Music Interviews

Where are you currently based?

Sydney

How did you first start playing music?

My earliest memory was listening to the Amy Winehouse album (Back To Black) at my grandparents house, they had a piano and I decided to learn how to play the song by ear. I have always loved music but that really was a definitive moment on why I wanted to start playing music.

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

I just finished up on this year’s season of AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, and jumped straight into the studio. Covid has given me a lot of time to think and feel to write my music so it has been good in that aspect. I just released my debut ‘More Than I’

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

Writing “More Than I” I wanted the single to be Cinematic, Dark & Emotional. ‘THE HUNGER GAMES’ X ‘BILLIE EILISH’ X FLORENCE & THE MACHINE’

How did you go about writing More Than I?

I have had this song written for a few years now, it wasn’t until I got back from LA and had to quarantine that I spent time at the piano and put the music together for the song!

What does this single mean to you?

The song is very personal to me. I wrote it about a time in my life where I came out to the world as myself. There is this very silent moment between coming out and waiting for the other end to respond. For me this song is reflective of that moment and the build up to having the courage to be my truth.

Please tell us about any new music on the way and what we can expect:

The music that I’m recording and creating now are even more personal, they deep dive more into more obvious moments in my life, moments that I believe the audience will connect to a lot more. With ‘More Than I’ it was really the epic movie trailer music that just like a movie trailer gives you the sneak peak, in the most epic style, of what is yet to come in the all new music coming soon.

What was your experience like being involved in America’s Got Talent and The Voice, how do the two experiences compare?

Well look, I’m so grateful for both. The Voice was very difficult for me, I was learning and growing to be the person that I am in the two seasons of the voice that I was on. There were a lot of great moments and moments I wish I could re-do but in saying that I was able to experiment with my fashion, my voice and how I wanted to present myself.

AGT was a TV giant, but I was prepared, although I was still nervous, I was very confident in myself and my talent. I was not expecting to get 30 Million views on my audition in the first week. Like I said AGT was just GIANT haha!

What did you learn from the experience of being on both?

From the aspect of both shows, the biggest thing I learnt was that originality over predictability is key. Authenticity and truth is always the golden ticket and trusting in who you are and not doubting yourself is so important but listening and taking on critique is just as important!

What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the experience of being on both shows?

The hardest part really is that it is TV and everything is uncertain till the second you’re actually singing. Things change and being a performer who has always been a perfection, AGT and the voice have really pushed me to work fast, work smart, think creatively and always out of the box.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Billie Eillish always but right now, Catie Turner from American Idol. Genuinely obsessed.

What do you like to do away from music?

Fashion, I love to design and make. For me, the creative and the visual aesthetic is almost if not just as important as the music. I’m a very visual person and the outfit that I’m performing in can be the cherry that makes the performance. Just like a song written uses metaphors to tell the story I use my art to tell the story. I’m always working on something new.

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

WRITING WRITING RELEASING!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I love art galleries, I can walk around all day haha.

Sushi is always my go to meal, I had it three times yesterday.. it’s ridiculous haha.

SHELDON RILEY INSTAGRAM

https://www.facebook.com/thesheldonriley

Where are you currently based?

Montreal, Canada

How did you first start playing music?

My dad was a wedding DJ growing up so he taught me how to spin at a young age.

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

Despite the lockdown and not being able to spin, the silver lining has been having a lot of studio time and new music.

Your new single ‘Control’ from your forthcoming album ‘Until We Dance’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

The track was influenced by the nightclubs I miss playing in. I wanted to release a darker and moodier track, and JT Soul nailed the mysterious and alluring vibe with his lyrics. 

How did you go about writing Control?

I drove over to JT Soul’s studio for a writing session, and he essentially figured out the vocal melody right away. He then jumped in the recording booth, freestyled some flows and then came out and started putting words to it. I loved the ‘you lost all control’ part before the drop, so we worked around that after. 

I was looking for a vocalist for this track for over a year, so I was in awe at how efficiently he works. He kind of entered my world of dance and electronic for this collaboration and he smashed it. He’s super talented. 

