Where are you currently based?
I’m based in Naarm/Melbourne.
How did you first start playing music?
I have always loved to sing and come from a musical family, so there was always music around as I was growing up. When I was in my first year of high school I took lessons in drums and guitar and started writing songs. I’ve been playing ever since.
What’s been happening recently?
I’ve been working on my debut album which will hopefully be done before the end of the year. In January I was able to play my first shows as Nighteyes which was exciting, and releasing Lowlight was definitely a highlight.
How did the circus element for your ‘Lowlight’ music video come about?
Lowlight features in the contemporary circus show ‘The Defiant’, produced by Highwire Entertainment, and I am also involved as the sole musician and music director. We performed in the Midsumma Festival in Melbourne back in January of this year and also at Adelaide Fringe in February/March, where we won the Best Circus Award. The circus performers in The Defiant are so talented, so I wanted to incorporate their incredible skills into the music video. The apocalyptic setting of the video captures some of the magic of the stage show and I’m so happy we managed to tie the projects together.
Who did you collaborate with during the creation of the Lowlight video?
My friend Paul Westbrook of Late Cut Media directed and edited the video. He is also a circus performer so he knows how to capture this unique style of performance really well. He had already shot some footage for The Defiant promotion videos, so we went back out to the original location and filmed me and my guitar.
What did you find most challenging and rewarding throughout the filming process?
One of the techniques we used for this video is slow motion, which meant I had to learn how to sing/mime the song at double speed so that was pretty interesting! It was hard not to laugh when I heard the song at that speed. We also ran into some very muddy conditions, so some of the shots are of me with my boots sinking into the mud. It was such a beautiful location in Port Gawler, SA, so I think that made up for the tricky parts. We were really lucky to get similar weather for both shoot days so that was great!
Lowlight is your debut release, please tell us about any upcoming releases:
I’m currently working on my debut album, which Lowlight will be a part of. In between playing for other artists and shows I’ll go into the studio and lay down what tracks I can. I’m very excited to share this music with the world as it’s been a long time coming. I’m hoping I will have the album finished and released before the end of the year.
What influenced the sound and songwriting for Lowlight?
I had a vision in my mind when I wrote this song of the particular kind of light the moon emits, how it doesn’t entirely illuminate the dark and makes scary shadows out of things that would be benign during the day. The lyrics in the verses weave fear and paranoia into what would typically be a peaceful moonlit night, exploring the state you can get into when you’re so anxious that even the trees seem menacing. My main influences for my sound are artists like Chelsea Wolfe, Fleetwood Mac, post-rock band Giants and Explosions in the Sky, electronic beats, and heavier acts such as Elder and Graveyard. I wanted an electronic aspect of the song with beats and synths, but my main love has always been heavy guitar so I knew that needed to feature as well. I really enjoy music that spans different genres so I wanted my own music to follow that path.
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
Lowlight started as a tour project when I was performing with a different project, I had my laptop, guitar and a small interface to work with. Once I was back in Melbourne, my partner and producer Drew Handcock worked with me to finetune it, adding synths and finetuning the drum beats and guitars. Drew also played some live drums on the track and did the final mix. Casey Rice mastered the track as another project of mine, Honeybone, worked with her for our last album so I knew she would do a great job.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
The albums I have on repeat at the moment are Surrender by Rufus Du Sol, Apocryphon by The Sword, Chelsea Wolfe’s latest album Birth of Violence and Jon Hopkin’s new work ‘Music for Psychedelic Therapy’. My partner and producer Drew also has his own electronic project, Divine Wave, so there’s always new music coming from our home studio which I love to hear.
What do you like to do away from music?
To be honest, not a lot! I think if you ask any musician, we put in so much of our time and energy into music that other activities are a bit hard to fit in. I do like to do self-care activities like exercise and meditation however, and spend time with my partner, friends and my two dogs.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2022?
I’m hoping to get this album finished by the end of the year, it’s a labour of love and I’ve been sitting on this project for a while so I want to get it right. I’ve also got a bit of touring with other projects, so hopefully I can fit it all in. It’s amazing having live music back after covid, I really missed it!