Blake Scott (The Peep Tempel)

Blake Scott joins for episode 19 of Turning Heads. Blake's debut solo album, Niscitam, is out now.

Blake was the guitarist and vocalist of Melbourne pub-punk weirdos The Peep Tempel for much of the 2010s. During this time, the band released three excellent albums – The Peep Tempel, Tales and Joy – before going on hiatus in late 2017. 

Blake's songwriting got stranger and more immersive with each Peep Tempel album, and he continues this trajectory on Niscitam. He teamed up with producer John Lee, drummer Jacey Ashton and bass player Nick Finch to record the album. It's not a rock album per se – there are moments that threaten to tear through your speakers, but it's also distinguished by sections of stripped-back restraint, a lot of Factory Records-esque bass lines, extended passages of spoken word and some more straight ahead pop hooks. 

We spoke about Blake's decision to launch a solo project, the important roles played by Jacey, John and Nick, how he develops his idiosyncratic vocal delivery, what he learnt from a long stint of sobriety and how it feels to be a new father. 

Turning heads is recorded on the stolen land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation; the traditional custodians of the land. I pay my respects to their elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded.