Where are you currently based and what is the music scene like there?
I choose to live with no fixed address due to my creative process and learning of life’s wisdom’s beyond the norm have brought me here. As I type, I am out in Abergowrie—north of Townsville, two hours and surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. I am hanging with Indigenous youth creating and empowering Black voices around making my own music, dance, mind and nature practise. The young fellas hear have got natural rhythm and can really dance and create off that dream’n magic. It’s really special to witness and inspires me also.
Your incredible new video for your single ‘Thrill of The Chase’ — watch HERE is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for Thrill of The Chase?
My personal inspiration comes from a number of vocal styles and sounds so I just throw them all into one to express my message and story. As you may notice, I get bored quite easy so with the track constantly changing is purely me wanting change coz it hypes me. With the story I mean it’s mine but I ask that the audience take theirs from it and makes it what they want.
Where and when did you record?
Quite cool actually, the dingo loves to howl to the full moon. But this was an eclipse I finished this on somewhere in 2018 and then released it on the full moon luna dingo eclipse just gone. This trilogy of songs and visuals is an expression from a part of me I feel that gives me these experiences to watch, listen back and learn from. Kind of like timeline moments to see my own growth and lessons. The art speaks to me like Dream’n with my eyes open.
How did the concept for the video come about?
I was running with my dog, who very much wanted to chase after rabbits on my nature run, when I was living in Diamond Creek, Melbourne. I always found myself getting frustrated at her for stopping me running on my circuit to call after her to get back on track. One day, I gave in to her idiotic life changing teachings and I ended up on a run after rabbits into the bush. Found myself becoming a little boy again full of so much excitement doing jungle parkour and gaming with myself and her. One day she caught this rabbit and killed it. I was shocked and felt bad coz I was encouraging her. Then I was like “WELL”? Are you going to eat it or just leave it to be nothing and she went for the next rabbit. At this very time, I had come from a relationship where I totally mistaken love for inspiration and became a stepping stone for someone and totally used and abused it felt like at the time. Then I experienced it again pretty much after writing these lyrics back in 2013 it was. Then the same thing happened. Now I have a lesson from that and have found a relationships with strait love and mutual sharing of give and takes so I hope haha. Not that there is anything wrong with being inspired by people but for me there’s a look I called Thrill of the Chase that looks like they loving you but they have something different in mind. They after you for pure thrill to use you for their own self pleasures, gains of success in their mind or something. This I’m sure was a reflection for me in past relationships to where I have been that however this lesson defiantly has flipped my script I feel and am noticing in my life. The video represents something similar I guess but obviously it’s more made for the trilogy and is a piece that is for you take your interpretation.
Who did you work with and how did you go about turning the initial concept into a finished video?
I had some stem ideas I had to take to Dave Dog Atkins (Resin Dogs, Hyrdrofunk Records, Wolfmother) in Mullumbimby when I was chilling on the Gold Coast creating for a while. Dave chucked drums on it messed with some of the sound verses, re-did some vocals and mix and mastered it. He’s a legend and a really great friend. I took the video idea of the full Trilogy to Claudia Sangiorgi Delimore in Melbourne and then we took this track to Gumbaynggirr country where I was born (Halfway Creek) with three stunning indigenous dancer and actors—Shae Duncan, Jaymen Blk Cockatoo Drahm and a cinematographer Leroy Button—working with a RED camera named Lucy—haha trust me, she deserves a name—supplied by Dominik Muench. This team took this video out with an idea of direction yet free styled filming and a full wknd with fire, food, nature in a creative arts shed with beds, kitchen, bathroom and big ass dance floor. Claudia then edited it and sent it to Treehouse Productions in Melbourne for that slick colour grade.
How does Thrill of The Chase tie in with your grand single / video trilogy / storyline?
I would love to hear your comments on the video of what it means to you ??? The firsy song and video is there to and the third is not long away! Ytdingo.com
What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on my EP, some more videos with an exciting feature and some ideas to tour but really want to tour with the full decked out idea to honour the art so it always takes a little more time and people to know I’m coming!
Who are you listening to at the moment?
A lot of my own work to get it right for the release and then these young fellas I’m creating with to help get them in their best self. Add them on socials! They are called the SPACE PIKININI’s and coming very soon!
What do you have planned for 2019?
THE 3RD and FINAL DROP OF THE TRILOGY!, A NEW E.P!, MORE VIDEO’s and some DEBUT SHOWS, TOURS and INTERNATIONAL TRIPS! IM ready! Hope you are? Hit me up?
What do you like to do away from music?
Spend time with 2 lovely lady’s in the tropics, 1 is my dog but she kinda isn’t. Empower youth and give em what I didn’t get and wish I did. Surfing is a bonus when Im not in Croc territory aha but taking the roof off and chasing water falls sitting and swimming in silence. Choreographing and creating with artists and touring the world and Down under being in or creating urban based theatre, film, photography, TV shows that friends make. If it aint music its still creating sumn..
Favourite food and place to hangout?
I haven’t been back but want to! Its was eating Turtle in the most peaceful honouring way being strait eaten after cooked from in the shell on the beach after being caught with a spear traditionally. It was with some close new friends on Yolngu country Elcho island thanks to Djuki Mala dancers who took me there. To Special!
