Where are you currently based?
We’re based all around Sydney!
How did you first start playing music?
I (Chloe) first got into singing at about 6 years old. My dad would play Marvin Gaye during car rides and I would go home and try my absolute hardest, in my deepest voice, to sing I Heard It Through The Grape Vine. I would then force my sister to listen and ask her “do I sound like that man now?!” I also had an embarrassing obsession with Australian Idol that fuelled my love of singing for a few years and then I discovered John Mayer and blues guitar and the rest is history.
How did the band form?
In early 2019 I decided to start my own band, the blues is my greatest passion and I wanted to make music that echoed that. I went on the search for a guitarist and the very first person I met up with was Brazilian guitarist Lucas Diniz. We instantly had a really special musical connection. We spent the remainder of 2019 writing songs and searching for the right bandmates and in January 2020 the band officially took form, we recorded our debut single ‘Just Got Burned’ and then COVID hit and Lucas was forced to go home to Brazil. It’s been a journey since then but I’ve been so lucky to have some astounding players come into my life & help form this new era of the band.
Who’s in the band?
We now have myself on vocals, 19 yr old British blues guitar prodigy Ewan Lund, Brazilian bassist Johnatan Fassio, keys player Adam Fawcett and Garnet Meekings on drums.
Your single ‘Brokedown and Broke’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
‘Brokedown and Broke’ started out as a funky riff on acoustic guitar and it grew from there. It was always a loose 7+ minute jam we did at shows to get people dancing but we decided to give it some structure and turn it into a single. The lyrics were inspired by a conversation I had with Chris ‘Whipper’ Layton of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. He told me this great story about he and Stevie Ray getting stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere just before a gig where their bandmates were waiting for them anxiously. The tire on Stevie’s car blew out and they didn’t have a spare so they had to wheel it for miles until they luckily came to a petrol station where the man was closing but offered to help. He said it was quite a poetic story for him about two brothers trying to find a way to move forward, together. So the song is a take on that story, it’s a fun one overall.
Where and when did you record and who with?
We recorded at Everland Studios with Ben Worsey just before the 4 month lockdown hit and thanks to the pandemic there was just Garnet on drums, Johnatan on Bass and myself on vocals in the studio that day. The rest was recorded over in Brazil by Lucas and an incredible Hammond player Alberto Sabella. It was also mixed and mastered over in Brazil too. Gabriel Martini mixed the track and Sergio Soffiatti mastered it.
What influenced the music video concept?
The music video was directly inspired by Chris Layton’s story. The story always inspired a strong visual in my mind but since we had just gotten out of a 4 month lockdown we didn’t have the option to use a desert like landscape so we made do with the countryside landscapes we had available to us. I also drew inspiration from Robert Plant’s Big Log music video and all of ZZ Top’s iconic clips. I’m always inspired by ZZ Top’s music videos and I aim to have a vintage car in every one of ours in homage to them and that aesthetic.
Where did you film and who did you work with?
We filmed out in Menangle and we worked with our friend and amateur videographer Doran Brewer who shot the entire video on Super 8. His sister Tess Brewer edited it all afterward. They come from a really creative family so we knew it would come together well. Beyond that it was just us in the band and my sister playing the mechanic! A real family affair.
What did you most enjoy about the video creative process?
Doing it in a DIY fashion on Super 8 was very laid back in comparison to working with a full crew and it was fun to get back to basics and see our shared vision come to fruition.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
At the moment I’ve been listening to a lot of The Williams Singers, Isaiah Sharkey, D’angelo, Joey Landreth, Eddie 9V and always John Mayer. My brother also recently introduced me to an amazing Japanese artist Tatsuro Yamashita. I just bought one of his records for $200 in an EBay bidding war. The obsession went from zero to 100 real quick!
What do you like to do away from music?
I’m a big kid at heart and pretty introverted so outside of music you can find me at an arcade (I’m quite the arcade queen! lol), shopping for vintage clothes and records, hanging with my kitty Lucille, and grooving to Prince songs alone in my room… the most important part of my nightly routine!
What’s planned for 2022?
Lots of new music! We’re hoping to record and release our debut EP this year and we’re really hoping to play shows across the country too should covid permit it. This will be the first music we release with our new lineup and we’re super excited for everyone to hear how our sound has evolved and to hear us bare our souls a little more! I think people will really connect with it.
