INTERVIEW – Flawes Chat About New Single ‘Higher Than Before’

Today (29th of January), sees the incredible new release from Flawes. Their new single “Higher Than Before” is now available to stream on Spotify!

Flawes consists of frontman JC Carruthers, drummer Josh ‘Huss’ Hussey, and guitarist Freddie Edwards. The trio have successfully blended their skills together to create an absolute banger. It sets an atmosphere that will have you instantly hooked the moment you press the play button. The lyrics and vocals alone are filled with such passion, that makes you think and appreciate every single word that is being sung. Pair that with the explosive drum beats that you can feel physically pounding in your chest, and the electrifying guitar, and the song is truly unforgettable.

“Higher Than Before” features the wonderful Aussie songstress Mali-Koa. She was able to make the single even more special by adding her hypnotising vocals. Together, she and Flawes have made something heavenly enchanting.

This is only just the start of the next chapter in the bands journey as it has recently been announced that they will be dropping their 6-track EP “Reverie” on the 26th of February! It is now available to pre-order here. If “Higher Than Before” is anything to go by, then this is an EP you don’t want to miss.

It sounds like Flawes are in for a pretty exciting year as they have already started off so strong. We had a chat with the guys about what it was like working with Mali-Koa, the upcoming EP, and what else they might have planned for the rest of the year;


So, you have a new single titled “Higher Than Before” out very today! Why don’t you start off by telling us a bit about it?

JC:”Higher Than Before” is all about giving a relationship a chance and looking at things in a more positive light. The chorus hook “You’re taking me Higher Than Before” centres around the realisation that being with them has vastly improved my life; life is a lot better when they are in it

It features the very talented Mali-Koa. How did this collaboration come about? What was it like working with her?

JC: We are big fans of Mali after hearing her song ‘Revolution’ and knew her voice would sound amazing on ‘Higher Than Before’. I can’t wait to perform it live together one day, hopefully soon!

The single will be on your new EP “Reverie” – which is due to be released next month – what can fans expect from this new EP? Can you describe the sound for us?

Freddie: The word Reverie is defined as being lost in one’s thoughts, basically in a day dream! We want to give our listeners that same sense of escapism when listening to the EP. The songs have a big euphoric sound and we’ve been told they’re great songs to drive to haha. The singles are all quite upbeat but there are two other tracks that are a lot more mellow and intimate.  

Could you also describe your song-writing process for our readers? 

JC: Sometimes it will be a vocal melody and a few chords that I come up with and send to the boys to develop and we’ll go from there, or a loop Freddie has come up with which I write a vocal melody on top. Other times we’ll start from the bottom up with a drum beat huss sends over. We always try not to put any rules on our song writing process and try to keep it as open as possible. All three of us use logic so it’s quite handy to pass projects back and forth between us, especially during lockdown.

Artists and musicians have had to adapt in terms of how they work due to the COVID crisis. How have you been finding this change? How have you been able to keep motivated?

Huss: Yeah it’s definitely changed the way we work together, especially in how we write music. We all decided to build home recording studios and taught ourselves how to record from home this year. So this whole EP was written and recorded without us being in the same room which was pretty cool. I think we all stayed motivated by writing and creating in this way, and it’s been quite a fun process for sure, we’ve all learned a lot! 

As a band, who would you say are your biggest influences and why?

Freddie: Our individual influences vary quite a bit but as a band we love artists like One Republic, Lauv, Maroon 5, Imagine Dragons & The Chainsmokers to name a few. The combination of traditional band instrumentation with electronic elements is something that really appeals to us and we feel like these acts have a great mix of those two things. 

What would you say has been the best advice you’ve received since being in a band? Who gave you this advice?

Huss: Honestly, I think the best advice I’ve ever been given is “If you enjoy it, don’t ever give up” from my parents. They have always been so supportive throughout my life and always had my back. Pursuing your dream to be in a band can be challenging at times and you’re bound to make mistakes or doubt yourself somewhere along the journey. But one of the reasons for the name ‘Flawes’ is that we all acknowledge and embrace our mistakes and imperfections and learn from them…because they make us who we are today. 

What would you say has been the worst advice?

Huss: “You should have another beer” From Freddie after every gig haha. That piece of advice has led to many headaches in the past.

Finally, can you tell us of any other plans you have for 2021?

Freddie: Until we’re allowed to get back out and tour again we’re going to keep on making content for our fans and make the most of the time we have to write new music! A silver lining of lockdown has been that we’ve learnt a lot about recording from home and can now put that to use in the future. If you want something to put a smile on your face, head to our YouTube to check out a video series we made that sits alongside the EP. Expect dyed hair, spray tans, tattoos and ridiculous costumes haha.


Flawes are a group that you just need to get behind and support. Once you give them a listen, guarantee they will end up being one of your favourite bands. For more updates on what they are up to, you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The full track listing for “Reverie” can be found below;

‘Reverie’ EP tracklist: 

1. ‘Holding Out For The Win’ 

2. ‘What’s A Boy To Do’ 

3. ‘Higher Than Before’ (featuring Mali-Koa) 

4. ‘I Don’t Quit For No One’ 

5. ‘Move Over’ 

6. ‘Against All Odds’

So, what did you think of “Higher Than Before”? Let us know your thoughts over on our Twitter! – @AboutThe_Noise