Touring Australia with Signs of the Swarm — March 2026
Nick, it’s great to have you here. Born of Osiris are finally returning to Australia after quite a long break. You must be excited to get back?
Nick: Absolutely. We haven’t been over since 2019 — almost six years — so we’re really stoked. We’ve wanted to come back for a long time, and we’re excited that it’s finally happening this year.
You’re touring with Signs of the Swarm, which makes for a pretty intense double bill.
Nick: Yeah, totally. We toured with them a few years back and it was awesome. They’ve just kept levelling up, and they’re absolutely killing it right now. Having them with us again is great.
A lot of fans were surprised it’s been so long since you’ve been here. Were you hoping to return sooner?
Nick: We definitely wanted to. But with the pandemic and everything that followed, it just made international touring difficult. Ideally, we would’ve come back somewhere between 2021 and 2023, but that’s just how things played out. Our last trip here was full of great memories, so we can’t wait to do it again.
Do you have a favourite song to perform live at the moment?
Nick: Right now, bringing Follow the Signs back into the set has been a blast — it’s been out of rotation for a while, and it brings a ton of energy. For the Australian tour, we’re celebrating 15 years of The Discovery, so we’re playing a big chunk of that album, including some deep cuts fans haven’t heard in ages. From the new record, Elevate is one of my favourites to play. It’s uplifting, it has that EDM vibe, and the crowd always reacts to it. We’ve been working hard to build a more well‑rounded, evolving setlist, and we’re really stoked on what we’ve put together.
Those riffs are fast and relentless. Does it get tiring playing them night after night?
Nick: Oh yeah. It takes a lot of warm‑ups and discipline. We’re playing longer sets now, bringing back older material, and learning new songs, so it’s definitely more demanding — but in a good way. It keeps us sharp. We all recently picked up new practice amps so we can jam together more often. It reminds me of being a kid playing with friends. For a long time everything was done remotely, so reconnecting like that before hitting the stage feels great.
You mentioned warm‑ups — what does your routine look like?
Nick: I start with basic scales just to get my hands moving. Once the blood’s flowing, I’ll jam over some chill electronic tracks to get into more of a “feel” mindset instead of just exercises. Then I’ll run through a couple of the harder songs from the set. Usually 30 minutes of warm‑ups, 10 minutes of improv, and 10 minutes of playing actual songs is the sweet spot for me. If I warm up too long, I start to feel fatigued, so finding that balance is important.
Great advice. Speaking of which, do you have any tips for young musicians starting out and wanting to push themselves further?
Nick: Musically, create something you want to hear. If you’re sitting in your room thinking, “I wish there was a riff like this,” try to bring that idea to life. From a business standpoint, at least here in the States, it helped to make friends with bands from neighbouring regions. Invite them to your area, then go play theirs. You start travelling, meeting people, building a community — and that builds confidence. It can really blossom into something bigger.
Have you picked up any new guitars lately?
Nick: I have! I just got a new DC model — I’m a Kiesel guy. I’ve got a bunch of their DCs; they’re my favourite. I grew up playing Jacksons, so that super‑strat feel kind of led me to Kiesel. The DC models feel like a modern, elevated version of that — classy, ergonomic, beautiful instruments. And they’re reliable. They’ve travelled the world with me and held up great. Huge shoutout to Kiesel — if anyone’s looking for a great instrument, I highly recommend them.
When you hit Australia, will the set lean more toward the new album, or is it more about covering the full catalogue after so long away?
Nick: We’re playing a lot from The Discovery, and mixing in some older stuff from The New Reign. Of course, we’ll hit the biggest tracks from the new album too. But overall, it’s going to lean heavily into the older material fans have been waiting to hear again. I’ve had to go back and relearn lyrics from 2011, but I’m excited to rehearse everything with the guys and bring it all back.
Any final message for your Australian fans before you return?
Nick: Just a huge thank you for continuing to listen to and support Born of Osiris. It means the world to us. We can’t wait to come back — it’s been way too long. We love the Australian metal community, and we’re excited to reconnect with everyone. See you in March!
