“Mainline” is the name graffiti crews in the late ’80s and early ’90s gave to the train line between Sydney’s Central Station and the inner western suburb of Strathfield. It’s in this world, geographically and metaphorically, that seven friends grew up imbibing hip-hop and graffiti culture as the One Day crew, which features members of Spit Syndicate, Horrorshow, Jackie Onassis and Joyride. They came together to write most of the album in a Byron Bay holiday house, making their intentions clear from the very first track, “Many Hands”: “Standing seven deep, shoulder to shoulder up in the session/The boys band together with many hands and get clever.” Mainline is as varied as you’d expect from such a wide-reaching collective; themes range from anecdotes about drug-taking and one-night stands to a condemnation of right-wing politics, while nods to each act can be felt musically, such as the Spit Syndicate-esque “Cloudstreet”.
