20 May 2022 - 0 Comments

Once upon a time there was a prog metal band called Antares who made quite a noise for themselves in the Auckland scene, competing in the Ding Dong Battle of the Bands competition in 2016 against the likes of Coridian and Mudshark, but by the end of 2019 the quintet had gone their separate ways, although not quite. Chris, Jesse, and Daniel decided to keep working together, and they wanted another guitarist, so why not ask Dan’s brother Josh? Antares had played with Josh and his band Incarnium, he had produced their EP, and he had even recommended his brother be drummer of the band, so it all made sense.

Refusing to take themselves too seriously, they formed the name Cafe Fistfight from a ridiculous message chain of silly puns revolving around their unique fusion of acoustic twiddlings and hard-hitting Progressive Rock somewhere between Incubus, Tool, and Porcupine Tree. Within this fusion, Cafe Fistfight’s songs bear epic stories about deep personal reflection, growth, and change. Their passion comes from the determination to find a platform to pass these messages of support and encouragement to their listeners.

Their debut single Service With A Smile in 2020 soon gained them a following at their many Auckland gigs, where they have even been taking up an acoustic residency. King Hit Quiche had similar success as the band found themselves in the grand final of the Ding Dong Battle of the Bands competition when due to a cruel trick of fate, they were unable to complete due to severe illness. But a simple lurgy is never enough to keep a good band down, as was displayed by their heavy gigging schedule and third single Pocket Change in 2021, and now they are back with their debut EP.

Material is often structured around the singer-songwriter style of frontman Chris Moutter, who puts on a show with his hybrid acoustic/electric guitar and captivating vocals which gives the music a very different style to what one might expect. Jesse Hudson has switched from lead guitar to bass, knowing when to sit back and let it all flow but also when to be more dynamic and driving the runs. At the back is Daniel Barker, the drummer renowned for his exemplary snare sound and fills which sit perfectly in the pocket. To complete the musical tapestry, we have 7-string guitarist Josh who threatens to bring the metallic storm, yet somehow manages to find room among the threads to weave some magic of his own.

Their mix is unlike anyone else around, which is why they say they are New Zealand’s leading Cafe-themed Acoustic hard rock band. They have certainly found some major fans in the media, with their latest single making it into critic Kev Rowland’s Top 10 for 2021, while he is also a fan of their gigs…

“The quartet perform some of the tightest and most complex music around, always within the rock area but truly blending and mixing styles, so they defy being pigeonholed into one sub-genre or another. One of their distinctive elements is the use of short, sharp, breaks in the music where everyone hits their mark then stops for a beat before starting up again, often on a different musical tangent. This relies on the band being incredibly tight as there is no room for error, but this is one of their trademarks and something which they have off to a tee.” Kev Rowland, Muzic.net.nz

Mourning Brew at its core captures a vibe of self-reflection, loss, and seeking help. With positive and passionate tones hiding the darker truth within the lyrics.

Take Two is a self-reflective take on wanting to reach out for help but not knowing where to start.

Feel a Little expresses the emotions surrounding a friend ’s suicide and acts as a message to say it ’s not their fault.

Reflections explores the struggle of living up to expectations and losing your sense of self/self-worth in the process.

Best Before is about coming to terms with the loss of a friendship after a bad argument.

Mourning Brew was independently recorded, mixed, and mastered at House of Chords.

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