MOOSE Blood guitarist and co-songwriter Mark E. Osbourne said the band have been “devastated” and “almost killed” by sexual harassment allegations levelled at the English act.
It’s been a difficult 18 months for the emo punk-rockers from Canterbury, who sacked their original drummer Glenn Harvey in March 2017 after a woman claimed online that he had sent her unsolicited photos of a sexual nature.
Then in February this year Moose Blood were forced to deny allegations online that lead singer Eddy Brewerton had stolen nude photographs off a woman’s phone. Moose Blood took subsequent legal action.
“It’s been awful,” Osbourne told the Newcastle Herald from Whitstable in Canterbury, England. “It’s been really bad.
“If we were these types of people that did these sorts of things you’d have to hold your hands up and say, ‘that’s who we are’, but anybody who knows us knows we’re not those types of people.
“It really has devastated us and almost killed the band. Getting towards the end of this touring schedule we’re looking to have some time off just for our own sakes really.”
The controversy even led to US post-hardcore band Movements cancelling their Australian support tour with Moose Blood.
“When they made a comment we felt like they [Movements] threw us under the bus a little bit and it was like they’re not the right band for us to take on tour with us,” Osbourne said.
“When it’s warranted and it’s true, fair play. People deserve that. [But not] when it’s rumours that have escalated and become something that’s so untrue.”
Throughout the turbulence and damage to their reputation the four-piece produced their third album I Don't Think I Can Do This Anymore in March. Commercially the album failed to crack the UK top-10 like its predecessor, Blush, which featured the hit single Knuckles.
But for Osbourne it’s been a triumph and their greatest collection of songs, because there were times when he believed the album would never be made.
“On the back of the Glenn [Harvey] situation - he did what he did - we cut our ties and had to move on and this is where we are now,” he said.
“It was a huge stress and horrible feeling surrounding the band. There was a point where we thought we weren’t going to make the last record.
“It was literally approaching that record like it was the last thing we’ll ever do. Literally everything went into it and when it was finished, we had a feeling of relief and a real sense of achievement.”
Moose Blood play the Newcastle Hotel’s Small Ballroom on September 7.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
