RECORDING RITUALS WITH JACK DAVIES & THE BUSH CHOOKS
Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks gave us a run down on their usual ‘recording rituals and their creative process behind their funky folky tracks.
Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks gave us a run down on their usual ‘recording rituals and their creative process behind their funky folky tracks.
Our ritual for recording generally involves lots of snacking and jamming and pacing around. We’ll try to get there at around 11am (We’re not morning people). We never really plan for lunch and usually end up getting a burrito, which in the confined space that is a recording studio can be a bit of a challenge. Dinner then usually gets left till whenever we stumble home.
Some days, when we’re treating ourselves, we’d also do a coffee run in the morning, and a bottle-o run in the evening. Otherwise we’re stuck with instant coffee and whatever five dollar bottle of wine we can find hiding away in one of our backpacks. Also a kilo tub of hummus and turkish bread was a frequent sight, snacks in the afternoon functioned well as a sustainer of the good mood… Snacks aside, we started off early in the year by live tracking seven songs; mostly older songs but a few new ones too.
After lock down we came back and recorded a whole bunch of new songs and dropped some of the older tunes, I guess it was our way of moving forward when things changed, and it felt like the right thing. We didn’t keep all the new ones either though. But I would be keen to come back to all those songs at some point in time, when we have more resources I guess. Maybe in an album.
Anyway, back to recording… We never really had much of a warm up ritual, generally Elise would have a cuppa tea and play through the melodies a few times, George would have a beer and turn the amp up real loud, Chet would hang in the car park and I’d go find somewhere to yell. Sounds chaotic but actually it was really calm, usually it’s just one person recording at a time so the rest of the crew get to hang out and keep the good energy going.
CHECK OUT LATEST RELEASE ‘HALF FROZEN BEER’
FEATURE: EVIE CHATS TO BEC SYKES ON EDITHVALE AND GIVES US HER RUNDOWN ON THE SINGLE
Every so often you hear a song that completely transports you to somewhere else. It is engulfing, wholesome, and wounding all at the same time. It is that final puzzle piece that makes the end of a relationship make so much sense. It is a memory.
Every so often you hear a song that completely transports you to somewhere else. It is engulfing, wholesome, and wounding all at the same time. It is that final puzzle piece that makes the end of a relationship make so much sense. It is a memory.
Yet Bec Syke’s debut single, whilst seemingly relatable in so many ways, captures a time unique to the beholder. Through the simplistic beauty of stripped-back melodic vocals, Melbourne based singer-songwriter shares Edithvale, a story about the end to a relationship realised by the torching of a car.
“My ex-boyfriend [and I] used to drive down to Edithvale beach in summer,” Bec says. “My ex’s car got stolen and set on fire just after we broke up, so I was thinking about how much of our relationship took place in his car. The car being set on fire was like a symbol of our relationship going up in flames.”
Symbolic to its core, Bec explains the how writing process came to her organically.
“I wrote the song on my family’s upright piano and the chords, melody and first few lines poured out of me so naturally. It was quite cathartic to write.”
The sombre piano chords Bec describes initially set the tone for the song, but it is her opening vocals which induce multiple emotions, many of which I was not prepared for…
I want to be in love again. I don’t want to be friends
It is that line – honest and raw – which takes the listener on a journey told from the front seat of a car in a hot summer’s night. Whilst the song resonates with the pain of a relationship’s end, it doesn’t simply park in the heartbreak, instead it reflects the complex emotions of happier times.
Bec’s vocals are flawless, her storytelling abilities showcased as she draws her listener in to glimpse a memory with intimate closeness. This song doesn’t include all the flashy bells and whistles- nor does it need to, with vocals as mesmerising as hers.
Although a relative newcomer to the music biz, Bec’s talent scored her the chance to work in the studio with Tom Iansek (Big Scary and #1 Dads) which led to the creation of Edithvale. Recently presented with the Josh Pyke Partnership – a yearly grant whose previous winners include Angie McMahon and Gordi – it is safe to say this artist is making headway in the world of music. Bec Sykes is clearly a name to remember, and I cannot wait to hear what is next in store for her.
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PREMIERE: Thea Fitzgerald CLOSES OUT THE BUILDING BLOCKS ERA WITH TWO FRESH VIDEOS
Thea FitzGerald closes out the Building Blocks era with two fresh videos, and we’re pumped to be bringing them to you here first! Better late than never, 23 year old Melbourne singer-songwriter Thea FitzGerald has two brand new videos to round out her debut body of work - Building Blocks.
Thea FitzGerald closes out the Building Blocks era with two fresh videos, and we’re pumped to be bringing them to you here first! Better late than never, 23 year old Melbourne singer-songwriter Thea FitzGerald has two brand new videos to round out her debut body of work - Building Blocks.
Adding to the stunningly vibrant visuals previously released for ‘Stuck’ and ‘Holding Your Hand’, the killer team at Thick Heart Productions have worked with Thea to add to the collection with videos for ‘Breathe’ and ‘Higher Ground’. With a huge focus on colour to build the emotional narrative of each story, these new videos are absolute eye-candy.
The new videos add aesthetic and emotional symmetry to the body of work - the upbeat playfulness of ‘Higher Ground’ bears resemblance to the somewhat chaotic mix of cheek an pain in ‘Holding Your Hand’, whilst the solitary power of ‘Stuck’ is mirrored in the confined discomfort of ‘Breathe’. There’s a stellar cast involved too - Stephanie Wall, Ed McCullough and Sarah FitzGerald beautifully execute the story of Higher Ground, and Tamara Bailey nails her performance in Holding Your Hand.
WATCH THE NEW MUSIC VIDEOS HERE!
If you haven’t yet sussed the Building Blocks EP, you’re bound to love something in there – it’s a catchy fusion of pop, indie and R&B with infectious hooks, and will not disappoint! These new videos are the perfect ending to the Building Blocks chapter, making way for the release of Thea’s highly anticipated second EP later this year!
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