Tag: The Voice

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Benn Gunn Shows Yes Support With “Let Their Voice Be Heard”

John Farnham’s “You’re the Voice” might be the official anthem for the Yes campaign, but Benn Gunn’s latest single is a worthy unofficial option. “Let Their Voice Be Heard” is a plea for all Australians to come together as one and vote yes in the upcoming Voice referendum.

“It’s long overdue that we are proud of our indigenous Australians,” Benn enthused. “They’re the longest surviving culture on earth which makes them the greatest survivors in human history.”

I love how inclusive this song is. It’s a celebration of the notion of moving forward as a society, doing better because everyone is heard. The press release for this single explains that the feedback the Voice to Parliament could provide has the potential to save Australians hundreds of millions of dollars. The Federal Government currently invests around $4.5 billion dollars a year on Indigenous initiatives including health care and other essential services. However, the distrust some Indigenous Australians have of governments stemming from harmful policies of the past mean that even programs with excellent intentions can struggle to gain widespread acceptance in the communities they’re trying to help. With Indigenous elders offering their feedback on new policies and programs, we’re likely to see greater acceptance and outcomes. Surely that benefits us all. As Benn Gunn sings, “It’s time to come together and make a brand new start.”

Image used with permission from Checked Label Services

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

GANGgajang Support Yes Campaign With “Speak To Me”

Much has been made of John Farnham lending his smash hit “You’re the Voice” to the Yes campaign for the Voice referendum. And quite rightly so. John is an icon and his endorsement might just be enough to encourage some uncertain members of the community to vote yes. But he’s not the only local artist who’s getting behind the Yes campaign. GANGgajang have also offered their support, rerecording their ‘90s hit “Hundreds of Languages” with William Barton and Jack Thompson as a new single, “Speak to Me”.

GANGgajang were pioneers in the Australian music scene, campaigning for the rights of the First Nations community long before the term “woke” even existed. The process of creating this song stretches back to conversations they had with members of First Nations communities back in 1989. Now, they say, is the time for everyone to listen to what those communities are saying. They note that in 2012, before he passed, their friend Uncle Jimmy Little wrote to every politician in the Federal government asking them to listen to Indigenous people on matters that impact them. Now more than a decade later, they say they “stand with Uncle Jimmy and say Yes to the Voice.”

Image source: PeterTea @ Flickr

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ella and Sienna Release First Track Since “The Voice”

Sister act Ella and Sienna were among my favourites on this year’s season of The Voice, so I’m thrilled to hear new music from this talented twosome. Their latest single “Saved” celebrates those harmonies you fell in love with while showcasing their songwriting talents. That’s right; these teens do much more than sing.

“We were so excited to finally record this track with Matt Fell in Tasmania this May,” the sisters gushed. “[it] was actually one of the first songs we wrote. It was such a beautiful experience to see it come alive in the studio.”

Ella and Sienna are playing shows in South Australia, Queensland, and Victoria in the coming months.

9 July 2022 – Port Noarlunga Arts Centre, Nurlongga/Port Noarlunga – SA (with Lucas Day)
12 August 2022 – Ekka, Barrambin/Bowen Hills (with Amy Sheppard)
13 August 2022 – Ekka, Barrambin/Bowen Hills
11 September 2022 – Three Brothers Arms, Kangowirranilla/Macclesfield
15 October 2022 – Acoustics in the Park, Meechi/Langhorne Creek
5 November 2022 – The Barn at Wombat Flat, Ngadjuri Country/Neales Flat (with Kristy Cox + The Weeping Willows)
19 November 2022 – Sale Country Music Festival, Wayput/Sale
20 November 2022 – Pig and Whistle, Boonwurrung Country/Main Ridge

Image used with permission from Wildheart Publicity

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Into the Black” – Karise Eden

While the country is captivated by the search for the next Voice superstar, Australia’s original winner Karise Eden has dropped a brand new EP, Into the Black. Its release doesn’t have the same fanfare as tonight’s winner’s announcement inevitably will, but it’s a timely reminder that it’s worth looking back at some of the talents who’ve come through the competition rather than simply seeking out the next big thing.

Into the Black is officially called an EP, but at seven tracks it feels more like a mini-album. And just like an album, this is a collection of songs with something to say. It starts strong, with rock-blues numbers “Beast” and “Black Crow”. They’re unflinching, uncompromising, the perfect vehicles for her trademark gravelly vocals. Karise reveals a more tender side with singles “My Old Friend” and “Gone”. No matter what type of song she’s singing, it’s all heart. This is a longer EP than most, but when the final note of “So Far” faded away I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. That’s a testament to the quality of every song included here.

Into the Black is Karise’s first collection of songs since 2018’s incredible Born to Fight album. Like a fine wine, she’s becoming even more compelling as time goes on. This is a brilliant collection of songs that reminds listeners of her unparalleled vocal talents and stellar songwriting ability.

Karise will play River Heads Rocks 2022 on June 25 and The Gathering of the Goddesses festivals in Victoria and Tasmania next year, but that’s not all. Expect a national tour announcement really soon.

Images used with permission from Revolutions per Minute

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Voice’s Julian Simonsz Announces East Coast Tour

The Voice graduate Julian Simonsz has been a busy bee since his stint on the reality TV how. He released his self-titled debut EP, which features the single “I Do It For You.” The track didn’t exactly set the charts ablaze here, but it reached number two on Sri Lanka’s YESFM, the country’s leading music station, and number 17 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts. Not bad for a song that was released with very little fanfare or mainstream support if you ask me.

After playing second fiddle to Chingy at his recent gigs and a host of festivals, Julian’s ready to step into the spotlight with his own headlining shows. The Get Home tour takes in some of the East Coast’s most acclaimed venues this March.

5 March 2015 – The Toff in Town, Melbourne
13 March 2015 – The Basement, Sydney
19 March 2015 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane

Image used with permission from 123 Agency

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anja Nissen Underwhelms with “I’m So Excited”

I must admit, I’ve been giving Anja Nissen’s new music video a wide berth for a while. I’d spotted images of her, red lipped and pouting, and felt a bit cheated by her makeover. Where was the girl who enjoyed riding dirt bikes that we came to know on The Voice? But when the video was sent to me I figured I should stop jumping to conclusions and actually give it a look. God I wish I hadn’t.

The song is called “I’m So Excited,” yet Anja’s face never cracks a smile through the run-time of this clip. If she’s excited I really can’t tell. The track is really formulaic, but if it had an energy to match its lyrics I might not have minded too much. Instead this just feels like another song to roll off the will.i.am  production line.

It’s disappointing because I remember Will on the show championing acts like Gabrielle and Cecilia and ZK, exclaiming how different they were and how that excited him. Anja never felt very different to me. She felt like another diva with an impressive set of pipes and a gorgeous package. I felt she was very commercial, but she wasn’t for me. But the thing is, what Will’s done here is stamp out what little individuality she did have and make her some kind of robotic pop princess.

I’ve heard people trash The Voice, and they probably wonder why I expected better. But I did. Anja has real talent, even if it’s a little vanilla, but we see none of it here.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Steve Clisby Covers Paloma Faith

Steve Clisby wowed the nation when he appeared on The Voice, and he’s set to do it all again with his brand new album Leave Me Dreaming which hits stores today. It’s amazing to think that this is actually his 13th album, although it’s unlikely that this one will fly under the radar like many of his earlier releases.

Of course there’ll be the standard amount of interest that comes when anyone who made it big on reality TV releases, but there’s also bound to be a little hype when people realise one of the tracks is a cover of Paloma Faith’s “Only Love Can Hurt Like This.” Apparently he recorded it well before its local release, which initially occurred without a lot of fanfare. But then there was that Winners and Losers promo, which took the song to the top of the charts. Comparisons are inevitable, but Steve’s still not sure what to make of it.

“I really didn’t know whether this would be a good thing or a bad thing,” he explained in a press release. “I didn’t intend it to be compared, but I think in the end it’s great for the song for people to hear such different takes on what a great song can be.”

Unfortunately the link I received was a private one so I can’t share the song with you, but I can share my views. I honestly wasn’t sure about his take at first. It starts small, almost sleepy. But in the end I decided he’s built it beautifully. There’s a lot of heart in his rendition, as there should be, and that shines through.

Steve is currently touring the country to support the release of Leave Me Dreaming. There are still a few tickets left for the following shows.

