They're back, and it's been a long time coming.  
The legendary Oz rockers Grinspoon are in the studio again in Byron Bay, recording their sixth album Six To Midnight with famed US producer Rick Will.

Released later this year, this year’s timeOUT Concert will be one of the first gigs in the country to experience the follow-up to their smash hit last album Alibis And Other Lies. 

13 years ago, front man Phil Jamieson was just another 17 year old in his first year of university.  

He and drummer Kristian Hopes relocated from Port Macquarie to Lismore, on the north coast of NSW, in the hope of forming a band.  

It was here they discovered bassist Joe Hansen and guitarist Pat Davern whiling away their time in a cover band.

“They were both bored out of their brains,” Jamieson recalls.  

“I was studying, Joe had finished his degree, Pat had dropped out, and Kristian was working.” 

Remarkably, Grinspoon’s line-up has not changed since its conception.  

Davern says that in spite of the well-documented inner turmoil in 2007, Grinspoon’s future was never in doubt.  

“We obviously had our moments,” he says.  

“But we had a good look at what we were doing. We knew we would have to make some changes. But the band’s excited about our future, and that’s what keeps us going. We’ve had a few setbacks, but we’ve gotten over all of the bull s---.” 

Today the Grinspoon family is spread over four cities in two states: Sydney, Wauchope, Coffs Harbour and Brisbane.

Band meetings and discussions are often conducted over the net, via email.  

They believe this has helped increase their longevity.  

“There are emo bands, but we’re an email band,” Jamieson jokes.  

“It’s a little Grinspoon community we have online.” 

The band say that Six To Midnight could be quite possibly their best work of their career.

“The songs are better this time around,” Davern says.  

“We don’t want to re-write Alibis, and there’s definitely progress in terms of songwriting quality.” 

Now the band are all in their 30s, and with Grinspoon now well into its second decade, Phil believes there’s at least another five albums in the band.  

So how does he feel about the band’s elder statesmen status within the echelons of Aussie rock?  

“We are the elder statesman of rock compared to Kisschasy,” he laughs.  

“But what does that make the Beasts of Bourbon?”

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