Vivien Aisi may just be the best singer that you’ve never heard of. Born in Papua New Guinea and now living in Gimuy-walubarra Yidi/Cairns, her latest single “Take Me There” is the perfect showcase for her sultry, soulful voice.
“Take Me There is written about my love for music and where I want it to take me,” Vivien explained. “All my hopes and aspirations, in line with my relationship with music, have been a rollercoaster where I have struggled to fit into the industry, juggle a healthy balance of work, family, and at the same time stay true to who I am as a performer/singer/songwriter. I enjoy a variety of genres and don’t really write to suit a particular style. I allow creativity to take me there and produce what is authentic to me at the moment. It was a good break from all the heavy emotional stuff I generally express through my songwriting.”
With talent to spare, no doubt music is going to take Vivien exactly where she wants to go.
Meeajin/Brisbane artist Kaypo has totally won me over with his charming new single “Empty Highs.” It’s honest and earnest, just the sort of gentle folk-pop ditty we need when our week is winding down. It sounds sweet, but listen to those lyrics and you’ll hear the pathos coming through.
“I was sitting outside the morning after a bad first date. I’d just arrived back home from a week away on holiday where we were partying almost the entire time. In retrospect, it wasn’t even that bad of a night (just no chemistry there) – but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. All the subconscious thoughts and doubts that had been brewing came front of mind and I wrote the track then and there,” he explained.
Kaypo has been doing some great things of late, playing six slots at the Ekka and opening for Hein Cooper. He’s also a semifinalist in the national Songwriting Prize 2022. Talk about a star on the rise. Kaypo is definitely someone to watch.
If you love a tender, stripped-back ballad as much as I do, Able Joseph’s new single “Lonely LA” will be right up your alley. This song is the classic case of less is more, with a simple acoustic guitar melody wrapping around gorgeous lyrics and Able’s voice. I’m in.
“There’s a beautiful side to two people having to adjust to life’s curveballs and facing change as a team — be that changing dreams, homes, realities … this isn’t a love song, it’s a relationship song,” Able explained. “This song is a homage to songwriting. We wanted to keep the structure as simple as possible but still weave in different moments and transitions that take you somewhere unexpected. The outro is a deeply honest conversation between two people and the production reflects that; it’s closer to the mic, more intimate and raw. I’m really proud of the story we tell.”
More like this please!
Image used with permission from beehive; credit: Trevor Conrad
If Katie Melua explored her dark side she might release a song like “Backup Plan,” the cool new single from Bel Kil. This brooding follow-up to “Escaping” is a real departure from her summery debut, but I love an artist that keeps us guessing. The song proves that great things can come out of life’s disappointments.
“I was walking home from the studio on a balmy Friday afternoon, excited to have a beer with a friend, only to receive a text saying he couldn’t make it,” Bel recalled. “I can remember feeling the let down and then when I walked past the pub we were meant to meet at, I started singing voice memos into my phone.” By the time she arrived home, Bel had the lyrics and melody ready to go.
This track isn’t just a sonic departure for Bel. It also gave her the opportunity to hone her production skills.
“I was a lot more focused on guitar and bass tones with this track than in the past. It was nice to take a step away from producing more electronic songs in Ableton and go back to how I used to write with a guitar before I knew how to produce,” she added. “I wanted to capture a slower, contemplative, dreamy and slightly psychedelic feel. I started with the guitar chords and built the production around there, using midi drums originally and my guitar as the bass. I added virtual strings, synths and layers of vocals. I played around with panning and effects. I worked backwards producing the whole track in the box and then overdubbed my friends Tristan Courtney on bass guitar and John Vassallo on drums to achieve more of a ‘live feeling’. In a way, the outro feels climatic and chaotic but it’s intentionally ordered chaos, the way my head was feeling as I reasoned with myself and didn’t let the disappointment get me down. I wanted it to feel like a journey. The song starts out reflective but by the time we reach the peak, there’s this epic hopefulness.”
With such diverse releases, I’m not quite sure what to expect from Bel’s debut EP My Year when it drops in early November. However, as I mentioned before, I love an artist who keeps me guessing. Whatever that release holds, I’m ready for it.
With his debut EP Weather & Dogs? dropping in just a couple of days, I thought it was about time I introduced you to Flynn Gurry’s latest single “Running.” A powerful exploration of mental health, this track really showcases Flynn’s talents as a songwriter.
