They're no illusion: an interview with LARGE MIRAGE

Anyone who knows me knows that first and foremost, I’m a sucker for all things 70s. Bell bottom jeans, flared shirt collars that look like they have a razor’s edge, big cars with thirsty V8s, and, most importantly, the music. From Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Black Sabbath, Skyhooks…the list is almost endless. 

So imagine my surprise when I was guided in the direction of discovering LARGE MIRAGE, arguably the only band from the 70s that wasn't actually from the 70s, and the even greater joy of finding out they’re alive, young and touring. Needless to say, the Wharfedale speakers were certainly put through their paces that night.

So who are LARGE MIRAGE? Well there is no illusion to what they are and the performance and style they bring to both the studio and live shows. It’s a rock show in its purest and unedited form. Think amp stacks daisy chained and the volumes that unofficially go up to 11.

The four-piece consists of Kolya Chan on lead vocals and lead guitar, Blake Rochester keeping the bass steady, AJ Stanton performing magic on the keyboards and backing vocals, and Bailey Brown tying it all together on drums and backing vocals.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Bailey and Blake from the band, getting an insight into LARGE MIRAGE and how the magic is made. 

So where does the style and inspiration come from you may ask? 

Each member seems to have their own path into the sound and style. For some, the love for that era grew simply with age, while for others, it was already part of the house, spinning through the speakers before they even knew what to do with it. 

Bailey said Deep Purple had “been playing in the house since I was a young one” and as he got older, the pull toward that sound only grew stronger. It was the classical-style guitar licks, the 60s and 70s feel and a sense that the music had real weight behind it that stuck with him.

Of course, when a band sounds this close to another time, the desire to compare is inevitable.

LARGE MIRAGE has already been linked to great artists such as The Beatles, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and many more.

The band welcomes these comparisons and sees them as compliments but they also do not want to be boxed in by them. As Blake and Bailey put it, “you don’t wanna be defined by that era.” They appreciate the connection but also find it funny how listeners often link the band’s sound to whatever older band they already love.  

For me, it’s Led Zeppelin. For you, it might be Hendrix. For the guy down the street, it could be anything in between.

It’s this looseness and easygoing attitude that flows into the writing style.

LARGE MIRAGE has no strict formula behind writing music. The subject and core ideas begin with Kolya, who creates the feel and arrangements to the members signature styles. As Blake and Bailey explained their “fearless leader” will write the song, “get in the groove,” structure it out and then introduce it to the band for them to combine and bring the magic to life.

From there, it transforms into the LARGE MIRAGE sound. It’s this combination of structure and freedom that allows the band to have a sound that is so 1970s, yet modern and unique for today’s world.

Then there is the AC/DC support slot at Accor Stadium, which is the sort of sentence most young Australian rock bands would dream of writing about themselves.

According to the boys, the reality of that moment hit at multiple points but one of the biggest came before they had even reached the stage. Bailey said it happened as they were driving into the stadium in a blacked-out Mercades when the whole car fell silent. “We all just went silent” he said, as the weight of it all began to sink in.

Backstage only cemented the realisation further. The stage manager was running a tight ship, counting them in from T-minus 45 seconds and the moment felt as though time itself had slowed almost to a standstill. 

Even the soundcheck packed a punch. Accor Stadium is built to hold more than 80,000 people, so any system set up there is a long way from your local pub or home hi-fi system. Bailey said they did not think they had “been that loud” in their entire lives, adding that seeing his own drum kit sitting on stage surrounded by a mountain of Marshall amps certainly “beats the set up you have at home.”

So what’s on the horizon for LARGE MIRAGE?

Well, they’re currently hard at work in the studio, with plans to release this musical concoction later in the year. In terms of touring, the list of places you won’t find them is far smaller than the list of places you will. They have upcoming shows in Melbourne, Canberra, Newcastle, Sydney, and our very own La La La’s in Wollongong on the 17th of May.

They are also set to climb aboard Rock the Boat 2026, performing alongside Billy F Gibbons of ZZ Top, Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, as well as bands like The Angels, The Radiators, and that list barely scratches the surface of who will be on board. 

For anyone who hasn’t seen LARGE MIRAGE live, expect volume, energy and a classic rock sound that will give you the audacity and authority to tell your kids it was better in your day.

When asked what people should expect from the band live. Blake and Bailey landed on one word: “Power.” They also pointed straight to Kolya’s guitar playing, describing him as a “musician’s musician” and, in the most Australian endorsement possible, “pretty hot shit.”

Expect Kolya’s guitar playing to take center stage and have you picking your jaw up off the ground. Expect a band that knows exactly where its sound comes from but isn't afraid to push that sound into its own space.