Cookin’ On 3 Burners

October 22, 2021

ALICE IVY TEAMS UP WITH SYCCO ON NEW SINGLE ‘WEAKNESS’

October 22, 2021

GOOD MORNING SHARE RULE-BREAKING NEW ALBUM BARNYARD RELEASED VIA GOOD MORNING MUSIC...

October 22, 2021

Kids At Midnight – Releases ‘Lovesick’

October 22, 2021

THE WASHING LINE ECONOMY RELEASE ENTRANCING NEW EP ‘CHARLES BONNET’

October 22, 2021

SASSY 009 RELEASES HEART EGO MIXTAPE OUT TODAY VIA LUFT RECORDINGS

October 22, 2021

Jesswar performs for triple j’s Like A Version

October 22, 2021

ALFA MIST ANNOUNCES NEW EP TWO FOR MISTAKE DIGITAL RELEASE – 17th...

October 22, 2021

Seth Anderson

October 22, 2021

Luca Musto – Releases ‘Whats’ Yours’ via Feines Tier

October 22, 2021

Pretty Pink – Dark Woods EP / Releases ‘Dark Woods’

October 22, 2021

TAMA GUCCI Shares new single ‘Challenge’ Announces Almost Blue EP – out...

October 21, 2021

SEPH COVE RETURNS WITH REFELCTIVE NEW SINGLE ‘SIRENS’

October 21, 2021

SYDNEY’S FLORIAN EMBRACES VIBRANT POP SOUNDS WITH NEW SINGLE ‘SEVENTEEN’

October 21, 2021

Alex Lahey Unveils New Single + Signs Label Deal

October 21, 2021

PREMIERE: Arp Deco Unveils His Debut Release ‘Introspect’

October 21, 2021

Justin Cholewski

October 20, 2021

DOOMS CHILDREN (FEAT. WADE MACNEIL) RELEASE SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM TODAY

October 20, 2021

Hippo Campus announce new album alongside lead single ‘Boys’

October 20, 2021

DJ WILL SPARKS PARTNERS WITH PURE BAY HARD SELTZER

October 20, 2021

PLAY ON VICTORIA || King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | Amyl...

October 20, 2021

ANJIMILE Signs to 4AD Shares new single ‘Stranger’

October 20, 2021

Two Can

October 20, 2021

DZ Deathrays Announce New Game ‘Dive Bar Superstars’ And Live Twitch Stream...

October 20, 2021

Tom Morello Releases New Album ‘The Atlas Underground Fire’ Out Now

October 19, 2021

Sun Cycle 2022 NYD At The Velodrome

October 19, 2021

The Fortitude Music Hall Presents Spectacular Spectacular 20th Anniversary Celebration of Moulin...

October 19, 2021

The Buckleys

October 18, 2021

Australia’s rising talent Two Can releases new EP, Unilateral

October 18, 2021

VICTORIAN MUSIC VENUES LAUNCH ‘ROAD TO NOWHERE’ PETITION

October 18, 2021

Sierra Noble

October 17, 2021

The EJT release quirky new food-jazz during a global pandemic

October 17, 2021

The EJT

October 17, 2021

outfit

October 17, 2021

Melancholic psych-pop rains on the shores of NOVELTY ISLAND as the acid-spiked-chocolate-box,...

October 16, 2021

Henry Fong and Psycho Boys Club Team Up For Sinister New Single...

October 15, 2021

Hayley Marsten – Single Release – ‘Drowning Myself ‘

October 15, 2021

Winterbourne | Revolutionary Movie

October 15, 2021

Hayley Marsten

October 15, 2021

Johnny Payne ‘Calle Easy’ Premiere

October 15, 2021

Nickola Magnolia ‘Waiting For A Kiss’ Premiere

October 15, 2021

Babyshades ‘Summerhearts’ Premiere

October 15, 2021

Saving Tyler

October 15, 2021

PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS RETURN IN FINE FUZZED OUT FORM WITH LAVA LAMP...

October 15, 2021

INDIE PSYCH ROCKERS ‘DEAR SUNDAY’ SHARE NEW SINGLE ‘TELEPORT’ + ANNOUNCE DEBUT...

October 15, 2021

JACK BOTTS RELEASES LIVE ALBUM ‘LIVE AT MIAMI MARKETTA’ FEATURING NEVER-BEFORE-RELEASED SINGLE...

October 15, 2021

Suzi announces highly anticipated single ‘Amelia’

October 15, 2021

ALT-R&B K-POP ARTIST BIBI RELEASES NEW TRACK ‘THE WEEKEND’ FEATURED ON 88RISING’S...

October 15, 2021

Music Interviews


Cookin’ On 3 Burners

Justin Cholewski

Two Can

The Buckleys

Sierra Noble

The EJT

outfit

Winterbourne | Revolutionary Movie

Saving Tyler

Drunken Kong

I HOLD THE LIONS PAW

Ajay Friese

Duane (D.O.) Gibson

Tobias

Johnny Hunter

PHAROAHS

Duke Boara

A-ta – Poison Lips EP [Follow The Fingers]

keezz

The VANNS

Ronley Teper Releases ‘Everyone Loves A Good Story’

Emily Perry

Mackenzie Leigh Meyer

Dyno

Maya Rose

Thunder Fox

Sarah Wickett

Nicole Sumerlyn

Maya Vice

Van Berg

Black Pontiac

RITA B

Alexso

OUTLND

miloviti

Bridget Allan

Sametime

International DJ/producer launches mysterious ‘Cold Smack Attack’ project

Simone & Girlfunkle and Tanaya Harper talk upcoming Tender is the Night concert

Ari Herstand x Fender Artist Playbook

Keiynan Lonsdale

Neeko

Neeko

Sam Drydale

How do you think this EP represents SoSo as a band now, compared to the band you were when you first came together? One of the cool things about this EP is that you can see the different influences shine through depending on the track. “Skywriter” for example, has hints of alt-rock or prog that had stuck around from old projects. “Yeah Nah” on the other hand is probably the most straight up Punk song we’ve done and is probably a pretty good indication of our goals to play Offensively Average music and just straight up have a damn good time.  “I Wouldn’t Call This Success…but It’s Close Enough” shows us developing our sound and identity. Having learned from the first EP, our new stuff is more focused, and with greater production influence from Mr Stevie Knight. We’ve started playing some of these tracks live because to be honest it’s kinda hard not to.    Is there a particular track/s that still stick out for you as a fave? For me “Wasted Time” has to be the standout from this EP. It’s not as radio friendly as perhaps some of the other tracks with it’s long build up, but I’m stoked with how it turned out. It’s fun as hell to play live and Rhys’ lyrics really hit those nostalgia feels.  'The Great Escape' is the single we heard before the full EP came out; can you tell me a bit about how that song came together, and what you like most about it? “The Great Escape” started out as one of our more traditional up pop-punk tracks. The chanted “check this!” which is my personal favourite part of the song came about during the very early stages of writing the instrumental, and the rest of the melody was formed around that. We tend to write all the instrumentals first, so coming up with a melody that fit with the chorus lead was super important. There's some great tunes on here that make us miss live touring - what do you miss the most about constant shows? Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ve ever had the luxury to have a consistent touring schedule! Our first ever show was cancelled in the first COVID-19 lockdown, and it’s pretty much continued with that theme since then. We did manage to string together a couple of shows with varying levels of restrictions in place, and especially when we were able to have a standing crowd, the atmosphere was awesome. I think people are really hungry for live music at the moment, so there’s a LOT of brilliant chaotic energy in the room. You guys were getting some good momentum going as live performers before we went back into lockdown, too. What has been the best thing about playing with your bandmates?  Apart from the standard drinking beers, hanging out with your best mates and getting rowdy, one of the coolest things about playing shows has been experimenting with lighting and effects.  If people are going to make the effort to navigate the restrictions and take a punt on the show being able to go ahead, then you bet we’re going to try make it worth their time. Plus, even just the smoke machine on its own is a bloody good laugh.     How important has music been for you during the last year or so? It’s hard to explain without sounding like a total cliché but music is pretty much all we do! Whether it’s writing new material, coming up with ridiculous ideas for skits and merch, or just hassling our mates to come out to shows. If there is anything about this EP, what is it about this record that is gonna keep the fires burning until we can see you guys live again? With any luck it won’t be too long until we get back to playing shows (fingers crossed). Until then we might have to go back through the archives for all the dumb content we took while writing the EP to see if there’s anything we can release to keep you guys entertained. 

SoSo

Where are you currently based? Los Angeles, California! How did you first start playing music? I have been singing ever since I could talk and had solos in preschool and elementary school choir. When I was old enough, I joined the school plays and started to sing on the altar at church. That's where it all started! What's been happening recently? I've been performing live here in Los Angeles and am so excited to be building hype around my first ever EP! Your new EP Jersey Boy just came out! What influenced the sound and songwriting? Being named Jersey Boy after being so inspired by the sound that floods the place I grew up, was a defining moment in recognizing where I want my sound to go. Not only having the influence of my past but working with producer Joe Pepe to really bring that sound to life and trusting him to take it in the right direction. How did you go about writing the music? This EP was written so linearly, which is why I had decided to release it as a unit. The songs felt like the perfect batch of stories packaged into a moment of time.  Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with? Jersey Boy was produced and recorded with Joe Pepe at his studio in Burbank! I kept sending him songs and being like "Can we do this, can we do that? I have another one!" He really made this project come to life! I then had it sent off to mix engineer and friend, Carl Bahner who resides on the east coast. Then the song was sent overseas to mastering engineer Nic Di Lorenzo in Australia. It has been quite a journey!  How did you approach the recording process? Having recorded in several different studios, I knew what I was getting into with this project, but it's always fun to work with new people and see their workflow. Joe is a beast. He produced these tunes efficiently, making for a very smooth delivery (once we established a vibe), and let me tell ya, we cranked out vocals on our last day together. We both had committed to a long, hard-working day in the studio that consisted of recording and comping all vocals! It was very rewarding once it was done.  Any live shows coming up? As summer shows come to a close, I am already planning on a few more showcases for September and October. Stay tuned! How has COVID affected you as an artist? Truthfully, the pandemic and lockdown forced me to take myself more seriously and get extra creative. This helped me realize what I want to do with my career and what I have to continue doing to be a successful artist. What do you like to do away from music? Design and create for my artist project and other client's musical projects. I love developing concepts and designing release rollouts. If that doesn't count since it's in the same realm, haha, I like video games and going out to try new food and drinks with friends.  Who are you listening to at the moment? I am currently listening to Courtney Govan's new single "before (not after)" what a musical masterpiece!  What's planned for the remainder of 2021? Heading back to Nashville to finish some MORE tunes! Might be a fun little surprise thrown in there as well ;) and of course, more shows! Favourite food and place to hang out? Favorite food is definitely sushi! And I love to hang out at some of the local bars in my town. I really enjoy getting to know the staff and coming in for my favorite drinks.

L E A

Undertow

DROP FINAL SINGLE "DON'T LOOK DOWN" FROM DEBUT ALBUM 'SURE TO LEAVE A MARK' IS OUT FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 3

Worse For Wear

Where are you currently based? I currently live in Miami, Florida.  I find Miami to be a very multicultural city with both Latin / Central American and European influences that you can easily find in the people, places, and food!  We have an excellent music nightlife and art scene, which provide lots of influence and inspiration for me musically.     How did you first start playing music? I first started playing music at a very young age as a drummer in local punk rock and industrial bands in the Chicago, Illinois area where I was raised.  When I discovered electronic dance music, the beats immediately caught my attention and I started learning to DJ at 16, and I started producing original music pressed to vinyl at 18.  I started performing internationally shortly thereafter.     What's been happening recently? Well after a long hiatus from music I decided to start re-dedicating more of my free time to getting back into electronic music and catching up with today's new artists and sounds.  I released my first EP in over a decade on Tim Xavier's Face To Face label in the Summer of 2020 which really motivated me to start getting serious about making music again.      You've founded label CMND CTRL, please tell us about how this came about and what the intention of CMND CTRL is: Over the last year I was able to create a sizable collection of new original material and I just didn't feel like trying to send it all out to multiple labels and wait months to hear of any interest or feedback from them.  I didn't like the idea of just being another demo submission in their email inbox, so I felt the best way for me to get my music out there and have more control over the exposure and direction was to start my own label.  Having my own label also gives me the ability to start working with other artists I respect and admire so creating CMND CTRL was almost a forgone conclusion for me.  I have run multiple labels in years past and it was simply a matter of learning today's digital landscape and deciding on a suitable musical direction for the label itself.  CMND CTRL focuses on my interpretation of Techno music in today's landscape and I hope to pair the majority of releases with both established and upcoming producers who can put their own touches to my music.       How will you go about deciding on music and artists to work with? So far it has been a fairly organic process.  I have stayed in touch over the years with artists I admire and who have been kind enough to lend their talents to my label such as Alexi Delano.  My upcoming roster of releases has also helped to give me a little bit of street credit when I reach out to other artists who I do not know personally.  I think when they see some of the people remixing for me and also hear my original material they know I am serious about pushing forward the music, which motivates them to want to work with me.  I'm very excited to see what other artists I will have a chance to collaborate with as the label grows.       Please tell us about your very latest release: Currently, I am promoting my label's 2nd release, CTRL002, which features 2 original tracks from myself and an excellent remix by Berlin's Techno wizard Ray Kajioka.  I was introduced to Ray by Tim Xavier and really liked the type of sound Ray has been creating recently.  Thankfully, he agreed to help out with this project.  Ray is a super talented producer and DJ and I hope to bring him back on another release in the future.      What programs/equipment do you use? I grew up learning on outboard analogue equipment, which I really enjoyed, but fast forward to the present and I am about 90% creating digitally on the computer.  I used to be a Pro Tools guy, but made the switch to Ableton Live and really enjoy it's functionality and ease of use to sketch ideas quickly.  I am also a big fan of Native Instruments Komplete series of VST and plugins as well as the VST clones of classic synths being made by Arturia.  If I am lucky and find some success back in music I hope to be able to start getting back into collecting some outboard equipment again, but time will tell.      What direction do you see music heading towards? Great question and one that is really hard to pin down.  We are such a connected global society that I think that helps some people draw on influences they might not normally have in their day-to-day local environment.  I do enjoy the fact that musical equipment, whether physical or digital, is more easily affordable and accessible than ever before, which gives more artists the power to create.  It's an exciting time for music in my opinion.   What do you like to do away from music? These days I am a family man with a beautiful wife and 2 wonderful children so I like to spend lots of time with them.  Living in a coastal region I enjoy boating, fishing, and I also fancy myself as a pretty good cook so those are the things I spend most of my free time on.    Who are you listening to at the moment? So many good artists are out in the scene today!  It's almost overwhelming haha!  If I had to narrow it down I would say Dustin Zahn, Micheal Klein, Rene Wise, and Rodhad.    What's planned for the remainder of 2021? I have a pretty aggressive release schedule planned for the label, with new releases currently scheduled every 6 weeks or so.  A lot of my own original material, but some excellent contributions from Tim Xavier, Juska Wendland (aka ORION), Jesper Dahlback, and Tony Rohr.  I hope to continue the trend of releasing quality Techno music into 2022 and beyond.  As long as my music keeps resonating with people I will continue to make it.     Favourite food and place to hangout? I love all food too much!  If I had to pick it would be Japanese cuisine.  For a good hangout I just can't beat relaxing poolside on my backyard patio with family and friends.  

B.Riley

Like Angels

Like Angels

VIIN

VIIN

NICHOLAS HAMILTON

NICHOLAS HAMILTON

Bae Baracus

Harm & Ease

Harm & Ease

Stand Atlantic

Stand Atlantic

Rayne

RAYNE

Jennie Harluk

Jennie Harluk

Where are you currently based? I’m currently based on the forever buzzing King Street in Newtown, and have been for the past 5 years.  How did you first start playing music? I started singing when I was a kid. I was that annoying kid that performed at all the end-of-school celebrations and talent shows, hah. I started writing my own music when I was about 14, but back then I didn’t have anyone to write with so I’d hopelessly try to strum on my dad’s old and out of tune guitar (with no talent for it whatsoever).  Since then I’ve been in a number of different bands, mostly back in Sweden, but because of different priorities and moving locations, those projects didn’t last long.  I went solo about two-and-a-half years ago, which has been wonderful. I still collaborate a lot, but it’s been great to have the control to keep things going, taking me to where I am today. What's been happening recently? I’ve been working away on everything that compliments the music for the release of my debut EP, ‘Do You Remember That?’, and I’m so excited to share the images surrounding the EP.  I’ve also been working on sharpening the live set, adding live bass and drums. Previously it was just me and my collaborator Simon Brock on stage. It’s been so great to hear the music reach another level by adding two incredibly talented musicians to the mix.  Your debut EP 'Do You Remember That?' will be released on July 30, what influenced the sound and songwriting? Having removed so much of the regular joys this past year due to Covid, I’ve been reflecting on some of the most impactful moments in my life. It’s been a journey taking me from the highest highs to the lowest lows in the past 15 years. Because of this, I wanted the whole EP to be drenched in nostalgia. I hope that the listener can feel those big swings of joy, to anger, to desperation, to love.  How did you go about writing the EP? The writing of the EP started a year ago, almost to the day. Me and my partner and collaborator, Simon, went away for a long weekend to a super cute AirBnb in Wollombi. I tend to write best being out of the city, away from any distractions.  It would’ve been soon after the first Sydney lockdown had lifted and we were craving inspiration more than ever. I can clearly remember writing ‘Daughter’, track four on the EP. The song is an emotional and desperate call for normality, and the song unfolded late at night.   From that point we wrote additional songs from our home in Newtown, drawing inspiration from past life experiences.  Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with? All of the vocals are recorded in our little home studio (bedroom) and all the tracks are produced and mastered by an absolutely incredible and wonderful LA-based producer called HVTCH. We’ve built an amazing rapport with HVTCH, who did an incredible job elevating the songs with lush production. It’s been such a wonderful experience adding a third person to our little writing team and getting a fresh perspective on how the songs could sound.  What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of the EP? It’s definitely been a double-edged sword sorting through my past experiences, some being so beautiful to revisit and others more painful. I think It’s allowed me to process things that I didn’t realise I was still struggling with.  It’s been so joyous to have HVTCH join us on the execution of this EP. I love that he’s added part of his sound to this record.  What does this EP mean to you? I am so excited to finally release my debut EP. It’s been a long time coming and I’m ready for the world to hear it! It’s such a personal selection of songs but I hope that people can still relate to the words. You’ll find anything from newfound love and self-affirmation to heartache and loss. I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve and it’s never felt so good.  Please tell us about any upcoming live shows: I will be doing an EP launch party with a full live band at the Oxford Art Factory Gallery Bar on October 1st. If you’ve seen me live before, it’s nothing like it will be for this show! Because of Covid restrictions there’ll be limited tickets available so get in quick!   Who are you listening to at the moment? Right now I’m obsessed with Telenova, Mø and Oh My My. They are constantly on repeat.  What do you like to do away from music? I love photography and it’s what I do for a living outside of music. I tend to do all the concepts and lighting for my artworks and PR shots, and usually get help from a friend to shoot it. For the EP photoshoot I got Simon to shoot it (he knows very little about photography but I’m training him, hah). I also had help from epic creatives Olivia Waugh and Hamish McIntosh.  Other then that I love sunshine, wine and cheese! What's planned for the remainder of 2021? I wish I could say, but the future is very up in the air at the moment. What I will aim to do is play more live shows in, around, and outside of Sydney. I don’t have much hope of this happening this year, but as soon as possible I will get back to visit my family in Sweden. I don’t think I can stop writing about the longing I have for my family until I get to see them again. Favourite food and place to hangout? Cheese platter or pizza! I’m obsessed with the potato pizza at Bella Brutta or the Village Green at Epic (add chilli/chilli oil of course).  For hangouts I rarely leave Newtown/Enmore/Erskineville to be honest. You’ll find me at Camperdown Memorial Park, Jacoby’s, Queen Chow, Newtown Hotel, Martini,The Erko or on my balcony.  Please include links to socials and website. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milanile.music/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MilaNile.music Website: https://milanile.com/

