Alt-pop is a term that seems to have organically woven itself into the music scene. How do you define alt-pop, and why do you think it resonates so strongly in Melbourne right now?
I love the label ‘alt-pop’. It’s just really inclusive to this kind of genre-less world we’re living in. To me it means music that is well-crafted, catchy, emotive and full of hooks, and makes you want to listen again, like pop, but with a ‘caveat’ – like a slightly off-kilter quality that makes it interesting to the ear, whether that’s a dissonant guitar, an odd time signature or some really abstract lyric – just a little something that could create a barrier for entry for the fairweather listener, that’s it – like, you can have free tickets to the fun fair but you have to enter through the haunted house.
There’s a sense of nostalgia in this new wave of alt-pop, with a return to organic connection and even physical releases like vinyl. Do you think this is a reaction to the digital overload of music consumption?
I think so, there’s definitely a craving for a sense of reality in times that are becoming so surreal. I’d agree its a reaction to digital consumption coupled with technology acceleration, and it’s not just music either – it’s like everything became so convenient so quickly we didn’t have to own anything anymore, we didn’t need products, we could just subscribe to services, keep everything in the cloud, make our small spaces seem bigger through minimalisation, and then all of a sudden you have a new generation of people growing up without anything tangible and thinking “Wait, I think I would like to try having “stuff”. Stuff is cool. It’s unique. Anyone can own the same digital “asset” (I mean NFTs let’s not even), but when something is real to the touch it carries a special meaning associated to it that only you can feel.
Galaxy Music’s triple A-side vinyl release is both retro and forward-thinking. What was the inspiration behind this concept, and how did the artists respond to the idea?
Thanks, yeah definitely, it’s kind of like I touched on before, I think technology democratised everything to the point that anything is possible, and while that sounds like utopia, it makes it more difficult to find things that are meaningful. We are at a point where anyone can release anything online, you have digital services that can get you thousands of streams, you can buy a million YouTube views. There are countless instagram gurus offering artists quick-fix dopamine hits, cookie-cutter advice that is basically ‘post lots of reels singing your song’ or ‘mention an artist you sound like and say you wish you had seen them before they were famous and that’s what I am’ and it’ll generate lots of streams, but actually it’s just automated playlist hacking, and so you have social feeds full of identikit content and every year you see artists posting inflated Spotify wrapped metrics, but really having gained no actual fans or long-term progress towards their goals. I hate to see it, and it’s so common, that’s why I kind of lean into the ‘traditional values and artist-first’ thing with Galaxy – it’s intentionally old-school, and it’s about thinking long-term, not over-promising and under-delivering, just creating great stuff and experiences and enjoying the journey. The inspiration was labels I grew up with like Kitsune – which if you’re familiar with the fashion label, each year they released a ‘Kitsune Maison’ compilation vinyl, and it featured collaborations and remixes of some of the coolest European artists of the year that were exclusive to the record, it just had this incredible brand halo effect, brought communities of artists together and became like an annual taste-maker. Or like DFA records,, Def Jam, or even going way back to Factory records from Manchester in the UK, that had a real DIY ethos – no contracts, just great music, building a scene, creating a vibe. In fact, their first release (Joy Division & Cabaret Voltaire) was called Factory Label Sampler – which is exactly where I stole the name for Galaxy’s first release. It’s like, let’s create something meaningful. Something that isn’t about vanity metrics – it’s not about a million impressions, but a lasting one. The artists totally get it, I mean, it’s not an easy sell, when you could just pay for streams and views but you have someone saying “trust me, we can do that, but let’s do this personalised stuff first and see what the reality is.” We’re doing digital stuff too of course, we’re not off-grid. We’ve got a big organic digital content plan post-release, but I don’t want to just hype up a vibe that doesn’t exist yet, we’re still in the manifestation period, we have to give people reason to believe. Look, I’m far from a luddite, I’m an early adopter of most technology, but seeing how far we’ve come makes you realise what gets left behind.
Each track on the release has its own distinct identity—Lovy’s raw energy, Asia’s introspective storytelling, and Mia Savannah’s sleek pop polish. Was there a common thread that tied these songs together under the alt-pop banner?
All the artists are totally unique in their styles, how they sound, their influences, how they write, their aspirations and what they dig sonically, and I love that because it’s opened up new worlds for me as a producer. I think the thread is what I mentioned earlier – they all write such incredible pop songs, but they have this kind of ‘taste level’ that, yes they want their music to sound great, but you know, also “different” – but not quirky for the sake of it. Lovy is really experimental with arrangements, Asia can pull a hooky, syncopated melody I never would have thought of out of thin air, and Mia is just a songwriter so dedicated to the craft and that really comes through – the attention to detail is what sets it apart, it’s almost like the things that you don’t even hear. I think the common thread, yeah, is that they all have the talent already to easily do ‘good’ music, but they all have the curiosity, growth mindset and aspiration to do great music, to experiment, evolve and go beyond ‘good enough’ and to me, that’s like thrilling to be a part of that. It stretches me and I love it.
Lovy’s ‘Rage’ blends electro, indie, and even rap elements. What was the creative process behind such a genre-fluid track? Was there a particular mood or moment that inspired it?
