"The McMillan Straits is the passage of water that separates Raymond Island from Paynesville (the town on the mainland). Everyone that lives on the Island has to cross it daily on the Ferry because there are no places of work or schools on the island. It’s only about 250 meters wide at its thinest point so people often swim across.
Unfortunately there were multiple times during my childhood where older guys who lived on the island would get drunk at the Paynesville pub and miss the last Ferry (which was just before midnight). They would then attempt to swim across the straits and drown. Everyone would show up to the Ferry terminal the next morning to go to work or school & there would be police divers there looking for the body of the deceased.
"The McMillan Straits is the passage of water that separates Raymond Island from Paynesville (the town on the mainland). Everyone that lives on the Island has to cross it daily on the Ferry because there are no places of work or schools on the island. It’s only about 250 meters wide at its thinest point so people often swim across.
Unfortunately there were multiple times during my childhood where older guys who lived on the island would get drunk at the Paynesville pub and miss the last Ferry (which was just before midnight). They would then attempt to swim across the straits and drown. Everyone would show up to the Ferry terminal the next morning to go to work or school & there would be police divers there looking for the body of the deceased.
The song is written from the perspective of one of these men and is pretty literal. I’d like to apologise to anyone that reads this that was affected by that in any way. It’s just a bad memory for me that became a song but I know it was a horrific life changing moment for the families and friends of those people." -Nick http://www.bluntmag.com.au/interviews/exclusive-stream-track-by-track-the-sinking-teeth-songs-from-the-bottom-of-the-lake/