INTERVIEW: NEON PATTERN SUNDIAL (FKA BEN ALPINE) IS TAKING IT ALL IN HIS STRIDE

Hey there Ben! First off, a huge congrats on your debut single 'All In Your Stride'! How has the single been received so far? Any favourite critiques?
Thank you! Yeah the reception has been really great and to be honest a little overwhelming! I’m not sure what I’d expected, but I don’t think I realised I’d be spending the entire release day responding to messages from friends and reading blog posts about the song. It was so cool though, definitely very very stoked and thankful.

Ben Madden wrote a review on the song which was so cool to read. I just feel like he took from the song exactly what I want people to, especially saying that “you’ll feel positive about your day by the end of it”. Otherwise it’s just been so cool to hear from friends. I had shown it to a few people that I’m close with as we were making it, but tried to keep it under wraps for the most part. So it was awesome to now have people really dig into it and ask about the details in the artwork and things like that, which is exactly what I want people to do.

Tell us about your creative processes; how did 'All In Your Stride' come to be?
I don’t really think I can say that I have a definitive creative process as that sort of thing always changes. it’s sort of split up into two parts….

Firstly, I’ll create the demo mostly by myself. I’ll just work on it whenever; in my bedroom, on trains, at uni, mostly with headphones. I’ll just record everything really rough and try to not get too caught up in lyrics or synthesis or getting the right take.

Then I’ll bring the demo to my friend and producer/mixer Marc Scollo, and we’ll go through and flesh things out, tidy up the arrangement and basically re-record everything at a much higher quality. Marc is basically like 49% of the project if you ask me. This is where we replace the sample drums with a live kit, and start arranging vocal harmonies and all that stuff. Usually the song changes a lot during this process. I definitely rewrote some of the lyrics right before recording them...

All In Your Stride was in it’s ‘demo’ stage for over a year before Marc and I started on what became the final production. And I started it at a time that I wasn’t very inspired so it sat dormant for months and months before I picked it up again. I rewrote a lot of the lyrics at the last minute which seems to be pretty standard for me at the moment. I don’t really consider myself that great of a lyricist and feel like I have a lot to learn.

My friend Bek Nafiz was pretty important in the process, we did a session mid-2018 that basically got the entire foundation of the song down. It was her idea for all those funky guitar lines. I should also mention Alex Siderov who played drums on the track.

I'm very intrigued by the single's cover art, it's quite beautiful. Tell us about the concept and the images you've used.
Yeah! The artwork seems to be getting a lot of attention which is so awesome. It was basically all Jack Mackinnon. I just gave him a bunch of photos I had taken that reflected the aesthetic of the song to me. Which were mostly these vast landscape images that gave off this optimistic feeling, to me at least. He picked those ones and put them together that way and I loved it immediately. He absolutely killed it I reckon.

The photos are either from my travels or places that I’ve spent a lot of time and are all important to me. I picked up photography about 2 years ago, and I wanted the aesthetic of this project to be very rooted in reality and that sort of dreamy representation of it, so using those photos was a no-brainer.

Some of your influences include Hippo Campus and The Japanese House, how do these artists inspire you and your music?
Like everyone I listen to a lot of different music, especially electronic music and a lot of pop, but I feel like those two artists reflect the more ‘indie’ guitar-driven side of my sound, especially on All In Your Stride. I was listening to Bambi by Hippo Campus and Good at Falling by The Japanese House a lot during making this so the input was definitely there, both of those albums are some of my favourites. The Japanese House’s tuned and harmonised vocal arrangements were 100% a huge thing for me.

COVID-19 has had an extreme effect on the music industry, and I’m sure you’re missing festivals and gigs as much as me. What was the last gig you went to? Any events you were looking forward to that were cancelled/postponed?
The last show I went to was my friend Earnest Jackson’s single launch for his song Sweaty, which is a massive tune and their performance really went off. Before that I saw Golden Features who is always amazing. And I was getting really really excited to see Bon Iver and Tame Impala before they both got postponed!

Give us your Top 10 songs that are getting you through lockdown.

In no particular order! A real mix here of random stuff I’ve picked up and had on repeat...

Phone Numbers by Dominic Fike & Kenny Beats

Ego Death by Ty Dolla $ign, Kanye West, FKA twigs & Skrillex

Firing Rifle by PNK FME

Day After Day by Goldwater

You by Tennyson

Nirvana by ELLIANA

Playing On My Mind by The 1975

Motion Sickness by Phoebe Bridgers

Strobing Light by Ishq

All The Way by Tom Cosm

Finally, what’s next for NEON PATTERN SUNDIAL?

I don’t know how much I want to say! I’ve got a bunch more songs ready so there will definitely be another single sooner or later. A lot more on the way.

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INTERVIEW: ON THE PHONE WITH PROG METAL LOCALS, RELIQA

Sydney’s Reliqa have had a massive year. From supporting Sevendust when they toured, to playing Big Sound in Brisbane, and making the Good Things Festival band final. Things aren’t slowing down for them either. Recently releasing new single “Mr Magic” early in May, which is one of the standout single releases this year, the band has now signed with Destroy All Lines Agency.

I caught up with Reliqa vocalist Monique Pym.

Congratulations on your recent signing with Destroy All Lines Agency.
It’s awesome, so cool. Basically, it happened the day we released Mr Magic, or maybe the day before. That must have sparked something, I don’t know exactly how it came about but we received an email and spoke to Bailey Graham who is our booking manager over there. He has been super awesome so far. It’s fantastic to work with someone, and a company, that you have respected for a long time. Bailey is really on the ball and is genuinely passionate about our music too which is something important to us. He’s on top of his game and I really respect that.

You have some talented bands on the bill with you.
There is such a diverse range on there. We’re working in the realm of the more progressive side of stuff. That was never really a realm of music that I had explored until lately. A lot of people have been calling us progressive, that’s a title that has been a little bit thrust upon us but I’m okay with that. And considering that’s kind of our umbrella genre now I’ve been discovering bands like Circles, Dead Letter Circus who we have known for a long time and Ebonivory who we share the roster with. We played with them towards the end of last year, they are genuine guys and extremely talented.

I am loving Mr Magic. It’s probably my single of the year so far. Where did the concept come from?
Mr Magic was the first time we really approached a song that was fully fleshed out from a personal perspective rather than our previous music that has been very conceptual, and storytelling based. We decided to make a conscious effort to step in a different direction this time. To write something that is important to us on a more topical scale. It came about when the bushfires were happening over the summer period. It was a time of absolute crisis for the whole country and when you’re in a vulnerable position you look to the people in power and say how are you going to help us through this? What sort of navigation are you going to give us moving out of the crisis? You get angry when they don’t respond in a responsible way. I don’t need to name names, but we know someone who was spending some time outside of the country… Not to get too political but it is absolutely driven by things like that. I am going to mention this though - there’s a lyric in the song that kind of hits the nail on the head. I’ve never really spoken about it, specifically in that realm. At the end of the song there’s a lyric that says, “I’ve got a trick for you, play on your perilous act, I’ll watch you disappear, at any minor setback.” That was the one where I was like Boom!!

You’re trying to demand accountability from these people who have the power, they have the platform and they have the listeners to really do the right thing. You rely on them to do that but time and time again they really let their people down. The song really comes from a place of anger.

What’s going on now in America is absolutely telling to how we were feeling in Australia at that time. You want someone to look up to, to do something and guide us through.

That’s their job!
Yes, you’re right. I get a little fired up about it. I’ve been trying to stay as switched on as I can. While all of us have been in a place where we are looking to someone to help us a lot of us haven’t been in the situation of being completely oppressed by the police state and things like that. You’ve just got to say something. If you have any sort of power, influence or platform to put out a message then it’s time to use it. I think that’s really where the song came from.

