"And I like the idea of presenting the ides that we're the ultimate, one tru Hod kind of thing, and just knowing that it's a pile of shit really, and that if people are willing to believe it them that's pretty funny."   

Yeah, we were just being wankers basically. One of the things that tends to annoy me is this ultimate truth that we get fed about things in general, as opposed to bands just being talked about, "this is good, this is bad, this has merit and this doesn't." That whole thing really bugs me," Ross McLennan, vocalist and bassist with Melbourne outfit Snout, said earlier this year when we chatted about the title to the band's latest record, The New Pop Dialogue.   

However that was a few months ago, and since then the name of Snout has found its way into most areas of the street media, which is something that seems to puzzle McLennan slightly. "It's been a strange year because we've encountered a phenomenon that we haven't come across previously, in terms of being fairly ubiquitous with our single and the pros and cons of that, so that's been kind of odd," the band's frontman says.   

Much of that huge publicity has of course had to do with Snout's tireless touring schedule. And it's playing gigs that the band is able to see both the aforementioned pros and cons. "It's sort of compounded all the positives and negatives, because we've been out there playing so much that we're seeing the benefits of airplay," McLennan says. "But also having to deal with the negatives like paranoias of being this ubiquitous entity."   

So I get the feeling that being so much in the public eye is something that bothers you then? "It doesn't really bother me that much, but I know that it mothers me as a receiver of media stuff, because I know I resent other people's ubiquity always being in my face, so I guess it's hard to accept that you may represent that to other people,"  McLennan explains. "But at the same time I know that it's turned a lot more people on to us, so I'm pretty happy about it."   

But whether Snout are in the media eye or not, touring is something that the band have been doing a hell of a lot in the last year. "Yeah, it seems every time I turn around there's another gig that I hadn't thought about that we've got to do," McLennan laughs.  "It's made doing country shows and suburban shows a lot more fun, and because of Triple J playing quite a few songs off our album, we can actually get through a whole set with people digging enough of the songs to keep them into the stuff they don't know."   

And it would seem that The New Pop Dialogue, which received a plethora of critical acclaim, has also received appreciation where it counts most - in the record stores.  "I think it's selling really well,"  McLennan agrees.  "I haven't asked for a long time, but I know that when it first came out it was above all expectations."   

Yet not wanting to sit on their collective laurels, Snout are already busy working on a bunch of new material that may sound a little different from their usual feel-good-pop.  "I've managed to write quite a few songs recently.  Some of them aren't maybe as good as what they could be, and some of them are the best things I've ever written, but they're a kind of a down vibe set of songs,"  McClennan says.  "I was a bit apprehensive about doing that at first, because apart from wanting to stay in line with what we've done so far, there's also the thing of not wanting to bad karma people to death, but it's been good."   

However with the music festival season in full swing, Snout aren't likely to be exuding too many negative vibes at this year's BDO. "By the time I've had a rest, and done a lot of family stuff, I think we'll be really looking forward to it," McLennan enthuses.  "I don't like flying that much, but it'll be cool to get out of the pubs and get into a festival atmosphere."   

And with the credibility Snout have within the music community, don't be surprised if there's more then the occasional well known muso popping their head around the corner to sneak a peak.   

"It's good to have that industry credibility, because you like to have people that you respect like you and it's great, and generally we like the people who turn up," McLennan says.   

"It might sound annoying, but there really is a strong kind of mutual admiration society, because there's just a plethora of amazing bands around at the moment."