INTERVIEW: SYDNEY RAPPER TUKA PERSONIFIES HIS SOUNDSCAPE WITH HIS NEW ALBUM ‘NOTHING IN COMMON BUT US’
In the last five years, Tuka had a semi-hiatus from his solo career, making two albums with Thundamentals and subsequently touring those albums. Sel chats to Tuka about all things…well, Tuka!
Pictured: Sydney rapper Tuka breaks genre boundaries with his new album, Nothing In Common But Us
Image: Supplied
For those who are accustomed to the Australian hip-hop scene, the name Tuka would almost be synonymous with Blue Mountains hip-hop trio, Thundamentals. Iconic moments for the hip-hop group like their 2012 cover of Brother by Matt Corby for Triple J’s Like a Version segment (amassing over 4.9 million views) may also spring to mind, as well as their popular light-hearted tune Sally. Tuka is one third of that trio, and is hoping to define himself as a solo artist with his new album, Nothing In Common But Us.
In the last five years, Tuka had a semi-hiatus from his solo career, making two albums with Thundamentals and subsequently touring those albums. A major defining moment in that five year period for Tuka was a relationship which influenced a large part of his work.
“Nothing In Common But Us is from my perspective, it’s about personifying a relationship into the one character,” he said.
“I definitely got the idea for the album from spending a lot of time with someone and them uprooting a lot of things that I didn’t know about myself.”
Listeners are greeted by tracks such as the first single from the album, Wish I Knew, which was co-written with The Presets’ Julian Hamilton, and premiered on Triple J’s Good Nights. Tuka is renowned for his warmth when it comes to hip-hop songwriting, however this track finds him experimenting with deep house influences and breaking down the barriers of conventional genres.
“I guess the sonic soundscape was a victim to whatever I found exciting, that didn’t put me in the box of being a hip hop artist - I wanted to be an artist in general for this one,” he said.
“Dropping a genre or trying to create my own genre was the objective, there really weren't any rules.”
Nothing In Common But Us expands upon hip-hop more broadly and invites the listener to sit with a wide spectrum of emotions, with Tuka including spoken word poet Anne Casey to explore these feelings and as an ode to his relationship with poetry. “When I saw Anne perform it just hit me right in the head because it’s what I was writing about, and she actually coined the phrase ‘Nothing In Common But Us’, within that poem,” he said.
“...and so afterwards I talked to her on the side of the stage and we had big chats, and I asked her if I could use that line and she was so cool about everything I asked her.” Oftentimes, you can catch Tuka heading to Glebe in Sydney to share wine with friends and listen in adoration to poets who grace the stage.
“You just watch all of these people come out of the woodwork, they’ve had this whole life of experience, and they’ve put a lot of effort into writing a piece of poetry about their perspective and a lot of the time it’s just so beautiful,” he said.
Tuka also collaborated with rising Brisbane indie-pop star Sycco (the brainchild of Sasha McLeod), who features on his track Click Bang.
“Oh my god, she’s a genius! When I sent it to her I didn’t send her any harmonies or anything, but I just sent her a lead,” he said.
“She got it first try, I didn’t even give her any notes. She just came back with her own take on it and I loved everything about it.”
It’s hard to tell what’s in store for the rest of the year for Tuka, as the live music scene is on halt due to COVID-19, but Tuka assured us that it’ll be full of the thing he loves most: writing music.
“All I have to do is write music, and if I told myself that when I was a 17-year-old kid when I started this, I would have been elated! And I am, I am very happy - I’m in a super privileged position where I can wake up and I write a song and that’s my responsibility for the day – and that’s absurd.”
“I’m using COVID to just do a proper reset and hopefully write some of the best music of my life that will be relevant when I go to play it live, whenever that is.”
INTERVIEW: GRACE FARRIS - ‘ALL THE PEOPLE’. GRACE TALKS HER WRITING PROCESS, GROWING UP WITH FAMOUS FAMILY, AND THE STATE OF THE WORLD
Boasting a rich musical pedigree, it’s no surprise that explosive newcomer Grace Farriss is sure to impress and set tongues wagging with her impressive debut single, All The People, a funky fireball of a track with a powerful and timely message - to celebrate the interconnection between the diverse cultures that shape the world. We chat to here about all things GF!