Lovy’s arrangements are crazy, but they work. It’s what makes her music so unique. And, believe me, ‘Rage’ is the tip of the iceberg! With a lot of Lovy’s demos I could instantly hear the quality, the great song, the melody, the chord structures. For me it’s kind of like decoding it, understanding it, and then we rebuild it together. Rage was one of those songs that, and this never happens, we kind of used some of the first synth sounds we recorded guides with, because they sounded “right”. Obviously we spent ages trying out a lot of other things but came back to what first got us excited. Lovy is experimental in a way I have never encountered. In a thrilling way. She will rap, shout, sing like an angel, and each session comes in with new ideas, and I am always open to them. And they usually work. It means all her songs are like a tapestry of cool stuff that evolves over time. It’s my job as a producer to try and fit things into an accessible, listener-friendly box in a way, but unfortunately as a person I am really open to experimentation too, so if someone with Lovy’s talent and intuition wants to try something I’m all in! So, yeah, Lovy’s music, and Rage is a good entry point – expect the unexpected!
Asia’s ‘One Thing’ delivers a powerful message about focus in a world full of distractions. What personal experiences influenced this song, and how do you hope listeners connect with it?
The way me and Asia write is quite unique, and I love working with her this way. It’s always like a conversation where Asia talks about a situation she has been in and the feelings she experienced during that period. Which sounds pretty basic. But, Asia looks at it from all different angles, it’s not” this happened and I felt this”. She employs like a critical-thinking mindset, seeing things from all sides. She sets the scene so we have like an environment to put our words in, and then it’s like “So this happened, and I felt like this, but then I probably should have felt like this, but is there a reason I didn’t? And how would others view me now? They probably expected I would act more like this, and imagine how that made them feel.” – and at the same time we’re both with notepads trying to capture all those feelings and find the words to pull it together. It’s a great process and so it’s really personal but also really open. For ‘one thing’ I remember the breakthrough for us lyrically was when, after a while talking through some of those voices that go round your head, we realised that Asia was kind of giving herself advice, trying to give herself permission to feel a certain way. So there’s a lot of introspective imagery in those words that capture that feeling of self-talk, speak to yourself as you would a friend. I connected instantly with what Asia was describing and I am sure everyone can on some level, we all talk to ourselves and overthink what the right thing to do is, what the cause and effect is of all our decisions. And this is almost like a mantra of “Nope. Stop staring at the map – just start in a direction. Go.”
Mia Savannah’s ‘GHOST’ has been described as ‘Kate Bush and Dua Lipa duetting on a Stranger Things finale.’ How does she feel about that comparison, and what was the driving force behind this track?
Haha I love this. I love the production on GHOST. I mean, the song is so perfect and Mia’s voice is unreal, it would be hard to mess it up whatever kind of backing it had. But, the word ‘Ghost’ obviously makes you think something haunting, but like, not on the nose. The stranger things connection is so weird because a number of people said that and it’s likeh a funny in-joke (to me only). I wanted it to have a Kate Bush kind of vibe, that kind of Linn Drum Machine retro vibe and analogue synthesisers, and I really wanted to find what I always called the “dog synth” that is on Bush’s “Running up that hill” (you know that sounds like a reverby bark?). At this point was not in any way thinking of stranger things. But no-one said to me “It sounds like Kate Bush” they said “It sounds like it could be on stranger things, which I realised was because Running up that hill is all the way through stranger things, and so me stealing Kate Bush’s “Dog synth” for a vibe, made people connect the song with a popular show that is pretty “Ghosty”. That’s just kismet. I love GHOST – it’s just like the first time I heard it, I knew. And so will anyone the first time they hear it too, I reckon.
Live performances seem to be a major part of this movement. With the April 3rd showcase at The Workers Club, what can attendees expect from the night?
It’s going to be an experience, and a coming together of different networks and communities. We’re all about real experiences, live music that goes from minimal, organic, rocking band music to full on electro bangers (but still live). And then finishing the night off with some incredible DJs in Noise Business, because I really personally think there should be more of a blend between live music and DJs. I think it’s a natural way to end the evening on a big buzz. There should be more talented DJs given a stage, more DJs watching live bands, more “musicians” in clubs appreciating DJs craft. I mean, fore sure that all happens, but I also want to be a part of helping it happen too. It shouldn’t be go to a gig then a club. I like the blend. The night is going to be a journey.
Do you think the rise of Melbourne’s alt-pop scene is shaping the broader music industry in Australia? Are major labels taking notice, or is this an entirely independent movement?
Oh I am really too small in the scene to comment, I mean, in my bubble, I see it, I hear it, I feel it. And I want to be amongst it. its so wide-reaching and there’s so much opportunity for crossovers and collaborations I can see it growing if everyone lifts each other up. I think that’s the key, and it’s certainly something that’s important to me and the label.
What’s next for Galaxy Music after this triple release? Can we expect more showcases, new signings, or even a full-fledged alt-pop movement taking over?
After this release we’re going to really promote it, like it’s a bit different these days with digital releases, the promo is better to do after the release, and it’s important not to just put it out and move on, but equally important is forward momentum. We’ve got a few songs in the bank from our sessions and so each artist will be doing a fast-follow single in a month or two, building out their own brands and finding their voice and audience. Just keep building. And yeah, more shows, definitely more artists, I am working with a few people I’d love to release and I am doing some remixes and collabs and just getting out there and meeting cool people and making cool things happen. I’m a big manifestation person so one of my north star goals is a Galaxy showcase at Bigsound. We’ll apply, once we’ve got the evidence to back up why we should get on the bill 
If the alt-pop movement happens I definitely want to be aboard that ship and I’ll happily help row or steer it.
