Category: Interviews

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Profecy

Brisbane MC Profecy is making a name for himself with his exciting new hip hop sound, best showcased on his debut EP Let the Music Play. I caught up with Profecy to chat about the EP, his recent launch show, and what he brings to the hip hop genre.

You’ve recently released your debut EP, Let the Music Play. What can you tell me about it?
The EP is made up of five songs. I’ve got a couple upbeat tracks on there and a few emotional tracks. A lot of people complain about Aussie hip hop sounding all the same. My main focus was to create something that stands out from the rest and I think I’ve accomplished that.

A Belgian producer, Benno, produced the EP. What did he bring to your sound?
Benno is an extremely versatile and talented producer, the production behind the EP is a combination of old samples and live instrumentation.

You’ve also got American singer/producer DJ Corbett on one of the tracks. How did that collaboration come about, and what was he like to work with?
He was great to work with. I sent him the track and within a day he got back to me with the chorus and even added some DJ cuts. I think that song is one of the stand-out tracks of the EP. A lot of people say the beat has a Dr Dre feel to it.

I believe you set about creating an EP that differs from all the other Aussie hip hop around. How did you want to do that, and do you think you’ve succeeded?
Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot quality Aussie hip hop around but I think there is also a lot of poor quality as well. Aussie hip hop is strongly influenced by the 80s and 90s American hip hop, and a lot of Aussie emcees try to emulate this sound. I think it’s time for Aussie hip hop to evolve and that is what I’ve tried to accomplish in creating this EP.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Caulfield’s Ned Jankovic

Sydney’s Caulfield are in the thick of a cross-country tour to promote their debut album Clarity In A Sea Of Confusion. Somewhere along the way the band’s guitarist Ned Jankovic found time to chat to me about life on the road, the album, and the band’s exciting live act.

I’ve heard your music described as punk, hardcore, and alternative whatever that term means these days. For the uninitiated, how would you describe your sound?
Heavy breakdowns, huge melodies, delays that can make the Edge from U2 cry … ha. It’s mainly a mix of different styles but if I had to “categorise” it, it’s post-hardcore which is a style that mixes hardcore but with a more melodic element to it.

You guys have all been in other relatively successful bands before. What does that experience bring to this new outfit?
It brings a lot of things, better ways to tour, other, newer methods of promoting the band to the songwriting itself. Having all that experience helps the band progress in the right direction

How did you all come together?
Myself, Mahan and Andrew had a band around five years ago. Sadly the band disbanded but about a year and a bit ago we just started to jam again and here we are! We found Brad and Colin from ads on the net, but funnily enough we all knew each other from the scene.

You’ve just released your debut album Clarity in a Sea of Confusion. What can you tell me about it?
This is a record we are all very proud of. So far we have had an amazing reaction, and this CD translates well to our live show, which is what we want. This CD represents us to a tee. The title itself means a lot to us. We were searching for so long and this band is our Clarity. It’s brought us together to write some kick ass music.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Two Hours Traffic’s Liam Corcoran

It doesn’t seem like too long ago that Two Hours Traffic was winging their way around the country with Dead Letter Chorus, yet already the Canadian band is planning a return journey. I caught up with the band’s lead singer/guitarist Liam Corcoran to chat about the upcoming tour with The Jezabels, the album Territory, and spending time in Oz.

You’re touring Australia soon to support The Jezabels. Are you looking forward to those shows?
We are very much looking forward to the Australian tour supporting the Jezabels. I absolutely love their sound and they are very sweet people. Not to mention that the shows are selling out everywhere.

The Jezabels played with you recently in Canada too, so are you psyched to be hitting the road with them again?
We got to play six or seven shows with the Jezabels in North America and we were honored to have them play with us. I think our Canadian fans were blown away by the group and I can’t wait to see them perform on their home turf.

Have they promised to show you any of the sights?
I know that Sam from the Jezabels grew up around Byron Bay and he has promised us some surfing lessons. It’s probably going to be pretty ugly on our end, because we will be first-timers, but what the hell? You can’t pass up an offer like that.

You’re really successful in Canada, so what’s it like to step out of the spotlight a bit and become the support act?
Being a support act in a new country is kind of like starting all over again.  You are back playing for people who have never heard of you, and if you don’t give them something special they won’t even remember the name of your band by the time the headliner comes on. It can be scary but it keeps things fresh. It’s easy to get complacent when we play a successful tour in Canada so getting out into new areas is vital.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with The Dead Love’s Clint Ossington

From the ashes of several Sydney underground acts comes The Dead Love, a band who’s already selling out shows a month after their inception. They’re currently touring around the country with MM9, but guitarist Clint Ossington still found time to talk about life on the road, in the studio, and how it all got started.