What inspired you to write ‘All the People’?
‘All The People’ was one of those songs that came to me so fast that I even and often asked myself or the universe where did this come from? It came through within an hour and then I had a full song. Including the feel, the groove, the bass, melody and lyrics, the arrangement followed soon after. I feel though that I was tuning into the worldly events happening at the time that really affected me in one way or another and ‘All The People’ came through as almost a song of reassurance for me and for my greater community being the people of the world. We all have our darkness and our lightness to face every day and I feel ‘All The People’ is such a beautiful and very much a uniting song of strength and love. When I wrote my song ‘All The People’ it was one of those rare songs I knew was meant for others to hear and not just for me. Some songs and art is just for myself and some songs I know is for other people to listen to and to share.
Was the idea of the track a slow process or was it something that came to you quickly?
I did not have an idea before writing ‘All The People’ which is unique for me. Some songs I have a feeling about what I am going to write about or a certain emotion I honour while I am writing. Although ‘All The People’ came into my life and through me like a beautiful gust of wind. I wrote it so quickly that the minutes felt like hours and seconds felt like minutes. It is still to this day one of the most awe inspiring songs I have ever written and I still wonder where the understanding for exactly how it wanted to be came to me so quickly. Around an hour to be exact and then the arrangement followed soon afterward.
In light of the recent world events it seems that the notion of coming together is incredibly important right now. What message are you hoping to reach your audience through the lyrics?
My biggest message in my lyrics and music is to come back to yourself and who you truly are and what is your own path in life is as a person as well as coming back to how I can serve within my own community. This is my biggest message that I feel shines through in ‘All The People’. This is usually the place I come from when I am writing. I never write music because someone wants to hear something in particular. I write from the heart with the intention that it will help me find solace in processing these emotions as well as help others in finding and feeling the same emotion and feelings I felt or feel. Which is something that happens naturally because It comes through very naturally. Which is such a beautiful feeling. ‘All The People’ is all about uniting and coming together to do the best we can and to be the best we can for our family, friends and others we meet along the way. I knew it was a very grand song when it came through and I knew where it needed to go as soon as it came to me. The music and the feeling is the most important component to me when writing a song. This came through very strongly for my song ‘All The People’.
The track is incredibly funky, it has effortless amounts of groove brought forth by the combination of drums and the sax. Has the track changed considerably from its conception? What was the recording process like with Tony Buchan?
I knew as soon as I wrote ‘All The People’ that it would be a heavily funky, groove based song. I felt its power and its heart the minute it came out. I had the song two years before I went to record ‘All The People’ so I knew it better that I thought anybody ever could. So when I approached Tony and I was wondering for a long time who to choose as a conscience and producer. I decided Tony could grasp what was going on in my head the most after all of these years. Tony was amazing and his musicianship and knowledge is so incredibly wide. I knew exactly what I wanted for all of my songs and compositions as well as the arrangements on my album ‘Grace’ so to have someone that understood this was a very important and a wonderful feeling. ‘All The People’ was one of my songs I spent the most time on in terms of sound and feels, especially the bass throughout and the way it felt was so important to me. I spent hours and hours and hours getting the bass just right and one day I finally heard it. I would be up all night long figuring out all of the layers, vocals, bass. I wanted to work on ‘All The People’ in the studio as long as possible until I heard in the studio what I could hear in my mind. I was so strict and so focused and firm on creating what was in my head for so long for each of my songs on my album ‘Grace’. I am very much so happy and proud with how each of my songs and compositions turned out. My song ‘All The People’ is one of my greatest songs and I am so proud and so glad it is now there for the world to listen to it.
You have been surrounded by music from a young age, having a father renowned for his songwriting talents with INXS. What was growing up like in such an artistic family?
