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BECKON FIRE: New Single ‘Lonely’

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Sunshine Coast based Electronic Pop lads Beckon Fire have dropped their new single and hilarious music video ‘Lonely’!
The single is taken from their forthcoming EP release ‘Truth Of Our Youth’ (released in March 2019.)
The band will be celebrating with a launch show at Tomcat in Brisbane on Friday 5th April.
Beckon Fire are for fans of The Chainsmokers, Post Malone, Bring Me The Horizon and The 1975.
Check out the Horse-Some (hehe) music video to ‘Lonely’ below and let us know what you think!

February 11, 2019 0 comment
MusicInterviewsFeaturedPopRock

Real Friends

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We recently caught up with Kyle from Real Friends to discuss their upcoming Australian tour dates with Columbus and Harbours.

You guys have been touring pretty hard this year. How have the shows been so far?

Shows have been very sick. Our headlining US tour this year was my favorite tour to date. We hadn’t properly headlined in the US since 2014. The tour exceeded our expectations. It was rewarding to say the least.  Very excited for what’s to come for other tours this year.

How are you feeling about your upcoming Australian tour dates?

Honestly Australia is my favorite place to play overseas. We have always had a blast there. We are so stoked to come back. It’s been two years since we were there. Very stoked!

How have fans received the new album in a live atmosphere over the past year?

I think music is a little different than it was a few years back with people really getting to know songs. There’s so many bands out there! We found some people not listening to our album for almost a year after it’s release date. Now the album has been out for over a year and we are feeling the new songs are up to par in a live setting with all the others. Our newer song Mess is my favorite one to play live. It gets the best reaction.

Tell us about your favourite parts of touring Australia?  

The fans of course! They’re great. Australia has always supported us so hard. I remember sending online merch orders to Australia in 2012. It seemed so out of the questions to ever go there then. Fast forward five years later and here we are. And the vegetarian food is awesome in Australia. That helps. We love Lord Of The Fries!!!

What can fans expect from your live show?

We really try to make our live shows as casual as possible. We want it to feel like we’re all hanging out. Without the fans there, well there wouldn’t be a show. We’re all on the same level. It’s all about letting go of any troubles and having a good time at our shows.

What is next for Real Friends following your upcoming tour?

We have been writing a ton for a new album. That’s our main focus for the year. We’re also doing Uk and Europe with Neck Deep and As It Is.

Tell us about some of the challenges of international touring?

The plane rides are always tough. The flight to Australia is always the worst, yet so worth it. It’s pretty much two days in Airports and on a plane. It’s also typically hard to find good food vegetarian food overseas. We don’t run into that in Australia though.

You recently announced that it has been 4 years since the release of ‘Put Yourself Back Together’. How does it feel to reflect on the past 4 years as a band?

It amazes me everyday. I’m not sure this will all ever feel normal. It’s crazy to think where we have been over the post four years because of our songs. Music is crazy, man.

Thanks so much for your time! Anything that you would like to add finally?

Just a big thank you to all of our fans. We are nothing without you. Keep telling your friends about us!

The Real Friends Australian tour kicks off on July 27th at The Brightside, Brisbane.

July 10, 2017 0 comment
MusicGigsNewsPop

Sannia: New singles.

written by Emily Cheung

Radiant vocalist and songwriter Sannia has today announced not one, but two magnificent new singles; Daylight and Better, out August 16. The two tracks are reflective of the growth of Sannia’s trademark intricate, emotive songwriting, and her voice soars with undeniable strength on both songs as the narrative melts from one track to the next.  And the indie pop powerhouse has alsoreleased two stunning videos for the singles, directed by award-winning writer and director Emily Dynes (Teagan, Oh Pep!, The Gaze).  To celebrate the double release, Sannia will be playing two exclusive shows in September at Melbourne’s Workers Club (September 12) and Sydney’s Golden Age Cinema (September 14).  

Daylight opens the window into Sannia’s heart and mind, with pulsing, nostalgic synths, and poignant, relatable lyrics woven amongst a gentle solo guitar.  The story is familiar – unrequited love, not for a stranger but for a close friend, as Sanniaexplains, “I wrote this song on a train home after a big night out with friends, I sort of had this weird semi- inebriated epiphany that I was head over heels for someone close to me, and in that same moment I realised he absolutely didn’t feel the same at all. Like two ships passing in the night, or maybe a ship and a rowboat in my case.”  The clip is striking even from the opening shot – a damaged car in a vast, open pasture, a fire smoking out, and Sannia, a little bruised, lying in the front seat in a flowing red dress.  She rises, and moves instinctively with the song, as she describes, “I feel like I was most vulnerable in this clip – I was absolutely terrified at first to include choreography in a one-take shot with a very small time frame to get it done was nerve wrecking but I think it’s the clip I’m most proud of.” 

Better picks up where Daylight leaves off; the dust has settled on the relationship, and Sannia begins to believe in getting better, if only for herself. Another distinctive, swooping synth and an industrial-style drum loop moves this track into a modern, electronic space, while Sannia’s gorgeous vocals, evocative of both Meg Mac andVera Blue, make this song distinctly hers.  The clip features two lovers, dancing in a sunlit, empty house, then in a field at dusk…and then, they are apart, as Sanniasays, “If there was anything in the world I wish I could do it would be dance, and the first thing I thought of when I imagined a video for this song was two dancers really representing the constantly shifting sands of a turbulent relationship. Emily managed to get in touch with choreographer Sian Kelly and two incredible dancers (Melissa Yvonne Pham and Ned Zaina) and suddenly this idea I had in my head that I absolutely couldn’t describe with words or my own lack of coordination actually came to life; I was completely blown away by Mel and the emotion she brought to the shoot.”

Explaining the decision to release both songs at the same time, Sannia says, “I decided to release these two together because I feel like they’re one and the same, not just in terms of their production or both videos being centred around dance and movement, but the two songs were really two different responses to the same situation.  Daylightwas the initial, really vulnerable call out and Betterwas the more defiant and explosive response.”

After an intense year of touring, Sannia is thrilled to be playing two exclusive live shows to celebrate the release of DaylightandBetter. Giving fans a taste of what to expect from the shows, Sannia says, “I feel like we’ve grown so much from all the time not just performing but creating together and that definitely shows onstage.  I think I’m the most honest version of myself and my emotions onstage, the music I write comes from a deeply personal place so I’m essentially revealing myself and embodying my work every time I perform and I can’t wait to share these new stories with a new audience.” 

Daylight and Better will be available on August 16.

SANNIA BETTER AND DAYLIGHT DOUBLE SINGLE RELEASE LAUNCH SHOWS

THU 12 SEP | WORKERS CLUB, FIZTROY VIC | 18+ 
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au| 1300 762 545

SAT 14 SEP | GOLDEN AGE CINEMA, NEWTOWN NSW | All Ages
Free Entry | Details available via https://www.ourgoldenage.com.au/live-music

Stream: BETTER                         Stream: DAYLIGHT                                      Watch: BETTER                          Watch: DAYLIGHT

        

WEBSITE    INSTAGRAM  FACEBOOK  TWITTER   SPOTIFY    YOUTUBE

August 15, 2019 0 comment
FilmMusicGigsNewsFeaturedPopRock

ADAPTORS: New Music Video ‘Crystal Eye’

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Sydney Indie Rock quartet Adaptors have just released their stunning new music video to recently released single ‘Crystal Eye’.

The band have been touring throughout February to bring their blissful sonic to stages along the East Coast of Australia.

The guys finish off the tour tonight at The Basement, Canberra.

‘Crystal Eye’ feels like a real step-up for the band. Check it out below and sink into the goodness of Adaptors!

March 2, 2018 0 comment
MusicElectronica/DancePop

BEACHWOOD ANNOUNCE THIRD SINGLE MARBLES + BEACH BOYS COVER GOD ONLY KNOWS

written by Emily Cheung

The effortlessly cool Beachwood have today announced two singles Marbles and God Only Knows (out today, October 25).  Their compelling, hypnotic brand of electro pop shines bright on both tracks; completely mastering an unexpected cover in God Only Knows, and documenting a gradual lapse of sanity in Marbles.  Beachwood (otherwise known as Jarrad Rogers and Angeline Armstrong) are the new kids on the block – only these multi medium artists already know exactly who they are, and are already making waves across the globe.  After working with massive international artists such as Charli XCX, 5 Seconds of Summer, Lana Del Rey and Lauryn Hill, and much loved Australian artists Montaigne, Daniel Johns and Luke Steele (Empire of the Sun), it’s finally time for Jarrad and Ange of Beachwood to step to the front.