Mila Nile

SPILLAGE

Spillage

totallyDusted

Dusted aka Brian Borcherdt

Cassie Dasilva

Cassie Dasilva

The Indiigo Child

The Indiigo Child

Larissa Tandy

Larissa Tandy

What is your name and role within Chutney? Cal Hughes, lead guitarist of Chutney.  Where are you currently based? I live in Burleigh Heads in our hometown of the Gold Coast, QLD.  How did you first start playing music and how did Chutney form? I began playing music from a very young age, playing cello, trumpet and bass guitar within the different classical and jazz bands in primary/ high school - I began teaching myself guitar when I was twelve so I could start making music that better reflected my personal tastes, and formed Chutney with Matt & Pat in mid-2019 after playing in a variety of different bands throughout our early twenties. Matt and I were playing in another local GC band Hot Coffee when Matt began writing a collection of rock songs that didn’t quite fit the electronic/hip-hop sound that Hot Coffee was known for, and I was very keen to form a new group that featured myself on guitar and matched the guitar-driven indie rock that the two of us primarily listened to - we quickly recruited Pat into the mix and began to write Matt’s songs into full band arrangements when we realised we had something special brewing. Andy was added as the final piece of the puzzle on drums and it’s been full speed ahead since then.  What's been happening recently? Working hard on new releases! As consumers of music ourselves we understand how hungry the public is for new music and we have been focussing on finding the line between quality over quantity - providing artistically consistent music while still keeping the momentum rolling from release to release. With this in mind, we are planning for two further releases by the end of the year, as well as maintaining our live performance output with a number of significant headline and support slots over the coming months.   Your latest single 'Talk' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting? The sound of this track is what we consider the quintessential “Chutney” sound - riffy, bass-driven verses transitioning into a layered guitar-led breakdown, and culminating with a euphoric and atmospheric chorus with soaring, singalong vocals. In terms of the vocal approach, Matt opted for hip-hop laced verses to match the high energy feel, before kicking into the harmony-laden melodies of the pre-chorus and choruses.  In terms of the lyrical content, Talk is about looking out for your mates when they’re having a hard time - about how everyone has struggles from time to time, and how you are so much more important than you may ever realise. It is a song about mental health and the importance of leaning on those close to you in times of need. We wanted to create an uplifting, euphoric song that tackles sensitive subject matters while providing a positive ending - your mates will always be there for you, and having that talk is the first step to making a positive change. How did you go about writing Talk? The song began with Pat writing the bass riff that is featured heavily throughout the song, and Matt writing out the chordal arrangement and vocal melodies on his acoustic guitar with this riff in mind. The track then fell into my lap to build out the song in terms of forming a fully-fledged band arrangement, and I added a number of guitar elements which took the song from the hip-hoppy Gorillaz feel that the original demo takes on into more of that guitar-driven Chutney sound. Andy then provided the rhythmic energy that makes the track so dynamic, adding in a diverse drum part with multiple feel changes that gives the song its motor.   Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with? The track was recorded at Lovestreet Studios on the Gold Coast and produced by our longtime collaborator Scotty French, whom we view as such a valuable contributor to our sound and output to date. Mastering was handled by Matt Bartlem who did an unbelievable job at making the track sound exactly as we wanted it, giving it a huge and raw sound while still maintaining the polish.  How did you approach the recording process? The recording process for this track was quite seamless, which was surprising as we had only written the song about a month prior to recording - generally with our previous recordings we’ve had the song in the tank for months and months before getting into the studio and laying it down, but with Talk we knew from the moment we wrote it that it was going to be the next single. I have been guilty in the past of entering the studio with guitar solos and lead lines not yet written and improvising my parts while the recording tape is running, but for Talk we ensured that all of our parts were written prior to entering the studio, and it made a drastic difference in terms of efficiency and ultimately, quality.  What or who inspired the concept for the music video? The concept for the music video was championed by Andy who took on the role of co-director as well as writer for the clip. The story of Matt waking in an unfamiliar location after a big night out and navigating his way throughout the day is not dissimilar to some of the situations that all four of us in the band have found ourselves in following our many wild nights together, and we wanted to represent our hometown of the Gold Coast with the locations used throughout the clip.  The clip opens with Matt waking up on the beach at sunrise after a big night out, and continues to follow him as he navigates the day without a cent to his name and one goal: get to the gig. Showing that even with a rough start, you can still make a day your own with the right attitude.  Where and when did you film? The video was filmed over the course of one day in May and featured a number of locally-loved GC locations such as Alfred’s Apartment and Seven & One Studios in Mermaid Beach, and Mo’s Desert Clubhouse in Burleigh Heads.  What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of the video? The clip was filmed, directed and edited by Nick Stevens of Fastback Studios and he was incredible in terms of his creativity, professionalism and ease to work with. The bulk of the performing within the clip was placed upon Matt, and as he is naturally very comfortable in front of the camera everything moved along smoothly. We also recruited the services of a number of our friends to take part in the video as extras, and they were all so helpful and generous with their time - we are forever grateful to everyone who contributes their time and energy whenever required.   Please tell us about any upcoming live shows. We just played a headline sold out capacity crowd at Burleigh Bazaar for our single launch last Saturday which was amazing, and have a number of exciting support slots upcoming, including:  Sat 24th July: Nightquarter (Sunshine Coast) supporting Kingswood Thurs 5th August: Wooly Mammoth (Brisbane) supporting Vanilla Gorilla We are also booked for two very exciting festivals; firstly, we are headlining the Brisbane Indie Winter Project at The Zoo on 13th August, and later in the year we are very excited to be playing as a part of the Gold Coast’s Springtime Festival alongside heavy hitters such as Ball Park Music, Ruel, Hermitude and Sycco in September.  Who are you listening to at the moment? I personally have been listening at length to Puma Blue’s ‘A Late Night Special’ live album, Arlo Parks and Big Red Machine’s new releases, and local Aussie’s Eliza & The Delusionals and Eluera.  What do you like to do away from music? I love to watch and play sport with my mates, drink beers and enjoy the Gold Coast sunshine.  What's planned for the remainder of 2021? We will be playing a number of exciting support shows as previously mentioned, as well as getting our first taste of big festival slots and putting together a few more big headline shows to compliment our upcoming two releases which we’ve scheduled to drop before the end of the year.  Favourite food and place to hangout? I’m a sucker for a steak sandwich and schooner at my local Burleigh Hotel or Nobby’s Beach Surf Club, and the yakitori and ramen at Iku in Burleigh is unbeatable.  Spotify Instagram Facebook

Chutney

Updog

Updog

Head Of Clouds

Head Of Clouds

Where are you currently based? We are based out of Nova Scotia, Canada’s Ocean Playground. How did you first start playing music? Music and entertaining was something I enjoyed since I was a young kid. I picked up the guitar at age 12 when a couple of my good friends started learning guitar and bass while my best friend has been playing drums since he was five. Shortly after that we started a band writing our own material and covering songs from rock n’ roll heavyweights like Rush, Guns N’ Roses and Motley Crue. What's been happening recently? A few weeks back we released our final single “Homesick” before the album release. This song features Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon and has been getting great reception from radio, and our loyal and new fans. We have also been busy planning and prepping for the album release. This includes rehearsals, social media connection, booking gigs, and lots of press. We recently had our song, “Overtime” off our new album play on the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs during a montage going into OT during game 4 where the Montreal Canadiens (our favourite team) won the game. After a long hiatus where entertainment wasn’t allowed because of the pandemic we are thrilled to be able to start playing shows again in support of our new album. Your new album 'No Fools No Fun' will be out on July 9, what influenced the sound and songwriting? I had an interviewer a few weeks back ask a similar question. He said very animated, “Where did you come up with this sound?!” Then began to describe what he was hearing to me in a perfect way. The interviewer at the time noticed the 60s Brit Rock vocal stylings combine with the 70s and 80s rock n’ roll attitude that was blended with a 90s image and 90’s/2000’s pop/rock sound. That was all mixed in with some doo-wop style vocals and harmonies that could work for a country band. This can be called, “Grease Coast Rock N’ Roll” which is our signature genre that is easiest describe as “Southern Power Pop Rock.” How did you go about writing the album? The album is all based on experiences I’ve had in my twenties. A huge growing decade where in the second half I found out who I really was and why the places I’ve been were so instrumental (pun intended) to the journey and my growth as a person. Songs like “Homesick'' highlight my life on the road as a musician and sheet metal worker while “Sympathy Card” and “Read Between The Lines” are songs that are a “look in the mirror” kind of tracks; take ownership of your wrong-doings and don’t put blame on anyone but yourself. It’s an album of hard work, perseverance and to make sure you have fun in the meantime while doing all of this. Where and when did you record/produce the album, and who with? We recorded the album at Chalet Studio in Uxbridge, Ontario. A beautiful, secluded spot in the country that included our lodging for the duration of tracking. We began recording in the spring of 2019 where we tracked half the album then and the other half in fall of 2019. The album was produced by Brian Moncar (Alice Cooper, Our Lady Peace) and had guest producer John Angus MacDonald (The Trews) who produced ”Sympathy Card.” How did you approach the recording process? We wanted to create an album that best represented the energy we bring at our live shows so we did the album live off the floor with everyone tracking together at the same time. The vocals were overdubbed afterwards so there wasn’t any bleed into the tracks. This is definitely the way we’ll be recording for the rest of our career because it is the most genuine representation of who and what we are as a band.  What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of the album? The most challenging thing was holding off on releasing the album. We had initial release plans of a Spring 2020 release, but the pandemic put that to a screeching halt so we had to go back to the drawing board. We worked hard to stay creative to not only to keep momentum but build our fanbase while not being able to perform live. We had the intention to release the album to go hand in hand with our live show so naturally that meant touring the album. With the world opening back up and our new release date of July 9th it seems that our patience will be worth the wait. The most rewarding part about it all was having a dream come into fruition. We collaborated with a slew of fantastic industry professionals on this album and the end product is something we can be proud of forever. Who are you listening to at the moment? The latest Foo Fighters album, “Medicine at Midnight” has been on heavy rotation for me for the last few months. They’re such an inspirational band. The good guys in rock n’ roll who we strive to be like. Good role models, amazing vibe and fantastic music. What do you like to do away from music? Honestly music consumes my brain a good 90% of the time. When I’m not doing music, I like to create posters/graphic work (that usually is for the band or my own solo work...whoops, haha.) I love to adventure and see what nature has to offer. Living in Nova Scotia we have such a beautiful landscape where hiking, road trips, and one-off breweries pop up from town to town. Adventuring would be my favourite pass-time besides music. What's planned for the remainder of 2021? The remainder of our year consists of touring Canada in support of the album release. We’ll be doing multiple dates in the Maritimes all summer before heading to Ontario in September for gigs and some unfinished business. This trip will also include planning for album number three and a live album in between the two studio releases.  Favourite food and place to hangout? I just moved to a place called Stellarton in Pictou County and coincidentally down the road from my house is a spot called, “Andre’s Pizza.” I obviously was intrigued because the spot had my name which isn’t a popular one in the area so the first day here I stopped in. It turns out the restaurant is a music themed place that has a jukebox from Elvis’ Graceland collection, some of my favourite records displayed on the wall autographed and the best pizza you can sink your teeth into. I’ve been back there more than a handful of times and know it’s going to be another home for me, haha. On the other side of things about 10 minutes in the opposite direction is the studio we rehearse at called, “Sea Level Sound.” The band has been going here since 2016. It inspired a lot of songs from the album; “The Swedish Motel” and “Labels” in particular. The owner, Gord Stensrud is a great friend of ours and was also a guest on the “Labels.” Twitter: @APandTheGiants Facebook: /andrepettipasandthegiants Instagram: @apandthegiants Website: www.andrepettipasandthegiants.com

