What is your name and role within The Bonnie Doons?
Kane Kennedy. I produce the music and manage the band. Torian Brewer and I write and record the tracks.
Where are you currently based?
Based in Brisbane, Australia.
How did the Bonnie Doons form?
We officially formed the band in mid-2017. Benny Blacket (former lead singer) and I started the project. We met at college in 2014 and began jamming, writing the skeleton for our first song ‘Swing’ back in 2015 which features on our first EP. Torian was on guitar when the band first formed, Benny then moved down to Sydney and T-dawg stepped up on the mic.
What’s been happening recently and how has your Covid experience been?
Recently we haven’t been doing any live things, just been focussing on promoting this EP and gearing up for some future shows.
Your sophomore EP ‘The Betweeners’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
This EP was heavily influenced by the 90’s. That was both Torian and I’s favourite era for entertainment as a whole and so I think naturally it came together in that style.
The EP speaks about making better decisions through talk of relationships mostly. A compilation of our own personal experiences was what influenced the songwriting.
How did the EP come about?
Well I mean we were always going to make more music; it came naturally. The musical approach was slightly different though, given we changed the vibe up for Torian’s vocals.
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
We recorded this through late 2019, all over the place really. I did the drums and rhythm guitars at Alchemix Studios in Brisbane, then did the lead guitars, bass, and vocals at home. We even used some takes from our demo sessions, out in a cabin in the woods style. It was a bit of a Frankenstein project. I produced it and sent it all over to Aria-Award winning Govinda Doyle (Angus and Julia Stone) for the mixing and mastering process.
What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of the EP?
Most challenging for me was the general learning curve of producing music, especially in a genre I’d never really done before. I’m no professional, it’s still early days. It was a fun challenge. The next chunk of music will be quite a different direction again. We’re just trying a few things out for now.
The most rewarding thing is when the people that you respect express to you how much they love it. And I mean, most friends are going to tell you they love it – whether they do or not. But we got some genuine responses, and it was delightful.
What programs/instruments did you use to record?
Half of it was recorded in Ableton and half was done in Pro Tools. Probably the two most common DAWs. Instruments; drums, guitars, bass, keyboard, triangle, rainstick, shakers.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
In the last week I’ve been listening to some early King’s of Leon, Che Burns’ new EP, Kurilpa Reach’s new EP and some Sublime.
What do you like to do away from music?
The normal things; friends and family, make food, glass of red, exercise, soccer. I recently have taken time away from my engineering job, following up a few personal, musical, and entrepreneurial pursuits. Hoping I can break free from the 9-5.
Any shows coming up?
Yeah we’ll be launching this EP in January 2021 – 16th of Jan at Solbar Sunshine Coast, and 23rd of Jan at The Zoo in Brisbane.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?
Relax, jam, enjoy the shows we have coming. Then see what happens.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Torian started working at Mongrel Bar in Milton a couple months ago and it has become the new spot I think. It’s gotten me into Peruvian style food – the chef there is a serious pro (he owns the venue). It’s also a great location and atmosphere.
https://www.facebook.com/thebonniedoons