Their new original track Marbles was conceived in Los Angeles and features Texan MC Tray Haggerty, and you can almost hear the buzzing heat in the final release.  Surprising beat changes, inventive melodic vocal ideas, almost overwhelming synthesisers and hits are all contained within Marbles. It feels like a true masterclass in marrying the art of songwriting and the art of production and the end result is one very exciting pop song.  Speaking on the inspiration behind the single, Jarrad says, “Sometimes, caught up in the moment, we find ourselves saying and acting like someone we don’t even recognise – someone who is not at all the person we want to be deep down – that sort of inner struggle just seems to be a part of human nature.  It was cool to work together on a song that found a way to really capture that universal feeling of letting someone you love down, of ‘losing your mind, your grip on things, your marbles.’”

God Only Knows may seem a strange fit as a cover for a modern electronic pop duo – but Beachwood’s version of this classic Beach Boys hit is the track you never knew you needed.  Eerie, progressive and warm, the gorgeous nature of this stunning song glows in Beachwood’s thoughtful remake.  Angeline’s voice is soft and emotive as impressive production swells and recedes with stunning technical prowess.  This cover highlights the melancholy within God Only Knows, as Ange explains, “God Only Knows is such a sweet, romantic sounding song – but when you dig deeper and pay attention to the lyrics, it’s quite bittersweet and dark – there’s a real desperation and longing in it.  That same longing and bittersweet feeling exists in both of our new tracks: hidden beneath pulsating pop beats and big progressive sounds, there’s the raw voice of a desperate longing for a relationship that won’t spoil or break.  I think that taps into something very personal for all of us, no matter how deeply buried.”

The decision to release the two songs side by side was one that felt natural to Beachwood, as Ange reflects, “It’s always nice to give people more.  As artists we’re always so hungry to release our music faster than is sometimes possible – it feels really good to just let go and hand these two over to the world all at once.  We wanted to do something a little different – there’s a big focus on releasing one single at a time these days, but we felt that there was a bit of a story here in releasing both together.  We love re-imagining songs, especially ones as amazing as God Only Knows.”  No matter what the song, the Beachwood sound will always come through.

Beachwood is Jarrad Rogers and Angeline Armstrong.

Marbles and God Only Knows are released today, October 25, both through BMG.

Stream: MARBLES + Soundcloud        Watch: MARBLES (Official lyric video)              Stream: GOD ONLY KNOWS + Soundcloud

October 25, 2019 0 comment
Electronica/DancePop

Huntly’s ‘Please’

written by smallfryhq

“They’re on the cusp of big things (huge)” – Oyster
“The aural equivalent to erotic asphyxiation; it leaves you gasping for air and aching for more” – The Music
“This is pop music at its most creative” – Indie Shuffle 

Melbourne trio Huntly have spent the last year building a reputation as one of Australia’s most dynamic and innovative live electronic acts. Pulsing between the borders of Melbourne’s experimental R&B scenes, Huntly charter new territory with the release of their new single Please.

Conjuring elements from underground dance music to Top 40 pop, Please is a story of heartbreak, longing and catharsis, let loose over an antipodal tropical groove. Singers Charlie and Elspeth swap verses, aching to be heard by a lost lover, while meticulous garage/2-step percussion drives the track from below.  

Their previous single We Made It reached over 400,000 Spotify plays in the last two months. Huntly’s debut EP, Feel Better or Stop Trying, released May this year, saw the trio garner approval from local and international tastemakers (Oyster, Thump, Indie Shuffle, The Music and more), and traversed Australian radio with features on Triple J Unearthed, PBS, RRR and FBi. 

Huntly have been praised for their sound’s sense of urgency, authenticity, and the trio’s transparent live shows. After a string of sets at BIGSOUND 2016 and Melbourne Music Week, Huntly prepare to move crowds with an appearance at Paradise Music Festival.

Please continues Huntly’s manifesto of 2016; “get sad, write a banger” and will be released November 22 via Neat Lawn with a single launch December 15 at The Night Cat, Melbourne.

Neat Lawn is a record label founded in 2016 and based in Melbourne. Established by Gab Strum (Japanese Wallpaper) and Will Evans (Zero Through Nine), with an emphasis on community, independence and identity; we hope that the music we share reflects these ideals.

Stream Please – http://bit.ly/huntlyplease-SC

November 24, 2016 0 comment
GigsFeaturedPop

Jack Colwell Releases New EP

written by smallfryhq

With his swoon-worthy new single Don’t Cry Those Tears gaining traction at radio nationally, and its confronting film clip racking up nearly 9,000 plays on Vimeo and YouTube in two weeks, Jack Colwell is fast establishing himself as Australia’s next great musical rebel. On Friday, he released a five-track EP, Only When Flooded Could I Let Go, which features Tears alongside 2014 single Far From View and three new cuts. Today, he announces a stripped-back headline show in Melbourne plus an evening in Sydney presented by Rolling Stone.

