IF there ever was a quintessential pandemic band, it's rapidly rising Maitland/Newcastle indie-rockers Doris.
In August 2020 foundation members Ezekiel Kent Duong (vocals, guitar), Cullen Rivers-Munzenberger (guitar) and Myles Reading (keys, saxophone) - then year 12 students at Maitland's All Saints College - played their maiden Doris show supporting Zombonimo at Dashville.
With restrictions in place the fresh-faced Doris played to a seated audience socially distanced in "party pens".
It meant that when Doris performed their first restriction-free show six months later in early 2021 it was a foreign experience. The then 17-year-old Kent Duong recalls "dodging the ID check just to bring all the gear in" to the Lass O'Gowrie Hotel.
"It was bit of a shock for us, because our first shows were in lockdown," Kent Duong said. "The whole process of booking shows and getting people out was really new to us when we started playing."
However, it hasn't taken Doris long to get used to tightly packed crowds.
The band, that has since added former Milky Thred member Bronte Jenness (bass) and Charlie Dunn (drums) to the line-up, has become one of Newcastle's hottest young acts since releasing second single December (Went For Too Long) last year.
The track's combination of noise-rock, shoe gaze and emo-punk, and obvious Sonic Youth influences, struck an immediate chord.
"We did it all ourselves, recorded and mixed it," Kent Duong said. "We used it to grow our following and show people what we were about to make."
From there Doris signed with Sunshine Coast-based indie label Kitty Records, which is owned by Caleb Anderson and Riley Brown of indie-noise band Mouse.
Last November Doris travelled to the Sunshine Coast to record their debut EP with Anderson and Brown. Birthday Cards is due for release on June 15 and will be supported by six-date east coast tour.
Birthday Cards features a new version of December and Doris' latest single Teeth, released last week.
Kent Duong didn't consider the emo-folk track to be appropriate for Doris, but his bandmates insisted.
Teeth also presented Kent Duong with an opportunity to showcase his versatility as a songwriter.
"Lyrically it was one of the most challenging experiences to make the lyrics work within an indie melody," he said.
"They touch on a lot of themes I was experiencing when I was writing like anxiety, trust and vulnerability.
"So I think Teeth was the first track where we stepped out of our comfort zone in terms of writing and pushed it to make it work as a whole group."
Doris launch Birthday Cards at the Hamilton Station Hotel on July 13.