5 & 6 September 2014 – Noosa Jazz Festival, Noosa
6 September 2014 – Byron Theatre, Byron Bay
8 September 2014 – New Globe Theatre, Brisbane
10 September 2014 – The Toff In Town, Melbourne
11 September 2014 – The Gov, Adelaide

Image used with permission from SCG Media

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Michael Paynter Tours Long Awaited Debut Album

Michael Paynter has long been one of the hardest working singer-songwriters in the country, but it took his stint on The Voice for him to really hit the big time. It took that exposure for Michael to finally release his debut album Weary Stars a couple of days ago.

He wrote the album shortly after parting ways with Sony Music, and he said he’s thrilled for the public to finally hear it. It comes with a clip recorded in just one day in Avalon, Victoria, with the health of Pete Seamons from EPIK Films.

“I’ve loved his work with The Paper Kites, New Empire and Simple Plan, so I was incredibility excited to work with Pete,” Michael said. “ We went down to scope out the location with one idea and as soon as we stepped out of the car, all these new concepts started floating to our heads … the location kinda told us what it wanted to say.”

Michael will promote the album with some solo shows, as well as a couple of gigs with his old buddies from Icehouse.

12 February 2014 – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
13 February 2014 – The Toff In Town, Melbourne
14 February 2014 – The Basement, Sydney
20 February 2014 – Brass Monkey, Cronulla
21 February 2014 – Lizotte’s, Dee Why
22 February 2014 – Lizotte’s, Kincumber
23 February 2014 – Lizotte’s, Newcastle
7 March 2014 – Forest Edge Music Festival, Neerim East
19 March 2014 – Belmont Sailing Club, Belmont (with Icehouse)
20 March 2014 – Rooty Hill RSL, Rooty Hill (with Icehouse)
22 March 2014 – The Astor Theatre, Perth
27 March 2014 – Jive, Adelaide

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Mitchell Anderson @ Lizotte’s, Kincumber – 8 November 2013

While the rest of the country was fawning all over Harrison Craig, I was falling for one of The Voice’s more seasoned contestants. I was captivated every week by Mitchell Anderson, and when he was given the boot I couldn’t wait to see what he’d do next. Thankfully those plans included a show at my favourite haunt, Lizotte’s Kincumber, last Friday night.

That voice that was so powerful on television gave me goosebumps in an intimate venue like Lizotte’s. The bio on the menu claimed that Mitchell is one of the best white soul singers, but I don’t think we need that qualifier. Few voices anywhere drip soul as much as his.

But there’s more to Mitchell than just a voice. He oozes positivity out of every pore. It’s just so much fun to see him perform. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as he treated us to a set that paid tribute to the world’s great soul and blues artists. He treated us to a few originals, but it was those covers that got the place on their feet. Many of them were featured on The Voice, but there were many more than didn’t make it on the show. I loved hearing him take on a few BB King and Joe Cocker numbers. That Voice cover of “Dear Prudence” though is still one of the best things I’ve ever heard.

One of the best things about a show like The Voice is that it gives a guy like Mitchell, and the talented musicians he’s played with for years, exposure. They certainly didn’t play second fiddle to their now famous frontman. Every one of them has the musical chops to play with the best in the Australian business. Together their sound was so tight. What a wonderful thing such experience is.

People like to find fault with shows like The Voice. However, after witnessing a concert like Mitchell’s, I’m really glad it exists to introduce me to artists of his calibre and help him attract the crowds he so richly deserves.

Image source: own photo

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Karise Eden Still Number One

Karise Eden’s album My Journey doesn’t seem ready to vacate the top spot on the ARIA charts any time soon. It’s again at number one, and with a tour looming I predict it’ll stay put for a while.

Her fellow Voice finalist Darren Percival showed he’s got staying power, with his album Happy Home retaining its number three possie. The other Voice finalists have slipped quietly out of the top ten, so it’s exciting to see the final two holding their ground.

While we don’t see the same glut of local talent in the albums charts this week, Angus Stone’s still doing great things with Broken Brights which sits at number four. Missy Higgins’ The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle has risen to number six, while Keith Urban’s still hanging around with The Story So Far at number ten.

Justice Crew have jumped several places this week to land at number two on the singles charts with “Boom Boom.” Can they topple fun. next week?

Click below for this week’s charts.

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