A MASTERPIECE OF EMOTIONAL DEPTH AND MUSICAL DIVERSITY
Settle, the emerging alternative rock/emo/punk sensation hailing from the tropical paradise of Bali, Indonesia, is set to make waves in the music scene with their debut album. Comprising ten powerful tracks, this album is a sonic journey drawing from their alternative rock and emo influences, resonating deeply with listeners who find solace in music as a means of understanding life’s complexities.
Settle’s debut album is a testament to their musical prowess and storytelling abilities. With a range of themes that touch upon adult life, mental health, social critique, and the feelings of isolation, each song delves into the depths of human emotions and experiences, offering listeners a rich and evocative musical experience.
The album showcases Settle’s commitment to delivering authentic and thought-provoking content through their music. Their songs are a reflection of personal experiences and observations, inviting listeners to connect on a deep emotional level. Settle’s ability to blend alternative rock and emo influences results in a unique sound that is both melodic and raw, striking a chord with a diverse audience.
Listeners can expect a musical journey that traverses a spectrum of emotions, from introspective and melancholic to energetic and rebellious. The album offers a well-rounded experience, with each track telling a different story and exploring a different facet of life.
Settle’s debut album is a significant milestone in their musical journey, and it promises to captivate both loyal listeners and new listeners alike. With their unique sound and meaningful lyrics, Settle is poised to make a lasting impact on the alternative music scene not only in Bali but also on a global scale.
The band members express their excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to share their music with the world. They believe that music has the power to heal, inspire, and unite people, and this album is their contribution to that universal language.
To stay updated on Settle’s album release and upcoming performances, visit or follow them on social media @settlemusic to join the conversation and be part of their musical journey.
Settle’s debut album is set to be a defining moment in the world of alternative rock and emo, and it’s a testament to the band’s dedication to their craft and their commitment to delivering music that resonates deeply with their audience.
Newcastle based songwriter and producer Mason Dane returns today with his infectious dark-pop new track “Double Standards” via Warner Music Australia. Listen HERE.
“Double Standards”, which despite touching on the trials and tribulations of a toxic relationship, is an irresistibly catchy and energetic track. It’s upbeat rhythms and energetic vibes, accompanied by an undeniably humorous and entertaining visualiser, will have fans and music lovers alike falling in love with this song.
Watch Here.
Speaking on “Double Standards”, Mason says: “Double Standards is a special one for me. My first proper step into a new sound & new feel. I wrote this song with my bros from Philly Jake & Jared Krumm, the song is about the unfair back and forth in a relationship. You ever get told not to do something & then they just go and do it themselves? That’s the idea for this track. Big summer pop vibes & I’m super gassed to be sharing my first release with Warner Germany & Aus. We shot the video in Melbourne with Dynamic Visuals & it turned out insane! The video shows me racing around the city trying to find a girl after I was late to a date. Super excited for this new direction & I hope you guys are too.”
Having started his journey by creating a makeshift studio out of his parents Series 2000 Caravan, Mason has come incredibly far in his career to date having successfully worked with a diverse array of talent and collaborating with the likes of Manu Crooks, Blessed, HooliganHefs, Day1 and many more. He’s also opened for global superstar Yung Gravy, performed with T-Pain, and recently performed at Justin Bieber’s Halloween party.
Mason’s demo catalogue is now prolific and sits at over 300 songs. When you think of Mason Dane, think of Travis Scott’s energy & drive, writing inflections reminiscent of a young ED Sheeran and Jack Harlow because you truly can’t judge this book by the cover.
Mason Dane is one of Australia’s most prominent Up and Comers helping shape international sounds within the Australian Culture and a force within the New Wave. Is there anything Mason can’t do? Time will tell as he travels on this journey to put Newcastle on the map.
ULTRA WORLDWIDE UNVEILS PHASE 1 LINEUP FOR 2024 AUSTRALIAN FESTIVALS
HEADLINERS INCLUDE ARMIN VAN BUUREN, BRENNAN HEART, DARREN STYLES, STEVE AOKI, AND ZEDD
CARL COX TO PERFORM HYBRID LIVE SET AT ULTRA AUSTRALIA
ULTRA Worldwide has announced its Phase 1 lineup for the 2024 Australian events, which will launch with the debut edition of ULTRA Beach Gold Coast on Friday, April 12, at the stunning location, Broadwater Parklands. On Saturday, April 13, ULTRA Australia will return to Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
The Phase 1 headliner lineup features an array of multi-award-winning and platinum-selling artists from across the world including ULTRA pioneers, multi-platinum artist Zedd, A State of Trance boss Armin van Buuren, and global party starter Steve Aoki. British icon Carl Cox will perform a special hybrid live set at ULTRA Australia only.
ULTRA Australia will also feature headlining performances from hardstyle favourites Darren Styles and Brennan Heart.
The one-day event in Melbourne will include the mammoth Main Stage and the hub of underground sounds at the RESISTANCE Stage.ULTRA Beach Gold Coast will host its inaugural edition as a single-stage event.
ULTRA Australia takes pride in creating an all-encompassing entertainment experience for its fans from around the world. Revel in mesmerizing performances from the ULTRA Angels, relax in the designated, shaded ‘chill out’ areas, enjoy culinary delights from a vast array of local food trucks, and taste cocktails from the various bars stationed throughout the festival grounds.
ULTRA Worldwide continues to cement its status as the most international music festival brand, boasting active events on all six inhabited continents. The global festival brand is celebrated for delivering an unparalleled combination of top-tier electronic talent, cutting-edge technology and large-scale productions.
After living in the United Kingdom for more than two decades, Emily Barker – the prolific, award-winning contemporary singer-songwriter best known for composing and performing the theme for Wallander, the BBC’s hugely successful crime drama starring Kenneth Branagh – returned home to Western Australia to begin a new musical chapter with her latest single, ‘Wild To Be Sharing This Moment’, out now through Everyone Sang/Kartel Music Group and embarking on a national tour with UK artist, Frank Turner.
I see a thousand worlds in the window Of a train as it passes me by Each one plugged into an orbit Their own pain, their own lullaby.
While waiting for the train at London’s Kings Cross station, inspiration struck. Emily quickly plucked a notebook from her bag to document her musings. “I was people watching and thinking of how vulnerable we all are, with our own stories and secrets, all sharing this same moment in time and space,” she recalls.
Emily had been at a birthday party celebrating a friend’s son turning one and a wave of nostalgia washed over her for a simpler time living on a narrowboat in London. “I’d had a couple of G&Ts,” she quips.