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

This track actually took quite some time and effort. I started the initial idea and first sketch in my home studio. I then brought it over to my buddy Kevin Figs’ studio, where he laid down the guitars and the phat bass sound. After that I searched far and wide for a vocalist until I met JT Soul. We had a couple sessions and worked on the track in his studio. I then arranged the vocals and structure at home until it was finally ready to be mixed and mastered at the label studios. 

What programs/instruments did you use?

Kevin’s 1960’s limited edition Eric Clapton Fender Stratocaster for all the guitar layers. Trillian for the bass line. The drums were sampled and taken from my previous release ‘Never Be The Same’. And Refx’ nexus3 and Native Instruments’ Komplete package for the synthesizers. 

How did you approach the recording/production of Control?

When I sit down in studio, I always reflect on what worked on the dancefloor in my club gigs that week. I knew I wanted to have a sexy club track I could play in my sets, so I started from there. The mysterious pads and chords in the beginning came first. Then a nice, long build up before a climatic drop that hits you hard. 

Please tell us about what we can expect from your album, format, styles, sounds etc:

The album is fun, it’s feel-good and every track features an awesome vocalist from around the world. You’ll hear a lot of live instruments, performed by some super talented artists as well. You could call it dance or electronic or house… All I know is that I had a lot of fun making it and it’s meant to make you move. 

Which artists and records have influenced you most over the years?

Tiësto was my idol growing up. Seeing him sell out stadiums and arenas was the coolest thing. Then when I first got into house music over a decade ago, I was influenced by French producers like David Guetta, Bob Sinclair and Daft Punk, who are still more relevant than ever. Daft Punk’s ‘One More Time’ is my favorite song of all time. I loved the Dutch and Swedish DJs at the time as well. Seeing Erick Morillo in Mykonos changed my life in 2011. Then I got into deep house in 2012 and fell in love with Jamie Jones, Lee Foss, Hot Since 82 and at the same time, the Swedish House Mafia, Avicii and more. Then I was inspired by UK producers like Mark Knight, Calvin Harris, Gorgon City and more. Nowadays, I’d love to sign a record with Defected or Toolroom Records. 

Who are you listening to at the moment?

At the moment I’m listening to Ludo Lacoste, Tom&Collins, Wh0, John Summit, Black Coffee. 

What do you like to do away from music?

I love to travel, sail, eat, play soccer, snowboard, trade stocks, watch movies and hang out with family and friends.  

Any shows coming up?

I’ve got some virtual gigs lined up but live shows will have until summer 2021 here in Canada. 

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

Make more music. Prepare some tracks I could play out in summer 2021 and hopefully get to throw a little album release party. Fingers crossed. 

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I love Greek food obviously, but my absolute favorite food dish is tacos! I can eat tacos breakfast, lunch, dinner every single day no problem. As for my favorite place to hang out; I sometimes spin in bars and nightclubs 5 nights a week, so my favorite place to be is at home. Hanging out at my place and having tacos with my friends is my ideal off night. 

What is your name and role within Seabass?

My name is Annie, I sing, write all the songs and play guitar in SEABASS (as well as managed the band up until recently. We also have some answers peppered in from Ryan (guitar and makes all our records)

Where are you currently based?

Annie: We are TRAPPED in Adelaide. Nah, its pretty cool.

How did Seabass form?

Annie: myself, Kyrie and Flik were asked to play with Pussy Riot as their band in 2019… We thought after wed had a taste of the big stage together blasting through huge Ampeg bass rigs and Fender twins we better keep on going. Myself and Ryan had been playing together in another project so I brought us all together a few months after that! (Are Russian activist session musicians a thing? Apparently yes.
What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been so far?

Annie: We’ve been working pretty hard on the release of our single ‘Burn’ as well as getting all our ducks in a row for our launch of our debut EP.
Ryan: Yeah, COVID has been disappointing but it gave us time to make the EP.

Your new single ‘Burn’ from your forthcoming debut EP ‘Always Kidding’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for Burn and the EP?

Annie: Burn pretty much just spilled out one morning… I was pretty wired about the mismanagement of last year’s bushfire season as well and one of the most outrageous acts of murder of an indigenous Australian at the hands of police. I was furious and desperate and so from that the song came.

Ryan: Influence wise there’s some 90s rock in there.

