Macseal On Their Australian Tour Debut

Currently making their long-awaited Australian debut alongside Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Long Island indie rock outfit Macseal have spent the past decade becoming one of the most beloved names in modern emo and indie rock. They have built a reputation for making expertly crafted indie rock that bridges the gap between emo and power-pop, resulting in a coffee-fueled 2000s coming-of-age sound that energises audiences, encouraging them to crowd surf and nod along.

Following the release of their acclaimed sophomore album Permanent Repeat in 2024, Macseal continue to balance introspective songwriting with a sense of joy. On Permanent Repeat, Macseal pairs the sound of early 2000s pop rock with more modern twists and turns, condensing big themes such as longing, existential dread, and falling in love into moments that can be played on a loop. As they make their way across Australia for the very first time, bassist Justin Canavaciol and guitarist/vocalist Cole Szilagyi sat down to chat about finally bringing Macseal Down Under, their DIY beginnings, and the records that shaped them.

For those discovering Macseal for the first time, could you introduce the band? How did you all come together, and what was the moment you realised this was becoming something bigger than just playing songs with friends?

Justin: Macseal was loosely formed around 2014 with me, Cole, Ryan and some friends. Ry and I have known each other since we were ten or eleven. I met Cole in high school, and Ry met Frankie at his high school. She joined right after we graduated, and it just so happened that Frankie and Cole went to the same college. I think we realized it could turn into something bigger and more sustainable a couple of years after Frankie joined, right around when we finished college and started heavily touring on our first album Super Enthusiast. – J

What does it mean knowing Macseal’s music has found listeners in Australia?

Justin: It’s crazy! We still can’t get over it. It’s very hard to believe something that started as us playing cover songs in Ryan’s backyard turned into us playing shows in Australia.

What goes into building the setlist for a place you’ve never been before? Will there be some deep cuts?

Justin: Maybe some deep cuts! We’re very prone to playing requests when we get asked, especially in places we’ve never been. There will definitely be a wide range of older and newer songs, just trying to cram as much as you possibly can into the limited amount of time that you have. You want people to leave feeling satisfied and give a little bit of everything from our discography.

Are there any Australian artists, bands or records that you’ve been spinning recently?

Justin: Frankie introduced us to Paint recently, and we’ve been listening to a lot of Suzi lately as well! Alex Lahey and Courtney Barnett are some longtime favorites of ours, we always play them in the van on tour.

Your sound draws from indie rock, emo, pop and a lot of different corners of alternative music. Were there any artists or albums that made you want to start creating music yourself?

Justin: Wasting Light by Foo Fighters was a big album for us, and some of the first Macseal “rehearsals” were us just playing covers from that album. Cole and I went to our first emo show in high school when Modern Baseball played a few towns over from us, and they definitely had an impact on our songwriting and overall band ethos. Also, we all grew up listening to radio pop like Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Kelly Clarkson, etc. so that’s always stuck with us.

You pride yourselves on being a DIY band, what do you think makes those smaller music communities so special, even as bands grow and reach bigger audiences?

Justin: I feel like the work that goes into being a DIY band bonds you together with other DIY bands. There’s a level of respect for one another as we all know the amount of work and sacrifice that goes into doing this. Even as you grow and play bigger shows, that initial passion that drives bands, show organizers, and show goers to get involved stays with you.

Macseal’s catalogue means a lot to people who have found comfort in your music. Is there a particular song that you’re especially proud of because of what it represents for the band?

Cole: Easily Undone is a special one to me. When I wrote the first draft of it, it felt like a song an early 2000s artist like Michelle Branch would sing. Once we got into the studio, we fully committed to finishing it with that style, even though it was a departure sonically from our past releases. That era of pop music is important to all of us, so I’m proud of us for embracing that sound. It’s our only song with a record scratch (so far)!

If you could go back to the version of yourselves who first started Macseal, what’s one thing you’d want to tell them?

Justin: I’d warn myself that Ryan does this bit when we get to a hotel late at night where he likes to press all the buttons on the elevator ride up to our room and it can be really annoying.

For listeners discovering you for the first time, what song would you recommend as the perfect introduction to Macseal, and why?

Cole: I’d probably say “Harry.” It feels like it’s a good mix of both what we like to write and listen to: catchy melodies, intertwining guitars, and cathartic moments you can shout along to. Plus it’s about Harry Styles.

Interview By Ophelia Symons

Catch Macseal on tour with Prince Daddy & The Hyena on the following dates, tickets from Destroy All Lines…