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Photo by: Luke Franceschini & Daniel Steinert.
The transition from early to mid-20s can be a challenging time – changing friend groups, heightened independence, less time and more commitments. It can be a daunting, challenging and isolating time where perspectives shift and priorities change. For Adelaide born, Sydney-based Kyle Charles Hall, this transition created a re-centering of self and a grateful recognition of the joy and love that does exist – physicalised in his latest song “in love, 23”.
“In Love, 23 is about a time in my life where I felt incredibly lost (quarter life crisis anyone?). I feel like at this age you really start to notice how precious time is and this song was very much a step towards being more grateful for what I do have and loving the people around me with all I have.” Kyle Charles Hal
A sure to be loved tune amongst gen-z and millennials, the palatable croon and playful visuals are reminiscent of recent global pop stars Dominic Fike, ROLE MODEL and closer to home with KIAN, Hein Cooper and Hauskey.
There is a careful DIY feel to the production, from the mix of live-tracking in Kyle’s bedroom and in-studio at Debaser Studio (Andy Lawson). This results in a supremely relatable song that dives into the carefree exploration of adolescence into young-adulthood. From the recording, Andy Lawson (Noah Dillon, Death by Denim) continued to Mix the track with mastering by 301’s Steve Smart (Vance Joy, Casey Chambers, Ocean Alley).
“This was an unusual song for me as I wrote it very stereotypically; edge of the bed, pen and paper and an acoustic guitar kinda vibe. The production I then did played a huge part in getting the song to sound how it does but at the heart of it, it’s very much a singer/ songwriter song. The first chorus of the song was actually live tracked, with me playing and singing it into one mic to sort of keep a little bit of how the song first sounded.” Kyle Charles Hall
Since debuting in 2019, the west-coast singer-songwriter has scored a support slot for Teenage Joans, combined DSP streams of over 260,000+, and support from industry tastemakers triple j and Radio Adelaide. It’s clear his sound is finding a home with Aussie fans across the country.
Single Art by: Lemonade City
PRAISE FOR KYLE CHARLES HALL
“Impressed with the boldness of this, and how easily it shifts from panoramas to close ups.”
Richard Kingsmill, triple j
“full of great hooky guitars and scream at the top of your lungs type lyrics.”
Declan Byrne, triple j
“IN LOVE, 23” is out Friday 25th November
Kyle Charles Hall: triple j Unearthed | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok
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CAROLINE POLACHEK
Desire, I Want To Turn Into You LP
February 14, 2023
PRE-SAVE IT HERE.
Stay connected with Caroline Polachek:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
Credit: Darren Chan
Over 32,000 fans descended upon Flemington Racecourse to partake in a stellar international and local lineup of rock, metal, and punk (and all things in between) bands.
Ukrainian metalcore band Jinjer kicked off on the main stage at the start of the day. They didn’t disappoint fans, delivering a high energy with lead singer Tatiana’s impressive vocal ability switching from melodic precision to deep screaming growl.
Locals Thornhill have created a huge local fanbase, punters turned up in droves to see the dynamic set from the metal 4 piece.
There was lineup of bands covered most heavy music genres. Swedish punk band Millencollin deliver a tight set that encouraged plenty of crowd surfing and moshing. Sabaton also from Sweden played their battle-themed heavy metal complete with machine gun microphone stands and fire. Locals Amity Affliction also delivered some fire during their
intense set.
Electric Callboy was a crowd favourite, with fans adorning wigs and coloured tracksuits like the band as they performed their eclectic mix of electric, pop, and metalcore music with comedic slant.
It was great to see one of my personal favorite Japanese rock bands, One Okay Rock deliver a short 45 minute high energy set on the main stage. Also from Japan. metalcore Paledusk floored punters with their super high energy performance, with guitarist Daisuke doing 360 degree high flying kick whilst playing.
Gojira delivered a super tight performance with intense energy, the blasts of C02 almost symbolic of them letting off steam. Metal veterans Soulfly also showcased their Brazilian metal style, with fans lapping it up.
A pleasant surprise was seeing death pop Norwegian band Blood Command, fronted by Aussie singer Nikki Brumen. A super high energy set and the band seemed to love every moment performing.
Many punters were here to see the legendary Deftones perform opening with “Genesis” and also including their classics “My Own Summer” and “Be Quiet and Drive” as the sun began to set.
UK modern rockers Bring Me the Horizon headlined the festival, starting with explosive magenta confetti bomb as they launched into “Can You Feel My Heart”. The lighting, screen and stage visuals were absolutely stunning, and reflected the theme for each song. BMTH fans got everything they wanted.
Where are you currently based?
Currently based on the NSW, Central Coast
What’s the music scene like on the NSW Central Coast at the moment?
There are sooooo many emerging artists on the coast and everyone kind of rallies together to support each other, however, there isn’t a HUGE music scene as such in terms of performing at venues. Generally need to go to Sydney or Newcastle for that 🙂
How did you first start playing music?
I first started playing music when I began learning guitar. When I was younger, I used to create mini concerts with the songs that I had written (which by the way were terrible) in my living room and my brother was the lighting man, sound guy and ticket seller for my parents to come to viewings hahaha
What’s been happening recently?
I have been on a 3 year hiatus due to a few things. First reason, life can get very busy for me as I play semi-professional sport and am also a PE teacher. Second reason is that I wanted to spend time writing with some other people and really ensure that I honed my craft a little further. Now I have currently been recording a whole bunch of songs so I am prepared for a big 2023.
Your latest single ‘Doing Better’ Ft Ramzie and co-written with your friend Boy Soda is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
The sound was influenced by pop, rnb, trap vibes. I am really loving artists like charlieonnafriday, KODE, Arizona Zervas and Justin Bieber so I wanted the sound to be somewhere within that zone. In terms of the songwriting, the inspiration came from a really shitty relationship that I was in that I had just got out of at the time. I always remember this one thing that they said to me which was “you will never do any better than me” so that is kind of where the idea came from. I could finally say look at me, I am doing much better hahahhaha
Please tell us about the songwriting process with Boy Soda:
The songwriting process with Boy Soda is always so EASY because he is an absolute freak songwriter. We basically felt out an instrumental and then began mumbling different melodies to it. As we mumble we start finding lyrics that fit both melodically and figuratively. We wrote 2 songs that day because we had a good flow with topics, melodies and lyrics.
How did you come to work with Ramzie and how was the experience?
I came to work with RAMZIE due to Liam Quinn who produced, mixed and mastered the song. I basically had built the entire song but didn’t have a bridge and was unsure whether to leave an empty music space there, write my own bridge or get a rapper on it. Liam said he had contact with RAMZIE who is based in Atlana, US. He reached out and within a couple of days he had recorded a verse and sent it to me. It was awesome and fit super well so we used it 🙂
It was a super easy process because RAMZIE is so fast with the way he works.
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?
I recorded ‘Doing Better’ in 2019 as a demo initially with Boy Soda on the Central Coast. I then got it produced, mixed and mastered by Liam Quinn about a week later in his Sydney studio.
Liam Quinn (Peach PRC) produced the track, please tell us about how you came to work with Liam and the experience as a whole:
I reached out to Liam a while back because I had followed him on socials for a while and new his stuff was awesome!! My experience with Liam every single time we have worked has been amazing. I get along with him extremely well so it feels easy when we work together. There is a lot of trust in the process with him.
Please tell us about any artists from your area the we should keep an eye on:
ELASKIA is huge and always has been. She plays a lot of festivals and has her song on netflix TV shows including Dynasty as well as free to air TV like Home and Away. She is awesome and a great songwriter.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
My biggest influences at the moment are charlieonnafriday, The Kid Laroi, Justin Bieber, KODE, Arizona Zervas, FLETCHER, Blackbear.
What do you like to do away from music?
Away from music I am an athlete and PE teacher. I am actually heading to Ireland next year to play Oztag for the Australian team so that is really exciting. Besides that I just love being around my friends, eating food and playing with my crazy dog haha.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?
I will be finishing up some music projects and ensure that I am prepared for a huge 2023 filled with lots of different music.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Any food is amazing, however, if I was to choose a cuisine it would probably be Thai. If I am being super specific though I JUST LOVE POTATO. Cook me potato in any form and I will be absolutely living for it!! Haha
Place to hangout is generally with my friends by my pool OR I do love the beach in summer.
Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Twitter | Triple J Unearthed
Kaliopi is a Melbourne-based Greek-Australian Blues Artist, guitarist, and singer-songwriter who draws on the great blues tradition and the powerful blues women who made it their own.
Kaliopi and her band – the Blues Messengers – will soon launch the first single When the Levee Breaks and the video clip from their new studio album; and will be performing the album live at the launch. This will happen next Saturday December 10th from 3:00pm at the George Lane venue, which is at 1 George Lane, St Kilda.
The recent Lismore floods inspired her to release ‘When the Levee Breaks’ as the first single from the new album. When the Levee Breaks is a country blues song written and first recorded by Memphis Minnie in 1929. The lyrics reflect experiences during the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. Led Zeppelin re-worked the song on the 70’s.
“I’ve always been a passionate advocate for the underdog, marginalised peoples, women’s rights and so-called obligatory roles; so mixing that with issues of subordination, slavery and displacement resonates with gut wrenching feelings, ignites improvisation and hollering that’s healing in the blues…” Kaliopi says. The lyrics of these traditional tunes draw on timeless metaphors that resonate to this day – such as climate change. Specifically, within the Memphis Minnie repertoire Kaliopi’s band have recorded, includes themes around domestic violence, substance abuse, systemic corruption, prostitution, discrimination, and subordination.
I’m living in Perth at the moment, gigging around the place and recording music where I can.
Since I was a young child, maybe about 7 years old, I had this dream. I had this goal in life that I wanted to achieve. I had this vision of becoming a doctor or a lawyer. However, my parents insisted that instead of pursuing law or medicine, that I should get a real job, and start playing music on the streets. So I began to busk in Perth. After finishing high school, I moved to London where I busked in cool spots like Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. Busking there I met some amazing musicians, who really inspired me to pursue music and make something out of it.
During the summer, I like to return to the city of Perth and busk through the summer, so in between a few gigs here and there, that’s what I’ve mostly been up to recently. Other than that, I went down a YouTube rabbit hole the other day of free solo rock climbing, and the story of Alex Honnold. So I’ve been imagining how cool it would be to do that. But then I remember my crippling fear of heights, and my inability to rock climb, so I’ll stick to experiencing that through YouTube.
The idea with this music was to start with a cool song and dress it up in a lot of sound layers to make something unique and out there. Imagine starting with a Margherita pizza (the main skeleton of the song) and then deciding to spice it up by putting spaghetti bolognese on top. Weird, yes. But probably delicious. That’s the kind of thinking that inspired this song, a weird combination of musical flavours all blending together to create ‘Connected To Disconnection’.
I started with the music, I can’t remember if the drums or the guitar came first. But I had that and at that point it had a bit of a RHCP feel in my opinion. I sat with the instrumental for a few listens and one of the themes that popped into my head was our societal addictions to our phones. I feel like most of my generation (myself included) have become very absorbed in this virtual world brought about by smartphones. At the same time, our phones are an amazing thing that give us tools that in the past could not be dreamed of. So they’re extremely harmful in some ways, but extremely helpful in other ways. That’s part of what I was trying to capture in the lyrics when writing the song. Funnily enough, I wrote the lyrics on my phone!
