Australian band The Faim is kicking off its first U.S. tour Nov. 10  following the release of its first EP Summer is a Curse. They will perform at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake St., Nov. 16.

The six-song record was released Sept. 7 by renowned producer John Feldmann, who previously worked with well-known American bands such as blink-182, All Time Low and Good Charlotte.

The Chronicle spoke with guitarist Sam Tye about the EP, performing in the upcoming North American tour and producing with Feldmann.  

THE CHRONICLE: What was your experience like working with a renowned producer like John Feldmann?

SAM TYE: The band learned so much from that experience, and you really learn how to create songs that you hope are important in the industry.  That’s allowed us to get to this point where we’re about to tour the U.S. We’ve been working with more producers like Dave Bassett and Neal Avron; we just co-wrote with Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low. That experience with John Feldman allowed us to push ourselves into the future and really start on a good foot.

Is your band influenced by American bands like blink-182 or Good Charlotte?

There [are] so many American bands we’re influenced by that we can’t even name one specific band. But blink-182 is definitely a massive influence, and Red Hot Chili Peppers are a massive influence, too.

What’s your favorite song to perform off the new EP?

I enjoy playing each and every one of them for different reasons, but my favorite song to play and to just be up on stage and a part of is the song “Make Believe.” It’s special to me playing that to an audience, and seeing them react to the song is something that makes the song special. Being onstage with the guys and giving that to the audience is just an amazing experience. 

What does it feel like for you to perform when you are onstage?

It’s hard to describe. It’s a mix of nervousness, adrenaline, a bit of excitement—well, a lot of excitement—and the thing that makes a live show great is that it’s always unpredictable. You don’t know what’s going to happen next. It’s all fresh, all new and it feels alive.

What would you like readers to know about your newest record?

Because the band has been around for such a long time, these songs are really important to us. We feel very passionate about them, and that passion comes across, and we want the listeners to feel passionate about it, too. If you haven’t given the EP a listen, give it a listen. There’s something in there for you, and we hope that you can listen and somehow feel like you’re a part of the family we’ve created.

Correction 11/13/18 at 3:05 p.m.: A previous version of this article misspelled John Feldmann and Neal Avron. The Chronicle regrets this error.