Kyuss and Rasmus, Rasmus and Kyuss. The multi-talented brothers from Byron have become one of surfing’s most intriguing double acts. Despite the five-year age gap, the brothers were always inseparable. Even now, as they pinball between surfing, playing gigs for their band, Headsend, who will be performing at the Tracks Party in Byron Bay on 15 November, acting roles and hunting down classic cars, their lives are intertwined on an almost daily basis. “He’s my best mate,” conceded Kyuss in a recent correspondence with Tracks.
As far as riding waves goes, their entry points are a little different. While Kyuss is pulling on a Challenger Series contest jersey and rumbling with the world’s best, Rasmus can be found binging on MP clips and knifing rails on an eclectic quiver.
Rasmus and Kyuss recently appeared alongside one another in Australian feature film, ‘Six Festivals’, but it’s on stage for Headsend that they really connect.
Growing up, Kyuss played guitar and Ras hit the skins, but a few years ago they switched it up. Ras is now on vocals and guitar with Kyuss on bass. Good mate, Bon, plays the drums for Headsend. The group recently supported Wunderhorse on their debut Australian tour, have announced they will be opening for Tool in some upcoming shows and have become Tracks Party Tour favourites in 2025. You can see them go full send at a Tracks gig once again when we hit The Northern Hotel in Byron on Saturday 15 November for our ‘Bring on Summer Party’.
In the interview below Kyuss talks about Rasmus and Rasmus riffs on Kyuss. Two kings passing commentary on each other; that’s always going to be fun.
Growing up together
Kyuss: One time I came home from school, and I was looking for Ras but I couldn’t find him. I could hear one of our motorbikes roaring through the neighbourhood.
Then he came flying into our driveway, flew past our house and hit a jump in the NUDE. The Yamaha PeeWee 50 and Ras’s eight-year-old balls were at least five-feet off the ground and flying through the air!! Haha, still one of my favourite memories to date.
Growing up our family spent most of our days at the beach. Surfing just became a natural transition as we would watch dad surf then dad would push me into waves and then Ras would always want to be part of it and get a few too.
We would always be pushing each other and trying to one-up each other. We were very competitive from a young age and still are today, haha!!
Ras: I remember being really young and seeing Kyuss running out into the surf and thinking I want to do whatever that is. I always looked up to my brother and wanted to do whatever he was doing and yeah try and do it better!
Since I can remember, me and Kyuss have been doing everything together. Yeah, we were surfing all morning, skating all arvo, lurking around town water bombing tourists, and it was also constant OS travelling together.
One of my earliest memories is of when I was sitting at the table eating cereal and spilling it all over myself. I was about to lose it but then Kyuss just gave me a hug and said, ‘Its ok’. I really liked that moment.
Playing music together
Kyuss: It’s a really crazy experience. It’s kinda hard to explain the feeling. Music has been such a massive part of our lives from such a young age. I remember our first live gig and locking into this riff and then looking over at Ras and feeling like we were in some kinda time warp. Everything slowed down (not our drummer) and it was one of the most surreal and addictive feelings ever. To be doing this band with my brother is pretty damn crazy.
Ras writes pretty much everything to date. Ras hangs in his room playing and writing and comes out with a new song almost every day. He will come over with a riff and a melody and we just jam it out together. He’s a song writing machine!
There’s no real plan or formula when we go on stage it’s pretty much just hit the GO BUTTON when it comes to live gigs, it’s just us and our music and whatever happens happens.
Hairstyles
Kyuss: Ras always had curly hair. When it gets real long the weight of it, along with the sun and salt, kinda straightens it out. He actually had longer hair than me for ages until just recently. He has cut it again now, so it’s back to the curls.
Ras: I have never seen him with anything else (the long blonde hair) It’s just Kyuss. Also if he cuts it, it bleeds!
Each other’s surfing
Kyuss: Ras has endless amounts of style and effortless steeze. I’m super jealous of how he can ride anything and make it look like that’s his fav’ board every time! He could ride a door!
But he’s always putting his shins, knees or heels through boards! And he is shit at fixing dings!
Ras: From a young age Kyuss and I have been very competitive. I had won a few grom comps, but pretty early on I knew the comp scene wasn’t for me. I much preferred the freesurfing approach. What inspired me was watching old 60s and 70s surf movies. The different lines and boards excited me.
Yes, it’s always exciting seeing Kyuss surf heats, but I think I’m definitely more nervous than even he is! I can barely watch… Being at home and watching Kyuss on the TV surfing in the Vans Pipe Masters for the first time. Huge Pipe that was fucking crazy!!
You can catch Kyuss, Ras and Bon when Headsend take to the stage at the Tracks Party at The Northern Hotel in Byron Bay on Saturday 15 November. To purchase tickets, click here.
And if you want to read more about surfing’s rockstar double act, the full and extended interview will be available to read in Issue 604 of our mag which is due to hit shelves in December.
