This is Tour Diary, where artists give us a behind-the-scenes look at life on the road. Last year, HighSchool — the Melbourne duo of Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott — released their debut self-titled record on Halloween, full of the type of moody, gothic post-punk in the vein of Provoker or NO8NOACE. Produced by Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode) and Finn Bellingham (RIP Magic) and recorded between London, East Sussex, and Melbourne, the album served as a potent coming-of-age soundtrack that winks to the band’s name, delving into addiction, uncertainty, and nostalgia for another time. “I think the myth of high school is continually propagated through its depiction in media and film,” Scott said in an interview last year. “I like the myth, and then the myth starts getting integrated back into your experience of high school, and this album is us contributing to that feedback of what it is to be in high school, what it is to grow up, what it is to come of age.”
Read more: Knives: The U.K. post-punks writing explosive diss tracks
Earlier this spring, the band traveled overseas on a short North American tour, where they hit a handful of beloved venues, including Los Angeles’ Zebulon, Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right, and Chicago’s Empty Bottle. “Show was rammed,” they say of the latter. “Had no clue we had fans there. Deep-dish post-show hit differently.” See the run for yourself below.
Scotty and Wil somewhere in Arizona. It was like 95 degrees. These two only wear black clothes and refuse to own shorts.
Rory backstage at Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn. Bought that shirt for five bucks in Bed-Stuy.
Rory, Taraneh, and Taraneh’s mum. Wholesome.
Scotty playing pool at Doc Holliday’s. Goated dive in Alphabet City. Got staunched by some cringey local who had his own cue with his initials on it.
Full band after the last show of the tour in D.C. Drove back to NYC that night. Pretty sure a fan bought all of us, Taraneh, and the sound crew a full round of shots. Shoutout them. Shoutout Scotty desi driver x
Scotty and Lilli on the Williamsburg waterfront. Photo taken by Yael, who put us up for a few days. Real one.
Lilli at the alleged largest fireworks warehouse in the world. Shame we had to cross into Canada the next day. Had to let most of them off parked on the side of the freeway and left the rest at the Airbnb.
Luke and beloved Davis (touching ice)… First light @ Bernal Hill, San Francisco. View was iconic. Chats were deep.
The trusty 12-seater Ford Transit. Worth checking if the seats are removable… Shoutout Remy for letting us keep them on his porch for a week in LA.
Lilli and Scotty hailing our Uber somewhere in Idaho… Some cinematic Gus Van Sant TS.
