Category: Interviews

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Adele&Glenn’s Adele Pickvance

In the early naughties Adele Pickvance and Glenn Thompson were rocking Australia as part of the reunited Go-Betweens. These days they’re back together as a duo dubbed, what else, Adele&Glenn. With a new single gracing the airwaves, an album release looming, and a national tour booked in, it seemed like the right time to catch up with one half of the twosome, Adele Pickvance.

You worked together before in The Go-Betweens. What inspired you to create this new double act?
We wanted to do this years ago. Our first attempt was around  2005, but geography got in the way. We’ve been a rhythm section, or ‘engine room’ as one might say, together for around 17 years and this just felt like the right time to do it, to step out to the front together.

What does your previous experience in the industry bring to this new band?
I think the industry is still trying to work itself. I have learnt it all comes down to ‘the song’ at the end of the day. Good songs remain in the hearts and minds of folk.

You’ve just released a new single “I Dreamt I Was a Sparrow.” What was it about that song that inspired you to unleash it on the masses?
It wasn’t until we had finished recording the album that ‘I Dreamt I Was A Sparrow’ just leapt out as a great first single. It’s a pop song and a nice intro into the album.

It sounds really different from the music you made with The Go-Betweens. How would you describe your current sound?
This is just how we sound. We basically went about the recording process as we used to with Robert and Grant. We were lucky that we had a lot more time in the studio and we were able to experiment.

The single comes from your forthcoming album Carrington Street. What can you tell me about it?
I moved from Brisbane to Sydney (Glenn’s home town) a couple of years ago and as I had mentioned before, we had attempted to record previous to that, but now the geography was right, and now was the right time. We spent a lot time arranging the songs, then commenced recording in Glenn’s studio, Horses Of Australia in Marrickville. We were in a lovely situation of having no deadline, and as we both love the recording and mixing process, we could have kept going and going … but we decided to pull the baby out of the bath water late last year. The name Carrington Street is inspired  by the location of the studio.

You’ve announced some shows to launch the album. Are you looking forward to playing these songs for the people?
We are indeed. It will be the two of us on stage. No loop pedals, machines … just us two and the songs, and alittle bit of charm.

Those local shows are only along the East Coast. Will the rest of Australia get the chance to see you live soon?
We hope so. We don’t have anything in the pipeline as yet, but we hope so soon.

I believe you’ve also got some shows coming up in Germany. What inspired you to take the album that far afield?
The label is ‘Glitterhouse Records’  They asked us, and that was a wonderful surprise as this means we are able to tour Carrington Street in Europe this year. Germany and Australia have a kinship when it comes to music which is a wonderful thing.

Have you got anything else in the pipeline you can share?
New videos, still trying to embrace Facebook and Twitter. Any tips gratefully received with thanks.

Catch the technologically-challenged twosome as they travel about the country launching Carrington Street at the following shows next month.

23 May 2012 – The Standard Hotel, Fitzroy
24 May 2012 – The Vanguard, Newtown
31 May 2012 – Black Bear Lodge, Fortitude Valley

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Mez Medallion

After catching up with his touring buddy Phia yesterday, it only seemed fair to talk to another Aussie ex-pat Mez Medallion. Read on to learn about his new life in Berlin, his shows with Phia, and of course, his music!

You’re living in Berlin, which is a long way from your Melbourne home. What made you leave Australia behind?
Well I guess you can never fully leave Australia, not that I would want to anyway, because the internet, especially Facebook, keeps you connected with friends, family and fans. But in terms of the timing of leaving Australia for a while, I had come to a point where I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with music and my creativity. I had so many ideas, half finished songs, half recorded songs but I needed a clean canvas and to separate myself from all my home comforts to distill my ideas and take the good bits of my past and fuse with the freedom and fire that comes from living in a fresh vibrant cultural capital like Berlin.

I was drawn to Berlin having visited before and drawn to the rich cultural/artistic activity. There is just so much happening all the time and being able to cycle between all of it is an added bonus. I love having the opportunity to refine my vision in this fresh environment and having the whole of Europe at my doorstep. For example, last year I did a tour of Iceland and as you know, now we drive only three hours and we’re at our first stop in Poland.

You’re touring Poland with Aussie girl Phia who’s been there before. Did she given you any indication of what you can expect?
I heard from Phia and a few other friends (also Australian) that Poland is a really cool and beautiful place to visit and the audiences are keen to hear fresh new music, very open minded.

What is it about Phia that made you want to join forces with her?
Well, I think we both bring a very contemporary version of the solo artist to our shows. People can often think of solo artists as being a person and their acoustic guitar, which is a totally cool and valid way to express yourself. But with my own background in live looping and now moving into the use of Ableton/laptop on stage with my guitar and voice I’m creating a big package but it’s my vision. Phia too has her unique way of storytelling, building textures and grooves with the most minimal of gear a Boss looper, kalimba and an octave pedal with voice and vocal percussion. I mean for a package of instruments that fit in a bag there is something intimate, sophisticated, honest and very cool coming through. So, yeah, we sound quite different but we are part of a new breed, I think.

The tour is well timed as you’ve just released your debut single in Europe, “Move Towards the Light.” What can you tell me about the song?
Well it’s got big beats, swirly synths, jangly guitars, and a friend of mine said it has “toms that would make Phil Collins envious.”  I think it is a really great balance between the familiar and unfamiliar both in its textures, catchy melodies and in the story behind it. When you see those movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the kid is drawn to the unfamiliar which then subsequently becomes the familiar. I just launched the film clip which you can check out on YouTube, which was filmed before I went away in an old farm in the Victorian countryside with the additional props of tennis balls and kerosene. I don’t want to give too much away to your readers but in the clip, there is a sport to it, an avoidance, a battle, but in the end the person submits to this light and is embraced by something quite alleviating and beautiful.

If you like what you see you can download the song for free here.

The track comes from your forthcoming EP. How’s that recording shaping up?
Well, actually I just got the final master last week and it’s six really fantastic tunes I’m very excited about sharing. The sounds are really cohesive despite reflecting my varied influences and point in the direction of where I’m going (album?). It moves from Fever Ray-esque slow tempo synth worlds, to Coolio in the Bermuda triangle, a bit of LCD Soundsystem meets Grizzly Bear and New Order melancholia. A friend who came to a show recently said that it was “thought-provoking pop but you can dance to it”. I like that.

I draw my sounds from a variety of sources in trying to paint just the right vision; some of it was over-driven drums recorded in a lounge room on my laptops in built mic, to phat analog synths, ’80s/’90s drum machine samples, lots of guitar pedals. I try to build something quite epic, yet somehow retain the intimacy of the songs’ bedroom workshop beginnings. I’ve been collaborating on the production of the EP with the Todd Brothers: Joe Franklin and Oscar Dawson from Planet Love Sound and previously Dukes of Windsor. We started working together when we were all in Berlin and then finished it off via the interwebz when they moved back to Melbourne.

I decided to release the single first and when the time is right release the full EP. I’m already brainstorming the next film clip with a friend of mine here in Berlin and hoping to find a label that understands where I’m coming from and what I want to achieve. If not I’ll just release it myself.
Continue reading “Q & A with Mez Medallion” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Phia

Melbourne born and German based singer-songwriter Phia is showing she’s truly a citizen of the world as she tours through Poland this month with fellow German based Aussie Mez Medallion. I caught up with her recently to chat about the European dates, her love of pop music, and life away from Oz. Tune in tomorrow for an interview with her touring partner Mez!

You’re currently based in Berlin, which is a world away from Melbourne. What inspired you to make the big move?
It was partly based on timing – I wanted to have lived some of my life in Europe, and suddenly it just seemed the right time. I didn’t have anything tying me down in Melbourne – no full time job, or mortgage, or university! It was also a career thing; I wanted to explore opportunities over here for my music. Berlin seemed an obvious choice: it’s cheap, there are heaps of artists here. I also have a German passport as my grandfather was born here, so that makes the visa side uncomplicated!

How does life in Berlin compare to living in Australia?
I find it hard answering this question. A lot of answers that I come up with, I wonder whether they are concrete differences, or rather, changes that have come about because my mindset/attitude has changed somewhat from moving overseas. There are some obvious differences of course. I love the travel I’ve done over the last eight months as everything is so close and affordable! I’ve been to Iceland, Poland, around Germany, the UK. In fact, last month someone from the south of France was in Berlin and saw one of my shows and invited me to play at their birthday party. That was fun! I also love not owning a car. It’s an easy city to get around. I ride my bike a lot, and also ride my bike to gigs which is so great. Now that I always play solo, I can fit my gear in a backpack. I’ve had some beautiful serene bike rides home at 3 am on a weeknight, riding down cobble-stoned roads, past canals and bridges, and some seriously old buildings.

You call your music pop, which is a term that’s almost fallen out of favour in recent years. Why do you embrace it?
Because I love pop songs! I grew up mainly listening to the Beatles and then got into contemporary music in the late ’90s, a really great period of mainstream pop music, in my opinion! Those early Britney Spears songs, the Spice Girls, early Destiny’s Child. They had some great songwriting teams. Now I listen to tune-yards, Lykke Li, Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear. Pop is such a broad church, and, at least, the first two have a hint of some of those ’90s influences. I’m not aspiring to be Lady Gaga, but a pop song is defined by being catchy, having a clear message and a hook.

Also as I was writing this I realized another reason I love pop is the diversity of great female artists who are out there making pop music, so inspiring.

What makes your pop music different from the stuff that made the term such a dirty word?
When I’m describing my music to people, I do always feel the need to add a precursor to the word “pop” with another, like “experimental-pop”, or “art-pop”. People often hear “pop”, and think you mean disposable music, or at least heavily produced. The songwriting of my music is pop, but the sounds I use are more diverse and intimate, a bit playful. I loop my kalimba on stage and layer my voice, which includes beat-boxing, hand claps and finger clicks, so it’s a bit DIY and a bit experimental at the same time.

Continue reading “Q & A with Phia” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Chance Waters

Sydney hip hop act Chance Waters is a star on the rise. His music has been celebrated as far afield as Europe, and he’s toured with some of the world’s biggest names including Method Man, De La Soul, and our own Bliss N Eso. As his Infinity tour approaches I caught up with Chance Waters to chat about his unique style of hip hop, the upcoming shows, and why he dropped his stage name.

You used to perform under the name Phatchance. What inspired you to drop that moniker and record under your real name?
I’d had the moniker since I was 16. I started out primarily as a battle rapper, mainly playing around with the freestyle element. The pun sort of suited what I was doing then, but getting older and moving away from that style of music I felt like it was time for a change. Heading into the second record it was a point of no return in terms of making a decision. I’m really happy to be away from it. It’s given me the opportunity to refresh a few things and I feel like working under my given name is a lot more flexible and doesn’t carry with it as many connotations as the Phatchance label did.

I was really struck by the sound of your single “Infinity,” the lush string section and these really moving lyrics. It feels really different to a lot of hip hop that’s on the market. What sort of music has influenced your sound?
Obviously much of the musical credit needs to go to One Above. We’ve been working together really closely to try and make something a little different on my second album. I find inspiration in a lot of places. Hip hop inspires me from a writing perspective, but musically I draw influence from all over the shop. I listen to a lot of alternative and independent music from a huge range of genres. In particular I’ve got a penchant for anything that blends genre lines and listen to a lot of acoustic, rock and electronic music and lift little things from here and there amongst that spread.

You’re about to release the album, also called Infinity. What can you tell me about it?
The album’s been a real labour of love. I started writing some of the songs in 2009 after I released Inkstains, but I’m still putting finishing touches on a couple of the tracks.

As I mentioned I’ve been working really closely with One Above, but also a lot of other talented local producers including Rahjconkas, Akouo, Cool Poindexter and Zeed The Mantis, mainly guys I’m also lucky enough to call friends. I’ve also worked with a heap of singers and songwriters, including Paris Wells, Rainbow Chan, Kate Martin and Lilian Blue, and a couple of my rapper friends have jumped on to break things up.

This is your second album. How have you grown between the making of the first album and this one?
I’ve tried to learn from my first release (Inkstains) and work as much diversity and pace into the tracks as I can. It’s a bit deviation from that album, but probably not as much of a deviation as the acoustic folk/hip hop side project I released in March last year. There’s some really personal songs and a few very existential tracks, probably as you’d expect from an album called Infinity, but I’ve made an effort to fight my melancholy instincts and blend a little light in with the shade this time around.

As you mentioned, the album sees you working again with One Above. What does he bring to the recording process that keeps you coming back?
Basically he’s just a great guy, really creative and progressive with what he’s doing and super prolific. Sometimes he’ll just subtly mention in conversation some work he’s doing with another act, and more often than not it’s a top tier artist from somewhere in the world, so I feel really privileged to get to work so closely with him. He also introduced me to Skype. Can’t complain about free calls, no sir.

When you tour the single this month fans will have their first taste of many of the album’s tracks. Are there any nerves about that?
Definitely! I never know how people are going to receive new material. It also creates a lot of pressure in terms of how I should ‘interpret’ the songs in a live setting. It takes at least a fistful of performances to really get comfortable with a song and learn what works, and I won’t have that luxury heading into this tour, so it’s going to be a big learning experience for me, hopefully without too steep a curve.

This tour takes in the East Coast. Are there are any plans to hit the rest of Australia soon?
I find myself touring the East Coast a lot more regularly than the rest of Australia. It’s really just a distance thing. It’s so much more expensive to try and drag a band over to Perth than to somewhere like Melbourne or Brisbane, and I happen to have my largest followings in those places. But I really enjoy touring properly, especially rurally, and some of my shows in Perth or various small towns have been the best I’ve played, so I’ll definitely be trying my luck to throw the net a little wider later this year, probably for the album tours.

You spend so much time on the road so you must love it. What’s your favourite thing about being on stage?
Probably getting to jam out with whatever band I take with me. I try to always have at least a few people as part of the show and interacting with them in a touring environment is always great. I’m really lucky to work with some fun and interesting people. I also have a following of really cool people who take the time to come out to most of my shows and catching up with them is always awesome. Lots of shenanigans.

I believe your music’s been getting some attention in Europe. Do you have any plans to visit and explore that?
It’s been really weird. Firstly my tracks were on a BMX video for Dane Searls (R.I.P.) which went very viral throughout Europe. Apparently they’re crazy about BMX. And then my Gotye remix got picked up by a lot of radio stations over there, particularly in Sweden and Berlin, none of which I ever expected. To be honest I don’t really know how to capitalise on it. It’s very rare for hip hop acts of my size in Australia to take their music overseas, even though international touring is quite common for acts in other genres. I’d love to sort out something, but I guess I’m focusing primarily on opening a few doors properly in Australia first. I get requests all the time though so it’s in the back of my mind.

Do you have anything else on the horizon?
As soon as the album’s finished I’m launching straight into working on more music. I’d love to knock out a free mixtape, maybe another acoustic project with renditions of some of the songs on Infinity, and obviously I’ll be touring properly and making some videos for Infinity. One Above and myself have been discussing the possibility of working on a release together exclusively too, so that will probably go into the works, and I’d like the gap between this album and the next to be much shorter. Basically if I’m lucky I’ll be just as busy as usual!

You can catch Chance Waters at the following venues this month and the next.

27 April 2012 – Plantation Hotel, Coffs Harbour
28 April 2012 – Brewery, Byron Bay (Free)
5 May 2012 – First Floor, Melbourne
11 May 2012 – Chatswood Club, Chatswood
18 May 2012 – Beaches Hotel, Newcastle (Free)
19 May 2012 – FBi Social, Sydney

Image used with permission from Reckoning Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with The Maple Trail

The Maple Trail is the solo project of Sydney singer-songwriter Aidan Roberts, a blues-folk musician who’s just released his third album Cable Mountain Warning. I caught up with Aidan to talk about the record, his upcoming Australian tour, and performing under a stage name.

The Maple Trail is your solo project. Why perform under that name rather than your own?
I used to perform under my own name, but in 2001 I put a band together to launch a self-released CD and I billed it as “Aidan Roberts and the Maple Trail”. The name kind of stuck, although perhaps at some point I’ll do an Aidan Roberts album.

Where did the name The Maple Trail come from?
I think I wanted to convey something about wandering, and the autumnal leaves that gather here in the Blue Mountains each April, so I thought “The Maple Trail” sounded like a cool wandering band.

Your new album Cable Mountain Warning is your third, so I suppose you’re an old hand at this. How have things changed since you first stepped inside a studio?
I do a lot more of my own recording, now that I have more things available to me at home, but I guess I am continually trying to hone in and crystallize what it is that represents my songs in the best way. I keep changing tack – from full-swinging country rock band to whispery quiet solo stuff, to trying to get lots of weird sounds in the songs to make them just that little bit more otherworldly or something. I think this album is the closest I’ve come to the music I’ve always wanted to make – there’s a long way to go yet. Maybe I’ll never get there, which is part of the drive.

You wrote this album over 18 months, which is a relatively long time. What do you think the luxury of time has brought to the recording?
I think usually records suffer a bit from too much time in the creation. I’ve always had this idea that records should happen quickly and honestly, and all great records just get knocked out. This time round I think I had to take those couple of years to rethink it all a few times, try songs several times in different capacities to try to find the truth of it all. I think it worked, at least I hope so.

After such a long gestation, how does it feel to have Cable Mountain Warning finally out in the public arena?
A curious combination of satisfaction and unrest; I think it’s a good record, and I am really glad to see some people are responding to it, it’s a beautiful thing to reach an audience and hold them. At the same time I want to be challenged to do more and more. I’ll get stuck right back into recording another one as soon as I can, and make sure it doesn’t take three years this time.

And the album almost exclusively features acoustic instruments. Why did you make that stylistic decision?
It was really a matter of circumstance. There were some songs I really wanted to do with the full band, but as time went on the record sort of closed in on itself and I was recording alone a lot of the time. Sometimes I would record really late at night in my room in the city, and had to be very very quiet – and that really informed the sound of the songs, and which instruments I had lying around at the time. I thought it was an interesting thing to try to get an energy in there that I’d usually use electrics for, to try playing and recording acoustic instruments in different ways. I’d actually like to make a really stark, completely acoustic album at some point. The songs would be all there is, no clutter.

The album saw you working again with your long-time collaborator Liam Judson. What is it about Liam and what he brings to your music that keeps you coming back for more?
Liam is one of my oldest friends, and we do a lot of work together and share a musical history – so we really can read one another’s musical thoughts. He was the ideal man to mix this, my most personal of albums. And he did a wonderful job of pulling the whole mess together.

You’re about to take Cable Mount Warning on the road. Are you looking forward to performing these songs live?
Absolutely. We had a taste of touring with the Broken Stone Records Roadshow, with a full beautiful band. I’d like to do more of that, so if these launch shows go well there will be many more.

One of the album’s songs, “Highwire,” gained some attention in the United States. Are you building on that and pursuing anything overseas?
I wasn’t aware of that! That’s great. I have some good friends in the States, and in good time I intend to spend some time there making music with new people and touring around.

Other than the album tour, do you have anything else in the pipeline?
We have a vinyl release of Cable Mount Warning on the horizon, so there will be some special shows to celebrate that – a few big ones, and some little intimate ones. Then, back to the tape machines.

See The Maple Trail on his Cable Mount Warning launch shows at the following venues:

24 April 2012 – The Gasometer, Melbourne
3 May 2012 – The Vanguard, Sydney

Image used with permission from Remote Control Records

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Reef’s Gary Stringer

After blazing up the charts with “Put  Your Hands On” in 1997, Reef seemed to disappear from view. But now they’re back with a brand new box set and an Australian tour. I caught up with the band’s lead singer Gary Stringer to chat about those Down Under dates, the retrospective package, and the band’s next chapter.

You’re heading Down Under soon for your first tour in 12 years. Have you missed us?
For sure. Oz was a much favoured destination on the Reef whirlwind and the fact that we’ve  been asked to come back some 12 years later is just amazing.

What are your fondest memories of your last Australian visit?
The people. For example, if we mentioned surfing to someone, we’d be around their house and the garage would be swung open and we could take our pick of boards and suits. Lush. Eating pies after surfing too. Proper job.

You’ll be here for a couple of weeks. Do you have any plans to do some sightseeing?
I want to go to the free trades hall in Melbourne.

You’re touring to promote your new box set which features all your previous albums. What was it like compiling it and looking back on your body of work?
Blinding. Me and Jack [Bessant] were touring with the StringerBessant Yard album until October last year so when  the chance came to put together the box set and tour it around, it seemed just like the right time. The music has held up well. Not so sure about seeing myself as a 20-year-old in the home movie bit mind. The book and 12″ vinyl are ace.

Do you have a favourite song from your back catalogue?
I have a few favourites: “Steal Away,” “Lucky Number,” “Stone for Your Love,” “Say What You Want.”

You reformed in 2010. What inspired you to get the band back together?
Chris Gilks [Reef’s manager].

You’re currently touring at home. How does it feel to be back together, playing these songs you wrote so long ago?
It feels like a party.

You’ve got a reputation as a really dynamic live act. What do you think makes your shows so special?
Well I think you are asking the wrong fellow for this question. We give it our all. I like to get lost in the music. I also like to try and harness the energy of the audience too, you know … get it going on.

Since reforming you’ve playing some major festivals like Isle of Wight and Glastonbury, and soon Lakefest. Are you surprised that people are still interested in what you do so many years later?
Yes. We must have done something right. BBB Radio 1 still play Reef.

Releasing a box set seems a bit like closing one chapter. What does the future hold?
All being well, we start work on a 2nd StringerBessant album in October, and hopefully Dom [Greensmith, Reef drummer] will come play on it with us. Yeah man!

Catch Reef Down Under at the following shows this June.

1 June 2012 – Metropolis, Fremantle
7 June 2012 – The HiFi, Brisbane
8 June 2012 – Billboard, Melbourne
9 June 2012 – The Metro, Sydney

Image credit: Steve Gullick

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Stonefield’s Holly Findlay

Stonefield bowled me over in 2010 when they released their debut single “Into the Clover.” They were wee young things, but I saw such promise in their gutsy classic brand of rock. Since that time they’ve gone from strength to strength, playing Glastonbury and supporting some of the biggest acts in the country. I caught up with the band’s bassist Holly Findlay to talk about their brand new single, time in the studio, and what comes next.

You’re all so young, but your music has such a classic sound. What did you listen to when you were growing up?
We grew up listening to our Mum and Dad’s music. Everything from Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and The Doors to Cat Stevens and Fleetwood Mac.

I’m one of three girls, and I can’t imagine working with my sisters. How does it work for you guys being in a band together?
Being in a band with your sisters has its advantages and disadvantages. For us it’s more of an advantage because we get along really well most of the time. We do have our little tiffs but we get over it pretty easy.  We really connect with each other and help out each other with ideas.

You grew up in a country town in Victoria called Darraweit Guim, which is so small many people probably haven’t heard of it. What was that like?
It was fun growing up in a small town but it definitely got boring sometimes and that’s when we turned to playing music!

You’ve had some amazing opportunities like playing Glastonbury. What was it like to play such an iconic festival so far from home?
The experience of going over to the UK and playing Glastonbury was so surreal. It was such a great experience. It was our first overseas show let alone the biggest show we have ever played.

And you also toured the country with Cold Chisel. What did you learn from travelling with such seasoned musicians?
It was an outdoor concert that had a festival vibe. All the shows were in regional areas at wineries, which was certainly different but it was great fun and it was a real privilege to play with such an iconic Australian band.

You’re just about to release your new single “Bad Reality.” Why did you choose to unleash that song?
It’s a straight out rock song and gets straight to the point. That’s what we like about it.

The single comes from your new EP, which will hit stores in a couple of weeks. What can you tell us about it?
We recorded the EP with Lindsay Gravina who has recorded with a lot of amazing Australian artists. We are really happy with the results and can’t wait for everyone to hear it!

After spending so much time on the road in the last year. What’s it been like to hibernate away in the studio?
We didn’t really hibernate in the studio; we sort of recorded in blocks because we had gigs in-between. We intend to do that with the album as well so Sarah and I don’t miss out on a lot of school and it takes off the pressure of being in the studio for such a long period of time in one big block.

Two years have passed between the release of your debut EP and this one. How have you grown as a band during that time?
We think our song writing has improved and has matured. We have experienced a lot more in the music industry in the past couple of years and it has really pushed us to improve.

Do you have anything else in the pipeline?
We’re currently writing and demoing for the album. We’re playing at Triple J’s One Night Stand as well so we’re really excited about that!

Catch Stonefield on their Bad Reality tour at the following venues.

19 April 2012 – The Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
20 April 2012 – The Zoo, Brisbane
21 April 2012 – Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra
22 April 2012 – The Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
24 & 25 April 2012 – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
26 April 2012 – The Patch, Wollongong
27 April 2012 – The Standard, Surry Hills
28 April 2012 – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle

Image used with permission from Shiny Entertainment

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Jack Colwell

I’ve been gaga for Jack Colwell since I heard his single “Captain’s Melody.” I caught up with this exciting new Sydney artist ahead of the album’s official launch at The Conservatorium of Music on March 30.

You’ve just released a new single “Captain’s Melody.” What was it about that song that made you want to share it with Australia?
“Captain’s Melody” was a really important song to me as it was written at what seemed a really transitional time, on that edge of accepting responsibly for your actions, especially when you’ve hurt others during a relationship and then realise that you want them back. The song has a catchy sound and everyone loves a ‘la la la’ melody.

You’re launching the single at the Conservatorium of Music, which is a world away from the pubs and clubs most modern bands play. Why did you choose this unusual venue for your single launch?
The Conserservatorium of Music is where I studied and gained most of my musical education, I have a lot of really important memories growing and learning inside the famous institution. The Con association CHAOS (Con High Association of Old Students) invited me back to perform as a guest performer and with my album on the way they were the ones to suggest I make it my second single launch. It is a real honour.

The song comes from the album Picture Window, which you’ll release in May. What can you tell me about the album?
Picture Window is a chamber pop album (Andrew Bird, Patrick Wolf, Joanna Newsom) which is heavily influenced by ’60s folk arrangements. The songs were written mainly around the piano and then fleshed out for an acoustic backing band ‘The Owls’ and on recording a small string ensemble. It deals with change and loss and like most good first albums, lots of leftover heartbreak.

