DUST frontman Justin Teale is instantly recognisable by his mop of curly black hair as stands patiently waiting at The Kiosk on Newcastle Beach.
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His bandmate and drummer, Kye Cherry, is working behind The Kiosk counter cheerfully slinging coffees to customers keen for a mid-afternoon caffeine hit in the winter sunshine.
We're soon joined by saxophonist and guitarist, Adam Ridgway, whose cheeky grin and laugh are infectious.
All in all, Teale and Ridgway present as two very chilled, and completely normal, Maitland-raised 23-year-olds.
It's far cry from the sonic intensity of Dust's post-punk music which has attracted the attention of UK music press stalwart NME, led to an European tour with Wollongong surf-rock heavyweights Hockey Dad and enabled the five-piece to support English shoe gaze legends, Slowdive, at Sydney's Enmore Theatre.
Anyone that's caught Dust live over the past 18 months can vouch for the fact that this is a band that wallops their audience with a cacophony of sound and urgent energy.
On stage Teale paints a figure of intensity as his rich baritone sings Ward 52, about his experience of being hospitalised with an autoimmune disease post-high school.
We're still fresh paw paw, or fresh meat. We're still not at a level where that is possible. So for us it was really surreal, especially coming from Maitland.
- Justin Teale, Dust
"My mum was telling me this the other day," Teale says when asked where the intensity of Dust's music comes from.
"We don't see it that way. It just naturally became quite intense. We're aware it's quite loud and in your face."
Back in March Dust - who features Teale, Ridgway, Cherry, Gabriel Stove (guitar, vocals) and Liam Smith (bass) released their debut EP et cetera, etc through US independent label Kanine Records (Grizzly Bear, Hockey Dad).
Dust have already began work on new music at Marrickville's Golden Retriever Studios with their producer Wade Keighran, of Wolf & Cub, and hope to have a fresh single released later this year.
The buzz around Newcastle's music scene and beyond has steadily grown louder in the past six months, particularly after the release of et cetera, etc and their 21-date tour through Europe with Hockey Dad in April.
"I know we have a lot of people here who respect us and that's really great," Teale says of the hype.
Ridgway is even more chilled about the chatter.
"I think we just know a lot of people," he laughs. "Because there's five of us, and I feel like we all have a diverse pocket of friends, we know a lot people."
However, the chance to tour overseas with Hockey Dad proved to the quintet that their music has a bright future.
"I felt like stuff like that doesn't happen," Teale says. "We're still fresh paw paw, or fresh meat. We're still not at a level where that is possible. So for us it was really surreal, especially coming from Maitland."
Given the obvious influence of revivalist UK post-band bands like Idles, Fontaines D.C and Shame on their sound, Teale says it was particularly special to be warmly received at their English shows.
"I was particularly nervous because it was hard to do that in front of a crowd, because people over there are so used to it," he says.
"They can see us come from Australia and think we're just ripping it off. It would be like if a UK band came here and did surf-rock.
"That's how I felt going over, but people took it really well. A lot better than I expected."
While in Amsterdam Dust even had the opportunity to see Shame live after they ran for "two minutes" from their own gig to make the show in time.
Ridgway capped off the "full-circle moment" by stage-diving during Shame's gig.
The touring schedule isn't slowing down either. Dust are in Perth this weekend supporting DZ Deathrays and there's festival appearances ahead at Thrashville (September 8-9) in the Hunter Valley, Off The Rails (October 2) in Marrickville, Yours & Owls (October 14-15) in Wollongong and the inaugural Sydney edition of the famed Austin showcase South By South West (October 18-22).
"Our manager was talking about when he was there with Hockey Dad, Idles were coming up and he remembered seeing them in this small bar that was packed because everyone was talking about them," Teale says.
You get the feeling Dust might be the band everyone is talking following Sydney's SXSW.
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.