What does Burn mean to you?

Annie: Burn is a call to arms, a plea to not become complacent or to turn away. Burn is me desperately asking if others can see what I’m seeing and needing to do something about it.

How did you go about writing the music for Burn and the EP?

Annie: I have been sitting incubating some of these songs for a few years, some are definitely more recent. I just needed to figure out what they would be used for and how we would use them. They all started as fairly low-key kind of country inspired folk tunes but now (thanks to Ryan, Kyrie and Flik) they’re face melting indie-rock bangers.

Where and when did you record and who with?

Annie: We recorded everything at Ryan’s home studio which he has been operating out of semi-professionally for a little while. Ryan is responsible for recording, mixing and production.

Ryan: Along with any production ideas the band had along the way.

What can we expect from Always Kidding EP?

Ryan: We tried to get as much of a picture of the band as we could in an EP format. Each of us has a fairly wide range of skills. Some tracks are concise rocky belters others do their own thing and play by their own rules. We tried to get as much of our usual set down as possible in EP format and polish it through some extra production. It’s a power packed morsel.

Annie: In all honesty we’ve accidentally recorded an almost album… It’s a long EP or a short album. Extended extended play.

What programs/instruments did you use?

Ryan: Annie drafts her ideas up on Logic Pro then I record and mix on Pro Tools. It’s a pretty sanded rock config with two guitars, bass, drums and a bunch of BVs behind Annie’s huge vocals.

How did you approach the recording/production/mastering process?

Annie: We tracked everything at Ryan’s studio. I was pretty depressed at the time so I mostly just tracked when I was asked to and the rest of the time I just played Civilisation V whilst spilling dip and crackers on Ryan’s bed.

Ryan: We tracked some things completely separately and some stuff we tracked together. Vocals were done separately. Backing vocals were a riot because the band would all take turns at their part while taking turns lying down (This is what happens when you’re mixing console is in your bedroom). Annie and I had a feedback session where we boarded up the door of the studio and cranked our amps and grabbed an entire take of obnoxious noise over the whole EP – then I grabbed parts that sounded cool and mixed them in.

Annie: For some reason now Ryan no longer lives with those people…

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Annie: Well… Obviously Phoebe Bridgers and Fiona Apple… Oh and WAP on repeat… Honestly, if I can have a day where I hear WAP five times in a row, that’s a good day.

Ryan: Phoebe Bridgers and The BeeGees.

What do you like to do away from music?

Annie: I like gardening… I dabble in PlayStation, I’ve been playing Red Dead Redemption 2 and I finished the remastered Tony Hawk as well a while back.

Ryan: Nintendo Switch – Zelda and Mario Party with my housemates.

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

Annie: Crossing my fingers that we might be able to play a show in real life again soon and dropping the EP early next year.

Ryan: I’m going to finish putting together my new studio space and wait for the apocalypse to blow over.

When will the EP drop?

Annie: I think you’re like the second people we’ve told but February 17, 2021 and HOPEFULLY we get to have a launch show in Adelaide the week after that at Jive but stay tuned.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Annie: Oh man, theres this spicy nut mix thing at my supermarket that I think I’ve eaten like 20kg of over the past few months. Ummm vegan Magnums. I like hanging out at Ryans house.

Ryan: Party pies and my studio.

https://www.facebook.com/seabassbandau

What is your name and role within The Bonnie Doons?

Kane Kennedy. I produce the music and manage the band. Torian Brewer and I write and record the tracks.

Where are you currently based?

Based in Brisbane, Australia.

How did the Bonnie Doons form?

We officially formed the band in mid-2017. Benny Blacket (former lead singer) and I started the project. We met at college in 2014 and began jamming, writing the skeleton for our first song ‘Swing’ back in 2015 which features on our first EP. Torian was on guitar when the band first formed, Benny then moved down to Sydney and T-dawg stepped up on the mic.

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

Recently we haven’t been doing any live things, just been focussing on promoting this EP and gearing up for some future shows.

Your sophomore EP ‘The Betweeners’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

This EP was heavily influenced by the 90’s. That was both Torian and I’s favourite era for entertainment as a whole and so I think naturally it came together in that style.