You’re a classically trained composer. What do you think that education has brought to your music?
I think it probably just influences the sound or arrangements I choose to use. It certainly dosn’t make you a better songwriter or composer than anyone else. You can write away at a song for days using lots of compositional techniques and tricks but songs always tend to be one of those more intuitive things that people prefer to ‘feel’ or just go with.

Classical music is quite different from the alternative pop you’re producing now. What inspired you to change direction?
I think quite honestly I knew I couldn’t be a great classical player. I just didn’t have the commitment to practice for five-six hours every day like so many of them do and I found so much of the ‘alone’ time in a practice room to be really anti-social and depressing at times. Songwriting came naturally to me and I just continued to do it and do small shows. I never imagined I’d get the opportunity to be on radio and have my album performed with a Chamber Orchestra. It’s exciting to say the least.

Your band still appears to have that classical influence, with instruments that rarely grace mainstream pop recordings. What do you think the strings and woodwind instruments bring to your sound?
I’d like to think it makes it quite unique, but in recent years there’s actually been a renaissance of this sort of style of music and writing. The guidelines for a single, album, video etc. have all been thrown out the window these days. Hopefully at the very least it can show people that instruments shouldn’t be locked into set genres and they can have the ability to do all sorts of things before adding laptop effects. Certainly during the golden age of songwriting (’60s, ’70s) these instruments were used in their prime.

You’ve got such a unique sound. Who are some of your musical influences?
I spent a large part of my teens listening to Tori Amos’s Boys for Pele, that album really spoke to me along with Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside. Recently I’ve been listening to Goldfrapp’s Seventh Tree, the Beach House album, and believe it or not some Katy Perry! “California Gurls” is a great dancing song and I do love dancing.

So your hometown fans will get to see you at your single launch. Do you have any plans to take your live show to the rest of the country?
Last year I was lucky enough to do a small tour for the “Hopechest” single, to Canberra and Melbourne and in the past I’ve also been to Newcastle for the TINA (This is Not Art) festival, but due to weather complications was a difficult show to perform. I’d like to plan another tour in the works for Picture Window around Australia and am looking at going to the UK as well where my music has a small popularity.

What do you enjoy most about being on stage?
To be honest I don’t really. I get very anxious before I go on and during but I’ve learnt to overcome that in time. Live performance is always unpredictable, as though some kind of beast and anything can go right or wrong. I think though, having the songs be able to stand up on their own, in front of people who are hopefully connecting with them gives the songs a chance to really exist and live.

Do you have anything else in the pipeline?
Album launch in May with launch party TBA! Keep your eyes out. Rainbow Chan and I have our show on March 30 at The Conservatorium and are discussing writing and recording a duet in the near future. UK tour and a possibility of a main-stage Oxford Art Factory show in June. Big wheels turning.

Image used with permission from Positive Feedback

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Oceanics’ Jackson Haswell

This week Oceanics wowed me with their new single “Chinatown (Is Not Newtown),” so when I got the opportunity to chat to the band’s guitarist Jackson Haswell I jumped at the chance. Read on to find all about the song that’s stuck in my head, the band’s forthcoming EP, and life on the road.

You’re releasing your second EP at the end of the month. What can you tell me about it?
We’d like to think that it’s a solid step in a more mature direction. Wayne Connolly really helped us develop as a collective, and better understand the principles of songwriting.

What do you think you learned between the recording of your first EP and this one?
Once again, I attribute a lot of the learning process to Wayne Connolly here. Our approach to writing songs, especially at the guitar platform, has been influenced. Elliot and I began working on newer material even during the recording process of this EP, and are excited to keep trucking with our new approach.

What was it like stepping into the studio the second time around?
Considering it was a larger studio, miles from home, it was different to say the least. We borrowed Wayne’s excellent amp collection and really had a chance to mess around with sounds and make forward strides in our journey to finding our sound.

The EP features the single “Chinatown (Is Not Newtown),” which is one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard lately. Why did you choose to share it with the public?
Thank you very much! It was a decision influenced by radio pluggers and PR types from Melbourne to Brisbane. Next time I’d be very interested to see how a decision would fare, based purely upon the band’s collective instinct.

Your press release credits your friendship as one of the keys to the band’s success. How did you all meet?
That sounds cute. I would say we’re as friendly with each other as any other young band. We all have our own friendship circles outside Oceanics. Elliot and I were friends in high school, and met Andy and Tom later when we decided to take our Simon and Garfunkel guitar duo to the live stage.

You’re about to start touring the East Coast to support the EP’s release. How do you feel about that?
We’re flying to Melbourne on Thursday night to begin the first of the shows. We’re excited to be playing that far south once again. It’s been a while.

What do you love most about playing live?
Playing electric guitar is where I find my personality extended to its fullest. Being applauded by a large group of people for purely doing what I love is the best thing I’ve encountered in my 20 years on this planet.

Will the rest of Australia get the chance to see you any time soon?
At this stage, places like Adelaide, Perth and Tasmania aren’t a feasible option. It’s certainly something I’ll be pushing for as soon as possible though. This country is huge and I want to do laps of it.

Do you have anything else in the pipeline?
Writing as many songs as possible for the foreseeable future. We want an extensive song bank to choose from for our next studio production, whenever that may be.

You can catch Oceanics doing their thing at the following venues this month and the next.

15 March 2012 – Laundry, Melbourne
16 March 2012 – FBi Social, Sydney
22 March 2012 – Cobra Kai, Brisbane (EP Launch)
23 March 2012 – Elsewhere, Gold Coast (EP Launch)
12 April 2012 – Landsdowne Hotel, Sydney
13 April 2012 – Mum, Sydney
14 April 2012 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with The Fearless Vampire Killers’ Al Marx

The Fearless Vampire Killers are back on home soil and touring around the country to support the release of their new single “I Won’t Stay Too Long.” I caught up with the band’s lead guitarist Al Marx to chat about the song, their time on the road, and their plans for global domination.

I caught up with you guys last year before the release of Batmania. What’s is like to have the album out in the public sphere?
It feels pretty good. It’s kind of like being married for a few years then finally buying a house. Or maybe it’s more like paying off the mortgage. You decide.

Your sound really takes me back to a lot of the music my dad used to play me as a kid. Who did you listen to in your formative years?
Many different things from rock operas to folk. People often think we only listen to ’70s rock which is just not true. The sound-set we use is just a result of our influences whilst learning. We just focus on writing good songs and the rest falls into place. The colours Van Gogh used are not really important; it’s the painting you look at.

“I Won’t Stay Too Long” is the new single from your album Batmania. What was it about that song that made you want to release it?
It’s a fun song, and we’ve personally always found it quite funny. I suppose when we decided we wanted to release another track as a single we wanted to put out something a little different.

As it’s one of my guilty pleasures, I was impressed that your song “With For You & Me” will be featured in 90210. How did that come about?
I guess they must have liked it. That’s actually the best thing about this whole situation: finding out which of our friends has a closet fetish for 90210.

Is there anything else happening on the international front?
Funny you should ask. “I Won’t Stay Too Long” has just been selected as the theme song for the U.N. general assembly. They won’t pay for it of course, but we are getting a gift pack of U.N. t-shirts, mugs, and some depleted uranium which I’m sure will come in handy.

For now you’re focusing on what’s happening at home, with a national single tour next month. Are you looking forward to getting back on the road?
It’s always good to play to people who wouldn’t ordinarily see you. I think we play better when we’re interstate because deep inside you want to validate all the effort, and I think that helps us justify our odd lives.

The tour chugs along at a fairly frantic pace, with Brisbane one day and Melbourne the next. How does that suit you?
I’ve always sported a slight Mad Max fantasy, so yeah, certainly. The road is love, the road is your friend. Be wary of gyro pilots bearing gifts.

There’s obviously a lot of time in transit. How do you amuse yourself on the road?
We have wicked senses of humour and the longer you’re on the road, the more depraved it gets. As a group we can be quite alarming by the end of a tour.

I’m sure being up on stage makes all the travel worthwhile. What do you love most about playing live?
You’re absolutely right. I just love live music. It doesn’t exist as anything tangible and once we’ve stopped playing it’s gone. Standing on stage playing your songs must be the best drug in the world.

After this tour wraps up, what’s next for The Fearless Vampire Killers?
We’ve been siphoning off Fearless funds for a number of years to the Chinese Space Program, so all things running smoothly, we plan to be the first band to broadcast a gig from the surface of Mars. Then we’re gonna find us some of that Martian gold.

You can catch The Fearless Vampire Killers at the following shows.

10 March 2012 – Plus One, Adelaide
16 March 2012 – Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane
17 March 2012 – The Toff in Town, Melbourne

Image used with permission from Two Fish Out of Water