Hopefully, we can use some of this crisis and really make sure that this thing won’t happen again, I’m not talking about the virus because that may well happen again. I’m talking systemised oppression and things like that. If these things are still happening in 2020 then we can’t let them happen in 2021 and so forth. We need to stay switched on and be willing to listen and learn.

And to speak up and call people out
Exactly. I read somewhere that being not-racist isn’t enough anymore, you need to be against racism. To call out the people who are saying and doing the wrong thing. If we’re tying it back to the song and the motivation to the song it’s about all of us having accountability, not just the people in power. We all have accountability to do the right thing. It’s a bit of a call to that.

What does the future look like for you guys? Is there an album in the works?
There are a few things on the table. We are definitely working as hard as we can. We have discussed the idea of a larger release like an EP or album and we are excited to jump into that but at the same time we are taking this time to experiment with out release strategy a little bit. It’s something we’ve really thought about coming into 2020.

There are bands like RedHook, who have inspired us. They have done some amazing things, touring internationally and major festivals, and if you look at the music they have out, it’s all singles. It makes you think how incredible that is. I admire them because they are such hard workers.

We want to see how we go with a few singles first, gauge the interest for an album.  Any artist knows an album is such an amazing intricate piece of work, you invest so much. And we are used to writing conceptually too and we really like doing that. We have two English majors in the band so writing narratives and stories is something which interests us.

Meanwhile we are going to focus on working with Destroy All Lines, getting some solid shows lined up, hopefully some festivals, and using those singles as a consistent steady flow for us until we are ready to release an album.

The last 18 months have been massive for Reliqa. What would be your most memorable moment?
We were thinking about this recently. When you sit down and look back, the last 12 months have been big for us. It’s been exciting so it’s hard to pinpoint just one. I would probably say my personal moment with Reliqa is Big Sound 2019. Travelling on the road with my band was so much fun and so ridiculous. Being able to play outside of our comfort zone in Brisbane, where we hadn’t hit until then. Discovering that we had a whole fan base up there we didn’t realise we had. We had so much praise it was surreal, it was like ‘Is this really happening ‘. The Elephant Hotel, which was night three, was particularly special. We had a great crowd and it was an outdoor venue, like your typical festival. It was a perfect set up. I got off stage and actually cried a little bit, which I never do. We had support from a bunch of people that I got to meet for the first time too. Shout out to Browny from Wall of Sound!

That’s how I discovered you! He put up a post about you guys.
He makes me so happy. He’s such a dedicated guy. I remember meeting him the first night of Big Sound. I looked out for him. When we found each other, we had the most massive bear hug!! It was such a special moment. And meeting Tim Price and Ophelia Symons for the first time too. It’s more of a personal thing getting to have a milestone like that but even from a band perspective it was pretty massive.

What are your top 3 Aussie artists right now?
Northlane - I had a hard time getting into Northlane to begin with. You know they’re one of those bands that you want to like but it just didn’t click. The last year Alien came out and I was like far out this is a whole different realm of music that I haven’t heard from them before. Maybe I just wasn’t listening enough or properly. I feel like that album really clicked with me and I’ve been obsessed with it since. It’s been a massive influence for me. Instrumentally, Mr Magic’s chorus was kind of inspired by Bloodline. Enemy of the Night blew me away. I really admire and respect their confidence to be able to be so raw and so real with their lyrics. It really hits close to home for a lot of people

RedHook – RedHook are definitely one of them. The first time we ever played together was supporting Sevendust last year. She was an idol for me, she is such a legend. We became friends and we have played with them a few times throughout 2019. I admire what they do, I went into that earlier. Testing the water with a different approach through releasing singles, especially as it’s kind of taboo in the metal industry. A lot of heavy music fans want albums and bigger releases so to try the single style is quite interesting. I think they are doing it justice and I admire them for that.

Voyager- You can’t go past Voyager; They are doing some unique and awesome things. When I first listened to their new album ‘Colours in the Sun’ I was blown away. You know when you find the music and you’re like right that’s it, that’s me in a nutshell, that’s my sound. The mood I was in and what I was feeling, I chucked on the album and Colours started playing. I was like YES! I got up and danced around and got crazy to it. I’ve been listening to their music avidly since then. I always mention them when asked who inspires you or has a sound you want to reach. Voyager hands down really take that title. We got to play with them in Sydney last year which was really cool. I’d really like to reconnect with them sometime in the future, I’d love to play with them again.

Thanks so much to Monique for her time and awesome words. Check Out Mr. Magic and their previous releases now, and keep an eye out for more!

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OLY SHERMAN’S ULTIMATE ISOLATION PLAYLIST

We’ve already heard the sort of vibes Sydney songwriter Oly Sherman has been working with for 2020 on his January release, ‘Madness’, and now we’re getting more insights into this talented musician’s building stock of work. Releasing his new single ‘Homeboy’ this month, Sherman swathes polished songwriting in slick production and indie influences. Another strong step forward for Sherman, ‘Homeboy’ is one of his most intimate offerings yet.

That in mind, check out his top 10 tracks for getting you through to remaining iso times!

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Vernal Pools by oso leone

• I knew of the band a fair while ago but have just recently got back into their sound. What particularly grabs me about their music, is how clean their drum grooves are. 

War of My Life by John Mayer

• Again, another song which I’ve known for a while. I remember listening to this song in my bed on holidays with my family. I feel like this stuff from John is super underrated, and his song writing, especially within this track, really influences my own. 

LA Egypt by Vinyl Williams

• Completely out of the realm in regard to the music I release, but I love this band. It really doesn’t get more psyche rock than these guys at the moment, and they are always constantly releasing music. 

Keep It Low by Hablot Brown

• A band I discovered whilst on tour. I fell in love with the Hablot boys music so quickly. They are super vast musicians, and they know how to make a beat. I’ve pretty much vibed with most of their songs in the last month or so. 

Chemicals by SG Lewis

• The man can write no wrong. SG is always my go to guy for a vibe. As soon as I heard the synth hook on this song I was completely sold, and could not stop telling anyone about it. 

She Don’t Have to Know by John Legend

• Again, I’ve been going back into the archives a lot recently, and this song is always stuck on my mind. Probably something that I didn’t notice or admit much at first, By John Legend would also have to be one of my biggest influences. 

Straightfaced by Spacey Jane

• I had actually heard this bands name floating around for a while now but never actually managed to listen to any of their music. I heard this song on the radio, and loooved the ending. The rest of the song with the lyrics made the rest of my mind up. 

10th Avenue by Charli Adams

• Another recent discovery, I really love how Charli’s vocals fold into each other, and blend so easily, without sounding like she’s trying at all. Big ups on this song. 

Fools by Drugdealer 

• Love this song for its super 70’s feel. I always chuck this band on when I’m doing chores.

• CHECK OUT THE FULL PLAYLIST ON OUR PLAYLIST PROFILE BELOW!

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INTERVIEW: ASHENMOON’S GARRY BEERS - NEW MUSIC, THE CURRENT WORLD CRISIS, & LIFE AFTER INXS

I had a wonderful chat with Garry Beers, bassist of world-renowned Australian rock band INXS and now, Ashenmoon!
Personally, I grew up listening to INXS and handfuls of other classics, some of which are also thrown in throughout the interview, and this might just be the biggest interview I’ve done. Garry was a wonder to talk to and I can’t wait to see what else Ashenmoon has in store for us.

We covered the new releases and the writing process, the effects of the current COVID situation, environmentalism and dog rescue, his high school dance featuring AC/DC, life during and after INXS, and a bunch more.