The EP speaks about making better decisions through talk of relationships mostly. A compilation of our own personal experiences was what influenced the songwriting.

How did the EP come about?

Well I mean we were always going to make more music; it came naturally. The musical approach was slightly different though, given we changed the vibe up for Torian’s vocals.

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

We recorded this through late 2019, all over the place really. I did the drums and rhythm guitars at Alchemix Studios in Brisbane, then did the lead guitars, bass, and vocals at home. We even used some takes from our demo sessions, out in a cabin in the woods style. It was a bit of a Frankenstein project. I produced it and sent it all over to Aria-Award winning Govinda Doyle (Angus and Julia Stone) for the mixing and mastering process.

What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of the EP?

Most challenging for me was the general learning curve of producing music, especially in a genre I’d never really done before. I’m no professional, it’s still early days. It was a fun challenge. The next chunk of music will be quite a different direction again. We’re just trying a few things out for now.

The most rewarding thing is when the people that you respect express to you how much they love it. And I mean, most friends are going to tell you they love it – whether they do or not. But we got some genuine responses, and it was delightful.

What programs/instruments did you use to record?

Half of it was recorded in Ableton and half was done in Pro Tools. Probably the two most common DAWs. Instruments; drums, guitars, bass, keyboard, triangle, rainstick, shakers.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

In the last week I’ve been listening to some early King’s of Leon, Che Burns’ new EP, Kurilpa Reach’s new EP and some Sublime.

What do you like to do away from music?

The normal things; friends and family, make food, glass of red, exercise, soccer. I recently have taken time away from my engineering job, following up a few personal, musical, and entrepreneurial pursuits. Hoping I can break free from the 9-5.

Any shows coming up?

Yeah we’ll be launching this EP in January 2021 – 16th of Jan at Solbar Sunshine Coast, and 23rd of Jan at The Zoo in Brisbane.

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

Relax, jam, enjoy the shows we have coming. Then see what happens.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Torian started working at Mongrel Bar in Milton a couple months ago and it has become the new spot I think. It’s gotten me into Peruvian style food – the chef there is a serious pro (he owns the venue). It’s also a great location and atmosphere.

https://www.facebook.com/thebonniedoons

Where are you currently based?

I am currently based in Auckland, New Zealand.

How did you first start playing music?

So I started playing music in High school when I started learning guitar with my best friend from then I continued to teach myself how to play whilst also writing terrible teen angst songs that had literally no substance to them at all haha, although my friend and I made this one song called C#ck Flavoured Lollipop one arvo and I gotta be real, it was a certified banger. Unfortunately no one will ever be able to hear it lol. Now I officially started producing when I was 22 my homie Hatch gave me a crack version of ableton live 8 and taught me the basics, and the rest is history.

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

Covid has actually been pretty good for me. Since the whole pandemic dropped I’ve had more time to focus on my music and write more songs with better production quality. It’s also given me alot more incentive to pursue and achieve the goals I had sidelined up until now. So yeah all in all 2020 Covid for me? Easy.

Your new single ‘I Can’t Even’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

So going into the making of this track I was bumping a lot of 80’s R&B and disco eg. Evelyn Champagne King/Billy Ocean/ George Benson etc. Thus I had that whole vibe in my head when I went looking for key samples and also in creating the drums.

How did you go about writing ‘I Can’t Even’?

For the lyrical side of the song I had just come to the end of a pretty overwhelming relationship, I won’t get too deep into details but let’s just say the whole thing was bad enough for me to write a song about it. I think the best thing about this track and honestly my favourite thing about most of the tracks that I love listening to is that, it’s heaviness is filtered through a bouncy groove that can really make you miss the darker theme if you’re not paying attention to the lyrics. Although I will say its as heavy as I’m making out to be but still haha.

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

So I originally produced, wrote and recorded the track in 2017 in my bedroom and ended up benching it for a few years until the start of this year when came I back to it and decided to completely rework the whole thing. Writing/Recording/Mixing was all me. But the mastering was done by Ben Feggans @ 301 he’s an absolute legend.

How did you approach the recording process?

The same way I do with almost every track, I usually lay down the verses first which can take anywhere from 5 mins to a whole day depending on how on point I am. Then I’ll lay down the hooks/choruses/adlibs either straight after or the next day.

