“It’s nice to think about this album as a bit global, but mainly Melbourne,” reflect SHOUSE on their just-released and long-awaited debut album, Collective Ecstasy. Created almost entirely in Melbourne, it brings together bursts of brass, intimate moments from studio jams, and contributions from friends across the globe. The album title speaks for itself—while I’m writing these lines, you can already feel it again, that collective ecstasy radiating from these pulsing good-vibe tracks that SHOUSE are so well known for. There’s also that feeling of a warm summer night — dancing, laughing, the air full of possibility, and maybe even the kind of romance that stays with you forever.
Jack Madin and Ed Service—the New Zealand and Australian duo—were still working their day jobs when things really took off for SHOUSE in 2021 with their sensational track Love Tonight, which hit all the right notes worldwide.
We spoke with Jack about the importance of keeping that raw, real-time energy in SHOUSE’s production process, whether he ever misses his old job — and what continues to keep them grounded and inspired to create, even in moments of doubt.
Images: Press Courtesy
Hey dear Ed and Jack! Last week you released your debut album Collective Ecstasy — out on Hell Beach / ONELOVE. How did you celebrate the release, and how does it feel now that your debut album is out in the world—especially after such a long creative process?
We had a wonderful little celebration with our friends and family, and we’ve been reflecting on the years of work that we’ve put into it. I’d say over 10 years of music making has been channeled into this album!
The album, created almost entirely in Melbourne, brings together bursts of brass, intimate moments from studio jams, and contributions from friends across the globe. Is there a particular song that excites you the most personally, or one that holds a funny memory from the recording sessions?
It is nice to think about this album as a bit global, but mainly Melbourne. Thanks for that perspective! For me ‘I Believe in Us’ is the most exciting track on our album. It was written by my brother Henry, and I am looking forward to other people hearing it, and hopefully it will bubble away in the algorithm for years to come.
You mentioned the album is about “experiments in collective ecstasy.” Can you share what that phrase means to you, both personally and artistically?
I think of most of our songs as experiments, and the most important part of an experiment is repeatability. Sometimes a song, or a lyric, or a rhythm, or a dance, can take a group into collective ecstasy. If we’re in the recording studio, that’s the first step of the experiment. Then we take the song out into the world and the experiment continues…
“Sometimes a song, or a lyric, or a rhythm, or a dance, can take a group into collective ecstasy.”
How important was it for you to keep that raw, real-time energy in the production process?
Recording music is capturing a moment in time. The raw energy of a choir is so perfect, so unrepeatable, that it’s still the best thing I can imagine recording. It’s the best time to capture. The production process can change a lot, but if the feeling isn’t there originally you can’t fake it.
“Call My Name” features over a dozen local artists. What was your vision behind bringing so many voices into one track, and what did it take to make it all work sonically?
The vision was to bring the Love Tonight spirit into a different environment. We didn’t have a massive choir for ‘Call My Name’, but we had a tight group of local singers that we worked with on lots of tracks. We wanted to give a lot of them their own special moment, and this was a great song to do it on.
“The raw energy of a choir is so perfect, so unrepeatable, that it’s still the best thing I can imagine recording.”
You’re taking Collective Ecstasy around the world—from Melbourne to Ibiza. What are you most looking forward to when playing these new songs live?
I’m really excited about touring with a live band, which we’ll do in 2026, details are still being finalised but be ready!
Tracks like “Whisper” and “Into It” dive deep into club textures, while “Sunrise” and “Slow Road” feel almost meditative. How do you balance dancefloor energy with more introspective moods in your music?
That’s an interesting observation, as both ‘Whisper’ and ‘Into It’ are songs from our Love Tonight era, more than 8 years ago, and ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Slow Road’ we wrote and recorded recently. Maybe we are shifting from club to meditation? We’ll get them all pumping on the dancefloor!
How did the name SHOUSE come about?
That’s our little joke. It’s what we felt about our music when we started making it – shit house.
You’ve worked as a primary school teacher and Ed as an arts community manager before SHOUSE took off. How have your backgrounds shaped your approach to making music? And are there any maybe small moments where you sometimes miss your old jobs?
We have been able to make the music and DJing life of Shouse fit into our old lives, with community arts and teaching events in Melbourne, but it’s been crazy at certain points. But I still see my old students every now and then, and they remind me that I did promise to come back to teaching. I definitely miss it, and I’m sure I’ll get back to it one fine day.
What life advice would you give those kids you teached from your life as an artist?
I haven’t stopped believing in the things that I always believed in, even as I felt my life was out of my control and didn’t really reflect my values. I have just had to be very patient and remember that my time for feeling in control will come again. That’s the main piece of advice for the kids, patience.
“I haven’t stopped believing in the things that I always believed in, even as I felt my life was out of my control and didn’t really reflect my values.”
In moments of doubt or struggle, what keeps you grounded and motivated to keep creating?
Honestly, I have stopped creating in moments of doubt or struggle. Back in my youth, doubt and struggle was creatively productive. But now I need to be clear-minded and optimistic to create, and those moments are rare but beautiful.
What is your happy place?
‘Rage’. I recently rediscovered it, but it’s an Australian music television show I grew up watching. It would play the weirdest, most amazing video clips all night long and I discovered so much music through it.
Who or what has been your biggest support through your journey?
Family, always and forever. And Ed has become like family.
What’s one thing you’re grateful for today?
The eternal power of music. The beat goes on and on!
Check out Collective Ecstasy here: drop.cobrand.com/d/Shouse/collective_ecstasy
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