As card carrying members of the notorious Adelaide crew Certified Wise – along with brothers in arms the Hilltop Hoods – Funkoars are no spring chickens on the Australian hip hop scene. They’ve been kicking about for almost 10 years and have three albums under their belt, as well as far too many guest appearances and production credits to list.

With their larrikin reputation well and truly preceding them, their latest LP The Hangover has caught many by surprise, showing they’ve got more on their minds than booze and babes. “Since we started we rapped about what we were doing at the time,” Trials told inthemix recently. “Binge drinking, ladies of the night, whatever, so the subject matter is sure to change as we get a little older.”

Discussing the topic in further detail, Sesta is hopeful their new material will find favour amongst fans, both old and new. “I know a lot of people don’t like us, and they are going to hear what they want to hear. That being said though, give the album a listen and it doesn’t take long to realise there is a lot more to our music than there used to be,” he said.

Currently on tour to launch the LP across the country, inthemix caught up with the outfit to talk hangovers and Aussie hip hop.

Can you remember your worst ever hangover?

Trials: I was actually talking about this with Ad-Fu earlier. I’m terrified at the prospect that I haven’t seen my biggest night or hangover yet, it really frightens me. I know deep down somewhere there is this dormant maniac party animal waiting to wake up in a cell.

Sesta: Yes, first and last time I drank Southern Comfort, it had been sitting in the back of my Commodore for the greater part of the summer until one weekend where I had no money I took it to a friend’s party, drank the shit out of it. Don’t remember much of the party but I woke up at Trials’ house seeing black dots all in my vision. The funny part of the story is this night was about five years ago and I still see these black dots. Actually, it’s not really that funny.

Reflux: On the Stopping All Stations tour in Jindabyne I was actually grey, shaking and unable to stand up. We had to drive to Canberra for the next gig and I curled up in the fetal position the whole way there… then passed out. I was practically dead.

How long has it taken for these songs to get from conception to the release of the record, has that been a short or long process?

Reflux: The album took about a year… most tracks come together within a few weeks.

Sesta: It’s really hard to tell because we are always making new stuff, but as we get closer to a release things are turned up a notch and most of the album comes together in the final three to four months, with perhaps a few of the older tracks surviving the scrupulous screening process.

What were the biggest challenges you faced while recording this album?

Trials: Being in the same place is pretty hard these days. Reflux has trouble keeping Old Man Bassy Face – his neighbor – under control. Sesta is playing video games and Hons is quite the young man about town since he found out one of his exes was just as trampy as mine.

Sesta: Our biggest problem is sticking to a deadline, our manager Kirk put up a timeline in the studio for when we needed to have things done by, and let’s just say that most of the songs on the album were not even made until the time we were three months past that deadline. We have a terrible work ethic. How do we overcome this? I don’t know, perhaps you can suggest something because we really need help.

What usually comes first in the writing process for Funkoars tracks – beats or rhymes?

Sesta: Either me or Trials will come to the studio with tracks we have been working on and show everyone else and see if they are digging the sound and concept. We all know instantly if it’s something we are going to pursue or chuck away. From there we all add our bit to mould it into those Funkoarian hymns we know and love.

On reputation and after first listen to the album you could be forgiven for pigeon holing Funkoars as another party outfit, but after going over the album a few times you pick up on some heavier themes and underlying issues. Does it get to you that people often overlook that when it comes to Funkoars?

Sesta: We did anticipate this to happen to a degree, but looking at our last two albums you can’t blame anyone for thinking that. I know a lot of people don’t like us, and they are going to hear what they want to hear. That being said though, give the album a listen and it doesn’t take long to realise there is a lot more to our music than there used to be.

Trials: Since we started we rapped about what we were doing at the time; binge drinking, ladies of the night, whatever, so the subject matter is sure to change as we get a little older. I’ve always enjoyed trying to hide little punchlines in our tracks to give them more replay value, something like “Kidnap Paris, give her parents bad hair days” from Reign is a cheeky little play on hair/heir. Most Oars rhymes are like magic eye puzzles, or something.

Alcoholism, bootlegging, giant penises… There are some “colourful” themes throughout the record, what does Mum think of the album?

Reflux: She loves it… well the beats anyway.

Sesta: I think we all have pretty open minded and intelligent parents. I don’t think any of us would be doing this without their support, although when we first started the Funkoars I have to admit there was a few awkward years while they were getting… acquainted to the “sound”.

This was the third album that Trials has had a hand in production in 2008, is he the busiest man in Australian hip hop or what?

Trials: I barely get time to feed the cats these days. That’s not a hip hop slang term for women, by the way, it refers to my cats Telly and Bashir. I’ve already started work on the next Vents and Drapht records, and I’m always throwing Suffa beats so I can try and ruin the next Hllltop Hoods record. It sounds fucking nuts from the bits and pieces I’ve heard. I guess it’s all that, a solo album, then Sesta and I will unleash the Statler & Waldorf experience, 90 minutes of psychedelic rock and reverb. We’re trying to get Tame Impala and Ash Grunwald on board.

Funkoars have been an important part of the Australian hip hop scene for almost 10 years now. What are your thoughts on the state of hip hop at the moment?

Trials: That’s pretty epic when you put it like that, haha. I like to think of us as the stain that doesn’t flush. Hip hop is in a good place I guess, most of the crews that have been around for a while are on their third or fourth albums and that’s an exciting place to be. Creatively I’ve got more ideas for music than ever. All the garbage American rip off shit has been put in the 99 cent bin and the good music is getting props.

Sesta: I think we are slowly getting a nice collection of artists who are able to rap with the Aussie accent whilst simultaneously sounding good, which was hard to come by for a very long time. Unfortunately it turned a lot of people away from hip hop in Australia, but yeah, the Aussie public is coming around to the sound, and they like it.

Funkoars are currently on the road promoting their latest album The Hangover, available now through Peepshow/Shogun.

13 Feb – Bwana Upstairs, Mandurah
14 Feb – Hyde Park Hotel, Perth
26 Feb – Transit Bar, Canberra
27 Feb – The Roi Bar, Albury
28 Feb – Annandale Hotel, Sydney
29 Feb – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
6 Mar – The Espy, Melbourne
7 Mar – Ha’Penny, Geelong
8 Mar – Pushover Festival, Melbourne
13 Mar – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide