AUSTRALIA'S favourite party band aren't quite grown up, but they are growing.
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The Bennies' latest album Wisdom Machine is pegged as a "journey into the mind of The Bennies", and naturally, comes sleeved in a 70s-inspired psychedelic art explosion.
Its March 25 release date is going to be backed up by a cross-country tour that kicks off in Launceston on Easter Sunday.
But before that, the Melbourne band is back in Tassie for a set at the Burns Creek music festival Party in the Paddock.
Singer-keyboardist Anty Horgan said the Party in the Paddock opportunity came up in November when the band played a Thursday night set at 'Til The Wheels Fall Off in Launceston.
He said the band was looking forward to its mid-arvo Saturday set time - but not so much the early Sunday morning flight home.
Tassie crowds were already treated to a couple of songs from Wisdom Machine when the band visited the state last.
"On the last tour, we were playing Party Machine because that had come out and we'd also been playing a song called Corruption (which) is really really fun to play live," Horgan said.
Party Machine was the first to drop leak from the album, and the band easily confesses it was inspired by their experiences at a trance music camping festival.
The band has made a name for itself as a high-energy party band, particularly off the back of 2013's banger-filled Rainbows in Space.
It's a slightly different story for Wisdom Machine, which was recorded at Holes and Corners in South Melbourne.
"The main thing is, I feel like it's quite similar to Rainbows in Space, but the main thing is we wanted to push everything forward," Horgan said.
"[Intro track Heavy Reggae] in my opinion, is the closest that we've come to doing that heavy, heavy, dub reggae.
"We've always wanted to write heavy tech punk, like that's our thing, but I'm really really proud of the whole album, I really love it."
Horgan highlighted closing track O Brother, Where Art Thou as a personal standout, saying "we've never really written a long song before", which sits in a seven-minute contrast to the rest of the album.
It's not the only different tack the band took in the songwriting and recording process.
"Every single one of us went a bit further, for example with my keyboard I started really using some different pedals," Horgan said.
"There's a few things that are probably not that noticeable to other people - like for me in previous songs I would always build up the verse to a scream before the chorus so I really tried to not do that this time.
"Everyone had little goals like that."
■ The Bennies - Horgan, plus guitarist Jules, bassist Craig, and drummer Bowie - will play two Tassie shows on the Wisdom Machine tour: Launceston's Club 54 on Sunday, March 27, and Hobart's Brisbane Hotel on Monday, March 28. Tickets are on sale now via thebennies.com.au
GIG FACTS
WHAT: Party in the Paddock 2016.
WHEN: February 19 to 20.
WHERE: Burns Creek.
TICKETS: Limited weekend tickets remain. Day passes have just been released. Visit www.partyinthepaddockfestival.com.au for more information.