It was a phone interview so I’ve culled sections down to what makes most sense, but my appreciation for this experience is astronomical. Thankyou to Garry, Toby, and Jimmy, and everyone else involved for bringing this new project to life, and for Garry’s time chatting to me from wherever he may be at the moment!

Enjoy!
-Jahmiele

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JAHMIELE:
So Ashenmoon started as a ‘passion project’ between you and Jimmy and Toby, and ‘passion project’ is a kind of a favourite term of mine. Was there any deliberate intention going into that to make it a fully published act or was it sort of just ‘let's have fun and see where this goes’?

GARRY:
We were already in a corporate covers band called Stadium so it was already fun. We just really wanted to see how we’d go with original material, so we just sort of played together and hung out more. We listen to each other's bits of music and songs and, and um, and then beginning of last year was just in my little home studio which is where we started everything. Yeah. Just spent the whole year just putting together the songs, honing them and rewriting them and starting all over again and talking about just, just taking our time. There's no one watching the clock. It's just made the record that we really wanted to make, all 3 of us.

J: Yeah. Awesome. I think, I guess that's probably the best way to go about it. No pressure,

G: Exactly! There’s no record companies breathing down our neck, the no deadlines, and yeah obviously no real touring schedule to keep in line with. I think we'd all been looking for someone to write once in a while. I know I had.

J: Okay. Amazing. And the debut for Ashenoon came out as the double single. Was there any kind of background between each of those tracks? Like I know a lot of songs aren't necessarily written with a particular dramatic meaning behind them, but was there anything like that with these ones?

G: Yeah. It just all this happens to be pretty indicative of what we wanted to say about, y’know looking after the world, looking after each other and look what happened. I mean, it just seemed to be a pretty bit of a no-brainer to get that one out now. And Mosquito, you know, Toby's Australian, he’s from Melbourne, and he just had the big fuzz bassline and my little singing, and that all came together and sounded a bit like a mosquito, someone actually commented saying it sounded like Cartman from South Park! He just grabbed the acoustic and started writing the song and it became Mosquito. We wanted to write a song about, a metaphor for mosquitos.

And we keep using the word ‘organic’ but it really was that way. I produced it and recorded it, and Toby at that time was living just up the road, and Jimmy was always here with a bottle of red wine anyway. We just sat in that little room, day and night and had fun, recording guitars here and there, laying down keyboard. A friend of mine owns a studio up the road, we got an English fella called Jason Gamble in to play drums on the majority of the album, so you know it just really grew like good music should grow. I mean, there's no deadline no pressure, the songs just came to life by themselves

J: Yeah. That's amazing. And I take it that you previously knew Toby before all of this. How has it working together on something like this? Do you prefer working with someone or on your own when it comes to song-writing and putting things together?

G: No, I'm definitely a working with someone kind of guy. I mean, I do write a lot of music but as far as you know, vocals and melodies and lyrics, I'd much rather leave it up to a real singer, a real composer. I met Toby 3 years ago at a party so the friendship is still pretty new, but became pretty much best mates. I met Jimmy at a party when I first moved here 14 or 15 years ago, so I’ve known him forever but we never got around to playing in a band together, so I asked him to join Stadium my corporate band. And then he joined and Toby joined. We wanted to see how far we could take it, and rename it because we wanted it to be different again, so we became Ashenmoon and here we are!

J: All right! And knowing so many names, like you would have worked with a lot of people over the years, and coming into the new ‘modern era’ of technology with the different ways of promotion we have now and all that kind of thing- what is it that you've seen change over the last, what is it, 30-40 years, something like that?

G: Yeah, it's been a while. Um, you know, it's funny you look back and you miss the age of CDs, and CDs replaced vinyl. I’ll always complain about downloads, seeing how the qualities isn’t great, and you don’t get the visual. Like I remember vinyl records as a kid, sitting there and pouring over every word and every image on the album cover while listening to the music, and I feel like it’s a forgotten art in many ways so, you’re hearing the first few singles but when you hear the whole album later in the year it’s a journey just like the good old, you know, Zeppelin records, Queen records, every song had its place. You know, we worked out which song goes to the next song and their running order and then it’s got side 1 and side 2 just like the old-fashioned records. When it’s out and you hear it on vinyl you’ll get the real idea of what it’s all about.

J: I'm sure you've probably been asked this already, but is there any kind of meaning behind the band name, Ashenmoon, where did that come from?

G: I think it's just an interesting visual image, really lending itself to artwork, but it's also got a really big sorta quality to it, and then also we wrote Dustbowl about how we know we abuse the planet, we abuse animals, we abuse each other, and what we’ll be left with is pretty much just a barren planet, so I guess it's a bit of a downer way of what describing it, but I think ultimately it's just, it just sounded cool. And then we did all this stuff ourselves. We found an artist when I went to our Facebook page, and Toby did a lot of the artwork, and then I did the graphics for the actual name, I used to do graphic design at school. So, it’s been a real, at home kind of project. And a friend of Jimmy’s, that he played in a band with at school back in Massachusetts, mixed the album so he's been a really strong part of the project as well. So, it's been a really good team and a really good time.

J: So, you've mentioned a couple times now the whole environmental effect that we're having and things like that. Is that something that you're personally passionate about?

G: Yeah, I am. I mean I'm more into my life and particularly more into dog rescue and finding homes for dogs. A real big issue is humans just don't get it. I mean, they just don't get it that the planets gonna give us a big kick in the ass that’s what it’s doing right now. You don’t eat bats, you just don't abuse animals. Mother Nature is just gonna, y’know, take you out. I mean, that's, what's going on now. It's taken an interesting turn. I mean, you see the planet’s actually recovering a bit because people aren't driving, industries are shut, the planet’s kind of having a bit of a breather right now. So, maybe there's a good side yet.

J: Yeah. There's a lot of things they've already seen, you know, positively changed since we've been absent.

G: Yeah, yeah, yeah. No one knows what the future's going to hold, I don't think you can ever get back to normal. We just have to see what, what we have to adjust to in the rest of their lives. I mean, it's interesting I have 8-9 year old twins and like there obviously not in school, we're failing miserably at the home-schooling thing. But it's just, it's just interesting time for that. I mean, they’ll look back at their second-third grade as the weirdest time in history, so I'm just really intrigued to see what's going to happen as the world tries to get back to what we’d considered as normal, you really can’t go back to what was normal anymore.

J: Yeah. I think there's a thing going around at the moment that was, uh, comparing what our, our prior our previous normal was and that we shouldn't go back to that because that's gotten us where we are.

G: Yeah. I think, that’s totally it. Totally. Ultimately, they’ve been talking about it for years that there’s gonna be a super-virus. Here it is and you have no idea what it is, what it’s going to do and where it’s gonna go and I mean, it seems like it’s a lot better in Australia out here, and that's just phenomenal.

I’ve been saying I’m just happy to have music out at this time because I've always thought music is a good healer. Music is always there for people when they’re happy or sad. So I'm just hoping Ashenmoon can help with that and maybe take people's minds off what's going on a bit.

J: And you’ve been quoted as saying that ‘not since your days with INXS, have you felt more connected to music until this’, this record and this band, I guess. What is it about this particular project that you feel so much more connected than your previous supergroups and things like that?

G: Well INXS was a six piece, um, you know, Andrew and Michael were the predominant songwriters ofcourse , that's just the way it is when we got two of the best songwriters in the world in your band.

Absent Friends with Wendy Mathews and Sean. Um, was just, that was just a fun band, you know, party band, that was a fun project too. And then the other time I tried to get a project I was called Mudhead, but they never released the album. It got a 5 star review but just didn’t release it, it became too hard.