On the train, “there were passengers sleeping at awkward angles, some reading, some playing games on their phones, some with masks, most without, some listening to music and tapping a foot, children clinging to parents.
“I found myself questioning where empathy has gone,” Emily remembers. “The song is about compassion. The war in Ukraine had just started and it was all feeling very intense, much like it is right now.”
How can we study the wounds of our history and still send our children to war?
“I’m an advocate for keeping conversation alive across divides,” Emily stresses, “for trying to approach each encounter as an opportunity for connection. We must find our common humanity in order to make the world a safer, better place for us all to live in.”
Arresting drums and sparse, plaintive synths and guitar usher in Emily’s lilting, pensive vocal as a sustained undercurrent creates a sense of forward momentum. ‘Wild to be Sharing This Moment’ unfurls gradually, propelling the listener towards a vast, cinematic climax, each additional verse bringing new meaning to the instantly memorable chorus.
Isn’t it wild to be sharing this moment The same very thimble of time.
The song’s accompanying music video, created by Headjam, zooms in on a formative moment: a group of teenage girls on school photo day, with Emily playing the role of photographer. “We don’t know anything about them, but we have this snapshot of a key moment in their lives and are left to wonder about their hopes and fears and who they might go on to be,” she explains.
Of the apposite timing of her latest single, Emily acknowledges, “Songs sometimes reveal a life of their own — the world changes around them, but they still speak to the moment.”
Truth is a hope to hold onto And where it blooms we will go.
Alongside the release of ‘Wild To Be Sharing This Moment’, Emily Barker embarks on a tour opening for her long-time friend and collaborator, Frank Turner.
17 Nov – WELLINGTON Hunter Lounge
18 Nov – AUCKLAND Studio
21 Nov – CANBERRA The Basement
22 Nov – SYDNEY Enmore Theatre
24 Nov – BRISBANE The Tivoli
26 Nov – MELBOURNE The Forum
28 Nov – PERTH Astor Theatre
29 Nov – ADELAIDE Hindley Street Music Hall
Emily & Frank Turner will also appear at Queenscliff Music Festival on 25 and 26 November.
The year is not yet over, and Virgin Mary Disco are taking no prisoners. 2023 has seen the release of two brand spanking new singles from the up and-comers, and they continue the onslaught with the new painfully catchy ‘For Free’.
Coming in at well under 3 minutes, the track stays true to the band’s ethos of delivering short, sharp, punchy nuggets of musical gold. Steady verse, powerful chorus, strong guitars, propulsive drums, and crowd heaving energy; all boxes are well and truly ticked. The track was recorded at Head Gap in Preston with Rohan Sforcina (Little Ugly Girls, Mildlife, Rolling Blackouts C.F.)
It’s been a massive year for the band who released their debut single only 8 months ago. Their previous two singles (‘Modern Man’ and ‘Automation’) have been garnering praise from media and fans alike, with ongoing support from radio such as PBS, 4ZZZ and 2XX, and sold out
single launches. In more recent news, the band have also just announced that they will be supporting Amyl and The Sniffers at their Frankston show on November 25th.
“The song is about the experience of employment in the modern workplace and capitalism. The lyrics for ‘For Free’ came from my own mishearing of the song ‘Making Flippy Floppy’ by Talking Heads. When Byrne sings ‘Business and pleasure, lie right to your face’, I always heard
‘Business IS pleasure’, a contradiction I could identify with, and the lyrics grew from there. Many companies today present themselves as supportive, community environments (some may even be genuine in their pursuit), but at the end of the day they continue to thrive on a system based on the extraction of cheap resources and cheap labour, leaving us to pay the true cost of their greed.”
Spencer Morris, Virgin Mary Disco
“The music for ‘For Free’ originally came from a spontaneous jam at practice several years ago. Liam had a bassline, and I came up with the guitar part and chorus pretty instinctively. The vague intention I had with the guitar part was somewhere between surf rock and The Smiths.
During recording I told Rohan my original intent of sounding surf rock and he lent me his vintage 60s fender jaguar, a staple of surf rock classics, to give the guitar solo a distinctly dry and tremolo heavy tone. I think there is still some Smiths influence in the funky bass line and clean tone and it has a very danceable feel.”
Duncan Callaghan, Virgin Mary Disco
Artwork by Liam Spicer-Quinn. Photograph by Jonah Scotti.
“A rollicking cut of upbeat, new wave inspired indie sounds, rapid-fire guitars and swirling synths in the mix alongside sing-a-long inducing vocals, all of which reaches a climax as the song ends in an all too satisfying instrumental freak-out.”
Pilerats
“Automation builds subtly throughout with a massive drop towards its final stand, giving off those goosebumpy epic vibes, the ending is truly epic and is beyond their years.”
AAA Backstage
“Virgin Mary Disco’s debut single, ‘Modern Man’, complements perfectly their mission statement: angular, thumping garage rock mashed with frenetic, bluesy guitar licks and a DIY brashness bristling with enough ‘tude to match any Grumpy Cat meme.”
Scenestr
Virgin Mary Disco are playing the following shows:
Single Launch Cactus Room
Saturday 11th November
Supported by Licklash and Worker & Parasite
Amyl and The Sniffers
Pier Bandroom
Saturday 25th November
with Dumb Punts
Virgin Mary Disco is – Spencer Morris (vocals) Liam Spicer-Quinn (bass)
Duncan Callaghan (guitar) and Jackson Spessot (drums).
FOR FANS OF: The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, New Order
Fleeting Persuasion release their second single for 2023, another stellar collaboration between the band’s James Harrison and musician Tobey Doctor.
Shared ideas, and mutual musical inspiration is the name of the game for Fleeting Persuasion’s James Harrison (guitar/vocals). Following a string of well-received singles through 2021/22, written and recorded with producer Josh Whitehead during the pandemic years, James then began flexing his creativity with ex-Sounds Like Sunset drummer Tobey Doctor (drums/bass).
The latter contributed drums, bass and studio chops to their 2022 single ‘Etched‘, a song that twitched and surged with chiming indie rock melodies and angular post-punk shapes, before they released ‘Slipped‘, which further explored their minimal and deeply emotive music.
“There’s a collection of songs I’ve been working on with Tobey,” says James. “He’s got quite the producer’s brain and so the drums, bass lines and production have been his vision. I haven’t needed much convincing as we both love similar sounds and textures!”
Through their prolific writing and recording sessions, ‘Still Dark‘ emerged as an outlier that sits apart from their forthcoming album yet it became an essential Fleeting Persuasion track that the pair felt needed to be released as a standalone single.
The single possesses both a sparkling, bright musical optimism and woozy melancholic guitar sounds that jar and unsettle beautifully, like that Midas touch of My Bloody Valentine when they sonically subverted guitar rock in the 80s.
“We were having an awfully miserable time of it in the studio,” James recalls. “So we decided to try and write the most absurd and upbeat song we could. We didn’t really get to a truly happy song, but then again look what happened to Icarus.“
Fans of New Order, MBV, The Cure and music that thrives on both melody and melancholy will find much to like about the latest release from the endlessly intriguing Fleeting Persuasion.
‘Still Dark’ is out now on Bandcamp, streaming services and AMRAP for our community radio friends across Australia.
FLEETING PERSUASION
Fleeting Persuasion is the latest project of prolific Melbourne-based creative James Spencer Harrison who has also released several well-received albums, singles and EPs under the J M S Harrison moniker. The last of which, 2017’s Traced Out, was leading James towards a denser and richer full-band sound. That inspired a change of name and Fleeting Persuasion was born.
In 2019 Fleeting Persuasion released the album Forever Caught, capturing a set of songs that possessed echoes of The Cure, tightly woven post-rock and Australian acts such as Bluebottle Kiss filtered through his own brand of heart-on-sleeve melancholia. It was certainly indie rock but the kind that resides in the shadows, always carving out new angles and creating interesting dynamics. Now, in 2023, there are a further two Fleeting Persuasion albums in the works.
Splitting his time between Fleeting Persuasion and solo pursuits has established Harrison as a regular fixture on the live music scene, opening for renowned artists including Painters & Dockers, Steve Kilbey (The Church), Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss), Peter Fenton (CROW), Hermitage Green (Ireland), The Clouds, China Crisis and She Wants Revenge,
PRESS
“There is very much an early The Cure sparseness and melodic thrust, with a refrigerated edge that sends shivers up the spine.” Backseat Mafia on ‘Still Dark’
“…a moody post-punk number anchored by propulsive drums and a prominent bass line that utilises a chorus effect a la Peter Hook and Simon Gallup.” Music Feeds video premiere for ‘Etched’
“‘Hollow’ is a track that gets under your skin. With dark synths, melancholic vocals and moody guitars, it’s reflective and moving… enchanting and riveting.” the AU review
“Dripping with a melancholic nostalgia that is hard to capture, ‘Night Arrives’ is a captivating combination of brightly textured instrumentation, brooding melodies, and big 80s snare drum echo/delays, all woven neatly together with smooth-like-butter production.”
Forte on ‘Night Arrives’
“Fleeting Persuasion have put themselves on the top shelf with this release. A warm and thought provoking track.” AAA Backstage on ‘Passed Through’
“It’s a compelling atmosphere that somehow exists within two seemingly opposing sonic spaces – with its sleek electronic touches blended against his usual shadowy guitar interplay and looming melodies.” Trouble Juice on ‘Eternal’
Cher has made our holiday wishes come true with the release of “CherChristmas” – available now via Warner Records. Listen HERE.
“Christmas“, Cher’s first new studio album in five years, includes 13 songs – several holiday classics and four originals. It also has a star-studded list of musical besties including Darlene Love, Stevie Wonder, Michael Bublé, Cyndi Lauper and Tyga.
“I never say this about my own records but I’m really proud of this one. It is one of the most amazing highlights of my career,” commented Cher.
The Guardian raved, “The catchy dance track, ‘DJ Play a Christmas Song,’ evokes a night that’s anything but silent.” And Consequence added, “‘DJ Play a Christmas Song’ is a rebel’s anthem for anyone whose parents told them Santa Claus would skip their house if they didn’t go to sleep”
“DJ Play A Christmas Song,” the first single, was written by Sarah Hudson (Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Troye Sivan) and her team who contributed four new songs for the album.
Recorded primarily in LA and London, “Christmas” was produced by longtime collaborator Mark Taylor (“Believe”). Songs include beloved superstar duet classics “What Christmas Means To Me” with Stevie Wonder and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” with Darlene Love. (Darlene first recorded the song with Phil Spector and a l7-year-old Cher singing background vocals); in addition to a haunting version of “Home” written and sung with Michael Bublé.
One of the many highlights is a duet by Cher and Stevie Wonder. Of Stevie’s “What Christmas Means to Me.” Commented Cher, “Every time I hear that harmonica, I’m a teenager again. It’s a personal dream come true for me to record this song with Stevie.”
Two other standouts include an unexpected pairing with Tyga on another Sara Hudson song called “Drop Top Sleigh Ride” produced by Alexander Edwards, Mike Crook and Ryan OG, and the magnificent “Angels in the Snow” plus “Put A Little Holiday In Your Heart” with Cyndi Lauper.
Cher is also celebrating the 25th anniversary of her multi-platinum Grammy-winning “Believe” with the release of “Believe 25th Anniversary (Deluxe Edition)” on Warner Records.
CHER “CHRISTMAS ” TRACK LIST:
DJ Play A Christmas Song
What Christmas Means To Me (with Stevie Wonder)
Run Run Rudolph
Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) [with Darlene Love]
Angels In The Snow
Home (with Michael Bublé)
Drop Top Sleigh Ride (with Tyga)
Please Come Home For Christmas
I Like Christmas
Christmas Ain’t Christmas Without You
Santa Baby
Put A Little Holiday In Your Heart (with Cyndi Lauper)
Late Nights is the latest offering from Melbourne artist, Jake Stone. It is the first of many
collaborations with prolific co-writer/producer Josh King.
Reflecting on Late Nights, Jake shares: “A big element of the song is this need for victory after a breakup; someone who comes out better off and seems to move on too quickly.”
Is it even possible to ‘win’ a breakup? When relationships end and people get hurt, there can be no winner. And continuing to hang out with mutual friends, post-breakup, tends to stall emotional
progress by keeping your ex front of mind as well.
Opening with a plaintive, meandering guitar line, Late Nights finds our protagonist stuck in a
heartbreak spiral while his partner has already moved on: “Still thinking ‘bout the way that you let it end/ Still thinking ‘bout the way you said we’re better as friends/ But right now it doesn’t feel like it…”
Insistent drumbeats add dramatic impact to the song, before its stripped-back pre-chorus,
featuring taunting layered vocals, plays the blame game: “And I remember the way that you framed it/ You as the victim, when we both know it’s blameless…”
Then enter Late Nights’ soaring chorus, delivered as though summoning up all remaining
willpower to release the heartache: “Did you really mean what you told our friends?/ ‘Cause I really never thought that I’d be the bad guy…”
Nearing the song’s conclusion, driving beats underscore a crucial narrative shift heading into the bridge: “This is the last time/ Thinking about all the late nights/ Wondering why your heart broke mine…” With power finally reclaimed, Late Nights concludes how it began: paring right back to that winsome, pensive introductory guitar line.
Although this song’s lyrics were mostly completed within 30 minutes – using Heartbreak
Anniversary by Giveon and Falling Asleep At The Wheel by Holly Humberstone as reference points – Jake describes the overall signwriting process as “bizarre”. After transposing some piano chords onto the guitar, Jake and his co-writer/producer then pitched the melody up a couple of octaves and viola! Late Nights finally crystallised after a few days spent toiling away in the studio.
But it was the mixing and mastering process that really brought Late Nights to life. Blake Malone, a Gold Coast-based producer best known for his collaborations with Amy Shark, worked his mixing magic and Jake remembers, “It was amazing. He heard something different in the song, which totally transformed it.” Then once world-renowned mastering engineer Leon Zervos (P!nk, Rihanna, Beastie Boys) added final touches to Late Nights, Jake extols, “This is perfect! This is what we want. This is the best song we’ve ever written together!’
Late Nights is out now across all streaming platforms.
A fresh and upbeat love letter to a harlequin romance, the new single Between Us out now from multi-platinum English troubadour Coye Girelli takes a charming step closer to the impending release of his third solo album, Museum Day, due out on October 27.
Set against the lyrical backdrop of the Big Apple, Between Us unfurls with Girelli’s trademark lush vocals, stirring intimacy and swooning indie pop wiles, complete with nostalgic 80s elements forged in a fire of modernity. Produced by Lorenzo Wolff, whose previous work spans Taylor Swift and Kanye West, Between Us is Girelli at his buoyant and easy going best, glowing with cinematic charm while lyrically traversing charged passion in his own adopted home of New York, as Girelli reveals, “Between Us is a love story in New York City. A love lost and found again. Distance and return. A love that persists. Yet fighting against it. The fear and curiosity. What awaits? Heartbreak or True Love?”
Taken from Girelli’s forthcoming new album, Museum Day, Between Us sits amongst 10 dazzling tracks lying in wait, including the album’s previous singles, the smooth and sentimental Museum Day and the hooky fuzz of So Predictable. Ultimately an immersive and affable journey, laden with authenticity and soulful reflection, Museum Day seamlessly extends the foundations laid out by its predecessor, 2022’s Funland, with a noticeably modern injection driving at the core of Girelli’s new outing amongst his signature trademarks. “It’s a more modern sound than Love Kills for sure,” shares Girelli. “In some way it feels like the next step on from Funland. It’s more indie and in a lot of ways more contemporary feeling. Upbeat and in the shadows. Half New York City, half Manchester, England. Stories of moments, stories about people. Stories about lovers.”
Inspired by love itself as much as Girelli’s own ardor for the likes of The Smiths, with smatterings of The National, The Drums, Big Thief, Japanese Breakfast and War On Drugs, Museum Day bustles with rosy-cheeked pop (Jane Tells A Lie), swooning ballads (Swim, Real Love) and ambient heartbreakers (Nobody), like a modern-day Roy Orbison strolling through a Hollywood romance. Tirelessly helmed by Girelli’s effervescent yet stirring vocals, soaring into the heavens on the outro for Between Us and diving into woozy calm on I Tried to Love You, Museum Day ultimately draws to a close on a stripped-back note, with New York Rain beautifully capturing the essence of Coyle Girelli’s magic: reflection, romance and riveting storytelling that places you directly into the moment alongside Girelli himself. And while the overall album is an elegant and expertly crafted affair, the road to creating Museum Day was unexpectedly swift amongst other plans, as Girelli elaborates, “I wrote and recorded this album in a very short time, a matter of weeks really at the start of the year. I’d written what I thought was an album. Then I wrote Museum Day. I scrapped the album I had planned, and in the weeks following wrote and recorded a whole new one. Which is what I’m releasing. I purposely didn’t overthink or analyze it. I let it write itself. Tell its stories. My job was to not overcomplicate it or get in the way.”
Recently enamouring with his sophomore album, Funland, in 2022, Girelli’s musical magic as a solo artist first unveiled via his debut full length album, 2018’s Love Kills. A gifted songwriter, storyteller and creative cauldron, Girelli has also found himself hotly in demand over the years as both a songwriter and producer for multiple artists, including work with BTS, Macklemore, Robin Schulz, Westlife and more. A multi-instrumentalist who has also turned his hand and voice to musical theatre along the way, Girelli’s previous releases have been repeatedly hailed as masterpieces by the likes of Rolling Stone Australia and countless others; a fact that is witnessed once again on Museum Day and tantalizingly in the near future for Girelli’s upcoming projects.
Set to perform an immersive theatre musical show called True Love Forever in New York next year, Girelli’s star is set to boundlessly continue to rise, with the talented English-born, New York-based artist already working on a follow up to Museum Day to bless 2024’s timeline even further. And it’s ultimately the free-flowing approach that Girelli adapted while crafting Museum Day that is set to shape and solidify any and all of his future releases, as Girelli concludes, “It was very fulfilling creating in this space. In flow. I’m going to try do the same thing with my next album. Makes life easier as well when you’re not over-analyzing every little detail. Let the songs do their thing. I really let my instinct lead the way on this one. It feels fresh and true.”
CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS RESILIENCE AND RECONCILIATION
Renowned Indigenous Australian artist Yirrmal is set to captivate audiences again with his latest single, “Keep Rolling On.” The song, written by Yirrmal and Neil Murray, is a powerful anthem of strength and resilience that highlights the enduring spirit of First Nations peoples. The music video, beautifully shot by Patrick de Teliga and renowned fashion photographer Simon Upton, showcases Yirrmal’s personal journey to date in a candid and unassuming behind the scenes reveal.
“Keep Rolling On” is a testament to Yirrmal‘s remarkable storytelling abilities and deep connection to his Yolŋu heritage. The song’s heartfelt lyrics convey a message of hope, determination, and unity, while the stirring melody and Yirrmal‘s soulful vocals transport listeners on an emotional journey.