Andre Pettipas and The Giants

OLY SHERMAN releases highly anticipated album LAND OF ALL PRETEND Sydney songwriter touring through into August!

Oly Sherman

Tanya George

Tanya George

Where are you currently based? I am usually in between LA and Sydney but with the travel restrictions I am based in Sydney, Australia for the time being  How did you first start playing music? I’ve always loved to sing! I remember my first time singing in front of my family was when I was 8 years old at my sisters birthday party  What's been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been? When Covid really started to get serious I was in LA, and had to rush home to make it in time just before the lockdown. I was meant to be back in LA after just a few weeks but haven’t been back for over a year and a half now. At first it was really hard to adjust to the shift in environment. Being in LA it is really non-stop, and being home especially with lockdown it was super slow.  A lot of my projects were pushed back because everything planned in LA couldn’t go through, (shooting visuals etc). So I really took the time to meet with the creatives here in Sydney and find people I enjoy working with. I learned a lot more about engineering my own vocals, and about directing. The good thing is that with technology I am still able to work closely with my team in LA. Its been really fun diving into different parts of the industry that ultimately have helped me grow into a better artist!  Your new single 'Trap House' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting? I love telling stories, and really finding melodies that carry the emotion of the lyrics I am singing to it. That is always my priority!  As for the inspiration behind the story, being in this industry can be very tricky. Theres a lot of smokey mirrors and blurred lines. I was offered a deal whilst in LA that seemed amazing but something didn’t feel right. I was back home in Sydney when I had to make a decision. As I was reflecting on my journey so far, the inspiration just hit. All those feelings of fear, chaos and belief started to write the song for me. The lyrics reminded me to trust myself. So I said no.  Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with? The song was just living in my notebook, until I was in LA again a few months later. I was singing at a live music venue when I caught the attention of My guy Mars. He mentioned that he wanted to work with me. So we went to his studio and I showed him the song I had written called “Trap house”. He instantly loved it & agreed to produce the record for me.  How did you approach the recording/production process? Being in the studio with mars was really mind blowing. Watching him in his element just create with so much passion and ease was insane. He had the first demo done within an hour session. I had a few elements I still wanted to add so we had another session working together and finalising the production. Once that was done we went to Sound Factory Studios, and I worked with Austen Lux chandler on the vocal production. He was great to work with and really helped to get the best vocal performance & he created some awesome harmonies too!  How did the concept for the music video come about? While searching for someone in Sydney to direct the music video, I was so lucky to come across Connor O Connor. She is a genius. From the first time meeting her I knew she was the right woman for the job. We had a few conversations about the meaning behind the song & the story. We worked very closely throughout the entire process but it was really important to me that she had creative freedom. She had created the concept, and the creative direction for every scene.  Where did you film and who did you work with? We filmed the video at D1 Studios in Marrickville, Sydney.  Connor O’ Connor (Director) put together the entire team / crew.  What did you find most rewarding and challenging whilst creating the film clip? It was very challenging organising the shoot with the covid 19 rules changing weekly. We wanted to make sure everyone was safe & that we followed all the rules correctly.  The most rewarding part was being able to play the video to my family.  Who are you listening to at the moment? I am always listening to different music, I can never narrow it down to one artist haha.  What do you like to do away from music? I love hanging out with my family !  What's planned for 2021? My plan is to just keep releasing music, keep making music ! Favourite food and place to hangout? My families restaurant Villaggio for both!  ( I promise my dad didn’t make me say that) haha  https://www.tiktok.com/@itsjazzyk https://www.facebook.com/jazzykofficial/ https://www.youtube.com/user/jasminekmusiic/videos https://www.instagram.com/itsjazzyk/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fZAWrNHg1k

Jazzy K

BAN MICAH

BAN MICAH

Written collectively as King Brown  Tell us a bit about the genesis of this EP - when did writing begin and how do you think it stacks up in terms of the band's song writing now you can look at it as a full record? Out in the Desert is a showcase of our collective songwriting spanning from our beginnings up to the time of release. The opening track Moto has been with the band for a long time, whereas tracks like Matter of Time and Oyzo were written specifically for the EP.  The EP is our musical offering showcasing the band’s creative range both of songwriting and our sonic palette. The songs each have their own distinctive sounds but still meld together throughout the record to form the King Brown sound. Are there any particular songs on there that still stand out as favourites for you (and why)? Moto stands out for its sheer energy and power. The song has been with us a long time but still is a favourite for both us and for audiences when we play it. It tends to charge the crowd up when we let it loose live. That feeling is also heavily present throughout the song thematically too, hitting the open road and letting it rip.  Way Down also stands out, it’s been really popular and is super fun to perform. The song was waiting in the wings for a long time, not quite pieced together. It is amazing seeing it released and people enjoying it. We were able to fill in the pieces and put a bow on it with the extra time that the first lock down gave us.  How has the last year been for the band; how crucial has music been for you during the weirdness of 2020? Our music has given us a sense of direction and purpose during COVID. While it’s been tough for the music scene we used that time to work on getting this record together. The shows we have been able to play were amazing because you really get to appreciate them and not take them for granted. It’s also been good in a sense for the whole WA scene, people didn’t have the option to see east coast acts so they discovered all these great local bands, it’s grown the whole scene. Can you tell us a bit about the band's current creative and sonic influences? How have they changed? We each bring our different musical influences with us to King Brown. At the start our songs had a more surfy vibe which has now progressed to show more of a rock and blues influence. The different influences show in each of our instruments, creating our unique sound. Our musical influences within the band range from acts like Oasis, CCR, Skegss, and Allah-Las, however the influences that reflect through to our music would be Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, ...etc. What did you learn about yourselves as musicians during the writing and recording of this EP? We learnt that we have the ability and skills to get a lot of things done ourselves. Ben has put in a lot of time and effort recording the EP, without that we probably wouldn’t have been able to get it done. Shaun has been instrumental in creating all of the artistic elements and graphic design for the band, and also filming and editing our music video for Way Down. We have also learnt that as a band we can rely on each other to bring whatever is needed for our music. One of us can bring in a song or an idea and everyone adds their piece to make a unique collective creation.  In terms of live performing, what's exciting you the most about eventually being able to tour a record like this? We are really excited about getting the chance to play our new music that people have heard and become familiar with. It makes it that bit more special when you perform a song and the crowd engages with it so much more because they know it.  It’s a great thing when people react to us playing a certain song or shouting out requests for songs. It is the payoff of a lot of our time and effort spent making this EP. What's coming up for King Brown for the rest of the year, that's getting you pumped? Our next main goal is to release an album. We are excited to get stuck in to challenging ourselves to write and record a lot of new material for people to experience. Each one of us will bring our own ideas to the group, and from that a King Brown album will be made. That is a pretty amazing concept.