I was raised in a very normal way. Although we were surrounded by beautiful artwork and beautiful architecture and went to some of the most amazing schools in the world. I think at the end of the day my experiences in nature are what grounded us as a family and me as a child. My father and mother made sure that our childhood was as protected as possible and that nature influenced us as much as possible. If we felt like making art we would. Although I enjoyed history and science and geography so much. I painted a lot growing up and started writing at a very young age. I thought most families were as creative as my family, although this was not always so. I was surrounded by nature everyday growing up. This is the foundation of life and I really honoured this as well as the innovative nature of mankind, which I had a huge appreciation for. I had written over 2000 songs by the age of 18 as well as poems and stories. This came to me so naturally and very much so by my own will and joy for writing.
You seem to be extremely passionate about the environment, being an ambassador for both Sea Shepherd and the Jane Goodall Institute. What is it that inspires you to take environmental issues into your own hands?
I have always been surrounded by nature in its natural state and all at once I find mankind's ability to be creative and innovate equally fascinating. I have found many moments of solitude and some of the greatest moments up until now have been in nature in its natural state. I find you are able to listen to the real rhythms of the earth and your own self rather than others or other people's inventions. I feel that so many children grow up without being in the natural world and the beauty and peace it can bring to someone's life. Being the ambassador for “The Jane Goodall Institute” I am shining a light on her program “Roots and Shoots” which involves families and children and anyone who wants to be involved in growing their own plants and food and growing their awareness of being more connected to the natural world and its need for us to honour it. I believe that Jane Goodall’s work along with many other scientists and people of this nature provide information that is just so wonderful and so integral in the health of our amazing home. My awareness of the natural world has come from many different sources. I grew up around and surrounded by the traditional indengous Aboriginal people of Australia both up in Arnhem land and in Garma festival as well as in my home all of the time. Weaving baskets and learning about the knowledge of the Aborgininal elders and in particular about the plant medicine in different parts of Australia that have influenced me greatly. I grew up on a working farm and near the ocean which brought a lot of solace and comfort to me when I felt I needed it, which also led me to become the ambassador for “The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society”. I garden and bush walk a lot and enjoy looking and being around trees for long periods of time. Listening to the birds and other creatures and the elements is the most uplifting and peaceful feeling to me. My own organisation “The Grace Earth Organisation” will be launched in November/December 2020. My organisation will be a place for people to come and find out more information on the many different ways to help us all to be much more mindful about our footprint and the health of our local environments. It will cover many different topics and areas and will have information from other institutes and organisations as well as there being events to help raise awareness about our connection to the natural world and our place and impact on our ever changing home.
Your debut album, titled ‘Grace’, is set to release later this year. What can fans expect from the new music?
My album ‘Grace’ is one of the proudest moments in my life and I already had 6 of the songs for around 15 years and 4 of them around 2 years before I went on to record my full album ‘Grace’. When a song comes to me I can hear what it wants very clearly and quickly. I listen to the song and what I feel the song is asking to sound like once recorded. This is something I thought very long and hard about for each song I wrote. I consider myself a writer first and foremost and I write everything from the heart, including the arrangements and each layer for each song has its purpose and its place. I loved writing each and every song for my album ‘Grace’. It is one of the greatest achievements of my life and I am so looking forward to others being able to enjoy and listen to my music, dream and find a world of their own within the music.
What are your favourite Aussie artists? What music inspires you?
I really enjoy Australian music. There is so much art and amazing music in Australia that I have so much respect for. I enjoy ACDC, INXS, The Seekers, Paul Kelly, Nick Cave, Slim Dusty, Yothu Yindi, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. The music that inspires me the most and I always seem to come back to is classical and traditional indigenous music from all over the world. It feels so beautifully raw and so wonderfully uplifting to me. I have always gravitated towards this kind of music. Hymns and opera music inspires me greatly too and always has. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart inspires me greatly. When I first heard ‘Clarinet Concerto in A major and A minor, K.622’ I felt it’s lightness, darkness, softness and suspense he carries throughout these entire pieces in particular. So many times these pieces of music have brought me great solace. It is so brilliant and has inspired me more than I can even say. I do not know how to not think of Mozart’s music when reflecting in particular on my own musical arrangements to bring my writings to an accompanied setting.
When I first heard ‘Four Seasons’ by Antonio Vivaldi I laughed and cried with happiness and all of the emotions one might have in each season going about their daily life. I could feel in his compositions the very essence of our natural world and how we change and turn to move with the beautiful season’s we all adjust to through every year. I love how the leaves on the tree’s turn red and yellow in the Autumn and bare in the winter, and how all of the animals and land gets quieter and much more silent, there is a median feeling in this section of ‘Four Season’s’ that is just so incredibly beautiful. Then in Summer and Spring everything feels bright and warm and passionate and so sensual. This very essence is found so deeply and so beautifully in ‘Four Seasons’. This Artist has inspired me so greatly.
“Jules Massenet” When I first heard ‘Meditation From Thais’ for violin and piano. This artist has inspired me so much and I will forever be learning from and unveiling the incredible intricate writings and compositions of Jules Massenet.
INTERVIEW WITH NATHAN CAVALERI: PLAYING WITH JIMMY BARNES, BATTLING LEUKAEMIA, MENTAL HEALTH, AND COMING BACK STRONGER
Evie chats with Nathan about the highs and lows of his crazy - and successful - life, from battling leukaemia as a kid to playing on stage to 10,000+ people on tour. He’s done it all, and he’s stayed strong all the while.
As a kid, having the opportunity to play with the likes of Jimmy Barnes, Diesel and other music legends would have surely been a transformative experience. Could you please describe to us a bit about what that was like?
I went from busking out front of my mum’s coffee shop, to playing on Hey Hey It’s Saturday to playing to 10,000 plus people per night supporting Jimmy Barnes and Diesel on the Soul Deep / Hepfidelity tour. At 10 years old, this was my first real snapshot of what a life in music would feel like. I loved it. Tour buses, semi-trailers, road cases, rehearsals, security, backstage passes, riders, dressing rooms, sound checks, driven by a management team and crew all working to put together a night for both the artist and the audience. It was my first experience on a real stage and as a sponge, I absorbed it all. Watching Jimmy and Diesel sing and play their hearts out leaving nothing but puddles of sweat on stage was a pivotal point in my career. I learnt that playing on stage is not just about expressing yourself. It’s about connecting. For them, it seemed as if they played like it was their last night no earth and as a kid going through Leukaemia at the time, this really resonated with me.
Is there a favourite artist you have played/ worked with?
I have 2 favourites for different reasons. B.B.King and Diesel. Having the privilege of playing 3 songs on stage with B.B. in the middle of his set for 3 weeks on one of his US tours is an experience that I’m still digesting! I learnt so much on tour both through observation and receiving advice. It was also the first time I witnessed blues music on a big stage and was able to see how powerful a blues show can be. My relationship with Diesel has many dimensions. I was learning from him at 10, and I’m still learning from him today. We’ve always bonded over song-writing, production and gear but now as an independent artist and father of 2, our connection has expanded into the world of music strategy as well as the more “human” aspects of being an artist. I love and respect him dearly.
How do you think the highs and lows of your life have influenced your music?
Battling Leukaemia as a kid took a hobby into a form of self-expression and therapy. Even during recent years when I decided to call it quits, song-writing and playing even if alone, brought me catharsis. My empathetic imagination allows me to make art of what I see and feel - Be it experiences that someone else has had or through reflecting on my own, my music is definitely hinged to the dynamics of my life and is the reason why my stage shows and recordings are anything but linear. Weeping melancholy melodies to stink face triggering struts.. It’s all in there!
‘Before You Check Out’ is a beautiful melody, carved by the acoustic guitar and gentle vocals. It has a powerful message, one that you have described as being “a song for those who are low on hope”. What would be your message to those who are struggling in these current circumstances?
There’s always a way. Just because you can’t see a path, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. No matter what people say, there’s always a way and there are millions around the world who are proof of this and there are MANY paths to suit all different walks of life. The master key for me was learning to adjust my perception of adversity / discomfort / pain. When we start to see our pain as indicators rather than bullets, the situation goes from bring a battle to an opportunity for growth. I can see and learn more when I’m having a conversation rather than throwing punches or covering up. Most of my growth and resilience has come from challenges in my life. Don’t demonise them. Embrace them. Learn from them and trust that despite how it feels, it’s leading you to good places! An awakening is suppose to feel fucked because unfortunately, growth can only happen outside of our comfort zone.
‘Hug’ is another beautiful track, with the lyrics; “All my hugs come from behind, no matter how many times you walk away from the crime”. Could you please expand on those lyrics? What does the power of forgiveness mean to you?
For years I misunderstood the definition and purpose for forgiveness. I believed that the act of forgiving was the same as condoning and also believed that it’s purpose was to bring relief to the offender. I couldn’t be more wrong. My new understanding is that forgiveness is for the victim and is a form of acceptance. Holding a grudge, wishing something wasn’t so, hating on a past self are all acts of resistance. As long as that resistance is there, our past will continue to haunt us. For some, the past is haunting them daily through memories that are played on repeat. When we reach a state of full forgiveness we’ve accepted and are therefore released from the past. My song “Hug” is about making peace with abandonment. “Better the back of your head than the front of a lie..” means that you are willing to face the truth no matter how much it hurts. “All my hugs come from behind” is a metaphor for forgiving someone who has turned their back on you.
The album ‘Demons’ is set to release on August 9th this year, followed by an album tour. What can fans expect from the new music?
When I was a kid, I had something to play but now I have something to say. It was written at a time when I wasn’t intending on returning to the stage which kept the writing process from being corrupted by business goals. The sentiment of these songs are inspired by my own experiences and those around me. Organically, almost all of the songs relate in someway to how we relate to our “demons”. Whether profound or tongue and cheek, the attitudes of each song mirror the dynamics of my life and are amplified by styles of music that move me the most - Psychedelic folk, hiphop, funk, country all brought together by all my favourite types of blues. On stage, I string these songs together by sharing my own personal stories.
What are your favourite Aussie artists? What music inspires you?
My favourite bands are all over the place - Teskey Brothers, Ash Grunwald, Diesel, Julia Jacklin - OMG Julia Jacklin, Thelma Plum, Baby Animals, Cold Chisel, Guy Sebastian, Dope Lemon, LOVE Dope Lemon, Delta Riggs, Kingswood, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, TAME IMPALA! All different types of music inspires me…If it takes me away and makes me feel something, I’m in!
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A GENTLE REMINDER IN THE FORM OF MUSIC FROM PEAK PARK’S NEW SINGLE: PLEASE DON’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF
Enter Melbourne three-piece project Peak Park, who have released their new single, Please Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself, and you’ve got yourself a seasonal remedy which is sure to provide a sense of comfort amidst the uncertainty.
Pictured: Callum Lausberg, Mitchell Summers, and Thomas Hoeft from indie-rock band Peak Park.
Image: Todd Riley
As July begins, 2020 is half way through and the winter months are in full-force. Winter, along with a second wave of COVID-19 in Victoria, presents a somewhat difficult time, especially for those who are confined to the safety of their own homes. Enter Melbourne three-piece project Peak Park, who have released their new single, Please Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself, and you’ve got yourself a seasonal remedy which is sure to provide a sense of comfort amidst the uncertainty.
Please Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself, released on 25 May, touches on feelings of shame surrounding mental health struggles, and is an attempt to bring relief in the form of a four-minute track.
Multi-instrumentalist, producer and mixer of Peak Park, Thomas Hoeft, spoke of the source of inspiration which led to Please Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself.
“The complete process of writing, recording, producing and releasing this song in and of itself ended up being an enlightening journey for us to realise how important song writing is for our own mental health,” he said.
“It wasn’t till we started recording and finishing the mixing process that we began to critically discuss what the song was about and why we’d written it.”
This process allowed the three-piece to really tap into vulnerable moments people may encounter when facing troubling thoughts.
“The themes explored in the song can be quite intimidating and confronting but the challenge for us (or anyone for that matter) is to find your own way of expressing these emotions,” he said.
“You should also never feel ashamed for talking about them. It’s a nice notion to be reminded that sometimes you need to cut yourself some slack.”
Pictured: Peak Park helped each other with their mental health during isolation periods of COVID-19.
Image: Todd Riley
Hoeft added that during COVID-19 the band collectively helped each other to maintain a healthy mindset.
“We’ve been fortunate enough that through the band the three of us have become quite close and have created an open forum to discuss our emotions and to rely on one another,” he said.
“Talking to friends and family and admitting when things are rough has really helped me get through iso, and working on music when I’m stressed is also a big thing for me.”
The song itself encompasses a whirlpool of genres: the beginning starting as what seems to be a lofi-bedroom sound, which quickly transcends into a synth driven indie-electronic mood, and then eventually culminates in an alt-rock breakdown (my favourite kind!) reminiscent of English alt-rock band Foals.
All of these components blend and build upon one another, ultimately creating an incredibly unique sound for Peak Park.
Hoeft said if Please Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself reaches even one person, the band would be “incredibly stoked”.
“The hope is this song speaks to at least one person and they feel a sense of comfort or reassurance through the music and lyrics,” he said.
Please Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself is a gentle reminder from Peak Park to take it easy, and whilst doing so, absorb all of the swirling sounds they’ve so wonderfully produced.
If you, or someone you know needs help:
Lifeline on 13 11 14
Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
Headspace on 1800 650 890
MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
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BEN & LOUIS FROM ASTRONAUGHTY TALK ‘CHANGING HANDS’ AND WHAT’S NEXT
We had a short chat to Ben & Louis from Melbourne indie-pop-rock-ish band, Astronaughty, about their latest release last week. Here’s what they had to say!
We had a short chat to Ben & Louis from Melbourne indie-pop-rock-ish band, Astronaughty, about their latest release last week.
‘Changing Hands’ is definitely our favourite official Astronaughty release so far and the fact that it comes with such a funky retro style video has us swooning. It’s a little warm, a little fuzzy, a lotta groovy.
Here’s what they had to say!
“Here comes Astronaughty with a bad mama-jama. And she’s as fine as she can be. This is a DIY dance number at its purest. Recorded and mixed entirely in our Brunswick East Garage, so you can enjoy an iso-boogie on that daily dog walk down the Merri Creek. We slapped together Nonna’s finest ingredients for this tasty caprese. Mangiare!”
You’ve just released ‘Changing Hands’ along with your first proper music video, how does that feel?
Feels great! It’s good to put something out there again. It was a lot of fun to make! It had a great response from friends. '
Following your releases from last year, ‘Gravity’ and ‘Camera Shy’, what’s different for you guys this time around?
We got to put our own spin on everything this time because we recorded the track ourselves in the same garage that the music video is set (which is also where we rehearse). Nick helped edit the music video, and Ben mixed the track. So it had a real homegrown feel to it.
There seem to be a range of influences and sounds mixed between your live and recorded tracks – how would you describe your sound, or even what you want your sound to be?
A mix between 70s stuff like Todd Rundgren, Big Star, and Japanese city pop artists like Tatsuro Yamashita, as well as newer indie rock stuff like the Strokes, Arctic Monkeys
Favourite track to play (recorded or not)?
’Never Perform Again’, its an absolute shtumper!
What’s next for Astronaughty? Michael mentioned a possible album at the end of the year, is that right?
We’re actually going into the studio in a couple of weeks to smash out an EP, which also includes ‘Never Perform Again’, which we’re excited about! We’re mixing the best of both worlds that we’ve had with changing hands and the previous stuff - this time we’re recording professionally again, but then bens going to produce mix it all (so we still have creative control
What are each of your current top Aussie acts - old or new, but Australian (or NZ if you like)?
Tame Impala, Gabriella Cohen, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Karate Boogaloo, Good Morning, Julia Jacklin.
TRAVALLEY TALK NEW SINGLE DEAR BABE, RED-HOT VIDEO CLIPS, AND UPCOMING INSTAGRAM LIVE EVENT
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.
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
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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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 we chatted to Jake about his debut, his influences, and what’s up next for the Aussie singer and producer.
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.
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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Chats with; Jess and Jay - Don't Fret Club
In our most recent episode, we chatted to Jess Hope and Jay Wennington about, well, everything. Here’s a funky snippet where we talked about one of their primary projects (amongst many others, including Bad Seed Agency), Don’t Fret Club, a podcast about mental health in the music industry - what it is, how it came to be, and where it’s going next!
In our most recent episode, we chatted to Jess Hope and Jay Wennington about, well, everything. Here’s a funky snippet where we talked about one of their primary projects (amongst many others, including Bad Seed Agency), Don’t Fret Club, a podcast about mental health in the music industry - what it is, how it came to be, and where it’s going next! Check out the full episode here.
When and why was Don’t Fret Club started?
JESS: It started about 4 years ago just before we moved out here. It basically started because I completely burnt out in the music industry, no other way to really describe it. But it was also kind of everywhere; it was in a lot of the interviews that I did, like mental health would always come up and at the time – it doesn’t really happen so much now but at the time it was always either edited out or glamourised, or I remember it becoming art of the taglines or headlines when it wasn’t really a major part of the story. I think back even 4 years ago people didn’t really know how to talk about it. I hadn’t really thought about doing a podcast, even podcasts weren’t big then, so I didn’t really even know how to do it, but it was the only way that it couldn’t be edited, we could kind of give people a platform.
The idea was to talk to musicians about topics related to mental health and it was kind of broad enough that people didn’t feel forced to say a certain thing or touch on a certain topic. And luckily, I obviously have relationships in the industry with managers and artists and people who knew the right people to be on it. So, we actually started the podcast with Jenna from Tonight Alive and obviously she was the perfect person to start with, she steered the convo as much as I did and was very open to that, but definitely when we started no one was talking about mental health in music honestly.
We’re still not completely, in terms of the wider music industry, but it was just to get the conversation out there and not have it changed or misguided or anything like that, it was exactly what people wanted to say. That being said, being a podcast format can be a bit tricky in the sense that a lot for the artists will come to us when they’re on their promo cycle or when they’re in the mind of being very positive, not really always ready to talk, so every interview is very different and 4 years on every conversation is new and kind of challenging because we have to put a lot of ourselves into it as well. In order for people to feel comfortable, we have to create that safe space and be quite honest and open, so there have been dips in it when I’ve personally been not feeling like I was in the place to do it or vice versa.
It’s definitely been well received here in Australia, and we’ve had artists from all over the world do it and luckily we can jump on the phone with them, but I always [preffered] the face to face time versus a 10-minute phoner - it’s kind of like, I’m not really willing to put someone in that position of having to go over delicate topics on the phone with someone they’ve not met, so a lot of the episodes are with people I know or have worked with a lot, or interviewed before, it was helpful that I had already done those things that so I had those relationships already there. It was basically something that I needed to hear, and nobody had made it yet.
There’s a hashtag ‘#ShreddingTheStigma’ that pops up a lot on your social media and the website, where did that come from?
JESS: We’ve done a lot of content and admittedly a lot of it isn’t even out there, we’re very protective of it and almost to our detriment a lot. We have a lot of videos and interviews and an almost finished documentary that’s just not out because we want it to be right and perfect, and we don’t want people to think that we’re trying to glamourize the topic, which since we launched has happened a lot. People launch clothing brands with ‘I Am Sad’ and they’re almost proud of that, and we’re very wary of the reception we were getting. Some people thought they kind of had to say that they were depressed so that they could be part of the club, which is not the case at all. So [Shredding The Stigma], it’s essentially what the future documentary will be called I think, tying it back to music and widening the conversation. A lot of it is around stigma and that people aren’t ready to talk about it or deal with it or kind of put in mechanisms for people to cope with it and that's at every level. Like its artists, managers, labels, its people at the venue, everyone, and there are different kinds of stigma at every level. So, I guess the hashtag is an overall kind of thing, to kind of battle that in a way.
A lot of people kind of think that we're at the point where we can talk about it and that the stigma is not there, but I think that’s just not the case. Obviously, it is in certain cases, but so often we talk about it and there's no kind of repercussion or act after that - there's no aftercare if you like. So, we still think talking is what's needed to kind of lead to the next step.
Do people from the general public come to you, either in person or online, asking for advice or telling you their stories?