Yirrmal, a proud Yolŋu man from North-East Arnhem Land, has always used his music as a platform for social change and reconciliation. With “Keep Rolling On,” he continues this tradition, aiming to inspire and uplift both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities alike.
Yirrmal shared his thoughts on the track, saying, “I believe music has the power to heal and connect people. ‘Keep Rolling On’ is my way of sharing our stories and celebrating the incredible strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It’s a song about resilience and hope, and I hope it brings us all closer to reconciliation.”
Having already wowed festival-goers at this year’s Darwin, Bluesfest and Woodford Folk Festivals, audiences were left enchanted and deeply moved by Yirrmal‘s charismatic and powerful performances, solidifying his reputation as a musical force to be reckoned with.“Yirrmal kicked off his second Bluesfestperformance with a new single and impressive acapella notes. Backed only by delicate guitar melodies, his incredibly powerful high range made for a near-religious experience, easing the crowd into a more energetic second number and beyond. Brass and backing harmonies filled out the sound, buoyant with the energy of everyone else on stage,” raved The Music.
Yirrmal‘s singer-songwriting prowess is a testament to his passionate outlook and profound connection to his land and ancestry. Through his unapologetic and authentic storytelling, Yirrmal masterfully weaves together tales of love, reflection, and the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples.
KEEP ROLLING ON” is out NOW on all streaming services.
With hazy propulsions and billowing soundscapes, the new single No One’s Watching Over out now from the Gold Coast’s Chavez Cartel is a cool, calm and deeply collected outing, shifting tack slightly from the group’s earlier 2023 EP Man’s Best Friend, but still undeniably Chavez Cartel. Also accompanied by a new music video, complete with an imposing mansion and sharp aesthetics, No One’s Watching Over amalgamates the building blocks of Chavez Cartel’s sonic DNA while also building towards a new EP release in 2024. Unfurling as an effortless and authentically charming journey, No One’s Watching Over will also undoubtedly be a fixture on the band’s setlist at The New Colossus Festival in 2024 following their invitation to perform at the event in New York next year.
Amongst its woozy guitars, driving beats and creamy vocals No One’s Watching Over revels in moody aesthetics and harder-hitting moments. Like a modern jolt merged with The Velvet Underground & Nico, No One’s Watching Over’s origins quickly evolved during a well-timed jam session, with the hypnotic track seamlessly flexing the band’s trademark HBO soundtrack-worthy swoon alongside themes of feeling lost in the moment, as the band explain, “No One’s Watching Over is about feeling lost and having a fair assessment of where you’ve gone wrong in life (and right) to get you to where you currently stand. It’s about being harsh but being fair. It’s about being held accountable but accurately accountable. It’s not about getting to the answers though. That stage where we have more clarity comes after this song. This song is about the feeling of going round in circles when we don’t know what to do with ourselves. It’s the first step towards repair but we can’t even see that yet. The hazy sounds of the song really do paint the picture so well of the hazy feeling of not feeling all there. The song was written in a time of self-work after a heavy break up.”
Teaming up once again with ARIA Award-winning producer Govinda Doyle to bring No One’s Watching Over to life, Chavez Cartel also sought to actively step beyond their comfort zones when it came to creating the perfect accompanying video for their latest release, pursuing more artistic territory with Direct Entertainment’s Anthony Brown at the helm of the band’s creative vision. And fluidly balancing the old with the new, the band’s team and lack of creative barriers proved to be the pivotal spark to lead Chavez Cartel into this new chapter. “Govinda Doyle did everything that we could not,” says the band. “We worked together on our last record, and we started to feel things changing for us and we want a lot more of the same. ‘Don’t fix what isn’t broken’ as they say. We also wanted a more arty video than anything we’d done previously, relying less on performances and making it more of an artistic introduction of the band. We hired the perfect location while we were away on tour earlier in the year – a really old mansion full of art, history, books and character, and the storyboard just sort of wrote itself. Once AB, our video guy, had familiarised himself with the property, we just let him do his thing. All we did was dress accordingly and get drunk on set. He did the rest. We always try to give our collaborators as much freedom as possible so that they can get into the project as if it were their own. I mean technically it is their own, so once we’ve outlined the concept and explained our style, we really do just hand the rest over. It’s important for creatives to be authentic and have their stamp on things, otherwise what’s the point?”
Releasing two EPs in 2019, Lucky Lucky and Confidence Is All I’m Taking Home, Chavez Cartel bunkered down during the pandemic years, turning their gaze and full focus into sharpening their sound and songwriting. The end result was their 2023 EP release Man’s Best Friend, which was unveiled after the group signed with End Of The Trail Records. Following Man’s Best Friend, Chavez Cartel embarked on an extensive East Coast headline tour, with 2023 also finding the group supporting The Reytons for their What’s Rock N Roll Australian Tour, as well as their first ever UK show, ticking off headline shows in Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham alongside performances at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton and at the End Of The Trail Creative Showcase in London.
Gaining support from BBC Radio while across the pond earlier this year, Chavez Cartel have also recently appeared at Rockhampton River Festival, as main support for The Delta Riggs, and will trek back overseas in 2024 after being officially invited and scheduled to play at The New Colossus Festival in New York next March. And for Chavez Cartel, the prospect of another imminent international adventure is one that affirms that the sky is the limit for this talented Gold Coast collective. “It was sort of like a before and after moment in our career thus far,” shares the band. “Looking back, before that UK tour, we were half the band we are now, and we owe it all to the vital experiences that tour gave us. There’s something really boosting about getting on planes and being received well at the other side of the world for doing your thing. The top up of self-belief and surety we got from that tour was an acceleration that we’ve never felt before; or at least not at the pace we felt it. It just goes to show that there are some things you just have to do to move forward, and that first international tour was one of those for us. Playing at a showcase event too was great for us because it wasn’t just new fans that we picked up, industry personnel also bought into us which again gave us more confidence in what we are doing. It’s like if the moguls see potential then it adds to the argument that there’s a career to be had here. We picked up some New York connections which shows as the next showcase event we were invited to play at happened to be in New York. Funny how things work out, isn’t it? A band from Gold Coast playing shows around London and picking up festivals in America. What a ride!”
CHAVEZ CARTEL – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
6-10 MARCH 2024 | THE NEW COLOSSUS FESTIVAL | NEW YORK, USA | 21+
Tickets available from Dice.fm
A magnetic meeting point of shimmering soul and beauty, the new single Until You Call My Name out now from Radical Son is a striking ode to gratitude and the power of love. A goosebump-inducing moment in time from the revered Kamilaroi artist with Tongan heritage, Radical Son will bring his new track as well as his forthcoming album Biliyambil (The Learning) to vivid life at the Sydney Opera House supporting Emma Donovan on October 20, as well as 2024’s National Folk Festival.
Produced by Andrew Robinson, Until You Call My Name is a proud, calm, yet stirring outing from Radical Son, aka David Leha, inspired by its producer Robinson as well as Marcus Longfoot and Darkinjung local Phil Bligh. With humid percussion, bright piano and the emphatic, immersive vocals of Radical Son himself, Until You Call My Name flourishes in its beautifully-crafted simplicity, beating at its core with the magic sparked between Radical Son’s work with Robinson and Longfoot at Full Circle Audio in Redfern, alongside Wantok Music. And for Radical Son, Until You Call My Name holds a special place in his heart, as he explains, “Proud of this piece. Of all the works that I have created, it’s one of my favourites.”
Another taste of Radical Son’s highly anticipated sophomore album Biliyambil (The Learning) which is set for release in early 2024, Until You Call My Name is a poignant yet powerful ode to finding happiness in moments of chaos, with Radical Son’s commanding vocals soaring above an ambient glow, declaring “I hear you call my name / Wanting to engage / We’re all finding our way / We’re coping with the struggle”. And in a world consistently divided and full of unrest, Until You Call My Name offers a calming balm as well as a timely reminder to look for what matters most in the darkness, as Radical Son shares, “For those divided and lost, pulled or drawn in many directions both externally and internally. I’m mindful that we are all finding our way and that as hard as it may sometimes be just getting by in life, it is my hope that we find a way to live life, to love.”
One of the mightiest and most compelling artists in the Australian cultural scene, Radical Son channels his experiences from his challenging past into immense power and resolve, with his trademark sound burgeoning with the urgency of hip hop and emotionally-charged soul, as witnessed by these new songs, and his first full length album 2014’s Cause N’Affect. A festival favourite, cemented recently by his show-stopping cover of his mentor Uncle Archie Roach’s Walking Into Doors, Radical Son has performed to standing ovations at Bluesfest, St Kilda Festival, VIVID, the AFL Dreamtime 2032 game, and the official Uncle Archie Roach memorial in Melbourne in 2022.
A highly-skilled concert artist, with performance with classical ensembles and high-profile collaborations under his belt with David Bridie, Emma Donovan, Frank Yamma, Lady Lash, Mau Power and Deline Briscoe, Radical Son’s artistry also expands to film and TV, with credits including Defining Moments, a six-part NITV documentary exploring life-defining experiences, and theatre work, including the lead role of Pemulwuy in I am Eora at the 2012 Sydney Festival.
Studying as a musician at The Eora Centre for Visual and Performing Arts in Redfern, as well completing a Bachelor of Music from Newcastle Conservatorium, Radical Son’s creative prowess is only matched by his otherworldly stage presence that equally transfixes and transcends with authenticity and sheer, compelling power. Cultivating his transformational life into his place as a bright fixture on Australia’s cultural landscape, Radical Son’s moving soul vocals and unique flair only strengthen with time, potently witnessed today via Until You Call My Name. And with an appearance on the horizon over the Easter weekend in 2024 at the National Folk Festival, a hub for the Australian folk community, as ever, magic is guaranteed when Radical Son takes the stage.
FRI 20 OCT | SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE WITH EMMA DONOVAN, SYDNEY, NSW
As the Aussie Summer prepares to deliver the heat, BWS is preparing to bring the cool with the highly anticipated return of BWS Cool Room music series. And the best bit? Fans can apply to be part of these very special gigs for FREE by entering the ballot.
The chilled-down-not-out live music events will pop-up in Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne and feature a stellar line-up of Australian and International talent inside a custom built BWS Cool Room (yes, they’re really fridges) across the eastern seaboard.
Among this year’s line-up of hot artists, global hip-hop superstar, Armani White will touch down in Australia for the very first time in Victoria, with surf-rock legends Lime Cordiale and electronic sensation Memphis LK leading the charge for Sydney and Newcastle.
The BWS Cool Room is a multi-sensory live music experience – a giant, purpose-built stage-come-fridge that invites fans to step through its fridge doors and into a gig like nothing else. We know the world has been wondering what a music gig would feel like if it were in a larger-than-life fridge, and now fans can feel it for themselves. Once again, the artists are turning up the heat and this year BWS are turning up the surprises.
Headlining the Victorian BWS Cool Room stage is Billion-streaming U.S Rapper and social media music sensation, Armani White who catapulted to stardom with his viral hit record, ‘Billie Eilish’ which reached over 15M Spotify streams alone. This will be his first ever performance in Australia.
The US star says he’s ecstatic to get the call up for the exclusive BWS event.
“When I got the call to perform inside a huge BWS inflatable cool room, I just had to say YES! The creativity and the concept for something like this is extremely impressive and it is what I am about musically. As an artist I am all about pushing the boundaries but still making sure my music is for all of those who appreciate it.
“I have never been to Australia before and I really want to be amongst a crowd that bring the vibe and the energy.”
As part of the inaugural SXSW® Sydney calendar of events, BWS has partnered with Lime Cordiale who will kick-start the 2023 Cool Room series with a bang at Central Park, Sydney as part of the festival of music and innovation on 19 October 2023.
“We’d been looking for a way to play a meaningful part of SXSW Sydney and the BWS Cool Room is giving us a distinct and fun way for us to do just that, we’re thrilled to be kicking-off the series of events this October,” said the band.
The infectious five-piece band recently released their latest single. ‘Imposter Syndrome’ and landed four songs in Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2022 including ‘Holy Moley’, which featured a collaboration with the multi-talented British actor, DJ, and musician Idris Elba.
“Music is a truly authentic way for us to connect with young Aussies and the BWS Cool Room is the perfect platform for us to do this,” said An Le, Head of Brand Marketing at BWS. “After seeing the impact of BWS Cool Room last year, we’re excited to continue to evolve our unique voice in music and to reach more communities over Summer. We have bold ambitions to go bigger and are thrilled to unveil our line-up of artists for this year!”
BWS COOL ROOM 2023 ARTISTS, DATES & LOCATIONS: • Lime Cordiale – Central Park, Sydney, NSW – 19 October 2023 • Memphis LK – Empire Park, Newcastle, NSW – 23 November 2023 • Armani White – Point Ormond Reserve, Elwood VIC – 7 December 2023
To attend, music fans must sign up via the BWS website to receive their entry into the ballot. Fans will also automatically go in the draw to win a Golden Ticket; 2 double passes to attend Armani White’s show in Victoria including flights, accommodation and a meet and greet with the artist himself. These are sure to be the hottest music tickets of the summer festival season.
Breathe in, now breathe out New Zealand. The good times just keep on rollin’ in 2023, and this November LIMP BIZKIT, aka one of the most defining nu metal bands of all time, are bringing the Dad Vibes and all your classic faves to Auckland’s Spark Arena for a headline sideshow on Sunday 26 November with special guests HANABIE. en route to Good Things Festival in Australia.
A rare few can boast the staying power and permeating legacy of a band like LIMP BIZKIT. Forged in Florida in the mid 90s with a raucous fusion of rock, metal and hip hop, LIMP BIZKIT‘s staggering legacy cemented in 1997 via their innovative debut album Three Dollar Bill, Y’all, with their angsty odes and genre-blurring ultimately influencing the nu metal stampede that catapulted into the mainstream.
Now boasting six studio albums, including their #1 charting albums Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000) as well as their most recent full length Still Sucks (2021), LIMP BIZKIT have also received three Grammy Award nominations, wins at the Billboard Music Awards and Kerrang! Awards, and an induction into MTV’s Total Request Live Hall of Fame in 2001. And with multiple platinum albums already under their belts and over 13 million monthly dedicated listeners on Spotify alone, LIMP BIZKIT‘s fanbase continues to explode globally, as do their monstrous live performances.
A band who can party like it’s 1999 multiple decades on, LIMP BIZKIT‘s palpitating array of rock, metal, rap and beyond is as potent as ever, inciting mosh pits and rock’n’roll rebellion in a way only frontman Fred Durst and co. truly can. From their generation-defining singles like Break Stuff, Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle) and Nookie to newer cuts that keep the party vibes ferociously pumping, it’s undeniable that LIMP BIZKIT as electrifying now as they were when nu metal first reigned supreme.
Forming in 2015, Japanese metalcore outfit HANABIE. blend metal, hardcore, hip hop, electronica and J-pop with Harajuku-inspired aesthetics. Brandishing their secret weapons, pop, genre-less music and kawaii neo-Japanese style, HANABIE. also embrace tongue-in-cheek lyricism, as witnessed most recently on their 2023 album Reborn Superstar! as well as on their debut 2021 full length Girl’s Reform Manifest. Previously performing at Aftershock, Louder Than Life and Blue Ridge Rock Festival, HANABIE. are a breath of sharpened fresh air in the heavy realms and must-see in a live setting.
Ahead of appearing alongside Fall Out Boy, Devo, I Prevail, Bullet For My Valentine and many more at Good Things Festival in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this December, come and witness one of the all-time greats with some electrifying up-and-comers heading to New Zealand on Sunday 26 November. Auckland, you know what time it is – do not sleep on this one-off show.
Early bird pre-sale tickets on sale: Monday 25 September @ 9am NZST time
Fall Out Boy Limp Bizkit Devo (The Farewell Tour Celebrating 50 Years) I Prevail | Bullet For My Valentine | Corey Taylor Pennywise | Spiderbait | Slowly Slowly | Enter Shikari Behemoth | Sepultura | Taking Back Sunday | PVRIS
In Alphabetical Order: Bloom | Boom Crash Opera | Eskimo Joe | Frenzal Rhomb | Hanabie | Jebediah | Luca Brasi Magnolia Park | Make Them Suffer | Ocean Sleeper | Royal & The Serpent | Short Stack Slaughter To Prevail | Stand Atlantic | Tapestry | The Plot In You | While She Sleeps
DATES AND VENUES: Friday 1 December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (LIC AA 15+) Saturday 2 December – Centennial Park, Sydney (18+) Sunday 3 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (LIC AA 15+)
LIMP BIZKIT
NEW ZEALAND HEADLINE SHOW
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
HANABIE.
SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER – SPARK ARENA, AUCKLAND
General tickets on sale: Wednesday 27 September @ 9am NZST time
Tickets fromdestroyalllines.com
We had the pleasure to interview one of our fav bands She Wants Revenge to chat about their new tour and more.
It’s your first ever Australian tour what took you so long!? And what can your Aussie fans expect from She Wants Revenge in October?
What took so long is that every time we had a tour planned something unexpected came up which got in the way. Once it was a late-night television appearance, once it was a tour or music video. So far back it’s hard to remember, but each time we were gutted, as we’ve been dying to come. Thomas Froggatt, our bass player who’s been in the band since our first show, is actually from Byron and Melbourne, so it’s incredible to finally get over there. When I told him this time he said, “I’ll believe it when I see it”. It’s like there have been outside forces keeping us from coming, but now it’s time to build a foundation so that we can continue to come play with some regularity.
Fans can expect a full-on rock show. We put 1000% into what we do, and take it very seriously. We never phone it in or give less than our best, a) because we love what we do and are super fortunate to be in the position we’re in, b) because the fans deserve it, especially those who’ve waited this long. We play a combination of deep cuts, familiar hits, fan-favorites, as well as two songs from our upcoming album.
Is there any truth to the rumors you guys are working on some new material? And if so, when can we expect to hear it?
Yes! We are about 85% into the process. We had to stop to come on this European/UK tour, but as soon as we get home we’ll be right back into it. You can expect a single before year’s end, and then a full LP sometime into 2024.
What made you put the band in hiatus in 2012 and then again in 2020 and are you guys enjoying playing live again?
To be honest, we were just fighting too much. Bands are relationships like any other. It’s a marriage really. Communication had broken down, and after years of being in a van, bus, and studio together every day for years, it took its toll. You either work through the stuff, individually and collectively change and make it work, or you let it build up until it implodes, and in 2012 it imploded. We got back together in 2016 because of the 10th anniversary of our 1st album, and agreed to try and make it work, and it did…. but things didn’t really change in a meaningful way, it was more like a bandaid on a bullet hole. So when the world changed in 2020 and so many of us were taking stock of our lives and what we wanted, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in the band any longer. After making a solo album and spending time away from it, I realized I missed it, but knew that there were also parts I never wanted to experience again. What started as a thought turned into a lot of long, deep, pretty serious conversations between Adam and I figuring out why things were the way they were before, how to both change the way we communicated and interacted, and realized that there was a path forward which could be different, could be fun, communicated, not combative, and appreciative of this thing we created and built with so much time, energy and love. So now to be doing it again, I think I can speak for both of us when I say it’s the best it’s ever been, more fun than ever, we appreciate it on a deeper level, and the way the music is being received really makes us feel like not only are we exactly where we’re supposed to be, but that we’re doing what we’re meant to be doing.
