Still Figuring Out How It Works After 25 Years With CAM BAINES From BODYJAR

Interview by Kris PetersBodyjar is bringing the machine back in for its 25-year scheduled service this July and August 2026, proving that classic Aussie punk rock never goes out of style. Celebrating a quarter-century of their iconic, gold-selling fourth album How It Works, the Melbourne legends are hitting the highway for the massive How It Still Works national tour.Let’s be honest: when an album like How It Works drops in 2000 and completely reshapes the landscape of Australian punk, you don't just let it gather dust. You polish up the riffs, lube up the kit, and drag it back out to blow the roof off venues across the country. The boys have made it very clear that the odometer might be clocked, but the vehicle is fully serviced and ready to put on some serious mileage. Frontman Cam Baines has reportedly undergone a full grease and oil change, Tommy Read has a fresh set of strings, and the whole unit is primed to deliver that signature, hard-hitting sonic assault we've been craving.The 11-date run kicks off on July 9 at the King Street Bandroom in Newcastle, before tearing through a ruthless schedule of metro and regional venues. Fans can look forward to hearing anthems like Not The Same and Feed It exactly how they were meant to be experienced: loud, fast, and surrounded by a sweaty, fist-pumping mosh pit.HEAVY caught up with Cam Baines to dig deeper."We've been around for probably 30 years, 29 years or something, and probably even a bit longer if you go back a little bit further," he began. "We had a different name and everything, but we're doing a tour in July for our album, How It Works, and it's the 25-year scheduled service we're calling it.Just getting this album back on the road and playing all the songs we never play live, and trying to play some of the other tracks that people never hear, is exciting. And because it was a pretty successful album for us, we sort of thought, let's just do this, and we're working on a new album at the same time. We've actually got a new song coming out pretty soon with a video and everything!"In the full interview, Cam explained that the shows will focus on How It Works combined with fan favourites, use an Instagram poll to select additional songs, and randomise song order so performances can be swapped on the night to stay fresh. He told us about the special guests, describing the support act as a punk-rock "supergroup" composed of members from $1 Short, Frenzal Rhomb, and Something With Numbers assembled specifically for the run.We talked about the making of How It Works, including the band's decision to join a major label prior to the release and how that impacted the final result. Cam said the band aimed for a big melodic rock sound on How It Works and felt the record achieved that ambition.Cam recalled the success of How It Works, including being showcased on Tony Hawk's video game, future music and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.