What programs/equipment did you use?

My setup is super simple to be honest. For ‘I Can’t Even’ and basically all of my tracks and beats etc. I work in Ableton on my laptop. And I recorded the vocals using a Rodes NT2A condenser mic connected to a focusrite solo audio interface, and I had a pair of 5 ” JBL monitors for mixing.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Well right now I’m bumping alot of D smoke’s ‘Black Habits’ album and Logic’s ‘No Pressure’ album and I’ve also had Pete & Bas in heavy rotation! If you’re a hiphop head and haven’t heard Lightwork Freestyle or Window Frame Cypher then you need to hand back your culture card… that’s all I’m saying.

What do you like to do away from music?

When I’m not making music, I like to Cook/Game/Binge anime/Youtube and eat said cooking. All the good stuff you know.

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

So for the backend of 2020 my plan is to keep writing and recording new music/music videos and hopefully get a couple super dope colabs finished, so that when 2021 makes it’s way around I’ll have a metric shit ton of content for all my fans and potential fans out there.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Easy, Hong Ha IYKYK
And if I was still in Sydney I’d have to say anywhere around the city circle ie. Chinatown, Darling Harbour, Broadway etc.

https://www.facebook.com/BanMicah/

What’s your name and role within The Grogans?

I am Jordan and I am the drummer of The Grogans.

Where are you currently based?

I’m based at 22 Almurta Road, East Bentleigh. Pop in and say hi.

How’s your Covid experience been so far?

Oh look it wasn’t too bad, it definitely has its pros and cons. Plenty of time to hang out with housemates, do some gardening and stuff but cons are that i can’t really do anything else.

Your last single before the album was released – ‘Got a Girl’ – is out now, how did this track come about?

Quin and I were jamming, during the covid period and stumbled across it, built on it with Gus a few weeks later and then recorded. It’s a bit heavier but still poppier enough to a boog.

Your new album Day/To/Day is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

Ahh, I think we took a lot of influence from relaxed surfy rock like allah las, the pesos and heaps of 60s & 70s surf. Also recording the album in ocean grove added to the sound through it being so relaxing.

How did you go about writing the album?

I don’t think we ever sat down and said “let’s write this now”, they just all happened through jamming. We had a rough idea of what we wanted to do but never knew exactly how many tracks or what exactly those tracks would sound like. 

Where and when did you record and who with?

Ocean Grove, at the start of the year between isolations and with Quin, our guitarist/singer.

How did you approach the recording process?

We were trying to record it all at home, but just kept getting too hard because of work. So we just decided to lock ourselves away for a week to just get it done, otherwise we would have just kept adding stuff at home for months and never would have actually finished it. 

What programs/equipment did you use?

We did it all on Protools. I don’t actually know too much about Quins mics, he’s got a heap of gear. There’s heaps of old vintage mics and shit.

What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of Day/To/Day?

I think maybe in Again and Teach Me when I did heaps of different drum takes in different places because I wasn’t too happy with the sound, then it was most rewarding to finally get that right take in Ocean Grove.

Who are you listening to at the moment?
Allah Las, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Amyl and the Sniffers, Adam Newling and Kylie Minogue  

What do you like to do away from music?

Either walking around the backyard hitting things with a stick, working, relaxing or just driving around. Real hectic life.

Any shows coming up?

Yes we have 8 sold out shows coming up in Melbourne, might add a few more too.

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

Just play some, ah, sit down shows. Will be a bit of a new experience, a bit interesting. 

Hopefully next year play some stand up shows again, and maybe release some more music. We’ll see what happens. 

Favourite food and place to hangout?

Right now I’m really loving ravioli, I haven’t had it in a while but it is really tasty. Because of the pandemic, my favourite place to hang out at the moment would have to be the front lawn in the sun.

Official Website: https://www.thegrogansband.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegrogansband/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thegrogansband

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegrogansband/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq6DVSu-SB4I8jFhGPln_sg

Triple J Unearthed: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/grogans

Where are you currently based?

I am currently based in Brisbane!

How did you first start playing music?