“The songwriting process for ‘Running’ was a really pivotal moment for me, I was actually gaining an understanding and seeing the way that I was dealing with the poor mental health I was experiencing at the time,” Flynn admitted. “My way of coping was to just ignore and run from it by isolating myself and refusing the help that was being laid out in front of me. Being aware of the dark content in this song, I really wanted to ensure that the production on the track wasn’t necessarily overcompensatingly ‘happy’, but it wasn’t just all doom and gloom – I feel Jan [Skubiszewski, producer] and I found a great balance.”
Weather & Dogs? drops this Friday, September 23. I’ve already taken a listen and I know you’re going to love it. Flynn will support Goanna at their show at the Lighthouse Theatre in his hometown of Peek Wurrong/Warrnambool on October 27.
The artist formerly known as MADAM3EMPRESS is back with a brand new moniker and single. Now known as Shanae, this Eora/Sydney-born artist has just dropped the sultry new tune “Illusions.” This track sizzles, with Shanae showing that you don’t need big notes to be a true soul diva.
Shanae said “Illusions” is “super personal to me, and one of the most vulnerable songs I’ve ever written. I wrote the song with my producer Rory Noble quite some time ago, and it’s about questioning ‘how do you know if you’re in love?’, which is something I was experiencing at the time.”
Fresh from performances at BigSound and supporting PJ Morton, we can expect big things from this exciting talent. MADAM3EMPRESS might be a distant memory, but the future looks bright for Shanae.
Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia; credit: Jade D’Amico
In the wake of the recently released Raising Their Voices report into sexual harassment and discrimination across the Australian music industry, RedHook have dropped their powerful new single “SAY.” Lead singer Emmy Mack wrote the song to share her own experiences of sexism before and after the birth of the #MeToo movement. That’s right, if you thought #MeToo solved everything, Emmy is here to burst your bubble.
“When I was first starting out, I was told in no uncertain terms that I had a ‘use-by date’, I was pressured to dumb down my ‘image’ and conform to a more palatable ‘female rock artist’ stereotype; and I was repeatedly made to feel like my opinion didn’t matter when it came to my own music and career,” Emmy said. “And even though it does feel like things are starting to shift in a more positive direction, with the #MeToo movement and now this Raising Their Voices report helping to bring these issues out of the shadows, we clearly still have a long way to go. I hope my little trauma dump on ‘SAY’ helps empower people who’ve copped similar bullshit in any aspect of life. My vision for the song is to be a loud and impetuous ‘fuck you’ to anyone who’s ever tried to make anyone else in this world feel voiceless or small.”
Fuck yes. RedHook have a bunch of upcoming dates playing festivals and supporting In Hearts Wake. Catch them anywhere you can.
22 September 2022 – Drifters Wharf, Darkinjung Country/Gosford (supporting In Hearts Wake)
23 September 2022 – Cambridge Hotel, Mulubinba/Newcastle (supporting In Hearts Wake)
24 September 2022 – Manning Bar, Eora/Sydney (early show – supporting In Hearts Wake)
24 September 2022 – Manning Bar, Eora/Sydney (late show – supporting In Hearts Wake)
29 September 2022 – Uni Bar, Tharawal/Wollongong (supporting In Hearts Wake)
30 September 2022 – UC Hub, Ngunnawal/Canberra (supporting In Hearts Wake)
1 October 2022 – Beer Deluxe, Wiradjuri/Albury (supporting In Hearts Wake)
5 October 2022 – Volta, Wathaurong/Ballarat (supporting In Hearts Wake)
6 October 2022 – Sooki Lounge, Wurundjeri/Belgrave (supporting In Hearts Wake)
7 October 2022 – The Wool Exchange, Djilang/Geelong (supporting In Hearts Wake)
8 October 2022 – Pier Bandroom, Boonwurrung/Frankston (supporting In Hearts Wake)
14 October 2022 – Altar, Nipaluna/Hobart (supporting In Hearts Wake)
15 October 2022 – Lion Arts Factory, Tarndanya/Adelaide (supporting In Hearts Wake)
16 October 2022 – North Sound System, Kaurna/Elizabeth (Licensed-All Ages supporting In Hearts Wake)
21 October 2022 – Vinnie’s Dive, Yugambeh/Cold Coast (supporting In Hearts Wake)
22 October 2022 – The Northern, Cavanbah, Byron Bay (supporting In Hearts Wake)
29 October 2022 – Scorched Festival, Meeanjin/Brisbane
2 December 2022 – Good Things Festival, Naarm/Melbourne
3 December 2022 – Good Things Festival, Eora/Sydney
4 December 2022 – Good Things Festival, Meeanjin/Brisbane
10 December 2022 – Rolling Sets Festival, Darkinjung Country/The Entrance
After rocking out with his last single “Muse,” Jacob Fitzgerald has released his cool follow-up, “Shame on You.” This is classic pop-rock, the kind of music that you just don’t hear enough of these days. Hopefully he’s spearheading a revival!
