Music Interviews

Where are you currently based?

Hi I’m based in Melbourne where are you? Can you see me? I’m the one in the blue t shirt waving

How did you first start playing music?

I first picked up a guitar in primary school but started playing real music and writing songs later in high school. I had some friends that could play Elliott Smith songs and I knew that I needed to be able to do that. 

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?

My experience has been okay. I’ve been investing a lot of myself in getting the album together, and making sure these songs sound as good as they can. Lots of gardening and staying in touch with family and friends as much as I can. I was also lucky enough to work throughout the lockdowns here in Melbourne so I was able to get out of the house and hone my gardening chops more.

You’ve recently released your latest two singles ‘Instant Life’ and new one ‘Take Your Opportunities’ off your forthcoming debut album, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

I think the sound was influenced by the songwriting if that makes any sense. With this latest track, because the words just roll along, we needed the production to just tick along underneath the stream of consciousness style prose. I would say the songwriting was influenced by this want I had at the time to write a song that had a fun melody and a rollicking, rhythmic pentameter, at no point was I like ‘I need this to sound like The Beatles’ or whatever. 

How did you go about writing these singles and the album?

It’s all some form of self exploration I guess. I dive into some feeling I have or some world I feel like creating. Take Your Opportunities has a feeling to me. I wanted to write about being a weird, sorry weirdo looking for love.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?

Recorded in Collingwood Melbourne. Engineered & mixed by Alex O’Gorman, and produced by Joe Orton. We all also did bits and bobs from our homes. We recorded the foundations of the track (drums, bass) in December 2019 but I went back to the studio in 2020 in between lockdowns to touch up vocals and guitar. 

How did you approach the recording process?

We recorded it live with us all playing together quietly. It used to be this barnstormer of a song but when it came to recording it there was a soul in the song that wasn’t fully being brought to light. Normally if something isn’t working we just try the complete opposite and see what happens and I think here it worked so well to go from hectic and in your face to more patient and charming. 

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Bill Evans, Mary Littlemore, Mia Dyson and Neil Young

What do you like to do away from music?

I enjoy gardening and being a cowboy yeehaw 

What’s planned for 2021?

Two more singles and an album. And gardening. I wanna learn more about plants and dirt and shit 

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Fave food is tacos ! Little Hop on Brunswick Street I hope you’re ready.

LISTEN/WATCH
https://backl.ink/144210990

Bandcamp:

https://davidmwestern.bandcamp.com/

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/au/album/gallery-single/1464646925?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5hg9fUgDqYQrH2zTKWNdzP 

Insta:

http://instagram.com/davidmwestern 

FB:

http://fb.com/davidmwestern 

Where are you based? 

I’m from a small town of Pravdinsk (Kaliningrad region, Russia). At the moment I live in one of the districts of Kaliningrad.

What influenced the sound behind your debut EP on Soma Records, titled Rave Is Dead?

I started working on the release in the first wave of covid, when we were all at home, it was spring, I remember it like it was yesterday. It was warm enough and the windows of the house were constantly opened. A public warning system was often triggered on the street, where police told everyone through the loud speakers to stay at home and follow the rules. At that time only food stores and pharmacies worked. Everything was not clear, what’s next?! This made me angry. But at the same time I had a lot of free time and was locked in 4 walls. It all pressed psychologically, I wanted to destroy these walls. So I began to write this EP.

What inspired the title of the EP?

Rave Is Dead is a kind of “scream of despair”. We’re all locked up, the rave is out of breath and needs a new impulse. Hope it happens soon. Very soon …

What is your creative process like and how much did lockdown influence this?

At that time, nothing distracted me. I devoted most of my time to music, so I could distract myself from everything that was happening around. Only occasionally I watched TV series or my brother and I went into the woods to the old broken bridge so that the police would not catch us and issue a fine, then it was impossible to leave the house, and there we listened to new demos through small speakers. Then we discussed them. Sounds weird, but it was also a weird time.

How did you approach the recording and production process for the Rave Is Dead EP?

When I sit down to work, I immerse myself in it. Sometimes I don’t even hear when my family members call me from the next room. I have a laptop, sound card, microphone and headphones at my disposal. I record a lot of live sounds; how the car brakes outside the window or for example, the metallic sound of a pan, a lot of things. Then you process it all and choose the best moments. I experiment a lot.

Have you always been a fan of Soma Records?

Yes, I’ve been following the label for a long time. And to be honest, I couldn’t even imagine that my tracks someday will be released on this label. I am very happy.

When did you first start playing music and how did this evolve into electronic music?

It was about 2006, I don’t remember exactly. I was in high school and began to make the first steps in creativity. I was listening to drum’n’bass and started to write it. Over time tastes and quality changed and in the end I came to the music that I make now.

Who would you say are your biggest musical influences?

This is my brother. It was he who “hooked” me on music: The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, etc. I fell in love with this music.

Once the world can dance again, where are you most excited to play?

Let me dream a little. I haven’t traveled outside the country for a long time. Now it has become much more difficult, but I really hope that this is all temporary. I would like to visit and perform in cities such as London, Berlin, Amsterdam and many others.

What does the rest of 2021 hold for Namesis?

New releases, new collaborations, preparing a live performance and that’s not all. Soon you will definitely hear and see everything yourself!

Connect with Namesis:

Instagram

Facebook

Soundcloud

Connect with Soma Records:

Instagram

Facebook

Soundcloud

Sarah Jane is a prolific Alt-Rock, Indie singer, songwriter from Sydney, Australia who has amassed a huge online following. ‘Lately’ is the first single from her new EP and is out now.

With over 290,000 subscribers and 30 million views on YouTube it would be accurate to call the young musician a viral sensation.

The new EP follows two solo albums “Absence’, an acoustic album released in 2019, and the album ‘Tainted Timeline” released late in 2020. Sarah Jane has released two full-length records with her band ‘The Violet Stones’ over the same period.

Sarah Jane has over 80,000 streams on her single ‘Backwards’, over 10,000 streams on both ‘Sleepwalking’ and ‘Control’ on Spotify and has been played on Home & Hosed on Triple J.

Sarah Jane – ‘‘Lately’ is about the anxiety felt when you feel like you’re not needed anymore in a relationship. Even when you know it’s in your head, it’s hard to bring yourself out of it. Tying in with the video, it shows the emptiness and the dark emotions that come with anxiety.”

Sarah played and recorded all the instruments on Lately. The track was mixed/mastered by George Pauley.

Where are you currently based?

I’m currently based in the Inner West of Sydney! I just moved to this area in January

How did you first start playing music?

I’ve always had an interest in music but it wasn’t until my dad pushed me to learn piano and over the years I slowly moved over to singing, guitar & drums.

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?

This past year has really given me some time to just buckle down and record as much as I can. Sometimes it’s hard to balance playing shows & recording so I’m not sure if I would have released an album and be able to work on another EP if Covid didn’t happen. I did miss out on playing some really cool shows mid 2020 which is such a shame as I love playing live but there was a silver lining.

Your new single ‘Lately’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

I wrote the song in March of 2020 and I had been listening to a lot of PJ Harvey and Hum at the time & what I love a lot about those bands are the dynamics and production. I guess I have been trying to match the vibe of PJ Harvey’s ‘Rid of Me’ & Hum’s ‘You’d prefer an Astronaut’.

Where and when did you record/produce/master?

I recorded everything myself in my (my dad’s) small home studio around September 2020. My dad’s a drummer so he has all the equipment which I’m super lucky to have access to as well as a bunch of recording gear. I also played all the instruments myself as it’s so much easier to come up with parts as I know what my vision is & there’s no messy communication.

I also got really into different recording techniques & I originally wanted to mix it myself but I decided I shouldn’t put too much pressure on myself. George Pauley ended up mixing and mastering it!

Please tell us about how the concept for the video came about:

The song is mainly about unreasonable anxiety and feeling as though you’re not needed anymore in a relationship. The way I see it connect to the video is that is a representation and visualisation of anxiety. Being in one room, just indulging in the feeling and then walking out like nothing ever happened can just visualise some anxieties. You know it’s unreasonable but you’re still anxious!  We just wanted to portray a certain set of emotions that were connected to the songs meaning.

Where and when did you film and who did you work with?

The whole of the video (direction, concept, editing, filming etc.) was done by Jack Barratt. I wanted to have one less thing to worry about when it came to the release of the song so he basically come up with everything haha We filmed it in around 4 hours at a budget hotel in the Inner West. It was a tiny room and even smaller bathroom, but we made it work!

What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation on the video?

100% the shower scene. It was so uncomfortable getting wet in clothes and it was even worse in the last scene where I had to walk out whilst I was still wet. It was so cold! But the shower shot is definitely my favourite so it was worth it!

How did you prepare for live shows?

I’m definitely a stress head when it comes to playing shows. I’m always scared of running late or forgetting how to play the songs so I definitely prepare by getting there early and just having some time to chill beforehand & making sure my voice is warmed up & drinking plenty of water.

You have an EP on the way, what can you tell us?

I’ve been nonstop working on new music! This EP will be a little bit different from my last album. It’s less full-on grunge, more light, a little post-rock, think Mogwai meets Failure…

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I’m listening to a lot of Failure, OH and Hayley Williams just released a new album and it’s been on repeat ever since. Some Queens of the Stone Age, A LOT of Radiohead (as usual) & Porcupine Tree.

What do you like to do away from music?

This is sort of lame but I love planning things & cleaning (super lame I know but it’s therapeutic!). I also just like to chill and watch TV shows, play games with friends or go thrift shopping.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I love going to Newtown, so many yummy vegan restaurants to choose from. Gotta love Gigi’s Pizza!

Lately Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl0-5IrBVTY

Linktree

https://linktr.ee/sarahmusicjane

Where are you currently based?

I live in Thornbury, Melbourne/Naarm.

How did you first start playing music?

My mum used to play in bands. She was a huge rock chick so she inspired me big time. I listened to all the music that she listened to so Norah Jones was actually my idol when I was super young. I loved to dance when I was younger too so I ended up doing musical theatre classes to get my music hit.

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been so far?

COVID was a particularly grounding time for me. I had been writing for over a year before I released by debut single in April 2020. In terms of music, the stillness of last year enabled me to focus intently on each release. I held a lot of space for growth.

Please tell us what influenced the sound and songwriting for your upcoming single ‘Vigor’?

Vigor is all about life force and energy. I wrote a poem last year and it was about unlocking that potential, reaching that high whether it be through your own doing or by being around someone that has that affect on you. I wanted to write a song that encapsulated that feeling. 

How did you go about writing Vigor?

I caught up with my producer and he had put down some nice chords. We played around with this drum beat and slowed it down until it almost flickered like energy itself. That’s when I remembered the poem I wrote and it was pretty wild how seamlessly it fit into the track.

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?

I recorded the song towards the end of last year in Melbourne/Naarm. It was actually recorded in my producer Jahn Rae’s home studio. It was mastered by Becki Whitton.

How did you approach the recording process and what did you find most challenging and rewarding?

This whole process felt effortless. The vocals you hear in the track are the very first vocals I ever put down for it. I grew up doing musical theatre and have gigged across Melbourne for years so I love singing live. I always think my best work happens in my first few takes. Of course sometimes it can take a little longer but I love hearing the emotion and authenticity in vocals so once I’m trying too hard – I can hear it and I don’t like it. Vigor however, came together very quickly.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Music changes depending on my mood. If I’m cooking I listen to Four Tet, when I’m relaxing I listen to Rhye, when I want to move I listen to Kllo. If I’m feeling reminiscent, I will listen to Bon Iver or Augie March.

What do you like to do away from music?

Away from music, I’m quite a Nonna! I love to cook, cuddle my dog Bentley, knit and do all kinds of arts and crafts. My partner Lochlan is an artist so we spend a lot of time manifesting, thinking and creating. I’ve got a fig tree in my back yard so spending my weekends making jam at the moment. I also love being outdoors, going for long bush walks or going away in our van. 

What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?

I have lots of fun things coming up. Planning an EP release at the moment for this year, I’ll share some more info on that soon but at the moment it is still a work in progress. Other than that, writing and gigs. It has been really hard during COVID to go out and sing live and forward plan for that kind of thing, but I am super hopeful for this year.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I’m Italian so I can’t go past pizza or pasta. Luckily we’re spoiled for choice close to home but nothing beats a home-made meal at Nonna’s house. Favourite place to hang out is Nonna’s house.

When Ameli and Paul’s paths crossed in 2016, they immediately felt the urge to fuse their approaches of making music – the succinct productions of Paul, with Ameli’s inherent songlike musicality and sentimental voice. Constantly evolving their live performance over the last few years, the duo stands for a stirring electronic sound that ranges from cinematic excursions to pop-like song structures.