I’ve always had a passion for music, long before I was even aware of it. I’ve been writing songs for as long as I can remember and I played guitar, piano and percussion in school. I always knew I wanted to be a full time musician and I’m so grateful that dream is working out for me.

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

I just dropped a new single so I’ve been enjoying seeing the reaction to that! My Covid experience has been bittersweet, I’ve had so much time to work on music but I really missed performing. I had my first gig since Covid a few weeks ago and it was so magical.

Your new single ”I Wish We Met When We Were 25′ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

I was really inspired by classic, pop breakup songs. I wanted to have my sassy breakup moment so I definitely did some exaggerating with the lyrics. My producer and I took inspiration from artists like Charli XCX, Taylor Swift and Caroline Polachek. We wanted to add an element of electronica to give more texture and depth.

How did you go about writing the single?

I got the idea for the title randomly one day and wrote it down in notes then didn’t touch the idea for another month. I started humming the melody one night and recorded a voice memo then fleshed it out on the piano the next day. The lyrics definitely came out naturally, I think my best songs are the ones that only take me 5 minutes to write.

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

I recorded 80% of it at my home studio with my producer Levi Kohler at the start of this year then added finishing touches at Airlock Studios with producer Steve Kempnich a few months ago.

How did you approach the recording process?

I always like to finish the structure and lyrics before recording so I have a vision of the finished song. I basically just show my producer some reference tracks and examples of what I want the song to sound like, then we just do what comes natural from there!

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

I want to squeeze in some more gigs and focus on recording more tracks for the future

Any shows coming up?

I have a show on December 17th with Sir & Lydia at Tomcat

What do you like to do away from music?

I got into making jewellery during Covid so I’ve been enjoying that!

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I’ve been loving The Neighbourhood’s new album at the moment, it’s so catchy and fun!

Favourite food and place to hangout?

I am a sucker for a good picnic, it’s the ultimate no pressure hangout situation in my opinion!

Links to socials:

www.instagram.com/georgiaduttonmusic

www.facebook.com/georgiaduttonmusic

www.twitter.com/gduttonmusic

Where are you currently based?

I currently live in Adelaide near the water!

How did you first start playing music?

I started playing music when I was 16ish I actually just decided to dust off my brothers old guitar and look up some YouTube tutorials on how to play songs I liked at the time.

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

I’ve just finally released the EP ‘Coping Mechanisms’ via Dew Process which I’m super happy to be able to share. Covid has obviously impacted music and arts this year but personally it hasn’t been too bad for me.  I’ve enjoyed a bit of down time. The one thing I miss the most is playing live and touring so I’m looking forward to potentially getting back at it and doing that in the somewhat near future. Fingers crossed!

How did you go about writing Coping Mechanisms and what does this EP mean to you?

I wrote the EP across 2018 and 2019. I think this EP to me is finding hope in darker times and strength in small things even when it feels impossible.

Where and when did you record/produce EP? Who did you work with?

I recorded the EP towards the end of 2019 in Melbourne’s Shed Studios with John Castle. Other collaborators I worked closely with on this EP are my great friends Benjamin Tamblyn and Mario Spate, as well as writing with Joel Quartmaine & Konny Kersting.

What did you find most challenging and rewarding throughout the process? 

I think the challenge wasn’t so much the creation and writing of the music but persevering through personal issues while trying to remain creatively energised and enthused. Completing the EP and more so releasing it has been the rewarding part and seeing how it has resonated with others.

Any live shows coming up?

December 11th in Adelaide at JIVE I’ll be playing my first headline show of the year and I’m over the moon about it.

What do you like to do away from music?

Cooking, crafting, walking my doggo, binging tv series and seeing my fam and friends.

https://www.facebook.com/manemusicofficial

What is your name and role within the Hot Donnas? 

Jacob – Frontman syndrome

George – Animal/drummer

Gene – Unemployed/bass player

Mitchel – Lead Guitar

Where are you currently based?

Out of the Dirty D (Dunedin NZ).

How did you first start playing music? 

We all picked up an instrument at an early age. Primary school years spent taking lessons and gradually improving, developing a deep passion for music in our own ways. George and Mitchell played together in high school and Jake was also in a band. Hot Donnas seemed like such a natural fit for four dudes who needed a more social way to keep the practice up.

