Melbourne band the Temper Trap will release their fourth album, Sungazer, on July 10, and they are heading back on tour. The album marks a new chapter for the band, who have experienced significant personal and industry changes since their breakout debut in 2009.
From Hackney Basement to Global Success
Drummer Toby Dundas recalls a recent moment of surreal recognition. Watching his AFL team, the Melbourne Demons, he heard the song Love Lost, a Mac Miller track sampling the Temper Trap's Love Lost. 'I'm like, 'Hang on a minute. That's Dougy singing!' he says. Frontman Dougy Mandagi grins: 'Did it give you goose bumps, Toby?'
The band's longevity is underscored by such moments. Mandagi and Dundas met working retail and formed the Temper Trap with Jonathon Aherne and Lorenzo Sillitto around 2005. Their debut album Conditions (2009) featured Sweet Disposition, which became an international hit after a UK radio push. The band lived together in a Hackney house with a 'dungeon basement' during recording, in a then-rough area now gentrified.
The Weight of a Hit
Sweet Disposition's success cast a long shadow. Mandagi says pressure to replicate it became 'a little weight that you carry around.' He adds, 'It takes the perfect storm to turn a good song into a global success.' The song featured in (500) Days of Summer and became a top 10 UK hit.
After touring extensively and winning ARIAs and Brits, the band released their self-titled follow-up in 2012, then Thick as Thieves in 2016. A hiatus began in 2018, broken only for a few Australian dates.
Sungazer: A Natural Return
The new album feels more natural and textured. Mandagi's lyrics reference his faith and new fatherhood. Standout track Giving Up Air aims for dancefloor catharsis. The band acknowledges the changing music industry: streaming economics, fewer venues, and higher touring costs. Dundas notes young artists struggle financially, often giving up.
As parents, touring is harder. Mandagi works with a vocal teacher for the first time, fearing he might 'cook it' on stage. Dundas expects the tour bus to be quieter: 'Early morning yoga and herbal tea this time around.'
Sungazer is out on 10 July. The Temper Trap's tour dates are available online.
The Temper Trap's Songs to Live By
Mandagi shared his picks: Best music year 2007 with Radiohead, MGMT, Arcade Fire, Jay Z, Kanye West. Song he wishes he wrote: Blinding Lights by the Weeknd. Last song sung in shower: Sweet Disposition. Most played: a Peppa Pig banger (for his two-year-old). Funeral song: Sleepwalk by Santo & Johnny. Sex song: whatever he sings at the time.
