SPEED’s breakout into the mainstream was one of the most encouraging success stories in Australian music last year.
Rising out of the inner depths of Sydney’s hardcore scene, wider recognition of their talent culminated in a stunning ARIAs win in the Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Album category.
They won that award for their debut album, ONLY ONE MODE, a battering ram of a record that heralded SPEED as one of the most exciting hardcore bands of their generation, not just in Australia but worldwide.
Case in point: their explosive turn at day one of Coachella 2025, which brought heavy moshing and stage-diving to the California festival.
It takes a special band like SPEED to break out of a scene like hardcore in the manner that they did; that they achieved this feat with an uncompromising artistic belief system makes it all the more exhilarating. —Conor Lochrie
Read an exclusive interview with SPEED below. Check out the full Future of Music 2025 list here.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: How was 2024 for you? What were your biggest achievements and favourite moments?
SPEED: We had some incredible highs and lows… but overall it was the best year of our lives. Josh got married. That’s my best friend going on 20 years. Playing Have Heart reunion shows in Boston and New York… absolutely monumental. Released our first album, something we never envisioned when we started five years ago. We’re still surfing an enormous wave right now… just trying to cherish every moment.
Music is an increasingly crowded and competitive field. What’s one thing that makes you stand out from other artists?
Respectfully, that is a foreign concept to me. If there’s a team or side we have to pick, that is just “hardcore”; Sydney-sided, Australian-based, and global-minded. Every win for our friends far and wide is a win for us and the scene as a whole. We’re here doing what we do cus of the support and validation of legends we’ve revered – No Apologies, Trapped Under Ice, Madball, Sunami, Flatspot Records, the list is unending. We’re just focusing on championing the culture of hardcore music.
What’s coming up for you in 2025 and beyond? Any big shows, notable releases?
We’re backing up ONLY ONE MODE and touring worldwide, year-long. We just completed a full Australian tour, 17/17 sold-out shows with kids of all ages and walks of life. That is fucking mind-blowing to me and a testament to the health of our scene. In my opinion this is the best time to be a hardcore kid – the passion is real and we wanna keep spreading it as far as we can. We’re about to hit the studio again. The gas is perpetually on.
