The charming Oz tendency towards understatement is one of Karnivool’s enduring qualities. Another one is endurance itself. “We’ve always kind of taken a bit longer than most bands. We were running an Olympic cycle there for a while… getting one out every four years”. For In Verses it’s been 12. Worth the wait? The proof of the pudding is in the eating and this pudding is pure magic.

ep 87: Karnivool and the art of taking your time

Longevity in music is not accidental. For Perth rock legends Karnivool, it has been shaped by restraint, self-interrogation, and a refusal to release work before it is fully realised. Their fourth album In Verses arrives twelve years after Asymmetry, the longest gap of their career, and stands as a testament to a band that chose patience over momentum. This episode, at times, comes across like a therapy session with recovering perfectionists Jon Stockman and Drew Goddard (your host suffers from no such condition). And that’s despite the charming Oz tendency towards understatement that both of them possess. 

“We’ve always kind of taken a bit longer than most bands,” bassist Jon Stockman admits. “We were running an Olympic cycle there for a while… getting one out every four years”.

What stretched that cycle wasn’t creative drought, but life itself. Karnivool members started families or held down other jobs (singer Ian Kenny fronts not one but two successful bands), their responsibilities multiplied, and the focus required to complete a In Verses became harder to sustain. “Three of us have got kids now,” Stockman says. “When you’re in a group, we all move forward at the same time. Or stay still.”

Guitarist Drew Goddard describes the process as confronting in ways the band hadn’t previously encountered. “It only got to that point around 2016 where I was like, ‘Ah, okay… this is really hard now,’” he says. “I thought it was challenging on previous albums, but this was different.” The struggle wasn’t about writing songs, but about finishing them. “You can’t be one foot in,” Goddard reflects. “It takes up all your faculties. All resources.”

In an era dominated by playlists, TikTok, Reels and Shorts, reduced attention spans and endless content, the band ultimately doubled down on the album as a complete statement - the album as the antidote. As Goddard says. “In the age of content, I thought it was even more important to release an album.”

For Karnivool, the album remains more than a collection of tracks. It is a long-form quest, both for the band and the listener. “I struggle with focus,” Goddard explains, “so committing to a long-form thing was important. Something that could hold people captive for a little bit. Stop them in their tracks.”

At this point, it hits hard just how much work goes into the making of an album, especially one as epic as In Verses. With each passing year, Karnivool fans' patience was tested and their expectations, inevitably, notched upwards. I don’t think anyone will be disappointed, In Verses will melt your headphones and put your stereo speakers on full alert. Despite the long wait, the band insists they weren’t consciously responding to external pressure. “We weren’t really thinking about the stakes,” Stockman says. “We were so embroiled in the process itself.” 

After twelve years, the achievement is not just the record itself. “We’re still friends,” Stockman notes. “We’re still enjoying it.” 

In a career defined by patience and precision, simply arriving together for a new album and what many may see as a career-defining tour, may be Karnivool’s greatest artistic statement yet. And that may be an understatement. 

In Verses is (finally) out there and Karnivool are touring see here for details