I haven't really found the right people to write with and that I believe in. And that gives me the confidence to put all my time and effort into something that I know is going to be worth it, and that's what happened here. Toby has become one of my best friends. He's a good Aussie guy. Jimmy, I've known him for 15 years. He's one of my best friends. He's from Boston, he's a character. He's always got his bottle of red wine in his back pocket, and he’s just there to play. It's just kind of the same ideals that I've always had. I just want to play, I've always wanted to, so it's great to find like-minded people that still love music. A lot of people lose the passion for it. I couldn't imagine not being passionate about it and not playing, so, it’s great that I’ve got a new outlet and I’m loving it.

J: Fantastic. I guess that's a little bit more difficult to come by these days, is the genuine passion for it.

G: Yeah. And think I'm very lucky. When I was growing up deciding which Zepplin album to buy, you know, Zepplin, Deep Purple, and Queen were all releasing records and The Beatles were still releasing records. So I was really lucky to grow up in that time and be completely surrounded by amazing and also Australian bands. I mean, AC/DC played at my school dance so there's really, there's no experience like that. I just think having had that experience, I can't not be passionate about music and I think Jimmy's the same.

Jimmy did this beautiful thing, he started writing a big piece of paper with all these names and songs and I was like ‘What’re you doing?’ and he said ‘I'm just writing down which guitar player is gonna play on this record’ and it did a list of all his favourite guitar players, which considers that they all influenced him and taught him how to play, you know all the Jimmy Page’s and Jimmy Hendrix’s and he wanted to give them credit, so he sat there and wrote down all the names. I thought ‘that’s really cool!’ because you gotta remember where you came from and that's what we're all about too. We're just trying to put out a record that the people that inspired us would like to hear. And I know that if another band put this record out, I‘d love it just as much, but just because it's mine and I’m writer, producer, you know, I'm very connected with it and very proud of it.

J: Well, all of the acts that you've been a part of - I've had a quick listen to Absent Friends and things like that - they all definitely seemed to have a particular sort of cohesive similar sound to them, and so does Ashenmoon, I think. So, who would you say are the primary inspirations and influences that you've had that have added up to these creations?

G: I guess it changes. I mean, I'm really kind of boring in the fact that it's very rare that I hear something new that is, that inspires me or doesn't make me just go back to wherever we originally came from. I mean, it's kind of sad, but I mean the last artist that really, really changed my world was Jeff Buckley, and that was a long time ago now. So, I always go back to the Zepplins and the Queens and all the bands that you still would be hearing in 50 years’ time. And I don't know if you’ll be hearing many of artists on the radio now in 50 years time, but you'll always be hearing the Beatles and queen and hopefully Ashenmoon. I mean, we just want to make a record that was like, that was a good old fashioned record that just takes you on a trip. So I think we've done that.

J: And you mentioned, I think right at the start, something about, in terms of putting together your records and not currently having to keep to like a touring schedule or something like that. Does that mean that we are to expect some sort of tour from Ashenmoon or anything like that?

G: Oh yeah. We'd love to play it. I mean, we’ve actually we've actually taken this time. We've all been tested (for Covid-19) we all trust each other, you know. So we did a video of Dustbowl on Toby’s rooftop last week. And yesterday we set all of the gear up in my garage, we're going to start doing live broadcasts onto our Facebook pages and stuff. We just spent the day doing that. We're setting up our PA and sound we’re gonna start working that out and start trying to get ourselves out live to people as best we can. As soon as this clears up, if it gets back to any sort of normalcy as far as heading out to play we’ll be there, cause yeah, we got together to play together, we’re not answering ads in the paper or getting drunk at the bar, we just love playing together and we are a really good band live. I mean, I think we're actually probably better live than on the record to be honest.

J: Well, I think that's a good thing.

G: It is. Yeah. I mean, nothing more disappointing than seeing a band that can’t play. I ended up with one of the best rock singers in the world and I'm in a band with one of the best rock guitarists in the work so I'm pretty happy.

J: Well, to be perfectly candid you are, you are all clearly to a certain extent, you know, famous and very well-known and incredibly talented musicians and individuals. So, what is it like having that background/reputation behind you and knowing that there's going to be people waiting for your next thing and knowing that it's got to be, you know, to a certain standard?

G: I always second guess. We really pride ourselves on our performance. INXS was the same, we sort of critiqued every show, that made us better, and Ashenmoon is no different. I mean we love playing and we love playing well and we love playing properly and you know, we’re not one of those bands are gonna stagger out with a bottle of Jack Daniels and not want to give people their value for money, and we obviously also make them come back. And it's not just a side project, we’ve just signed this two-album dissolution deal with Golden Robot Records, we’re just going to keep going. We can't wait to get some more recording done. So even though we just got our first record out we just, I just want to get out there and play. I can't wait to bring it to Australia.

J: Well, that's, that's fantastic. That's the best thing to have, I guess that's exactly what you want.

G: Yeah. I'm pretty happy right now. I mean, as far as an album, I mean I still sort of sit there with a glass of wine still going ‘wow, this is pretty good’. And I’m not being egotistical, I just got the right team because I had the right circumstances and we just pulled it together. We made what we think is our statement, and in the process, we became a band. We had a first proper band meeting today. It’s like being back in school again. I was setting up the garage I was hanging, like cellophane paper behind the band so it looked cool, and it all fell down when I opened the garage door, but yeah, we’re just having a good time.

J: Ah good ol’ days!

G: I mean, yeah, these are the days. These are the days.

J: Well, it's good that you can know that you're creating something that you're proud of.

G: Yeah. And I get caught up with all my critics and my wife, my kids, the whole. It's just funny, because like my kids, they’re growing up. This is ‘Dad’s band’, Ashenmoon, and every now and then they hear and sing INXS and they’re like ‘oh that’s right, Dad’s other band!’ They haven’t really discovered INXS yet, I haven’t really had the time to show it to them.
In fact I'm just discovering all these YouTube sites that have all our videos and all this stuff from live performances I've ever seen before. So, you know, it's just interesting. Actually Toby's the one that does all our social media stuff so he’s the one that’s been sending me the links. In fact, he sent me a link to this, I didn’t even know it existed but Andrew and Michael did and interview on a rooftop in London I think it was. They play a bit of The Stairs, acoustically, and we just latched onto that because I've always wanted have Toby sing The Stairs, that I always thought was one of Michael's best sets of work. So, we did an acoustic version, as per the way Andrew was playing it on the rooftop. So we've just finished that, that’s just been finished now, so that'll be coming out cause we've been getting you could say bored, so we’re doing acoustic versions of all our songs just to give you, but as it turns out we’ll have a heap of original material to put out as well, so, we just can’t help ourselves.

J: And what was life actually like, during and after the INXS era?

G: During was obviously massive. It was my life. I mean, we’d make a record with all our time and we live and breathe that and then we go on tour for sometimes 12 - 18 months, just keep touring the world over and over again, that’s how we lived. And then we have a bit of a break and then do it again. I didn’t have much of a home life. I still managed to have a dog, but I didn’t see much of her. And we did that from high school, so, you know, it was a pretty massive part of my life and I was and always will be very proud of INXS. When that stopped, obviously it was a horrible way for it to stop with Michael, but that was out of my control. I had no, I had no say in it. So me personally, I just sort of went into that ‘she’ll be right mate’ mode.

And Michael’s still around, I still dream about him all the time. He turns up like nothing happened and we start playing again. So, I know I have a guardian angel as well, I think maybe it’s Michael, maybe my dad, but he's still around. That sorta spirit isn’t gonna leave. I've just been kind of concentrating on my, on my personal life since all that happened. Moved to America, fell in love, got kids, you know, so I'm just trying to do that, but then as luck would have it, I meet the Australian singer that I’ve always wanted to meet, at a party in Los Angeles, it’s very L.A. y’know, the whole story.

And we tiptoed into it, we didn’t rush straight into making a record, we got to know each other better and - I'm sitting, watching my dog chew up my kids toys…

Yeah, it's cool. Life. You just take it as it comes around and adapt. It was a horrible way for INXS to end, but also I enjoyed the time of JD Fortune. I mean, that was a pretty good incarnation of the band. We made a great record called Switch, went platinum in America, sold a million records. So, I mean, it wasn't too shabby. Then that stopped so y’know. So, and I remember touring Australia with JD was great. Yeah.

Life’s a journey and I’m just happy to be on it. Above ground, still playing.

J: Well, that's awesome. That's amazing. That's, that's really nice to hear that you've gone on regardless of whatever setbacks and you're doing the best you can, sort of thing.

G: Yeah. You know, my legacy is always gonna be just making music, whether I do it in my garage or I do it on a laptop. I'm just happy to have a band that I can get out and play with.

J: Yup. Okay. Well, I only have one more question... What we try to ask every single person that we interview is; what are your top current top three Australian artists at the moment - they can be old. They can be new, but just Australian artists that you're really in love with right now.

G: No, I'm really out of, out of the loop. As far as Australian bands down there, I spent the last year just concentrating on my stuff. So, I’m probably the wrong person to ask, but I mean,

J: It can be old school stuff!

G: If I'm homesick, I just put on Chisel. Yeah. I play Circus Animals to death. I play Letter To Allen endlessly to all who’ll listen. I was actually was actually in my studio, just the other day with a tech, and I put on Ariel, a band I grew up with when I was a kid and he just thought it was the most amazing thing he’d ever heard. I just always go backwards. I mean, as I said it's hard for me, I'm a bit of a music historian now, I’m a bit anal that way. And I think when I hear something, I go ‘Oh, that's a rip-off of so-and-so’, which I shouldn't say that, I’m sure people would say that about Ashenmoon ‘well Ashenmoon’s a bit of a rip-off isn’t it?’. I just tend to listen to what I listened to and just get on with my day. But yeah, it’s hard to figure out when you’ve got half an hour to listen to some music, it's just hard to not put on old Genesis or…

J: For sure, go with what you know.

G: It’s like pulling on an old pair of jeans.

J: You pick what's comfortable.

G: Yeah. Australia's got some, Billy Thorpe, Richard Clapton and you know, obviously I said Chisel, and Oil and all that stuff, all the bands that influenced us, taught us how to play, you know, some good stuff.

J: Yeah. Okay. Well I think I've already gone over time technically but thank you so much.

G: Oh, you're welcome. It's really nice to talk to you.

J: Yeah, you too. It's great. It's a bit of an idol moment for me, so thank you so much.

G: Can’t wait to bring the band to Australia and be down there and play.

J: I'll definitely be there. Okay. Well thank you. Um, have a nice day!

G: You too, stay safe, see you down the track!

Once again, a huge thanks to John from Golden Robot Records for the opportunity, and to Garry for the fantastic chat. We’ll be waiting for what’s coming next - ‘See you down the track’!

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TRAVALLEY TALK NEW SINGLE DEAR BABE, RED-HOT VIDEO CLIPS, AND UPCOMING INSTAGRAM LIVE EVENT

Picture: Travalley talk all-things new releases and Instagram live events.  Source: Drew McCarty 

The live music industry in Melbourne has seen a huge stand-still due to COVID-19, however, bands such as Ballarat’s Travalley have used this time to hone their skills, keep positive, and release ear-tingling tunes. 

From starting out in Ballarat as a four-piece, to a now Melbourne-based duo consisting of brothers Levi and Sam Mellington, Travalley have cemented themselves as an exciting alt-surf-rock duo who are the gift that keeps on giving. 

On May 5 the dynamic duo uploaded their latest single, Dear Babe, which was followed closely by their hilarious DZ Deathrays and Dune Rats inspired video clip, which shows Levi and Sam scoffing down some red hot chillies, displaying the boys’ larrikin-style nature almost perfectly. 

Speaking on the inspiration behind their comical clip, Levi said both him and his brother wanted to portray their fun-loving characters. 

“We just don’t really take ourselves too seriously and we like to have as much fun as possible at the expense of ourselves,” he said.

“We’re happy to make everyone laugh just by doing something dumb.”

Their commitment to making enjoyable content for listeners is more than evidenced here - possibly a little too well, as Levi detailed the after-effects of inhaling far too many piping-hot chillies in a small amount of time. 

“So we recorded it about four or five weeks ago and my stomach lining was just wrecked,” he said.

“I’ve only just been able to really start eating properly again.” 

Sam, on the other hand, took a face-first dive into the chillies, with milk being poured all over his face afterwards.  

On the inner-workings of Dear Babe, their fourth release of 2020, Levi spoke of using an old sun-kissed guitar as his starting point for his creative processes. 

“I have this really really shit guitar, well it was good - but I left it in the car on a 40 degree day at work, and when you leave acoustics in the car they crack because they expand,” he said.

“So I always go to that guitar first to write the songs, because if it can sound good on that, it’s going to sound good anywhere.” 

Have you ever gone blank or had word vomit when you’re trying to act cool in front of the person you like? It’s a feeling most people may have encountered on a typical night out. Levi encapsulates this somewhat humbling and relatable experience lyrically throughout Dear Babe. 

“I guess it’s one of those songs that everyone relates to because you picture it in your head like, I’m gonna say this, or I’m gonna say this, I’m going to act this way, and sound real cool and real sexy and then you get to the stage and you're like nah, this is just not working - you just freak out and go blank,” he said.

“It’s kind of like an ode to everyone to just say, ‘It’s fine, you don’t have to be cool or sexy.’” 

With an exciting, quick pace setting the scene and a Jungle Giants inspired chord progression, what’s not to love? The song is fun and upbeat, and keeps the listener on their toes all the way throughout with explosive drum beats courtesy of Sam, and tantalising vocals from Levi. 

On Saturday May 23 the Ballarat boys are going live on their Instagram (@travalley_) for an hour (yep, you heard it right, an HOUR) of covers and originals. 

Pictured: Travalley are going live on their Instagram for an hour on Saturday May 23. Source: Instagram screenshot 

“So it’ll pretty much be like 80 per cent of our songs and then maybe four or five covers,” Levi said. 

Levi and Sam have a glistening path ahead of them once restrictions ease, and they can channel their energy from Dear Babe into their live shows. 

Levi hinted at a possible “Trav-fest”, in the works, with a night of indie-pop, alt-rock, and DJ sets on the cards. But I won’t spoil all the details! More on “Trav-fest” to come in the future. 

For now, sit back in Melbourne’s winter sun when you can and enjoy the tranquil tunes of Travalley. 

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MODERN OPERA ARE USING SELF-QUARANTINE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIMENT

Modern Opera are on the cusp of something amazing. Having only premiered their first two singles in the past two months, the self-proclaimed “weird bedroom pop” band produce anthemic tunes that could rival the quality of bands well into their third album. The five-piece Melbourne group, made up of members Jordan, Jack, Harrison, Ernie and Michael, have so far released ‘Blindfold’, as well as the recently released single ‘How To Stop Myself’ and have already established themselves as a pop act worth discovering.

With a laundry list of musical inspirations including The Japanese House, The 1975, Bon Iver, Frank Ocean and Frank Sinatra, the band connects with these sounds in a new, unprecedented way. Their enamouring and layered output shaped by this caught my attention instantly, so I had to catch-up with lead singer and guitarist Harrison about what makes Modern Opera a band so worth listening to.

Despite only just recently releasing two official singles, the members of Modern Opera have been working on multiple musical projects together for nearly two decades. Throughout the years together, line-ups and band names have come and gone, but like a phoenix, Modern Opera was born from the ashes of a music project Harrison and Jordan decided to wrap-up last year.

 “Just over one year ago we played what we decided was our final show as our previous act, and spent the last 14 months figuring out who we are, and how we wanted to do things,” Harrison explains. “Blindfold came out almost a year to the day of that final show.”

‘Blindfold’ is the opus that signalled the arrival of Modern Opera into the scene. Filled with sparkling highs and melancholic lows, it’s a single that reflects a band completely in the creative zone. Fittingly, the meaning behind ‘Blindfold’ is as layered as its production style as, according to Harrison, it hides a darker undertone behind its lush sound. 

“[It’s] basically a song about anxiety and a panic attack wrapped up in a love song packaging,” says Harrison. “It’s about learning to face up to the costs of lifestyle at the same time as you’re unexpectedly falling into something you didn’t know you needed, or even want at the time, and suddenly that connection is your anchor for everything.” 

‘Blindfold’ and ‘How To Stop Myself’ are songs that are intentionally different. The former was made in a studio, with outside help on its production but the latter, was made in a makeshift studio in Modern Opera’s own garage. Due to COVID-19 and the necessity of self-isolation, Harrison and the band decided to hide away in their own homemade studio and from that, after a 5 day straight songwriting bender, ‘How To Stop Myself’ was born.

“It’s the best thing we’ve ever done and we’re really excited about it,” says Harrison about the new single.

From his own experience experimenting during self-quarantine, Harrison gave some nuggets of wisdom to bands still making music during this crisis.

“Just find the fun in creating things that you love and want to hear, however you can. That’s the only reason to be in this industry anyway,” says Harrison.

 If their two singles aren’t exciting enough, an EP could be on the horizon for Modern Opera. An album on the other hand, might not be on the cards for another few years according to Harrison. 

“We are currently writing and recording like we’re doing an album...and most likely packaging up an EP or two in the next 18 months,” he explains. 

“The thought of putting my name on the “debut album” that defines us makes me fall into a heap of uncertainty so it’ll probably take a while to get that one worked out.” 

With the group “not sticking with any formula” of what they do, what we can expect from Modern Opera over the next 18 months could be the unexpected. With such a solid sound under their belts, whatever direction the band take next will be a step in the right one. With two songs down, and a whole heap to go, the future for Modern Opera looks bright ahead.

CHECK OUT MODERN OPERA AND A HEAP OF OTHER AMAZING LOCAL ARTISTS ON OUR BACKBEAT PLAYLIST NOW!

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GRETA STANLEY’S ULTIMATE ISOLATION PLAYLIST

We’ve been in chats with Greta in talks about her most recent release ‘Soak Into This’, and she’s also given us her top 10 tracks for her ‘Ultimate Isolation Playlist’.

Check out the press release for ‘Soak Into This’ HERE and check out the playlist below!

“These are just a bunch of songs I love, that I never get sick of. Some make me sad, some make me happy, some make me think of the people I love, some just make me think!  A few of them are by some of my incredibly wonderful friends, so they're a bit extra special.”

Daggyman - What You Desire

Pasta - Angie Mcmahon

Garden Song - Phoebe Bridgers

Rosemary Mushrooms - Jack Davies and The Bush Chooks

Sunday News - Colie

Rare Hearts - The Growlers 

Easy Easy - King Krule

With The Fire - Tayla Young

Exactly How You Are - Ball Park Music

Good For You - Alana Wilkinson 

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GROOVY LOCAL GALS - THE SPAGHETTI STAINS

The Spaghetti Stains, who describe themselves as ‘three Gippsland gumnuts slapping strings and hitting buckets’ have JUST released two brand new tracks and we can’t help but love ‘em for it.

“2018 saw the fruition of The Spaghetti Stains, an all-female three piece band with a sound derived from alternative/indie and surf rock origins, comprising of members Pantjiti Lawrence, Emmah Hellings and Rosie Verey. Their upbeat vibe blends with soulful, and at times hauntingly captivating, harmonies.”

’Route 16’ and ‘Lolly' Boys’ are both amazing alt-indie-rock vibes, along with their previous debut release ‘Toast to the Coast’, that will help you get through the social isolation of this COVID-19 season.

Check it all out on their Bandcamp HERE or their Spotify HERE

Check em out in our all-locals playlist HERE, and go give em some love on our behalf!

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A CHAT WITH MARCUS POWELL FROM CITY OF SOULS - SYNAESTHESIA

Kiwi alt-rockers City Of Souls lay down the gauntlet in 2020 with their brand new single ‘Shimmer’ from their upcoming album SYNAESTHESIA - out on May 1!

One of New Zealand’s most reputable acts, City Of Souls was formed in August 2015 by guitarists Trajan Schwencke (Cold by Winter, In Dread Response) and Steve Boag (In Dread Response, Blacklistt). Vocalist Richie Simpson (New Way Home) found their existing tracks immediately captivating and joined the band. Guitarist Marcus Powell (founding member of multi-platinum bands Blindspott and Blacklistt) then joined, and the line-up was complete with Daniel Insley on Bass (Solstate) and Drummer Corey Friedlander (In Dread Response / 8 Foot Sativa).

We had a little e-chat with Marcus to find out all about the development of the band’s upcoming release ‘Synasthaesia’, his favourite type of MnM’s, COS’s version of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, time travel, and what’s coming next!

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‘Synaesthesia’ is COS’s first full album release – what has the full writing and recording process been like in that sense? How different is it to putting out a lone single at a time?
It has varied a lot. Some songs were in their complete form from individual members and got the screws tightened on them. Others were a collaborative effort.  I prefer the latter although both can work, but being able to listen to one another and let go of your own agenda or inhibitions to jam is one of the biggest joys in music. Connection. 

The music video for that same track ‘Shimmer’ is oddly quite visually intense and seems almost claustrophobic with all of the heavy visuals and camera movement. How was that video put together and how did you decide on such a harmonious visual theme throughout the rest of your videos?
Interesting you felt the claustrophic vibe. The theme of the song is escaping a space you are trapped in so I was hoping to visually represent that in shape and movement. 

I was keen on a video with silhouettes and none of the typical close up hi res footage of people's hands playing or plugging in a guitar lead and moshing in an abandoned warehouse. Those performance videos can really make you look like a rockquest band. Marko from Delirium VF and the lads absolutely nailed it. 

The album name ‘Synaesthesia’ – where did that come from/why was that particular word chosen?
Some people say they can hear in colour, it's called Synaesthesia. I don't have it but our guitarist Steve does. There are a lot of different moods and textures on the album so it's a fitting name. I would prefer to be able to smell sounds! Is that a thing? Smellythesia doesn't have the same ring to it though, haha!

Is there anything particularly different to previous City Of Souls releases that we should expect on the rest of the upcoming album?
I think the newer songs, some of which haven't been heard yet definitely have a flow and cohesion to them that you can expect to hear more of from us as we grow and learn. 

Is there a favourite track on the upcoming record? What is it and why?
Not really there are too many I like! White Ghost, Cruelty, Lifeblood and Shimmer are probably standouts for me. There's something super special about Brushstrokes though... it breaks my heart every time. Extremely personal song and we haven't thrashed it to death live. 

Which are the better M&M’s – crispy, peanut, or just classic plain chocolate (and yes, there is a right answer)?
Plain chocolate aaallll daaaaee... If I want peanuts and rice I'll eat peanuts and rice, those aren't treats. Chocolate is a treat. 

In a previous interview at the end of last year with HeavyMag, it was said that the album was to be released in February this year (assuming we’ve actually found the right info) – we can see in the current press release it’s changed to May. What happened between then and now to create such a delay in the release?
It was a planning thing really. We wanted to be at the height of a touring run before it released so we booked all that in, including playing with Deftones. Now with covid that's all been binned. We're still going to release May 1st though. We have a really cool approach to physical copies and special content that we're super excited to share with everyone. Also the art work and design is absolutely killer. 

You published your version of Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ last year – as brand newbies to City of Souls, we gotta ask- what provoked that song choice/the idea to record your own heavier version? And what was it like recreating such a staple record?
That was all Trajan. He obviously heard how large it could sound and how far away we could take it from the lofi original. I have never listened to that band in all honesty but I dig what he did with the song and could hear how I'd fit into it. 

Having supported names like Stone Sour and Bring Me the Horizon, would you say these names give an accurate impression of your own inspirations and influences? Who would you say are your biggest influences and inspirations– musically or otherwise?
I would like to be as big as those two bands. I would say stylistically neither of them for me. I can't speak for the other dudes but I'm influenced vocally by early Devin Townsend, Tool, Alice In Chains, Deftones and a lot of space rock, shoe gaze post hardcore kinda stuff. 

That's a very condensed lense though I draw from a multitude of other bands in terms of riff writing and singing. I try and stay away from the obvious ones that have already been plundered or at least mix everything up in a way that's not recognisable. 

Cannibal Corpse or Napalm Death has influenced certain elements of my guitar playing for example but most wouldn't hear it in the context I use it in. 

Who would be your dream headliner to support for a show?
Pink Floyd circa 1974 or Metallica 1989 time travelling between the two. I'd hope to have another album out though so we could alter sets accordingly 

You were also supposed to have been supporting Deftones on their upcoming tour around Australia and NZ – will you still be supporting them on rescheduled shows after the recent cancellations?
We're just waiting on them to re schedule here. Hopefully they'll have us for a full tour!!! 

We’re just recently skimming the surface in our own research of New Zealand musical acts- especially in the alt rock scene. What are some of your personal recommendations/favourites?
In all honesty Jakob are the only NZ band that gets regular spins. They have a really centred, spiritual and magical sound. Pure emotion expressed through music and classic natural production and mix, it's like watching a sunset, just washing over you and accompanying you. 

Check out the song Malachite, although there are gems on every album. 20 years they've been releasing music, lovely dudes too. Big fan.

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Thanks so much to Marcus for chatting with us (although disagree on the MnM’s front— it’s gotta be thecrispy ones for us).

Check out ‘Shimmer’ now and get ready for ‘Synaesthesia’, out May 1st.

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INTERVIEW WITH JAKE MARRA - ‘THE DAY THAT YOU LEFT’ DEBUT

One of Australia’s most exciting new pop artists Jake Marra recently announced his magnetic debut single The Day That You Left, a hard-hitting track that details the wave of emotions that follows a significant loss, and how it feels to be drowning in the swell.  This magnetic single is out now and our gal Selin chatted to Jake about his debut, his influences, and what’s up next for the Aussie singer and producer.

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Where did it all begin?
“I’m gonna narrow it down to 2010, when I started my first YouTube channel. I started uploading mashups I produced, purely for fun. I hadn’t started officially singing yet but that was my way of dipping my toes into the world of music. In 2015, I produced a mashup of Ariana Grande’s “One Last Time” and Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?” which went viral. I had articles written about me by Billboard, MTV, and Teen Vogue to name a few.

In an interview with Ariana Grande, Ryan Seacrest asked if she’d heard it, to which she replied

“I’m obsessed with it! Whoever did that is a genius”.

After that happened, I started to take myself a lot more seriously as a musician and finally started to believe that I had something to offer. “

What’s your sound like?
“It’s pure pop. Heavy beats, pulsing synths, catchy melodies and stacked harmonies. Everything you’ve come to know and love about pop music over the last 40 years, condensed into a perfect pop package!”

Your debut single, The Day That You Left delves into Robyn and Troye Sivan territory – all whilst creating your own unique, exciting pop sound. Can you tell us a little bit about this single, and the writing processes behind it?
“That’s such a huge compliment, and I’m so glad it translated because Troye Sivan and Robyn are some of my greatest inspirations when it comes to my own music. “The Day That You Left” was a happy accident. I was in the studio with Ben Oldland trying to breathe new life into an old track which I wasn’t happy with. I wasn’t really feeling, so we stopped and started from scratch. He started this bass line that immediately drew me in. It happened so organically, nothing felt forced, we were just two musicians bouncing ideas back and forth and before we knew, we created a full-blown pop banger!” 

What would you like people to keep in mind whilst listening to this song?
“The overall theme is ‘Loss’, and I intentionally wrote it in a way that doesn’t detail a single experience specifically. I’ve experienced loss in so many different ways over the years. Friendships falling apart. Love interests walking away. This song captures the feeling of denial that comes after loss. Not being able to move forward, pretending it didn’t happen, replaying old conversations over and over in your head. It’s something most of us can relate to, as much as we wish we couldn’t. When you listen to it, you’re gonna think of your person. Your experience. That’s the beauty of not only this song, but music in general. It can be interpreted in a way that’s unique to each individual.”  

If you could collaborate with one artist, who would it be and why?
”My answer to this question changes every day! Haha. Today, I’m gonna go with Troye Sivan. I remember watching Troye grow up on YouTube, coming out, releasing absolute BOPS and going on to be an incredibly strong and vocal member of the LGBTQ+ community. I respect him as an artist and as a human being and I would love to be able to work on a song with him. Channel our queer energies into the ultimate bop!“

 What’s in store for the remainder of 2020?
”I think I’m just going to be hiding away and recording a bunch of music. I’ve got a few songs almost finished, one of which I’m hoping to release before the end of the year, and a heap of ideas that I want to explore further. I’m only very early into my musical journey and the creative process is so exciting, I really just want to enjoy it. Be in the moment and not take any of it for granted. “ 

Where’s the best place to find your music?
“Take your pick! Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes. Wherever you like to enjoy your music, I’ve got you covered!”

Check out ‘The Day That You Left’ and heaps of other amazing Aussie/NZ artists in our very own all-local Spotify playlist now!

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HOW TO SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS, INDUSTRY WORKERS, AND YOURSELF DURING THE COVID-19 APOCALYPSE

BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE WE’RE AT RIGHT NOW…

Unfortunately, given the current world situation, we’re all being told to lock up shop and give up on any attempts at public socialising for the next few months. This means that many MANY people are out of a lot of work - artists, bookers, venue workers, managers, plenty of general hospitality staff, the list goes on. So, what can we do to support each other in this super f*cking weird time?

STREAM STREAM STREAM
As many artists have been promoting, streaming and purchasing music (and merchandise!) is the main - and potentially only, really - way to support artists right now. With the majority of live events being canceled, largely due to capacity limits (now brought down to 100px for indoor events) artists and crew aren’t making back huge amounts of dosh that were previously planned for. Chuck ya favourite artists on repeat, and if you can, go ahead and buy that band shirt/album/cap/vinyl/various other merchandise items that you’ve been thinking about for months.

Spotify also pays a higher percentage to artists from streams from paid-membership accounts so again, if you can, stop putting off getting yourself a premium account, and stream, stream, stream.

Check out our Spotify playlist full of all-Aussie (and a few NZ) acts HERE and get yo’ streamin’ on.

CHECK OUT MY BANDCAMP, DUDE
Spotify and iTunes/Apple Music aren’t our only resources though! Go buy an album from the tonnes of unearthed artists on Bandcamp and Soundcloud. Bandcamp, in particular, are making a big move, waiving their revenue cut from any purchases made on March 20th (from midnight to midnight Pacific Time, which is 18 hours behind AEDT - for those of you on most of the south-east coast of Australia right now, that means 6pm Friday 20th through to 6pm Saturday 21st). What does that mean? It means that the artists are going to be receiving the FULL amount you pay for the purchase during those hours.

While your five streams on a song aren’t going to replace the fee from a major gig or festival slot, if there are thousands just like you and I, it could be the difference between paying rent or not. This will also help the involved studio musicians, songwriters, engineers, and producers get a little extra cash as well.

DON’T SKIP THE ADS Y’ALL
If you’re consuming through YouTube - DON’T SKIP THE ADS. Turn off that adblocker, get yo’ mouse away from that ‘skip’ button, and just give your extra 10 seconds to allow that monetized video to actually earn something for the artist/creator of the actual video.

SHARE SHARE SHARE
Share your fave artist/band’s latest (or not-so-latest) releases. Let more people know about all the awesome music you’ve got stockpiled, like a panicking boomer and their TP. Share articles like this to let others know what they can do to help. Share your own works - who knows, you might go viral, you might brighten someones day with new creative content, you might even inspire others to create - and in times like these, our imagination and creation is all we have and that can often go either way, lets’ try and keep it somewhat productive and positive.

KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES - or don’t
Thanks to the amazing technological development that is The Internet, we are able to keep up with consistent live updates from all around the world. While it is often something to be marveled, times like these combined with the frenetic nature of our news media, means that not all news is entirely accurate or helpful. Be sure to keep yourself updated with things like symptoms to look out for, new laws coming into place (such as the new event capacity limits), areas and behaviours of higher risk, and where to get your TP and pasta from, but please, if you know in yourself that negative, world-ending-style news and media isn’t great for your personal health, then perhaps avoid social media and do your best to accommodate for yourself - which leads us to our next point…

IF YOU’RE GONNA GO OUT, KEEP IT LOCAL, KEEP IT CLEAN
Do your best to support the local, independent stores. whether that be book and music stores, cafes and restaurants, small grocers, butchers…on and on. Keep it local where you can and obviously do your best to keep yourself clean, don’t touch your face, and wash your hands before, during, and after any outdoor adventures.

DISTRACT AND RELAX
No, I’m not talking to you, ScoMo - now is not the time for you to a) use this ‘pandemic’ as a distraction from your oil rigs or b) pretend this isn’t happening at all and go on a holiday. What we mean is, for those who struggle with anxiety and a range of other mental health issues that can be triggered and worsened in times like these, now is the time to crack out your own personal distractions and relaxations. Video Games? Go for it. Colouring books? Colour away! Visual art or musical creation - get on that sh*t. Solo dance party in your lounge like nobody’s watching? You guessed it. Although many of us are indeed out of work and do have a lot of stress to, well, stress about, now is also the time to take advantage of the current quarantine state of things and give some time to yourself - we literally can’t do anything else. Chuck on some music, go and sit in the sunshine (if you have some right now), read a book, eat some strawberries (seriously, why are there so many strawberries in stores right now?), slap on a face mask, make a cup of tea, draw, write, game - do whatever it is you can that will help you calm down and get you through the next few weeks as the news continues to develop. And as always, remember to sit up and adjust your posture, relax your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and breathe.

TREATMENT

Of course, we are in no way medical professionals, so please keep an eye on yourself and your loved ones and seek medical attention if you feel the need to.

For those in Australia, there is a 24-hour Coronavirus dedicated information line to call if you want advice before seeking an actual GP appointment - we would recommend using this line unless you are clearly ill and needing assistance as many doctors, clinics, and ER’s are being filled with many people who have a simple cold, taking appointments away from people who are seriously suffering - COVID-19 or otherwise.

Please call this number for phone assistance and advice regarding COVID-19:
1800 020 080

Please read up here for further information on symptoms, when to seek treatments, and other info and resources, and of course do your own research - but PLEASE, do not panic, do not bulk-buy items you do not need, and treat those who are still working during these times with the utmost respect - they’re human too and are doing their best to help the rest of us out.

Here’s a list of the major music industry developments and cancellations thus far, but of course there is always more to come.

Here at the BackBeat, we will try to bring you regular content as per usual - but given the circumstances certain guests and planned content will be impossible to provide for now. We are taking care of ourselves and we encourage you to do the same, and while we will do our best to keep you updated on our end, please check out this handful of other local music-based podcasts to keep you and your ears satisified;

What We Did On The Weekend
Backbone Sunday Sessions Podcast
The Loud Hour Podcast
Wall Of Sound
The Mosh Zone
The Killer Set Podcast
Our Mosh Pit

GROOVY LOCAL GALS - YERGURL

Victoria’s teen queen, yergurl AKA Fae Scott, is a songwriter, vocalist and producer, making dreamy pop beats in her bedroom.

Yergurl describes the moments of growing up as a rebellious teen and explores the power emotions have over hormonal adolescents, through confronting, raw and honest lyrics. Yergurl’s unique story-telling is paired with atmospheric synths, lo-fi beats and layered, reverb-laden vocals to create pop you could swim in.

Yergurl’s unique sound is derived from her life-long appreciation for pop music, and takes inspiration from the 80s, to horrorcore, alt rock, and the works of The 1975, Charli XCX and Lana Del Rey.

Most recently, yergurl has been peppin’ it up at St Kilda Fest 2020, just before her featured release with Mars And Bones, her announcement of her place on the bill for Grampians Music Festival, and (the part that we think is the coolest tbh) her feature on the cover of Beat Magazine.

“It’s a sound that’s dreamy, atmospheric, other worldy and heavily rooted in pop. It’s a fully immersive and emotive ride that has darkness, radiance and everything in between. If you were to look into space with a ritzy telescope, you’d see yergurl in the middle of the galaxy, lounging on the rings of Saturn.” -Declan Byrne, Triple J

Starting out as an independent bedroom creative from Bendigo, Yergurl has been slowly but surely making her way up the rankings, becoming a Triple J Unearthed finalist, scoring various festival performances and her first headlining show in late 2019, and regularly updating her socials with new covers (including her latest dreamy cover of Metro Station’s ‘Shake It’) and original songs to keep us comin’ back.

You can catch her tracks also featured in our Spotify Playlist dedicated to all Aussie (and a few NZ) acts!

FOLLOW YERGURL
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ICYMI: BackBeat’s Spotify Playlist - Full Of Local Goodies

Ecca Vandal

In case you missed it; the BackBeat has put together a playlist to end all Aussie playlists (…maybe). We think it’s pretty cool anyway.

Featuring both well-knowns and a bunch of unearthed gems, ‘The Back Beat’ includes a mix of releases we’ve covered in our News Updates, as well as a bunch of local artists that we’re just personally diggin’ at the moment! Tunes from artists like Tonight Alive, Tame Impala, Spacey Jane, Stella Donnelly, The Kite String Tangle, Ocean Grove, and of course, The Veronicas, all the way to more local lesser-knowns (but still just as eargasm-ous) such as Velvet Bloom, Mia Rodriguez, Redferrie, Forever Renter, Astronaughty, Nothing Really, and Barefoot Bowls Club - and the list goes on!

Ocean Grove - Photo Credit: Bree Wallace

With already over 130 tracks added since it was initially pulled together in the first week of Feb, we know that there are plenty more to be included, so we’d love y’all to put your hand in and suggest some amazing local Australian (and maybe some cheeky NZ) artists and their tracks to add. Whether they’re super well known or totally new to the scene, if they’re Australian, we wanna hear about it! Hit. Us. Up.

In the meantime, get ya boogie on and give it a listen, pop it on shuffle and who knows, you might find your next favourite Aussie act - can confirm we already have!

LISTEN HERE

FOLLOW US EVERYWHERE!
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