“‘Shame on You’ is a heartbreak song through and through, and is based around those few days following a breakup,” Jacob explained. “It captures the regret; the things we’d wished we’d said and the desperation. It’s essentially saying, ‘I know that I agreed we’d go our separate ways, but I was speaking opposites; I don’t want this… what am I without you?’”
After touring the East Coast in August with Selfish Sons, Jacob is gearing up to do it all again with a new tour set to be announced in the coming weeks. Follow him on the socials to learn about his next shows the moment they’re announced.
Riley Catherall is one of those artists that makes you want to hear everything they’ve ever written. I intended to write about his new single “Bark at the Moon” hours ago, but then I found myself falling down the Spotify rabbit hole, becoming equally enamoured with every carefully crafted song in his catalogue. But back to matters at hand. “Bark at the Moon” is the first single Riley’s dropped after the release of his critically acclaimed debut album When I Go, and it shows its accolades were no fluke. The secret, it seems, is just letting the music flow.
“This song was a real exercise in not trying to overwrite new material,” Riley said, noting that he felt a real pressure to deliver something fresh. “This meant lots of unfinished songs abandoned and wondering whether I’d be able to write another good song.”
Rest assured, this song isn’t just good. It’s great.
“’Bark at the Moon’ was one of those magical instances where it sort of fell out in about an hour and with each line I grew more excited about it. I was so caught up in that once it was written, another hour went by, and I had demoed it using a basic recording set up in my room.”
The music video, shot by Tyler Ridgeway, features Riley cruising around the Dandenong Ranges in a classic 1989 Mitsubishi Magna. “I wanted to replicate that teenage dream era of driving around in the early hours, trying to find the best place to see the sunrise,” he explained.
Riley is doing a lot of travelling at the moment taking his music to the people of the eastern states. Here are all his upcoming shows:
22 September 2022 – The Citadel, Kalibai Country/Murwillumbah (supporting Charm of Finches)
24 September 2022 – Junk Bar, Meeanjin/Brisbane
24 September 2022 – Dust Temple, Yugambeh Country/Gold Coast (supporting Charm of Finches)
25 September 2022 – Flow Bar, Biripi and Worimi Country/Old Bar (FREE)
5 October 2022 – The Midnight Special, Eora/Sydney
8 October 2022 – Shellharbour Rocks the Park Festival, Yerrowah/Shellharbour (FREE)
13 October 2022 – Little Alberts, Wiradjuri Country/Bathurst
14 October 2022 – The Front, Ngunnawal Country/Canberra
27 October 2022 – The Gasometer Upstairs, Naarm/Melbourne
28 October 2022 – The Taproom, Dja Dja Wurrung Country/Castlemaine (FREE)
30 October 2022 – The Barwon Club, Djilang/Geelong
Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity
It’s been 40 years since Split Enz released their classic track, “Six Months in a Leaky Boat.” Tim Finn is celebrating the milestone with two new versions, available now on streaming services.
My favourite is the magical “Ono Marama Takerehāia-Ngawiri [Chill Mix]”, a Te Reo Maori translation of the original featuring the gorgeous vocals of Hana Mereraiha. I think Te Reo Maori is one of the most gorgeous languages on the planet. If you do too, you’re going to want to listen to this one. Then there’s the Aotearoa 2022 remix, a fresh new English-language version.
“Six Months in a Leaky Boat” was once voted the fifth best New Zealand song of all time. It had already accumulated more than 9 million streams globally, including 7 million from Australia. No doubt these new releases will give those numbers a nudge.
Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia
