Melbourne acts HANNAH and JAYDEAN have joined forces for a funky new slice of neo-soul, “I Wanna.” The song sees the pair trading extravagant daydreams, much like so many Victorians are doing in lockdown I imagine!
“The track is merely about wanting to escape everyday life, and live up to your best self…realising that life is yours to design and you can really do anything you want with it if you let yourself,” HANNAH explained. “I’m so thankful to have had JAYDEAN join me on the track. We recorded with Julian Steel, who turned my vision for the track into something really special. It has this reggae vibe to it, much more upbeat to what I usually write, but the sound perfectly captures what I had in mind whilst writing.”
Before COVID hit, HANNAH was making her mark gigging around Melbourne at buzzy venues including the Gasometer and Workers Club. Hopefully it’s not too long before she’s back in action!
I’m sure we can all agree, 2020 has been a crazy year. I’ve gotten to the point where nothing really surprises me anymore. So when I heard Hunter Valley country-rock act Tori Forsyth had covered Lil Peep and XXXTENTACION’s track “Falling Down,” I didn’t ask myself why. I asked myself why not?
Tori was inspired to cover the track after watching the documentary, “Everybody’s Everything.”
“After watching the documentary about the life of Lil Peep his story left me incredibly moved but also incredibly sad. Some of the greatest minds can burden the bodies they inhabit,” she admitted. “We’ve seen the story, it’s much too common and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones. Some of my most favourite artists have taken the same path. Have written the story of the all too overwhelming mind to try to ease that pain through substance. Mental illness is such a confronting and all too real reality for so many artists. A topic that hurts and cuts deep. I’m a huge advocate for talking and normalising this conversation, hopefully so much so that by the time I have a daughter or a son, mental health is just another thing we get checked on regularly like a casual dentist looks over.”
Strangely this cover feels really natural, but she certainly had her reservations about taking this song on.
“Recording a Lil Peep song is something completely out of my comfort zone but as Covid19 would have it, this is a theme of the year. Myself Zach (Miller, her bandmate and producer) and Reece (Baines, drummer) all contributed from corners of the country and globe to bring this to life. My first engineering experience was done in my bedroom closet and a lot of makeshift swaps. Lil Peep’s ethos was to always be creating and making and collaborating. We live in a world of high demands and forget that making music is fun, because it moves, because it evokes something. This is the only way I create music. Full Stop. This whole story moved me and in turn pushed us to create something that moved us as a team. I hope you like it and remember that there’s always help and someone to talk to no matter where you are mentally.”
I’ve always believed that there’s no point delivering a cover that’s a carbon copy of the original. You need to bring something new to the game, or what’s the point? I wasn’t familiar with the Lil Peep track, but going back to it after hearing Tori’s grungy take made me appreciate her work even more. This is a total, spectacular reinvention.
Image used with permission from Island Records Australia
Sunshine Coast alt-pop artist Cry Baby has reclaimed the time-honoured insult. She performs under the moniker, which is also the name of her new single. By embracing the nickname, Cry Baby sends the message that it’s more than OK to cry and be in touch with your emotions. I think that’s something we could all stand to hear right now!
“This first song introduces who I am. Once upon a time, being called a ‘cry baby’ used to break me. It made me feel weak, but now I’ve turned it into my superpower,” she said. “I don’t want anyone else to be held back because they’re sensitive or emotional. We shouldn’t see feelings as flaws, but as badges of honour. No one should ever have to apologise for being connected with their emotions and for essentially being human.”
As someone who was often accused of being too sensitive and emotional, I love the sentiment behind this track. But I also really dig its sound. It’s so catchy I’m sure I’ll be humming it around the house. Cry Baby’s voice is so compelling and that melody is first-rate. I can’t wait to hear more from this exciting new artist!
Image used with permission from Kitty Kitty Bang Bang
Sydney singer-songwriter Nick Marcus has me swooning with his latest single “Falling.” It’s a gorgeous track anchored by the guitar, but with some cool electronic beats for freshness. Its lyrics about falling too fast, and too deep are bound to strike a chord with all you hopeless romantics out there.
“I wanted to express the feeling of someone who has fallen in love and the other person doesn’t feel the same way,” he explained. “I hope I expressed this with the acoustic nature of the piece and mellow percussion. I wanted to challenge myself vocally and I feel that this song brings out the emotions of heartbreak and longing for someone.”
“Falling” comes from Nick’s self-titled EP, which will be released on October 18.
I’m not sure anything hurts quite like losing a pet. My 18-year-old family dog Charlie died a couple of years ago and I’m not even close to over it. So my heart goes out to Sarah McLeod, who recently lost her beloved pooch Chachi. He was a proper part of Sarah’s touring crew, and he will be so missed. I have no idea where she found the strength, but she’s managed to put her grief into a beautiful new song, “Chachi’s Theme.” All money raised by the single will benefit the RSPCA.
“Chachi has been my everything for 15 years, she came with me on almost every Australian tour and everyone loved her. She recently passed away and I’ve been trying to work out how to live without her. I found myself going a bit nuts, asking all the birds if they had a message from Chachi, then I thought instead of sitting waiting for a message from her, I’ll send her one from me,” Sarah explained.