Synthesizers, field recordings, vocals and guitars join forces across their musical playground as the pair creates thrilling dance tunes to dive into and get lost in. Playing live in renowned clubs and festivals, Ameli Paul are increasingly known for casting a spell on their audience. It’s this unique, multifaceted sound that is effortlessly melting genre boundaries and listeners’ hearts around the world.

Now Ameli Paul conjures up a full-spectrum EP that showcases their distinct musical variety, with the brand new three-part package Beyond Reason on MEIOSIS. We had a chance to sit down with the guys from their home city of Cologne to find out more.

Hi guys, great to have you with us for the first time. How are you both doing?

Nice to meet you! We are doing great, hope you too!

Where are you each based at the moment and how has the past twelve months been?

Paul: We are both based in Cologne, Germany. The last twelve months have been quite a rollercoaster. First I was psyched to spend more time in the studio, then I missed touring and meeting new people a lot. But at the end I think we made the best out of it and created a lot of stuff that will see the light of day soon.

Your latest EP ‘Beyond Reason’ has just dropped on MEIOSIS. What are the main influences and creative inspirations behind this record?

Ameli: First of all, our ups and downs of the last year have been the main source of inspiration. So it’s a mixture of melancholia and hope, regression and now-more-than-ever. Besides that, in these times we didn’t think so much about producing music for the dancefloor and felt more freedom in our creative process.

How did the remix from Aera come about?

Paul: We love Aera’s sound for quite some time, for instance his track ‘Terra’ he did with TERR or ‘Running hot’ are amazing. When he joined the same agency the idea occurred to have him on the EP. The remix is a real banger!

When did you two start making records together?

Paul: It was in 2016 that we met for the first time at a festival and arranged a session in the studio which turned into a four hours jam, two months later we uploaded our first track on Soundcloud.

Do you have similar approaches to the way you produce music? 

Ameli: We have quite similar taste in music, but our approaches are totally different. That’s maybe one reason why we feel inspired when playing together. I just love jamming together with synthesizers, effects and my voice in an intuitive way. Paul can sit for hours dealing with Ableton, creating beats. We constantly find new ways to fuse our different ways of creating music.

Can you talk to us about your production set up? What instruments and bits of kits were used in the creation of the new release?

Ameli: I used the Prophet Rev2 for chords and melodic elements. My vocals go through a Line6 Delay, DD3 and a Polara Reverb. Paul operates Ableton Live, a Model D, there is a tiny bit of guitar in Beyond Reason and both tracks have pieces of his field-recordings for beat elements and atmo.

How do you spend your time when you’re not making music?

Paul: Besides music, I am working as a psychologist. Since quite some time I have been interested in connecting these two things.

Ameli: At the moment I spend a lot of time hanging out with my flatmates and cooking delicious food, for example with our new pasta machine.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

We very much enjoy listening to Men I Trust and Lous and the Yakuza at the moment.

Once the world can dance together again, where are you most excited to play?

Ameli: Oh I can’t wait to play in little sweaty clubs, people dancing full of joy. But I am also super eager to play on an open air festival stage with great lights.

Paul: I couldn’t agree more!

Where did ‘I Don’t Cry’ first start for you – how does the song resonate with you now?

The first part i wrote was the opening guitar line. Usually I fall out of love with stuff i’ve written shortly after releasing it, but this track has stayed in a pretty positive light with me which is unusual.

Your sound is super intricate and developed; can you remember your early sonic influences and do you think those influences have stayed the same now?

I was really into a weird mixture of Neil Young and hip hop as a kid and still am. I think you can see those influences in my song structures and drum sounds.

Who is inspiring you now (think of this as a bit of a recommendation question for readers)? 

Dan Auerbach’s ‘Waiting on A Song’ and Lewis Coleman’s ‘Method of Places’

Can you tell us a bit about where you recorded ‘I Don’t Cry’ and who you worked with? 

I Don’t Cry was recorded entirely by myself in three different bedrooms I have lived in over the last 12 months, one of which was a shed in Brunswick. The only other hands and ears to touch it were those of Mastering Engineer George Georgiadis @ Little Wing Sound

Were there any particular highlights of the creation process for you?

