ) and add some other elements to the sound."

Palmer said the journey since collaborating had been amazing; none of the members expected to have had the opportunities they received over the past few years.

After releasing demo, Omed, in 2013, the guys put out a debut self-produced EP in 2014, which led to them winning the 2014 WAM "Breakthrough Artist" award.

They recently finished tracking their first full-length album, which they�ll complete over the next few months, and hope to tour nationally in the later half of the year.

Mt. Mountain, sounding somewhere between The Doors and Pink Floyd, is one of several Aussie outfits to play the State of the Art (SOTA) music festival on the WA long weekend.

They�ll share the stage with Birds of Tokyo, You Am I, The Love Junkies, Katy Steele and Downsyde among others.

"We're definitely all pretty stoked to have been asked to play alongside all the names on this year's line-up," Palmer said.

�It's a great showcase for WA and it definitely makes you realise how many great acts this state produces.

"We're looking forward to seeing our friends Hideous Sun Demon and Koi Child on the big stage and The Scientists close the night on the Urban Orchard."

What can people expect from the Mt. Mountain set?

"Fuzz, wah, organ, tremolo, delay pedals, cymbals, reverb and a lot of bass," Palmer said.

THE ESSENTIALS

What: State of the Art (SOTA) music festival

Where: Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge

When: Saturday, May 30

Tickets: www.sotafest.com.au