“I read this poem about the rainbow bridge by Paul C Dahm that comforted me so much. They say that’s where animals who were especially close to their owners go after passing, it’s a beautiful utopia of love and sunshine and all the sick are healed. Here they wait for their special friends, and when it’s our time to pass, we meet them and cross the bridge to eternity together. I’ve taken great comfort in this poem and I wanted to make sure Chachi knew what to do. I figure if I’m singing this song night after night she will undoubtedly hear me and get the message. It was so hard to write because I did it the week she passed, it was all so raw and I cried all the way through it, but I had to push through because I knew I needed it to heal. Now, besides a piano covered in tears, I have this song, I have something solid I can connect with her through, forever, she will be with me always but especially when I sing this song. I wrote it to heal my heart and to let her know that everything is OK. Then I thought, it may heal other hearts in similar situations so I thought I should release it and donate the proceeds to the RSPCA.”
I’m warning you now, if you’re still grieving a pet, this one is likely to get to you. I couldn’t listen to it without ugly crying. Honestly, I’m still wiping tears away as I type this. Don’t say you didn’t have notice. But this piano ballad is a beautiful, cathartic piece, a fitting tribute to Chachi. How amazing to create something that can make other people feel so deeply.
Sarah was all set to play electric solo shows before COVID hit. She’s just announced details of her post-pandemic tour, but it’ll be a little bit different. The first set will be electric, but the second will be a more intimate piano-based one. Sarah learned how to play the instrument in lockdown and she’s keen to show off her new skills. Tickets are on sale now for the following shows.
25 February 2021 – Sooki Lounge, Belgrave
26 February 2021 – Workers Club, Geelong
5 March 2021 – Ballina RSL, Ballina
6 March 2021 – The Lounge, Nundah
7 March 2021 – Wallaby Hotel, Mudgeeraba (FREE)
11 March 2021 – The Vanguard, Newtown
12 March 2021 – Royal Hotel, Queanbeyan
13 March 2021 – The Brass Monkey, Cronulla (Early and late shows)
19 March 2021 – Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide
Caitlyn Shadbolt was one of the standout contestants in the sixth series of The X Factor. If you haven’t been watching her career since then, it’s time to come back up to speed. She’s just dropped a new single “Edge of the Earth,” which gives you a taste of the kind of crowd-pleasing country-pop you’ll hear on her forthcoming sophomore album. Caitlyn co-wrote the song with Sarah Buckley of The Buckleys.
“Sarah and I wrote this song after learning that we both love to push the boundaries in life and in music. I feel like this song sums me up well: free-spirited, adventurous and … stubborn!” Caitlyn explained. I recorded it with Stuart Stuart during lockdown and engineered all my vocals and acoustic guitars in my home studio, then sent them to Stuart in Brisbane and we collaborated over the phone.”
“Edge of the Earth” comes from Caitlyn’s album Stages, which will be released on November 6.
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute
There’s a real art to remixing. A remix shouldn’t just sound different; it should enhance the original recording and bring something new to the table. It’s rare that I think a remix outshines the original, but this new version of Nardean’s “aux cord” is incredible.
Nardean’s been smart here, working with fellow Western Sydney artist L-Fresh the Lion. Their common backgrounds gives them a shares perspective that really enhances this song. His verse is stellar, and the paired back instrumentation really makes sure all the rhymes take centre stage.
“Having L on this song is such an honour. He’s an exceptional MC, and he added so much depth and detail to the story I tell in my first verse,” Nardean said. “We don’t hear these stories and perspectives in the mainstream narrative. That’s why this song is so important to me. Because our stories are so often ignored or simplified and parodied. To be able to tell them with our own voice is so necessary. It helps the migrant community to make sense of our collective experience.”
Enjoy this, then go back and give the original version of “aux cord” a listen. It’s so exciting listening to the evolution of this really special song.
The global pandemic and R U OK? Day have put mental health matters firmly in the spotlight. Slowly but surely it feels the stigma is breaking down. Songs like “Keep Me Believing,” by Port Macquarie musician Chris Rose, are helping us feel more comfortable having those hard conversations.
This track talks about grappling with anxiety and negative thoughts, yet pushing through them in pursuit of a better life. You might have heard it on a recent Home & Away commercial, but I prefer listening to it in this context, away from those distractingly perfect people.
Chris hasn’t let the global pandemic slow his creativity. His Facebook page reveals he’s been songwriting over Zoom, so hopefully it won’t be too much longer until we hear more new music from him.
Meg Hitchcock was born in London, but now she’s living in Byron Bay I think we can definitely call her one of our own. That’s a good thing too, because she’s making some fantastic music. Her latest single “Hello Moon” is an absolute delight, with sublime vocals and a real retro pop sensibility that has me begging for more.
Meg wrote the track while in London, inspired by the beauty she saw in the night sky.
“One night I had walked to get groceries, and on my return, as I turned the corner, there, proud in the sky, was the shining full moon. In awe and disbelief, a tear ran down my cheek. I felt completely disconnected to nature,” she explained. “The first line and melody, “Hello, Moon, it’s been awhile. I’ve been in the city where I can’t see the sky” whispered out. I ran inside, chucked the groceries down, jumped straight to my laptop and found the arpeggiator. ‘Hello Moon’ was born.”
The music video also has me pretty excited. If you love quirky cult movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Beetlejuice, this clip will be right up your alley.
Aussie-born, Hong-Kong based singer Paul Roth isn’t letting the global pandemic stem his creativity. He’s just released his third solo single of the year, “Gold.” It’s more of a slow burner than his previous releases, but I love the way Paul builds the instruments here, layering guitars and vocals to create something really special.
It should be special though, as Paul wrote the song about the special lady in his life. The song might not sound very festive, but tap into those lyrics and you’ll soon realise it celebrates having someone by your side through the good times and bad.
“I just had this moody chorus melody that I couldn’t out of my head and before I had any concrete lyrics, every line finished with ‘with you,'” he explained.