I didn’t plan on having any drums in the bridge but on the day I recorded the drums I kind stumbled upon a drum part while i was setting up the kit and fell in love with it. It the drums you now hear in the bridge!

The pandemic hit a lot of artists, and hit them differently – how has lockdown affected the way you approach music?

Lockdown hasn’t so much changed the way i approach music, but it definitely threw out most of my plans for 2020. I moved to Melbourne in hopes of finding band members so I could play live, but instead we were told not to leave our homes or socialise for 10 months 

Do you think you work better – as in songwriting – alone or with others?

I find myself making quicker decisions when im working with others. Instead of debating with yourself for sometimes months, you can just ask for their opinion. I feel more confident when writing with other artists.

What are you looking forward to the most about music – yours and others – moving forward into 2021?

Every year Australian music is getting stronger and stronger and i can’t wait for Australian artists to receive more of the recognition they deserve. Australian artists are definitely making the best music in the world right now.

‘I Don’t Cry’ is out now.
Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Triple J Unearthed

Where are you currently based?

All four of us are based right here on the Gold Coast within about 20 minutes of each other. 

How did Chutney form?

Chutney formed in late 2019! We all had our own separate musical projects that we had been part of. I (Matt) wanted to try a different sort of genre from what I had been focusing on at the time and wrote a few indie-rock numbers. I had brought these songs to Cal (Guitar) and Pat (Bass) and we decided to form this little project. Andy (Drums) came on board after a few of the first songs were written out and the rest is history.

What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?

We were only really just starting out as a band when COVID first bared its teeth so our mentality was to use that time to get all the structures in place for a successful post-COVID world. We tried to work on refining our sound, building a brand and creating an image… as well as write lots and lots. As things opened back up we snatched up any and every gig and it’s honestly worked quite well.

Our focus recently has been writing the years worth of music out and getting ready for our Invisible tour. 

Your new single Invisible is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

I wrote the basic chord structure and lyrics after watching Elton John’s Biopic “Rocketman.” I was particularly taken aback by one quote – “Real love is hard to come by. So you find a way to cope without it.” I thought it was kinda sad that there are those who feel they aren’t worthy enough to be loved. I thought it was a pretty heavy notion, however its those sorts of ídeas/moments that I love writing about. 

How did you go about writing Invisible?

My little moment of inspiration came halfway through the movie so I made a little voice memo and got to it later. I had some pretty chords I was playing with so I wrote the whole song that afternoon. That same week we came together and played it as a band and pretty much had it 95% complete, it was one of those ones that just falls into place I suppose. 

Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with?

We recorded with our long time collaborators Scotty French from Love St Studios and Paul Blakey for Mastering. We’re always happy with the sound we achieve with these two and honestly recording with Scotty is such a good experience. 

You have a tour coming up this February, where are you headed?

The tour is just a small one to showcase our single so we are doing 2 shows in Brisbane and 2 shows in our hometown. You can find us at Black Bear Lodge (18th), Elsewhere (19th), Vinnies Dive Bar (27th) & Greaser Bar (5th). 

How do you prepare for live shows and what can we expect?

It’s pretty much just about getting into a rehearsal space a few times before a gig and making some noise. We have an array of music, from faster numbers to ballads, but I think for the tour we are gonna keep it as energetic as possible. We also have a bunch of new music to test out which is exciting.

Any new music on the way?

Yes yes! We have around 10 tracks done; it’s just about choosing the right ones at this point if you know what I mean. There’s about 3 of them that are worthy of being the next single… time will tell which one we pick. 

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I’ve been getting around the local scene ALOT recently. Beddy Rays, Sycco, Girl and Girl and Local Safari come to mind. I’ve also been absolutely smashing Fontaines DC recently. Absolutely love their sound. 

What do you like to do away from music?

We are all quite a close group of friends; so just hanging out on weekends and playing any sport we possibly can or having a bit of a drink. We also love checking out any of the local artists that we can. There’s so much good music coming out of the Gold Coast, you don’t need to leave the city to enjoy an amazing show. 

What’s planned for 2021?

The next thing will be our follow-up to Invisible and the tour. We want to get out to a couple of the major capitals of Australia (COVID pending) but really we just love playing shows and writing music – so we will continue to do that. 

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Definitely our local pub the Lonestar Tavern in Mermaid – or perhaps Options for Andy 😉 We may spend a bit too much time there.