JESS: Kind of. The ‘zine fairs that we've done, I think was kind of us there and offering that space for people to come up, but a lot of the time if I've ever brought it up people don't really realize, that either it’s us or that we've done it, or we haven't put a lot of ourselves. It's weird because even though there's obviously a lot of me on the podcast whereas on our socials there’s not. You wouldn’t know the people behind it, and even that was a transition from in the UK when we started, my profile as a writer was bigger there, so when I moved here nobody knew me, nobody kind of connected me to the podcast, which is a good and bad thing. It’s obviously important to have that so that people feel comfortable [knowing who they’re talking to] but it’s also good not to have a single face because if someone doesn’t necessarily feel they can identify with me, I don’t want that to stop them finding something in the brand.
And that branding change that we’ve seen on the socials and the website, what boosted that to be changed?
JESS: I think selfishly we just needed something fresh because we've obviously been working with the same ‘creative’ if you like for four years. And also, I think it's been kind of done and other people have done it and we just wanted to broaden out and I think we almost want it to become, well I think it's naturally become a wellness general space. It's not necessarily a heavy music thing even. And I want to, because we've done other content like video and some written posts and obviously we did a ‘zine and that was super popular - I want to make sure that it's maybe not even just a podcast or it doesn't just rely on that content and that other people can start kind of putting their voice into it without me even needing to kind of interview or do a podcast or anything like that. And we've kind of built the community but I think it needs other voices, not just mine and the person I'm talking to at that time.
So you’ve been primarily covering the heavier music but you talk about interests elsewhere, where else would you like to see it go?
JESS: Yeah that's kind of happened just again because that's where my relationships with artists are and I want to make sure that they feel comfortable. But we've actually done one with Kwame which is only out it’s like a 30-second video. He's maybe the first hip hop artist we've done and we've had we've been given the option recently of a few more, we definitely want to do more within that kind of scene, but it’s just it’s making sure we really know the artists and that they’re comfortable and not just doing it in a 15-minute phoner when they’re allotted that time, because we’ve done that and it’s just not ideal for either party, you’re not given the time to really delve deep or explain who you are.
JAY: Yeah it is tricky because like Jess says, with the whole you kind not necessarily ‘stick to what you know’ but like, all of our friends and the connections we have are in a heavier world and I think it's hard sometimes for merit to translate into other genres. For example, just under a year ago we were lucky enough to have Corey Taylor on the podcast, and if we mentioned that to kind of anyone in the alternative scene obviously he's like royalty and we're very proud of that because it carries a certain level of merit to his name, but to someone in the hip-hop scene or like an urban scene or even a pop scene to an extent it perhaps doesn't quite carry the same thing as it does here. I do think that we both feel that we've kind of hit a bit of a glass ceiling with the genre, I mean we've done the frontman of one of the biggest bands in the world. I think Jess and I both agree that there's only one person that we would like to do more and that is Ozzy Osborne. I think once we had those two, we could die happy, we’d be done.
JESS: I've not actually thought about it until this moment, about what he'd say, but I think the best ones we've had are where people have no inhibitions and say how it is and have a lot of stories to tell.
GABBY: I feel like he'd be an open book.
JAY: Definitely, though I'm not sure what language that book would be written in.
But yeah, I don't know. It's a good question. I don't know where it's going to go next and I think that's why we feel like internally we feel like we've perhaps plateaued slightly because we're a bit confused in ourselves where it's even going to go next.
JESS: We are very protective. We want to make sure it's done for the right reasons. We've had lot of offers from bands which obviously is amazing that people want to be involved but I always kind of want to make sure it's in their interests as much as ours and if someone's mentioned anxiety in one song on one album, it doesn't mean they're going to want to sit there and talk to Don't Fret which is absolutely fine. We’re kind of we're getting ready to record what I'm calling a second season. We've had a bit of a rebrand we'll finally bring the documentary out and then I think we'll just see where the conversation’s at and what people want Don't Fret to be and go from there let people kind of take it for what they want it to be.
We’d like to say a huge thanks to Jess and Jay, and all of our other guests, for dropping by and lending their time to chat with us .
Listen to this and more in the entire interview with Jess and Jay, in the full episode here, give them a follow below, check out our past episodes and stay tuned for our next one (and last one for 2019!) with Laura Imbruglia!
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