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SOUNDS FROM THE SOUTH: TYLER JENKE ON THE SOUTH AUSTRALIA MUSIC AWARDS 2020

The South Australian Music Awards (SAMs) are set to go ahead in November, celebrating another incredible year of both up-and-coming and established South Australian musicians. Amongst the judges of the SAMs, ex-Adelaide local and Editor of Rolling Stone Australia, Tyler Jenke has a personal conn…

The South Australian Music Awards (SAMs) are set to go ahead in November, celebrating another incredible year of both up-and-coming and established South Australian musicians.

The ceremony will be in line with COVID-19 restrictions, with the winners being announced on 3 November 2020.

In 2019, the SAMs made waves as they encountered a record-breaking number of votes in the lead up to the event.

Amongst the judges of the SAMs, ex-Adelaide local and Editor of Rolling Stone Australia, Tyler Jenke has a personal connection to the sounds which are emerging from South Australia.

“I’m originally from Adelaide, so I’ve always had that really close experience and relationship with South Australian musicians,” he said.

“I think from a personal point of view that’s the big thing that really appeals to me, it’s just giving back to the music scene that gave so much to me.”

Adelaide, a city which at times was overlooked on tour schedules by bigger artists, has been coined as the first and only UNESCO City of Music in Australia. Jenke found this to be a great step in the right direction for Adelaide musicians and fans.

“As an Adelaide music fan, you would always miss out a little bit,” he said. “To have this sort of distinction like a UNESCO City of Music I feel that would really help for putting Adelaide on the map as more of a music city… it’ll mean that a lot more bands and artists have much more of a platform to show their stuff and end up as huge Australian names in the future.”

Something which draws Jenke to the South Australian music scene is a sense of realness and vulnerability, with artists such as Wing Defence and Triple J Unearthed High Winners, Teenage Joans developing and distinguishing the South Australian sound. Jenke found the songwriting abilities of South Australian’s to be something which draws him to that scene.

“And that shines true in their storytelling – they don’t necessarily sort of want to better all the other states or anything like that, they’re just sort of blazing their own trail,” he said.

“It’s something to really be proud of, I feel.”

Artists such as TOWNS, Horror My Friend, and Stellie are amongst the nominees for this year's SAMs. Jenke has a feeling that the bar will be raised yet again at the SAMs.

“Every year it’s always such an amazing example of everything that artists have done off of their own back, there’s always so much creativity and innovation that comes out from these artists,” he said.

“So I think if anything I’m still just expecting more of the same - just expecting the next level to be reached once again as they do every year.”

In regards to COVID-19’s impact on the South Australian music scene, Jenke said 2020 will serve as a reminder of South Australia’s sheer determination to revive the scene.

“I really feel it’ll highlight the tenacity of the South Australian music scene and hopefully a lot of outside states will be looking over and saying, ‘Wow, Adelaide have really got it,’” he said.

“South Australian musicians really know how to survive under pressure.”