What are you looking forward to most on this tour?
Surfing the Gold Coast, experiencing the culture, meeting the people, playing music for new audiences, the coffee, and hopefully some great food.
Justin what was it like touring with one of your heroes Peter Murphy in 2011, is their truth to the saying “never meet your heroes”?
I respect and enjoy the music Peter has made, but I wouldn’t use the word hero. No disrespect to him, I’m just not sure I have heroes. No one should be put on a pedestal for their art. But touring with Peter was fun, and everything I thought it was. We definitely developed a friendship of sorts, had some laughs, and even had some friendly competition, as he definitely has an edge, but that’s no secret. But just being able to share the stage with someone who’s music influenced ours is a trip. That was definitely great.
What Song do you love playing live?
It really changes, but what I can say is I don’t play any songs I don’t want to play.
You have 3 blistering albums which we love here at Black of Hearts, at a push do you have a favourite, and which one came together the easiest?
The first is always the easiest, as you don’t know you’re making it, and it’s the sum of everything that came before. I think that’s my favorite, as is the new one. But there are moments of each which I think are pretty special. The second record is solid and has some really good tunes. The 3rd is a great record. Now some of the tunes are considered fan-favorites, but at the time the core fans felt it was too much of a departure. I can see that, as it clearly has the sound of a band trying to stretch out beyond its confines, but I do think it’s a good record as well. So I guess the first, which coincidentally came together the easiest. That is not unrelated. The new album came together quite easily as well, so that should tell you something.
What does your writing process look like?
It really varies. In the past we would write music together, I would go off and write lyrics and sing to it, then show him the song for notes and his feelings, then we’d finish the songs together and separate.
This record was unlike any we’d done before. With this record we either the wrote music together in a room, or Adam would start a piece of music on his own and send me instrumentals to check out and see what connected and I’d tell him which songs were resonating with me.. Sometimes I’d have an idea for a type of beat, a tempo, a feeling, or a vibe, and I’d give him a prompt which he’d take and make something and send it over to me. A lot of the time it was exactly what I was hoping for.
Once the basics of the song are there, I then I go off and write the words and melody, track all of the guitars, write additional parts, and sometimes plays with the arrangement and rearrange things. As well as feeling like the songs had to have a certain feeling and tone, my only real intention was writing the best lyrics possible, and I’m really proud at what I achieved in that regard.
The most striking difference this time around is that rather than sing a song and present to him for notes, this time I worked on all of the lyrics and melody until all the songs were done, andthen presented him with all the songs at once. It’s unorthodox and was probably a bit jarring getting all that information at once after only hearing them as instrumentals for so long, but not only did I need to hear it develop as a whole while I worked on them to get my head inside the album, but it felt right to present them to him as such. He definitely put a lot of faith and trust in me and let me have the space to do it the way I needed to this time, and I think it ended up working out quite well. That said I doubt he’d want to do it this way again. Haha. It wasn’t a conscious choice though, it was due to having separate schedules, studios, and to some degree just ended up being the way I had to do it to find the literal and figurative voice to an album that was the first in over a decade. The good news is it worked, so I’m not complaining.
Is there a song you wish you had written and why?
Loads. Hard to name any, but if pressed I would say just about anything from Loveless or Abbey Road.
Is there a song you are most proud of writing?
A lot of the lyrics on the 1st album (except Monologue, which just sounds silly to me now), and all of the songs/lyrics on my forthcoming solo album. Also, most of my 1st solo album (My Field Trip To Planet 9), and Bug Powder Dust. Those come to mind.
There are elements of erotic themes running through a lot of your lyrics, is that a conscious choice or is that just organic?
Both, but as I’ve gotten older, that has mellowed. I’m not a single 30 year old any longer. To me the songs are about love, loss, regret, heartbreak, lust, betrayal, longing. As I get older that remains, but so do themes of mortality, hope, love, and the emotions of living in the modern age as the world has gone completely mad.
What has been the highlight of your careers so far?
Simply having one. Very fortunate. I don’t say lucky, because I don’t believe in that so much as karma. Talent + hard work + sacrifice + being a good person and trying to help others, build community, and grow = fortunate.
What does the future hold for She Wants Revenge?
New album, more touring, solo releases for both, lots of videos, art, and moving up and forward.
What is the best gig you’ve played?
Impossible to say, but Serbia the other night was among the best I’ve played this decade.
We can hear shades of some of our favourite bands in your music but who would you say has been your biggest influence?
Prince, Depeche Mode, Girls Against Boys, Sonic Youth, Jane’s Addiction, Tom Petty, Psychedelic Furs, Robert Smith, Johnny Marr, My Bloody Valentine, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, Led Zeppelin, De La Soul, Suicide, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, The B-52’s, The Pretenders, Iggy, Lou Reed, early Stones, George Harrison, the list goes on….
Justin, you started out as a rapper and Adam you were a DJ for a while how did you guys end up in a post punk goth rock band?
Being record nerds, coming up in hip-hop which at the time was a sample-based culture, the sound of the music we made and listened to was shaped by multiple genres. Additionally, we both were into new wave and hip-hop in real time as it was coming of age, so doing both has always felt very natural. From Blondie doing, “Rapture”, to New Order being exposed to Black disco in the clubs of New York and incorporating that into their sound, that type of cross-genre blend has always been exciting, and I feel our music is part of that lineage.
How do you guys spend your time when you’re not doing, She Wants Revenge?
Even while touring and working with She Wants Revenge, I manage three artists, as well as overseeing release strategy, marketing, and creative direction for a handful of others. When I’m not working I mainly just spend time with my family. Adam has other creative projects, produces other artists, DJ’s, takes photographs, and makes coffee. We both spend a lot of time making coffee. It’s a passion and obsession.
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and why?
My deceased grandfather. He was a very interesting character with a colorful past who led a wildlife. He was hugely influential to me, and we were quite close. My son is researching for a film he’s planning to make about him, so I’d love to spend one more night with him under the guise of my son asking him questions, but really so that he could get to know his great-grandson who he only met when he was quite young.
Thanks so much for you time and we look forward to your show in Melbourne:)