I recorded/produced the track at my home studios with the assistance of copious amounts of coffee. I did a lot of editing on the sound by myself and then I took the song to Rob Grant, at Poons Head Studios who mixed and mastered the song for me. He gave me a lot of guidance as well with the arrangement of the track, and making all the sounds blend in and stand out at the same time.
I recorded everything several times (ALOT of takes) and then cut and pasted the best parts of each take to make the best possible take. I get carried away sometimes while recording and don’t take enough breaks, which is what I did while recording this song. I think that fatigue made me go into an almost zombie-like state of exhaustion, which I think added some of the vibe of the song. It’s meant to seem energetic and tired simultaneously. Like a zombie dancing erratically.
I wanted to express the music visually to go along with the song. I felt the best way to do this was with lights. I had two ideas for the music – fire flow artists or a cool lighting show. Me being my excessive self decided to go for both. I worked closely with the team to find a way to make this work and allow both aspects of the video to stand out.
I filmed the video with Ward Media, I had Orion Audio Visual doing the lighting and laser show and finally the amazing Shelby Jewel and Charlotte Noonan as the flow artists for the video.
And much more!
I don’t have much outside music, I usually shoot the breeze with friends and get up to whatever shenanigans arise. To me, who I’m with is more important than what I’m doing. I try to live my life surrounded by music as much as I can though, I want to dedicate my life to creating interesting and unique art, and sometimes that means sacrificing other fun adventures like travelling in order to hone in on my craft.
The end of the year gets quite hectic with gigs so I’m busy riding that out. Once 2023 comes around I’m looking to record a new album early in the year. I’ve also got some more songs ready to be released coming out on my debut EP.
Favourite food would need to be sushi. During the summer I like to busk, and I’ll go into a cycle of eating nothing but sushi during this time. Shout out to Sushi Hub in Perth City for fuelling my busking season. Another favourite place to go is Yelo or Canteen in Trigg, great spots. I’m actually writing this at Yelo right now.
Title: All Around The World (Alan Walker Remix)
Label: Virgin Records/Universal Music
R3HAB recruits his fellow heavyweight Alan Walker for a remix of his iconic hit “All Around The World” with A Touch Of Class from 2019, which remains R3HAB‘s most streamed and most certified release to date. It’s a tough act to follow, but the one and only Alan Walker puts a fresh spin on it. Walker honors the original’s disco influence and layers in some groovy, euphoric melodies and an energetic breakdown. “All Around The World” first became a hit with A Touch of Class‘s release in 2000, and with the return of everything early-aughts, this is the perfect time for a revival so that the hit can rule clubs and festivals around the world (literally) once again. It’s out on Virgin Records/Universal Music and celebrates half a billion streams of the original version on Spotify alone, with 30 platinum certifications globally and a brand new gold plaque in the US, confirmed a few days ago. Read below what R3HAB and Alan had to say about the opportunity to remix the track:
“My single ‘All Around The World‘ recently racked up half a billion streams on Spotify. This is an incredible milestone in my career, and I’m extremely grateful. To celebrate, I’ve asked Alan Walker to work on a new version. Alan is a pioneer, and I’m glad that I trusted him with this as he came up with a refreshing and surprising take. I hope both our fans will like this new approach and will celebrate with us all around the world.” – R3HAB
“When R3HAB asked me to make a remix of this classic, I had to jump on it. I hope my remix gets the Walkers around the world in a party mood, and create new amazing memories on it.” – Alan Walker
R3HAB
Multi-Platinum DJ and producer Fadil El Ghoul, better known as R3HAB, has been trailblazing his way through dance music for the past fifteen years. From his breakthrough remixes for Rihanna, Drake, Taylor Swift, Calvin Harris, to anthems such as Platinum-certified “All Around The World (La La La)” and “Lullaby,” to his collaborations with the likes of Ava Max, ZAYN, Luis Fonsi, Sean Paul, and more, R3HAB has proven to be one of the most forward-thinking artists in the game. His work has collected over 8B streams to date, including 1.1B in 2021 alone. R3HAB founded his label CYB3RPVNK in 2016, which has passed 4B streams across platforms since its inception. He is Spotify’s Most Discovered Artist, one of Spotify’s top 200 most streamed artists, ranked #13 on prestigious DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs chart, and has earned over 70 Gold and Platinum certificates. On top of that, he performed at the world’s top festivals, such as EDC, Ultra Music Festival, Tomorrowland, Balaton Sound, Coachella, Summer Sonic Festival, DWP Jakarta. With his combination of innate artistry and innovative attitude, R3HAB has earned his place as a household name in dance music.