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

We’ve all been pretty lucky being based in New Zealand during covid. Though there was a pretty big stoppage in the music/gig scene here we’ve been out of lockdown for a while now and been able to pick up the odd gig here and there. Stoked as to be able to release a long awaited EP about a week ago that we’re all really happy with! Keen as to rip into some summer gigs over the next couple of months and get loud on stage.

Your new EP ‘The Adventures of E-WAN’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?

This EP was a long time coming. We are always writing songs and have always got something that we’ve jammed sitting in the wings just waiting to be finished off. “Adventures of E-WAN” was a collection of the best songs we had written over the course of 2019, inspired by our continued progression into a more Rock’n’Roll sound and determination to make sure we got the overall sound right. Over the past few years our sound has changed a lot and it has been a massive learning experience for us to redefine it in the studio. Drawing influences from punk and metal, while also still trying to maintain melody and keep our tunes approachable for all humans, we did a lot of listening back to our old stuff and basically tried to fill all the gaps that we thought were made evident through our previous releases.

How did you go about writing The Adventures of E-WAN?

We’d had these songs locked in the chamber for well over a year before the release. George and Jacob lived in a flat together in 2019 and were able set up a spacious jamming area for us to practice, and after the release of our second album ‘Dirty Paradise’ we were all very keen to take our time and really knuckle down some solid tracks over the course of that year. We were jamming 3-4 times a week at peak and playing gigs every other week on top of that, which allowed us to develop our sound nicely.

Where and when did you record/produce?

We recorded the EP down at Radio One Studios in the University Campus just down the road with sound engineer Steven Marr – really stoked to be able to work with such a talented guy! This was around August/November of last year. Once we got the tracks laid down we took the stems to our mate Dan Harris who then mixed em up. This process all took roughly 3/4 months.

How’s the reaction from fans been so far?

We’ve had a pretty good reception so far! Along with the EP we were lucky enough to make up a couple of music videos which people have seemed to enjoy. Had some sick as write ups from some Aus and New Zealand horns which compare us to the sounds of Arctic Monkeys and Queens of the Stone Age – how good is that one!

You toured Australia once before, how was the tour and what were are your thoughts on playing the Aussie shows?

Our Australian tour was a lot of fun and definitely something we want to do again real soon. We learned a lot while we were over the ditch and grew a lot as a band also. We love how hard the Australian crowds mosh and get into the music, makes playing live a lot of fun. Can’t wait to get back over the ditch.

What did you most enjoy about being in Australia?

Easily our best memories were with The Darrans, who we met and toured with while in the country in 2019. We learnt a lot from that trip, and made some of the best memories. Having some top tier blokes like that dumped into our laps like that was the best luck we could have asked for, because having some locals on the ground who have been around the place once or twice before really helped our confidence and ability to soldier through to the end.

Do you have plans to head back to Australia any time soon?

It’s all covid dependent really. We would have been super keen to head back over this year but that all turned to custard. As soon as the opportunity arises and it’s all safe and sound we’ll most definitely be taking it!

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Loads of hip hop, like NAS, Big L, Mobb Deep and revisiting Kendrick for the 1000th time…

Parkway Drive, Meshuggah, Gallows, Pearl Jam etc.

What do you like to do away from music?

We enjoy playing and watching sport. A couple of us play basketball and follow the NBA. Most of us follow Rugby union as well, like all good New Zealanders do. Jake likes trying to skateboard but he sucks.. Only one way to get better though. We also watch a bit of t.v as well.

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

We have a gig on crate day (If you don’t know what crate day is then definitely google it) and we are also lucky enough to play at Rhythm & Vines Festival in Gisborne. Next year we are gonna pull our fingers out and start gigging and practicing like there’s no tomorrow. We wanna release another album and play as many shows as possible, hopefully jump the ditch if Covid allows us.

Favourite food and place to hangout?

We eat a lot of rice balls, they’re nutritious and cost effective. There’s a shop in Dunedin called Cafe Tokyo that make the best rice balls, perfect ratio of rice and chicken. Nachos are also a favourite in the Hot Donnas camp. It’s the only meal George knows how to cook so hes perfected the recipe.

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