King Brown

Teulu

Teulu

JODi

JODi

Rashid Ajami

Rashid Ajami

SRUJANIKA

SRUJANIKA

Health Club

Health Club

Rat City

Rat City

Joe Terror & Hollie Joyce

Joe Terror & Hollie Joyce

FFLORA

FFLORA

LUCY PARLE Wins Teen category award at International Songwriting Competition Signs recording deal with Double Drummer New single 'Back Up' out now!

Lucy Parle

Dive Index

Dive Index

Harkness Releases ‘The Occasion’

McDermott & North

McDermott & North

PERRY P

PERRY P

Corduroy Spaceship reveals striking sophomore EP, Life In Hollywood

CORDUROY SPACESHIP

Where are you currently based? I'm currently based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. I'm in the city a lot too for uni and gigs so it's a lot of back and forth between where I live and Sydney city.  How did you first start playing music? I come from a very musical household so music was always around as I was growing up. My Dad is a music teacher and my Mum is a music therapist so it was kind of inevitable that I would end up in music as well! The first instrument I had proper lessons on was the violin. I played violin for about 6 or 7 years and I owe so much of who I am as a musician to those really formative years of playing violin. My teacher taught me how to listen and how to feel music and gave me all the foundations I needed to continue music through songwriting and other instruments. I picked up some other instruments through primary school and highschool like I played the flute for a while and had keyboard and singing lessons. One day I picked up my Dad's bass guitar and pretty much instantly fell in love with it and have been playing bass ever since. Guitar is probably my main songwriting instrument, I wouldn't say I'm Jimmi Hendrix or anything but I do have my favourite chord shapes and can hold a rhythm.  What's been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been? Recently lifes been pretty hectic with studying and teaching and gigging and writing. I keep pretty busy but I'm really grateful that all the things I'm busy with are things that I enjoy. Covid last year definitely had me in a bit of a musical slump. I was feeling a lot of pressure from social media and other people in the industry to use lockdown and isolation as a time to create and pump out content and I think all of that pressure ultimately turned me away from music for a bit. I also felt like I needed to give myself permission to not have to be productive for once and just get through the lockdowns as best as I could. I feel refreshed and re-inspired this year as things are gradually getting back to normal and I'm excited to keep collaborating, gigging, writing and learning as much as I can about music.  Your new single 'Good Mood' is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting? For this release I really wanted to share another side of my music with people. My last EP which was recorded in Nashville before Covid was very acoustic, down tempo sort of stuff which is definitely a big part of my songwriting catalogue, but for this track I wanted to share the more funky, upbeat side of myself as an artist. I was influenced by a lot of R&B artists for this track like Erykah Badu, ELIZA, H.E.R, Cleo Sol and Ravyn Lenae. In terms of the songwriting, a big part of writing this track was about letting go of having to have these really profound and metaphorical and I guess complex lyrics and instead just marinating on the simple idea of being in a good mood. At first I wasn't sure about how repetitive the chorus is as I've never written a chorus with so few words before, but I gradually started to appreciate the simplicity of it and how it gave more space for the instrumentation to really drive the vibe of the track.   How did you go about writing Good Mood? Like almost all of my songs, Good Mood started out with just me and my guitar. The chords were the first thing that I got excited about and then pretty quickly I'd written the chorus and the melody for the verse. I actually didn't think about the song too seriously or as my next release until I was on a family holiday and was going through all my voice memos and I got really excited when I was listening to Good Mood and pretty much decided then and there that it would be my next single. I wrote the rest of the lyrics for the verse and the bridge as soon as I got home and then I actually stumbled on the key change by accident and decided to stick with it!   What does Good Mood mean to you? Good Mood is all about celebrating those moments where you forget your troubles, you forget why you were crying in the first place and you actually just enjoy the moment and enjoy your life. It's definitely not a song to say that you have to be in a good mood all of the time because firstly that's just not realistic and secondly there isn't really a good mood without a bad mood. It's more about embracing the ups and downs and actually treausing those good moods to help you get through the bad ones. The song definitely helps me to remind myself that I do have good days, days so good that I write a song about it! It really helps me to stay optimistic and hopeful that the good days will always be around the corner.  Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with? The bulk of Good Mood was made in my humble bedroom studio. I also worked with Mel Ertler on keys and Ryan Park on lead guitar at the studios at the Con. We had a couple of sessions where we recorded lots of ideas and collaborated on some different parts to develop the track a bit more. I started recording and producing it around September of last year and wanted to release it in November or December but then life happened and the Northern Beaches went into lockdown and the track lost a lot of momentum. Thankfully my friend Chelsea Warner helped me revive it by producing some drum tracks for it which really brought it to life. She is an absolute legend, I can not recommend her enough for any production needs. My Dad also came into the Con studios one day and was my engineer for recording the lead vocals which was also helpful for reigniting my motivation for releasing the song. My partner Max mixed the track from his home studio. It was so great to work with him because I could be as fussy as I wanted! And he is also very talented at mixing so it was a pleasure. The final step was sending the track off to Studios 301 to be mastered and Harvey O'Sullivan did a really great job of it.  How did you approach the recording process? The recording process for this track was very different to the recording process of my last EP. Hypothesis for Happiness was all recorded in one day at a studio in Nashville with session musicians. That process was great and such an awesome learning experience but for this release I wanted to try the process of recording and producing over time and in different environments. It was great in terms of having lots of creative space to experiment and listen and re-experiment. It was also great for collaborating with different people in different spaces. I will say though, self producing a project without any concrete deadlines is really hard for keeping up motivation and momentum for the project, but we got there in the end!  What programs/equipment did you use? Logic Pro X is my musical home. I've tried many times swapping over to Ableton or Pro Tools but every time without fail I end up back on Logic! I think because I grew up playing Garage Band on the iPad every day as a kid, Logic feels really familiar and kind of connects me to my own artistic development over the course of my life. I played my Mini Maton and my red Fender Squire guitars on the track as well as my Lakland Skyline bass. Mel and I used Komplete Kontrol sounds by Native Instruments on the midi keys and Ryan used Guitar Rig by Native Instruments for his guitar tracks.  Please tell us about you experience with studying music: I'm studying Contemporary Music Practice at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney. There are some huge pros to studying music, meeting like minded people is definitely the main thing that I have enjoyed. Not only do those people become friends but they become collaborators and colleagues. Another pro is having structure and deadlines. I think there's a lot of music that I've made for uni over the past three years that wouldn't have been made otherwise. The structure and deadlines really help to get songs finished. Studying music isn't always easy though. Just like with every degree, there are going to be subjects that you just have to get through or subjects that are vastly different from how you expected them to be. Another challenge is the constant question of what does this get me? People always ask me what job will this degree get me and it's a really difficult one to answer. I guess we all chose to study music because we love it, not because we want a regular, well-paying job. If you want a regular well-paying job, music probably isn't the most direct path to that. So I guess my answer to that question of what does this get me is hopefully a life full of music and various opportunities opening up, and uni is just a launchpad to get us started.  What new music/projects do you have on the way? I'm working on a concept EP at the moment. I won't give away too much but it explores a lot of themes about living with creativity and how to live a satisfied life as a creative person. I'm also starting to recruit some female musicians to form a bit of a girl band to play some of my original music. Gender equality in the music industry is something that I care deeply about and I always want to be a driving positive force for women to have the same opportunities and experiences available to them as our male counterparts.  Who are you listening to at the moment? I've been listening to a fair bit of Jazz lately as I'm taking a Jazz vocal course at uni. Ella Fitzgerald is my absolute favourite Jazz singer, I have a poster of her and Louis Armstrong on my bedroom wall. In terms of other more modern artists, Eryn Allen Kane is an absolute queen. So is Charlotte Day Wilson, she has such a unique, buttery voice. I'm also very hyped for the new Hiatus Kaiyote album to come out. I've been a huge fan of theirs for many years and I love the tracks they've released already so I'm very excited! On a more mainstream note, I am a little bit obsessed with Silk Sonic (Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars). I just love how they're bringing motown back into the mainstream and exposing a lot of pop music listeners to a new genre.  What do you like to do away from music? I love travelling, not that there's much of that going on at the moment but even just exploring more of the state is something I love to do on uni breaks. I'm really into kickboxing at the moment too. It's a good outlet for any anger or frustrations I have that I can let out on the punching bag so that I can be a polite and nice person for the rest of the day! I am a little bit of a gamer girl too, I love my nintendo switch and my computer games.  What's planned for the remainder of 2021? I've learnt over Covid that the near future is so out of my control. These random Covid breakouts and on again - off again lockdowns make it really hard to plan for the rest of the year which has actually been good practice for me to stay in the moment more and accept that I can't control what the rest of the year looks like. That being said, I would like to release another EP by the end of the year and hopefully develop a new live set up so I can start doing my own original gigs at local venues on the Beaches.  Favourite food and place to hangout? There's a place in Redfern near the University of Sydney where me and some friends always go after our Jazz vocal workshops called Terra Cotta Roasters and they have this burger that has all of my favourite foods on it. Haloumi, hash browns, avocado, fried eggs and tomato relish. That with an oat milk latte is pretty much the ultimate dining experience for me. I also have a huge sweet tooth like I could eat sour patch kids every night if that was healthy!  Stream "Good Mood" here: https://linktr.ee/abbyfullermusic  https://abbyfullermusic.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcqm2v6RZxeP1dlQmQ6Brzg  Instagram: @abbyfulllermusic Facebook: Abby Fuller MUSIC  SoundCloud: Abby Fuller MUSIC

Abby Fuller

Jack Botts

Jack Botts

SWEDISH POP DUO JUBËL RELEASE ‘DUMB’ FROM FORTHCOMING EP; COMBINING PERFECT POP & FEEL-GOOD DANCE

JUBËL

Sterling Press

Sterling Press

Scott Klein

Scott Klein

Off Night

Off Night

Saint Idiot (Tomáš Andel) is a Slovak-Canadian art pop musician, sound designer, and multimedia artist from Edmonton, Canada. His music has been interpreted as a deconstruction of pop; familiar forms rendered in sophisticated sound palettes, set in lush, carefully textured compositions, that are both a little futuristic and a little mossy. Tomáš' inspirations include the multisensory worlds of artists like Björk and Bowie, the continuing legacy of bell hooks, as well as Zen, Deep Listening, ambient music, and flora. “Talk” is the third single from the upcoming album Alternate Utopias from a Nostalgic Future, a record that explores masculinity. Softening the heart with the grainy pastel sounds of nostalgia, “Talk” invites topics we tend to only reach for on certain kinds of days—a sitting-on-the-stairs sort of honesty, the most rewarding labor of love. “It’s a celebration of those life-changing moments—both nostalgic and timeless—where we are really being there with a person without reservation,” Andel says, “listening fully, unpacking emotions, or learning to love and hold one another even through our disagreements.” With a sort of skin tone sound palette, “Talk” is carried by earnest falsetto, guitar, harp, clarinet, and a host of gauzy synthesizers that are underscored throughout by an almost ASMR-like pointillism of intimate sounds. The end of the track features an excerpt from interviews titled “Conversations With Young Men,” a work in progress from documentarian Laura La France. Where are you currently based? I live by the tree in Edmonton. How did you first start playing and writing music? Apparently I had tinkling piano fingers as soon as my wrists reached over the lip of the piano, and I used to cut guitars out of paper as well. I really started as a drummer, though—I played in a fair number of bands in the past—so I’m really coming from the world of rhythm and improvisation. I loved my bands, but my creative ambitions tended to take over them, so eventually I started writing for myself. It’s for the best—I’m probably still a lousy collaborative songwriter. What's been happening recently? I’ve discovered that I can rollerblade to the convenience store to buy all-dressed Ruffles, so now I pretend I’m Chip from “Baskets.” You've got a new album on the way, what influenced the sound and songwriting? I was really obsessed with “soft, human” sounds. I wanted an album that felt like skin, like a caress, something that’d get the oxytocin (the “love hormone”) flowing, ‘cause I wanted to support the potentially challenging lyrics with something both fantastic but also warm, inviting, and nurturing. At first I was obsessed with bells, chimes, wood blocks, and other “earthy” sounds—partly ‘cause I really fell in love with the almost tactile earthiness of Kilchhofer. I raided a whole bunch of antique stores for bells and tines and such. That didn’t make it on the album so much, but it got me thinking about hang drums, kalimbas, and mallet instruments (which did make it), and before I knew it I was painting with orchestral colors. I wanted to marry the sophistication, emotional pull, and rich, grounding character of harps, strings, and clarinets with the abstraction of synthesizers, to get something simultaneously organic and futuristic. My goal with my music is to take a huge range of sounds, especially from the more experimental corners of the music world, and search for where they can intersect and still make sense. This is partly because I just love so many different types of music, and partly ‘cause I figure that I’m bound to find something interesting in these strange combinations. On this album, I was thinking a lot about Björk, Laurie Anderson, Motion Graphics, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, and Cosmo Sheldrake, and I’m also a massive fan of noise and ambient music. I guess it’s safe to say I really like music that tells stories and is deeply textural. When will the album be released? September 8th. After “Talk,” there’s two more singles coming on June 30th and August 11th. How did you go about writing the album? I was doing a lot of introspecting and inner work when I started working on Alternate Utopias from a Nostalgic Future. I’ve been really fascinated by masculinity. I wondered why I found it so hard to identify with it for most of my life, why certain toxic tendencies coalesce in certain masculine contexts, and what kind of work men have to do to cause less harm and become happier people. As you might imagine, this is a pretty tremendous topic with a lot of traps and tricky ground, and I really tried to approach it from a radically honest and transparent place, from a pre-political place, and with all fairness to the many different and valid ways to be a man.  I was very poindexter about it and planned it out almost like an essay, with every song unpacking a specific question, problem, or struggle that I’ve had in my own healing—whether that’s my relationship to anger, or possessiveness, or the reluctance to express emotions or ask for help. As rigid as that sounds, it ended up being a really organic and iterative process. It felt like exploration, or discovery. It felt like I solved a lot of my own personal tensions and found even more helpful questions to grapple with in the future, so it was really generative. Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with? It was entirely a lockdown record, so I recorded and produced it in my room, but I’ll try to romanticize it a little.  The truth is, my workspace and my bed are less than 2 feet apart, and I’ve had the old “wake up at 3:00am, boot up the computer, and put down a chord progression” routine happen a few times, which is to say that from a certain point of view, it is as intimate a record as it can get.  I’m sure many people who have been creating through the lockdown agree that the boundary between life and art really disappeared in the last year. In the same way a lot of us are used to living in a “50 Chrome tabs open” world, Alternate Utopias from a Nostalgic Future was always only a few steps away from where my life was happening. I sleep in this room, relax in this room, meditate in this room, read in this room, have sex in this room, have deep, honest conversations in this room… Basically, my work on the album was in such proximity to my regular everyday life, that the life-process that is “me” and my life unfolding was fully intertwined with the process of this album coming about. My very good friend and talented piano composer Doug Parth (With Dogs) finessed the orchestral arrangements, and the incredibly spacious and accommodating mix and master were painstakingly carved by Hill Kourkoutis and Kristian Montano, respectively. All three of these people are the kindest, most inspiring mentors you could wish for. I really look up to them and am so thankful that this album passed through the prism of their kindness and creativity. What programs/equipment did you use? I swear by Reaper. I also do a lot of field recording that I then process, so I got a Zoom H5 for that. Otherwise, with the exception of some Omnichord parts, the bulk of it was soft synths. I love the Melda plugin suite to death, and also swear by Obscurium. I’m always on the lookout for “weird” equipment though. I’d die for a deliciously dusty old modular synth like the EML Electrocomp 200. I love instruments that seem to do what they want to do. Please tell us about your motivation for writing about masculinity: When it comes to who I feel myself to be, I’ve always felt like masculinity was an awkward map for the territory. It feels tight and constricting, and like parts are missing, which was sort of my conclusion when I started thinking about it a lot.  