Alan Walker
Continuously delivering thumping beats and hypnotic records, 25-year old Norwegian DJ and Producer Alan Walker is truly a force to be reckoned with. With over 115M followers across his social platforms, 8.7B YouTube views, and over 50B audio and video streams, the young artist from Bergen, Norway is nowhere near kicking his feet up anytime soon. Alan Walker arrived on the music scene in late 2015 with his debut hit single “Faded,” garnering over a 1,3B Spotify streams and a massive 2,9B YouTube video views. Being the 19th most-watched music video on YouTube, the single also left him with a BRIT awards nomination for Song of the Year, as well as a Norwegian Grammy win in the same category. After building a massive social-following and releasing a string of successful singles like “Alone” and “Darkside,” collaborating with artists like Ava Max, Noah Cyrus, Sia, Bruno Mars and Coldplay, the chart-topping debut album “Different World” arrived in late 2018, amassing over 3,2B streams on Spotify. While holding a pristine track record, Alan has played over 700 headlining shows and festivals to date, including Coachella and Tomorrowland, in addition to selling out his worldwide arena tours Aviation Tour and ongoing Walkerverse Tour. In 2022 Alan released his third album, Walkerverse, pt. I & II. For 2022 he is upping the ante with astonishing new music and visuals, so buckle up, cause he’s just getting started.
Title: Globo
Label: Purple Fly
BLVD. gets the honor of debuting his second album, “Globo” especially for the World Cup in Qatar this and next month, the world’s biggest sporting event. Featuring tracks with global influences to represent BLVD. himself’s appreciation for football/soccer and the amalgamation of nations at this year’s cup, “Globo” is a sonic journey full of dancefloor-friendly and pop-oriented tunes to rock on the field and off. The album starts off strong with the Latin, booty-shaking “Barra Barra” with El Tuox and progresses to encompass tracks like the Afro-Caribbean-inspired “Feel The Love” for easy listening, to the upbeat melodies of “Take It Home” with Hadar Adora and “House Divided,” featuring Otis Kane & Kiddo A.I., and the inspiring notes of “Giants” with Marquise Fair. Fans can look forward to hearing all songs from the album throughout the entire World Cup tournament between Nov 20 and Dec 18. It also features some of today’s hottest artists, such as Guaynaa, R. City, Dylan Fuentes, & more. It will be played at the stadiums throughout the tournament that spans from November 20th – December 18th. Read on for what BLVD. had to say about this exciting project:
“I am releasing my second album titled “GLOBO” which is entirely focused on the upcoming football/soccer World Cup that will be held in Qatar this November. The inspiration behind the album dates back many years. I was born in London, England, and have had a massive passion for the sport from a very young age. I’ve always liked conceptualizing my projects around communal themes such as sports. The World Cup is something that happens once every four years, and there hasn’t really been a ‘World Cup‘ album made by an artist before, so I decided to take on the grand challenge of creating one. It was an unbelievably difficult project, yet extremely fulfilling and emotional. I am blessed and grateful to have worked with so much talent from around the world to give the project what it deserves. The album has vast influences from different regions such as Latin America, North America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, & Asia. I hope that this album connects with you and the rest of the world as it is immensely special to me!” – BLVD.
BLVD.