The Dead Love

You’ve only been together since April, but are already selling out local shows. Has that taken you by surprise?
We have all come from other bands that did OK in Sydney’s underground; that and being fortunate enough to have our first shows with great bands has been the formula in achieving it. We could all feel this was something special from our first jam and the reaction from people so far has been fantastic; sell out bills has been a huge bonus we’re thankful for.

How did the band come together?
Stevie K [singer/guitarist] had a few tunes he had been working on for a side project. He knew both Gene and I from around the traps and had seen us play. We were the first two on his list to contact. We all met up for a beer and a listen. One drink and a listen turned into many and we all agreed that night to get together and see what happens. The concept was simple: we all loved to drink and play rock music. That’s what we have been doing since and things have naturally moved fast.

I believe you’ve nearly finished recording your debut album. What can you tell me about it?
We are nine songs down but not 100% sure if we will drop an album or EP. We have our next two singles ready for release and they will be dropping early 2011 alongside the music videos. Everything we are releasing has been self recorded and produced. It’s cool to do things exactly the way we want them and on our own schedule.

You’re about to release your debut single “She Ate Me Alive.” Are you looking forward to unleashing that?
Absolutely we can’t wait to get the single out. Were really exciting to see how people react to what we are doing recorded.

You’re out on the road with MM9 supporting them on their New South Wales tour. Are you fans of their music?
We all have a huge respect for MM9 both personally and musically. They have to be one of the biggest sounding live acts in the country, things are going to get loose.
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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Gun Street Girls’ Dave Larkin

Gun Street Girls are nothing if not hardworking. Less than a year after their debut album dropped, they’re giving birth to another one tomorrow. I caught up with the band’s vocalist and guitarist Dave Larkin to chat about the album Adult Loose, cool band names, and the band’s upcoming tour.

It’s not even been a year since you released your debut album, yet you’re already about to release album number two. How did it come together so quickly?
Well, we’re always working on new songs, and we kind of figured it’s best to have new material out there in the public stratosphere as opposed to sitting dormant in a hard drive or tape machine. We had a really good bunch of songs and just thought, “right, this rocks – let’s do it!”

What can you tell me about the new album, Adult Loose?
It’s definitely more of a refined collaboration between three guys than album number one. I think the songs are stronger and more considered production wise. You can hear a band coming together a lot more on this one, and finding their own thing.

How do you think you’ve developed as a band from one year to the next?
We definitely have a crystallized understanding of what Gun Street Girls is now. We’ve spent a bit of time on the road, and a lot of time discoursing about what’s important in music and what’s not. We don’t really give a stuff about trends, and being considered one of the “in” bands, because we know that’s all vacuous crap that means nothing in the long run. Rock’n roll music doesn’t go in and out of fashion for us because it’s always been cool. It’s like Levis jeans Coca-Cola and Converse sneakers – one of those things that transcends the ages.

You worked with Wayne Connolly, who’s been behind so many great albums from You Am I to Josh Pyke. What did he bring to your sound?
Wayne’s a really great engineer for nailing performances in their purest form. He’s all about the right mic, and the right amp, and is a bit of an ambassador for all things vintage. He’s got an acute understanding of the recording process and brings a raw honesty to the final product.

Your band has got such a distinctive name. Where did the Gun Street Girls come from?
It’s named after a Tom Waits song from the Raindogs album. It was no particular homage or anything like that, we were just on the search for a cool name and started out by trawling our iTunes playlists to trigger an idea. Turns out though this song just came on the radio and Dave B called me to see what I thought. When I scribbled it down on the page it looked cool. A band name’s always gotta look cool when you write it!
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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Dane Rumble

Dane Rumble’s latest single “Always Be Here” is one of the most addictive pop tracks I’ve heard in some time. So I was thrilled to catch up with the Kiwi singer ahead of his upcoming Aussie tour. Here’s what he had to say about the upcoming shows, his new album, and cracking the Australian market.

You’ve done really well in your native New Zealand. What’s inspired you to try and crack the Australian market?
As a Kiwi artist, it’s only a natural progression to release in Australia. We are very similar countries! Also I have spent a lot of time in Australia over the past seven years, and I absolutely love it. Any excuse to hang around really.

Your album The Experiment was a number one hit in New Zealand. Why are we going to love it?
I hope you guys will love it! I have had a lot of positive feedback on it and continuously hear how people can directly relate to the lyrics and topics of the songs. I guess it’s me laying it on the line, spiced with killer hooks!

When I first heard “Always Be Here” I was struck by its 80s retro vibe it had. Were you inspired by any of the artists of that period?
I grew up listening to a lot of 80s rock and pop, Midnight Oil, Talking Heads. I guess when I started writing this new style of music a lot of these influences naturally came out.

You’re just about to release your second single here, “Don’t Know What To Do.” What can you tell me about the song?
“Don’t Know What To Do” sounds like a love song, but it is really about my love/hate relationship with music. Being in the industry for the past 11 years, I have seen both the incredible highs, and the painfully real lows of the game. No matter what I do, I’m always drawn to it, so I guess I will never stop creating!
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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Owl Eyes

Australian audiences were first introduced to Brooke Addamo as a fresh-faced teen on Australian Idol. She’s done some growing up since then, and adopted the stage name Owl Eyes. With the release of her debut EP Faces, it’s time to reacquaint yourself with this talented young singer-songwriter. I caught up with her recently to chat about her stage persona, Faces, and her upcoming launch shows.

It’s not so common for a solo performer to take a stage name. What was behind that decision for you?
I decided to go with a stage name to separate myself from my normal self. Having a different name helps you create a stage persona and let’s you be more creative.

And why Owl Eyes?
I feel owls are such a good representation of my music; it’s that combination of light and darkness, pop music with some substance behind it. Among many other reasons I choose it after going through some of my favourite songs and came across Devendra Banhart’s “Owl Eyes,” and it just sounded right to me.

If local audiences think you look familiar it may be because they spotted you on Australian Idol. How was that experience for you?
Australian Idol was fine. I mean I was 17 at the time, so it was a good experience for me to go through. It really did make me realise what I didn’t want to be and made me a stronger person in the decisions I make. I feel it actually makes me work harder because people have these preconceived ideas of what I am so I have to constantly prove myself as a serious artist but when good things happen I’m more grateful because I know how hard I worked, so it all balances out in the end.

There can be a bit of a stigma around appearing on a talent show like that, particularly when you’re a songwriter with independent leanings. Did you feel that, and if so how did you overcome it?
I have felt that at times but I have been pretty fortunate that once people hear my music they kind of discard the stigma and judge me purely on what they hear. The fact that I didn’t go very far on the show has actually benefited me in the long run and similar artists have set good precedents and I think people are more forgiving towards artists like myself and see it more as an awkward teenage stage or a learning curve, rather then something that defines the artist.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Ingrid Michaelson

New York’s Ingrid Michaelson has shared the stage with the likes of Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews Band, and Keane, and next month she’ll bring her original brand of acoustic power-pop to Australia for the first time. Before she packed her bags for the land Down Under I caught up with her to chat about her upcoming shows, the importance of MySpace, and love of the ukelele.

I know this is your first time touring Australia. Have you ever visited here before? And what are you looking forward to about your stay?
I have never been to Australia. I have always wanted to go but it is so far that it seems impossible. So I am delighted that my work is allowing me to see this amazing place that I have only heard about.

You’re playing a different city each night. Will you have any time for sightseeing while you’re here?
We have one day off in Melbourne. I have to do some research to find out where I should go!

You live in New York, which is such an intense city. How do you think you’ll adjust to our laid back Australian attitude?
I live in New York but I can turn off the “intensity” when needed. I look forward to experiencing this laid back atmosphere! Maybe I will even bring some home with me.

While you’ve created some real buzz back home, you haven’t released any music here in Australia. How would you describe your sound to people who aren’t in the know?
I’m not even in the know! I never know how to explain my own music. Poppy? Folky? Ingridy?

What can Australian fans expect when they come to see you live?
I love playing music and singing but I also love making people laugh. Hopefully my sense of humour will come across.

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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Ghostboy with Golden Virtues

Queensland’s Ghostboy with Golden Virtues are preparing to unleash their unique brand of punk cabaret on Sydney audiences for the first time this month.I caught up with the band ahead of these historic performances to chat about their new album, their love of theatre, and pushing musical boundaries.

You’ve got a really interesting band name. Where did it come from?
Ghostboy was first diagnosed by performance art rock influenza in 2005, and this is the name the W.H.O. gave to his disorder (no man/all spirit). Golden Virtues were a band unto themselves when the two met and then became casual then full time lovers in 2006. Are main virtue: let the art fall to see if it can fly.

You’ve recently released your new album Enter. What can you tell me about it?
Enter has been described as having a “calculated savagery”, as “wonderfully malevolent ghoul rock” “cabaret-from-hell” and as “spooky rockabilly.” Our songwriting is very visceral; the music both muscular and heartfelt, the lyrics direct and unsettling. The idea of this album was to explore the different aspects of sex, gender and relationships, including interpreting Iggy Pop’s “Sister Midnight” and Serge Gainsbourg’s “Je t’aime … moi non plus”. We are launching the second single “Love Me” while we are in Sydney @ The Supper Club in Darlinghurst (it is released digitally Sat 18th Sept).

As such a theatrical band, how do you approach capturing your energy in the studio?
We were very keen to replicate the aesthetic and moods of our stage set-up and live show in order to inhabit the songs in the studio, inspired by some of the recording approaches of Tony Visconti with Bowie and Eno with just about everyone he worked with. This included me being handcuffed and surrounded by mannequins and art porn shots while doing the vocal takes for the song “If I Were a Rock”n”Roll Girlfriend,” with a stage mic plugged direct into a guitar amp.

Your band combines elements of punk and cabaret, which is so unusual. Where did your interest in cabaret come from?
I have always been drawn to acts of the 70s like Alice Cooper and David Bowie, whose stages were an invitation to enter a “world” for the duration of the show while they became their “other” e.g. The Thin White Duke. I also love the way Iggy Pop has this performance art element to his work, the drama and narrative arcs of Mikelangelo & the Black Sea Gentlemen, and the live work of cabaret performers such as Taylor Mac. The idea grew of setting all of this in a cabaret context including throwing in trad & non-trad cabaret covers, such as Jaques Brel and Katy Perry, in order to stretch the form and see what can made of cabaret when you approach it with a punk/performance art aesthetic.

You’re going to play Sydney for the first time this month. Are you looking forward to getting in front of the crowds there?

Yes, the whole gang is very excited. It is a chance for us to play to new and unknown audiences as our main following is in Brisbane and Melbourne. As it is our first dates with Sydney audiences, we hope they buy us flowers, be sweet yet demanding, dance with intent, drink to impress, bring their mother and her best friend, and remember our name.
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Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Q & A with Brook Newton

Brook Newton is the latest country music hopeful to earn a place in the Telstra Road to Tamworth finals, after taking out the Adelaide heats last weekend. I caught up with Brook to chat about his time in the competition, his love of acoustic folk music, and why he’s got a lot to thank his best mate for.

Congratulations for winning the Adelaide heat of the Telstra Road to Tamworth competition. What was it like to be part of the competition?
To tell you the truth it was unbelievable! Its hard to explain, other than I had this goofy smile I couldn’t wipe off my face for the next 24 hours.

My close mate entered me in the Adelaide heat for more musical exposure, thinking I wouldn’t get in it, or else seeing as I live more than 400km from the city I could have gone in the digital heat. But as it turned out I did make it through. So we loaded up the car for the LONG 12 hour drive!

I must say, I tried to research you and could only come up with a lot of information about a blonde American model! So tell me, when did you get into music and what have you done before this competition?
Haha, nope definitely not me! My ‘manager’ has now created me a Facebook music page, so you can check that out.

Well I first picked up an axe at the age of 13 and from that moment I couldn’t put it down. I have recorded and created my own tunes but still in the process of learning how it all works. Currently play as part of a local band called ‘3 guys a girl and a band’ we have all been together for around four years, performing at pubs around the district and the occasional wedding or birthday bash.

During this year I entered many music competitions but haven’t got this far through. Firstly there was ‘Search for a Singer’ which is held in Port Lincoln over the January long weekend, I made it through to the top 6 for that, great experience. Another was my audition for The X Factor, where my friend and I flew over to Adelaide arriving 4 hours early and still where number 56 in line! That would have been the most nerve racking! Turned out I wasn’t what they were looking for. But all these were small stepping stones for where I am now.

You mentioned that you travelled for 12 hours to be part of the competition. What was it about Telstra Road to Tamworth that made you so determined to be a part of it?
Yes, a very long 12 hours! My Dad has always been a country music fan and has encouraged me every year to go to the festival and put my name forward. This year seemed like the right time to enter the competition and one thing has led to another.

I heard that you played some Ben Harper and Xavier Rudd, which is a bit different to the straight country music that the competition is known for. What is it you love about that laid back folk sound?
It’s just easy listening music that you can come home from a long day and relax to. Also my love for acoustic instruments has lead me into folk, country and music like Xavier Rudd and Ben Harper.

Can you see yourself making that kind of music in the future?
The music I will create and have created is influenced from these artists but has my own twist to it as well.

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