Please understand that I’m painting in broad strokes as I answer this question, but I think that “popular” or “traditional” masculinity is often guilty of being very isolating. The “code” doesn’t encourage a lot of open, emotional, vulnerable conversation between men, or even between men and the wider society—cool, rational stoicism seems to be the vogue instead. But really, the emotional and the rational are just two parts of a whole, and my motivation is simply to draw attention to the ways in which men trapped in this restrictive paradigm can restore their whole humanity and be happier for it. I strived to write in a way that put people before politics, and encouraged a holistic kind of masculinity with two very simple goals—healthiness and happiness. You describe the song 'Talk' as an invitation—what do you mean by that? I want to encourage people who have had the faintest brush with the questions I’m exploring on this album to take the time to dig deep, answer those questions as self-honestly as they can, and then share that with other men. Although, this isn’t just for men exclusively—we can all obviously benefit from openness and humility—but perhaps it is for men especially. Or, at least, that’s who I feel I have sufficient grounds to address. This masculinity work is certainly not new—organizations like Next Gen Men here in Canada have been holding masculinity circles and helping youth disentangle themselves from the harmful behaviours boys tend to get socialized into for years. Before I discovered them, Nora Samaran and bell hooks started me on this path. The sea change is already under way. With “Talk” I want to help catalyze other people’s journeys. In this song, I’m saying that it’s OK to be scared—it’s tough to genuinely, voluntarily open yourself in these ways—I get it. I’m saying that I’ve gotten it wrong before too, and I’m not saying I have the answers. I’m just saying that we all have some long overdue questions to pose to ourselves, and to one another. I was no better, and I’m still doing the work. I want people to realize that the work of being a better person never stops, but it certainly starts with honest, candid dialogue. Please tell us about how you combine your music with your own visuals: I don’t have synesthesia, but I do have a very strong personal sense of how sounds “look,” and how visual things “sound,” and it’s something that’s both helped me sound design and compose, as well as create visuals that reflect or amplify the feel of the music. I always loved album art and cool music videos—to me they seem completely inseparable from the experience of an album. I wanted to build a really strong sensory identity for my album, so super early on, I was planning songs in terms of color palettes and moodboards. I think that in the end the sonic profile of each song matches the color palettes and imagery I’m working with when I construct my visualizers, and people have told me that together they create a really clear sense of the tone of my message. How would you describe the genre of your music? I’ve adopted “art pop” as a genre because to me it seems like the most flexible way to say “music that wants to surprise you and break your expectation,” without necessarily pigeonholing myself in the world of “experimental music.” I LOVE experimental music, but I know that a lot of people groan when they hear “experimental,” and in a way it’s also become a sort of loose, diluted term. When people hear “art pop,” I think they know they’ll probably get something mostly straight forward, and so they have an easier time buying in. It’s the free-est genre label for what I like doing. Who are you listening to at the moment? This second it’s Rafael Anton Irrasari’s Solastalgia.  What do you like to do away from music? I love long-distance road cycling, and recently I’ve really gotten into mountain bike trail riding. I’ve also practised as a lay Buddhist for a few years, and I just started digging deep into the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Spiritual exploration is deeply important to me.  I love people, but I also really love solitude and I’m really curious by nature, so it makes sense that I set off on long rides or go get lost in a forest with a field recorder. I like feeling like I’m tapping to some other level, and cycling, spirituality, and nature all bring me to this same infinitely generative place. What's planned for 2021? Well, by the time you read this, I may have been vaccinated here in Edmonton, so without shooting too high, I’m hoping our social lives will get more permissive in the not-too-distant future. I miss patio beers. However, the more realistic answer is more audio and 3D work, and because I’m slightly masochistic, probably the beginnings of the next record. Favourite food and place to hangout? Oh boy. Get this—a four-layer Slovak bread-pastry with plum jam, poppy seed filling, walnut paste, and tart/sweet farmer’s cheese (“tvaroh.”) It is literally the most advanced taste on Earth, and has been studied by Mensa. My favorite place to hang out is anywhere I can get Sapporo lager for cheap enough. Instagram Facebook YouTube

Saint Idiot

SOLSTA unveils progressive house gem ‘TOGETHER’, (featuring BEXX).

Solsta

Where are you currently based? Sydney, Australia How did you first start playing music? My father is a Bass player and Singer so Music has always been in my blood and in the house since I was little What's been happening recently? I have been perfecting my ALIASOUND haha and creating tracks and a whole new image for my new era of Artistry  Your debut self titled EP is out May 14 2021, what influenced the sound and songwriting? Yes so exciting….The sound was influenced by a whole range of musical talent I have been exposed to throughout my life. From Rnb and Funk to Pop and Rock. The lyrics were inspired by my self discovery and evolution in which I like to share. How did you go about writing the music? The very talented Phil Anquetil and I had a brainstorming session in which we discovered a combination of different feels, from Artists for eg: Prince, Pink, Evanescence and Paramore, that influenced me throughout my musical history, to create a whole new style for me as an Artist. Where and when did you record/produce/master and who with? Phil Anquetil and I worked together in Phil’s own studio. We created this EP in the midst of the restrictions and lockdowns of 2020, which turned the year in to a positive experience. How did you approach the recording/production process? It varied from track to track, some I approached with ideas lyrics and melody already written and some were written from scratch. What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of the EP? A challenge was finding time in Phil’s busy schedule haha…..Rewards was definitely the finished EP, when you see a completed body of work it is very fulfilling. Who are you listening to at the moment? Spotify everything, haha. I really like to keep up to date with new Artists and Music that is coming out. The Kid LAROI and Olivia Rodrigo come to mind as they have been quite ground breaking and have a fresh sound, which I appreciate. I also have a love for Deep House and Techno so usually have a kick a* local or international Dj’s mix or release on the burn. What do you like to do away from music? I love dancing, hanging out with family and friends and going away on holiday. What's planned for the remainder of 2021? Werk Werk Werk haha. Promoting, my new material and writing/recording more for the next releases. Favourite food and place to hangout? Love Pancakes on the Rocks but faves are hard for me as there is so much to experience.

ALIA

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Wing Defence

PREMIERE – We Sat Down With Adelaide’s Pop Punk Gods – Wing Defence And Talk About Their Latest Single ‘Green Pastures’

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