Confidence Man: 3AM Forever
Confidence Man are back and sexier than ever with their bold, beat-driven third album, 3AM (LA LA LA). The only question is, are you ready to rave?
Words by Zara Richards | Image by Julian Buchan
There’s a world where it’s 3am and the party never ends. The music is good, the beat is hard and the people are hot. Sweaty dancefloors, damp air, dim lighting and lots of fun. It’s the closest thing to euphoria. And it’s also the universe Confidence Man have created for their third, forthcoming album, 3AM (LA LA LA).
The new record, which arrives via I OH YOU on October 18, is a love letter to warehouse raves, ’90s noise and hedonism – a heady mission statement further buoyed by the brilliant sheen of fizzy pop hooks. All 48 minutes are rooted deep in the insatiable thrill of partying. It’s only logical that Confidence Man became method actors to authentically capture the album’s mood.
“When we started, we’d just [make music] around a kitchen table late at night and it was always the funnest way to do it. So, for this album, it was like, why don’t we just do that for the whole thing?” explains Confidence Man’s co-frontperson and dancing extraordinaire, Sugar Bones.
He’s sitting in the band's new London home on what he describes as a ‘grim day’ in England’s capital, unpacking how the intoxicating, gritty energy of 3AM (LA LA LA) came to be.
“[We’d] have a big fun party night and throw all the ideas out,” he says. “We’d go out for lunch, have some cocktails, then head back to the studio with a bunch of wine, some beers and, you know, whatever you need. That’s the energy we wanted. And once you’re in [the studio], you lock in for the next 12 hours.”
The ungodly hour of 3am seemed to be the creative sweet spot for the four-piece – perhaps an unsurprising time for an outfit who have built a career out of getting bodies bumping on the dancefloor.
Confidence Man formed in 2016 after rounds of kick ons with whoever could stay up the longest. Their pseudonyms – Sugar Bones, Janet Planet, Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild – are pinched from gravestones; their sound pays tribute to the festivals and nightclubs that shaped the tight-knit band’s formative years.
Each album is wilder than the last. And right now, the party starters are teetering on the edge of becoming a global phenomenon. Why? It could be their scandalous sound, shameless dance moves and sets that continue to triple in size thanks to their word-of-mouth cult following. But Confidence Man just have ‘It’. And that’s never been more obvious than on 3AM (LA LA LA).
Deep from within their studio-turned-sesh-den, the band drew from beat-making godfathers like Groove Armada, The Prodigy and The KLF to create breakneck BPMs, trippy noise and bouncy basslines. The album’s 12 tracks drip with indie sleaze and sonic nods to the UK’s warehouse rave scene – a subculture the group have always admired from afar in Brisbane. But this outside perspective let Confidence Man write their own party music playbook with little worry about what genre purists may think.
“We could sort of mess with it,” says Sugar. “Naivety lets you break some of the rules because, you know, ignorance is bliss. You don’t even know if you’re doing something that might piss people off.”
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Their wine-soaked sensibilities helped too. Sugar continues: “I think [we were] more willing to take a chance on ideas. You’re more open to different angles and where you could take songs. You can overthink it [when you] try to piece together these minute details. But when you go in with big brush strokes, it seemed the most inspiring.”
3AM (LA LA LA) shines with soon-to-be club classics. Standout tracks include the sexy, shimmering opener ‘WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU’LL FIND?’, high-octane anthem ‘SO WHAT’, and dirty drum ‘n’ bass number, ‘BREAKBEAT’ (the line ‘I got a pill in my pocket / and I really want to drop it / but I’m not gonna pop it / ’til I hear a breakbeat’ should be considered poetry).
However, the 3am energy is perhaps best encapsulated by the album’s lead single, ‘I CAN’T LOSE YOU’, and its titillating visualiser: Sugar Bones and Janet Planet, naked and dancing in an open helicopter that's speeding over London’s cityscape.
“There were professionals there,” Sugar chuckles. “They said they knew what they were doing. We always have these ideas and get really excited about them. But then two months later, you’re in a helicopter and it’s like, why do we do this to ourselves?”
Confidence Man’s mile-high jaunt over their new city is just one example of their commitment to the bit. They’re pop stars in the truest sense: serious musicians who haven’t forgotten the genre’s silly and somewhat frivolous side. Every synchronised dance move, aerial stunt and laser-shooting bra has pushed them towards becoming the most talked about party act on the global circuit. Hell, even Noel Gallagher is a fan. “Once you start, you can’t stop,” says Sugar with a knowing smile. “You just try and make it bigger and bigger.”
Take their Glastonbury set this year – considered one of the best performances from the 2024 bill. Three costume changes, relentless dance routines (all delivered deadpan, of course), a giant inflatable stage design and a ravey sound sent tens of thousands of people into overdrive. It was totally camp. At one point, fake blood even dripped down Sugar’s chest. “Glastonbury was a really nice moment,” he hums.
It’s this energy the four-piece hope to re- create on their grand homecoming tour this spring, which includes a show at The Gov on October 25. “We’re bringing the whole bloody rig – the whole Glastonbury set up!” says Sugar. “Hometown shows are always very special. We’ll be playing a bunch of new songs off the album and we’re starting to get all the dances now. Australia will get the whole 3am experience.”
What that experience is exactly? Sugar smiles, laughing softly at his attempt to describe a tour destined to descend into debauchery. “It’s a fun time all the time in this world,” he muses. “There are no boring bits at 3am.”
Confidence Man play The Gov on October 25. Tickets on sale now via Oztix. 3AM (LA LA LA) is out via I OH YOU on October 18. Pre-order/pre-save the album here.