Dynamic producer BLVD. usually specializes in raw and gritty bass/trap-infused music to embody the hard asphalt of his namesake; even early on in his career, he garnered support from industry tastemakers and fans alike and continues to push musical boundaries with every track. His popular single “Lights Out” has amassed over 5.7M streams on Spotify to date. BLVD. earlier collaborated with several amazing artists from around the globe, such as Shaquille O’Neal and Laidback Luke. On “Globo” first up is Puerto Rican rapper and singer Guaynna, best known for the song “ReBoTa” (212M streams on Spotify), which became his first song to reach the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in April 2019. He has had releases on such labels as Universal Music Latino, Republic Records, and Interscope Records. “Globo” also features Virgin Islands duo R.City, whose hit single “Locked Away” feat. Adam Levine (759M streams on Spotify) charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Their music has previously found a home on labels such as Universal Music, Warner Bros. Records, Interscope Records, Kemosabe Records, RCA Records, Columbia. R. City have written many hit songs for Jamaican and American artists such as Sean Kingston, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna, among others. Colombian singer Dylan Fuentes has collaborated with music greats such as Myke Towers, Lennox, Justin Quiles, Llane, Tainy, Mau y Ricky, Alvaro Diaz, Cazzu, and recently made his Anglo debut with his collaboration “Drown In Me” alongside Discrete, Ouse, and Kiesza. His biggest hits include “Ajena” (60M streams on Spotify) with Myke Towers, “Mente” (9.4M streams on Spotify) with Tainy and Mau y Ricky, which ranked #1 on the radio in Colombia, Chile, and Spain, and “Tu Amiga” (21M streams on Spotify) with Tainy, Lennox, Justin Quiles, and Llane. Dylan has also highlighted his acting talent in his role as a lead actor in the hit Netflix series “Siempre Bruja” (Always A Witch), for which he also performed on the original soundtrack.
Purple Fly
Purple Fly is an independent imprint utilizing cryptocurrency’s hottest frontier as a platform for the spectrum of electronic music. The label’s goal is to support collaborations of all forms of art, connecting music and stunning visuals for an immersive experience that spans the sonic realms of trance to trap. Purple Fly releases NFT directly on its official website with each music drop, enabling artists to have access to direct support from their fan base while expressing their creativity. The label’s catalog includes original releases from the likes of BLVD., Laidback Luke, Sevenn, Stafford Brothers, Diego Miranda, DJ Soda, and more.
We are currently both based in Sydney on the Northern beaches which are where we have our studio as well.
It’s different for both of us but generally, we both started playing instruments really young. Kai started playing Bass and Guitar at around 8 and Davy started with piano super young at 5. Our parents are all avid music listeners and encouraged us both to play.
We have just been working really hard! Right now we are in the car to Byron to do some shows for Schoolies which will be fun and just probably pretty rock n roll. We also just got off shooting the music video for ‘Til I Say So with our close friend and director Jarad Travers and we are literally right now looking at some of the frames and we are so stoked. Just constantly trying to improve our productivity and shows to make it the best it can be and different for both listeners and us at every one.
We always pull from everything we are listening to and also our own individual backgrounds in music and this was no different with ‘Til I Say So. Davy was in isolation when he started the track so he spent lots of time just trying to find the right mood in that loop he made. Maybe that influenced the cruisey nature of the song by him being in isolation, we honestly haven’t really thought about it too much.
It started off with Davy making a loop that ended up being the verse/chorus section and we both came together and finished off the instrumental. In the past, we have done this and then spent ages almost inorganically adding the vocals but this time around we just had this feeling that someone else might be better suited to singing on this track. We had recently played with and seen Betty play so she was fresh on our minds she is just an incredible vocalist and friend so we knew it would work with her voice.
The Sydney crew is generally pretty damn small once you start playing shows so we knew her and know her band as well. We had played and been to one of her shows super recently and so she was just on our minds. her voice is silky smooth and has lots of souls so with the instrumental we knew they pair together nicely.
It was such a pleasure, it felt like the perfect collaboration experience – which is crazy considering it was our first one. The song came out in literally one session over a day and then it was done besides finishing off some of the vocal passes. She is an amazingly kind and generous person so just being in a room with someone like that, even if what your doing isn’t productive is always a treat, and this felt super productive.
So we did all the recording and production from our home studio on the Northern Beaches. Mixing & Mastering are skills that we don’t have a clue about and feel like mystical arts so for those we sourced Matt and Riley who also happen to play in an awesome band called Ivey and for the master we had the wizard Wayne at Suture Mastering.
So we are just on the way to the schoolie’s party, feels pretty funny when we mention playing at schoolies but it’s honestly such a fun crowd to play to, as we did it last year as well. We can’t wait to do two shows there at Byron Bay Beach Hotel as we are also staying in the area and doing some writing too. We then have Sunsets Festival on the Northern Beaches on the 3rd, a show with Ivey for their beautiful event called Adam’s Day in the Gold Coast on the 15th and our 2nd ever-headline show on the 23rd at Oxford Art Factory.
— John Carpenter – Lost Themes album
The usual level of high energy and some pretty crazy creative stuff. Every set we change it but since this show is special to us we are changing and redoing the whole thing. The way we play our set limits us in a good way so when we perform our songs it’s almost like a remix of the actual track. We have an awesome lineup of artists playing along with us so we really want to make it into a proper night. Also, we may or may not be making a plinth.
So we are keeping ourselves pretty damn busy for the rest of the month with playing live and just getting out and amongst it through the summer season. Besides playing live we will be working on editing and finishing off the music video for ‘Til I Say So and having a bit of a viewing party/just party when that comes out too and everyone is invited to drink champagne and come hang <3
We are absolute suckers for Japanese food, and honestly, we are pretty local to the amazing Jipang in manly. We constantly find ourselves getting the chicken cutlet curry from there, it’s the perfect studio food.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=TzzF7qFvnXw&feature=share
https://music.apple.com/au/album/tell-it-str8/1653541869?i=1653541875
You’re currently visiting from LA, how has your trip back been so far?
This trip to Australia is like ALL my trips to Australia… GREAT! I love it here and have been coming here since 1988. I love my friends, the city, the food, the fun and of course the banana bread.
How did you originally get into photography?
That’s a long story, but here’s the short version… I saw the movie Funny Face when I was 10 years old. I loved Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. I saw him playing a photographer and I said I want to do that for the rest of my life! I fell in love with photography after I shot my first roil at 10 and started my business at 12. Photography has given me the best life ever and I can prove it… I got the photos!
You’re launching your Greatest Hits exhibition next week at Room 205, 205 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney December 7 – 11, 2022 – what can we expect to see?
This is gonna be super fun. This is my 3rd exhibition here in Sydney!!! The first one was Greatest Hits: George Michael in 2018. In 2019 I did Greatest Hits: Grunge and Greatest Hits: Michael Hutchence. I love Australia and sharing my two biggest passions… music and photography. This exhibition is ALL about 30+ years of Music Photography… it’s the best of my best covering ALL genres of music. I want people to see that I’ve done it all and more. Behind the Gallery and I have come up with some fun and entertaining events for the 5 days. It’s more than an exhibition, it’s ALL about celebrating!
How and why did the Greatest Hits exhibition come about?
It’s been 3 years since I was in Sydney cuz of life and the world. I wanted to get back ASAP and have some fun. I felt it was the right time to share my “Best Of’s”! I talked to my friends, asked for some help and started moving forward back in August to make Greatest Hits happen.
The exhibition is running over a few days, which music artists are performing and when are they playing?
The schedule is great! The basics…
SCHEDULE:
December 7th, Wednesday – Opening Night from 7-10pm
December 8th, Thursday – MMAD Performance night with Ella Powell and D Minor from 7pm to 8pm.
December 9th, Friday – Photo Talk hosted by photographer Peter Collie from 7pm to 9pm.
December 10th, Saturday – Artist Talk hosted by Michelle Grace Hunder & performance with Sam Baker from 1pm to 4pm.
December 11th, Sunday – Closing day. 12pm to 3pm
You worked with the late/great Michael Hutchence, what was that experience like?
I get asked this a lot in Australia. Simply put… GREAT! He was the best of the best. We had a blast shooting the first time in 1988 and the second in 1993. He was ALL that and more. He made me look good.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
My favs these days are Lauren Ruth Ward, The Struts, Sam Baker, Siiickbrain, Grandson, Isabella Amarga and ALL my old High School music… which is 70’s R&B & funk!
What do you like to do away from photography?
Rest and sleep. I’m a workaholic. I’m blessed to do what I love and love what I do. I’m not getting any younger and I have so much more that I need to do. Creating is everything to me, not matter what the medium is. Go big or go home!
What’s planned for 2023 and beyond?
Well, after Australia I leave for New Zealand and I’m having Greatest Hits in Auckland this February!!! My first time ever in NZ and I’m SO excited. I can NOT wait to share my passion with New Zealand.
Favourite food and place to hangout in Sydney?
This is tough!!! First and foremost… Banana Bread at Gusto! I always stay in Bondi Beach when I’m here. It’s my home away from home. The people, the food, the energy and course the beach!!! I wish I lived here cuz I probably would live 10 years longer. 🙂
Socials – @chriscuffaro
Insta – @thecuffarophoto
1 What’s it like as an established muso with his own distinctive style to pair up with an artist who likewise has his own profile and following?
Live music events can fill you with inspiration in all sorts of ways. If you’re a musician witnessing a great performance it pushes you to want to emulate the playing style, or to write music as good as what you’re hearing in that moment. For me I also get to feeling like I want to get in amongst it and be in that band, or to trade licks with that great player. Jimi is one of those players. He pushes me, kicks my arse to play the best I can.
2 Is it possible to preserve your own artistic identity and flavour when playing with and alongside your `opposite number?’ Can we expect you to shed some of your unique recent experiences (Kings of Kings) in your solo set prior to the all-in jam?
One of the things you learn along the way is to always play it your way. This may be especially true when it comes to playing the blues. The whole aim is finding your own voice so there is never any point in trying to outplay another performer at their game. Yeah, I recently had the chance to share the stage with the great Dave Hole & Shane Pacey playing some classic blues songs. I had Dave Hole standing right next to me every night and I can tell you, those gigs were some of the best guitar lessons I’ve ever had… but whenever it comes my turn to play, I dig deep and do my thing the best I know how.
3 I’m guessing some friendly rivalry would play out as well in that shared space? Particularly with you both leading the jam. How do you expect to manage and lead Kaliopi & the Blues Messengers during the jam?
Jimi & I enjoy the bitchy banter we get into. It’s even funnier to us if anyone thinks we’re serious. It started when we were playing some of our first gigs together and you’d occasionally overhear comments along the lines of ‘Jimi’s gonna wipe the floor with him tonight’ or some such thing. We decided it was actually more fun to play up to that idea of us competing for some sort of guitarist supremacy and we started calling those gigs our ‘Guitar Showdown’. The music is always our focus – but be prepared for a battle of wits between songs. Oh, and the jam set? The best thing about those moments is that they are very loosely planned, if planned at all. I am careful not to think too hard about what might happen then lest we spoil the magic!
4 You’ve been paired with each other before – how might your upcoming gig for Double Trouble Blues Sessions be different or similar? What can your followers expect or is it always a case of `expect the unexpected’?
This is a different format to our Showdown gigs. The difference is that we’ll each to showcasing our solo material which highlights our individual styles. The similarity is that we’ll end up on stage together with a cracking band backing us up and trading licks on electric guitars. Add Kaliopi to the mix and suddenly we shall have a triple guitar threat… but of course only one can reign supreme. Who shall it be? Whom shalt doff this coveted crown?