It’s been a busy two weeks for Colwell. The buzz around Don’t Cry Those Tears was immediate: following the video’s premiere on Rolling Stone Australia’s website, he received coverage from i-D, Noisey, Manuscript, Attitude (UK), and a host of others. The video, which features a pained Colwell singing in a male sauna, was Rage’s Wild One of the week. At radio, Tears has been building steadily: it’s currently on rotation on FBi in Sydney, 3RRR in Melbourne, and Triple J Unearthed nationally, has received spot plays on Double J and Triple J, and currently holds the #1 spot on AMRAP AirIt Chart.

To celebrate the release of Only When Flooded Could I Let Go, Colwell will play special live shows in Sydney and Melbourne this month. On Sunday 20 September, he will perform an intimate set at Empty Gallery, a brand-new Melbourne venue, accompanied by bass and cello. Rising star Olympia will provide support. On Wednesday 23 September, Colwell returns to Newtown Social Club for a full-band extravaganza as part of Rolling Stone’s Live Lodge series. Joining him will be a multi-ARIA-winning vocal guest who is bound to set hearts racing. Sydney favourites Post Paint will provide support, with a third act to be announced.

After training at Sydney’s prestigious Conservatorium of Music high school, Colwell studied fine art at university and worked as a session musician and arranger for artists as diverse as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Architecture in Helsinki. He is a fiery live performer: shades of Bowie and Nick Cave colour his vocals, while the energy of Nineties icons like Tori Amos and PJ Harvey inform his piano and guitar playing.

WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO TO DON’T CRY THOSE TEARS
ONLY WHEN FLOODED COULD I LET GO IS OUT NOW

JACK COLWELL LIVE SHOWS
September 20 – Empty Gallery, Fitzroy w/ Olympia
September 23 – Rolling Stone Live Lodge, Newtown Social Club, Newtown w/ Post Paint + Lupa J

September 7, 2015 0 comment
MusicElectronica/DancePopRap

MR BIG STUFF ANNOUNCES DEBUT SINGLE & VIDEO I NEED SPACE FEAT. STRANGE TALK

written by Emily Cheung

Exciting newcomer Mr Big Stuff has today announced his brilliant, hooky debut single I Need Space, featuring synthpop auteurs Strange Talk, out November 1.  Mr Big Stuff, otherwise known as Gregory Truman, has also announced a quirky and fun video clip to accompany the track, created in collaboration with Lionel Towers (Gypsy & The Cat) and Andrew Mortlock (Cookin’ on 3 Burners, The Griswolds).  I Need Space is a witty, poppy introduction to this up and coming Australian hip hop artist.

I Need Space is a great example of a satisfying and exciting cross-section of pop and hiphop, and it’s impressive to see an artist debut with such a strong, established sound and aesthetic.  Cool and collected, Mr Big Stuff’s brilliant lyricism floats cleverly atop a bed of rolling percussion and smooth synths.  Strange Talk is the perfect artist to join in on I Need Space, and as the track leans into the chorus, you’ll be hard-pressed to get the vocal hook out of your head. “I Need Space was inspired by a break up close to my family.  I was at the studio writing and I got a call from one of the people involved in the breakup.  We got talking and as I was holding back tears, they said to me I just need my space,” explains Mr Big Stuff, “I was in a bit of a sad mood, not knowing what to do – so I walked back into the studio, and 5 minutes later I Need Space was born.”

The clip for I Need Space travels far and wide, as the scene jumps from a surrealist library, to a vast desert landscape, to apocalyptic carpark, to an infinite galaxy.  The colourful, psychedelic clip is a feast for the eyes, and, juxtaposed against the melancholy theme of the lyrics, presents a vibrant reflection of a relationship that has just ended.  It’s fun, it’s strange, and it’s a must-watch, as Mr Big Space explains, “Originally we had a space theme idea and then we kind of went for an idea of space overall – as in, the landscape of space and being transported to different worlds.  I had just gotten back from overseas when the idea for the clip was formed,  and within a week we had set up filming locations, props, outfits, etc.  It was a lot of work by the whole team and I’m very grateful to quality of the content that was produced.”

Mr Big Stuff is a new face on the scene, but it won’t stay that way for long, as an EP is already in the works for the charming hip hop artist.  Music and dance has been a passion for Mr Big Stuff since childhood, as he sweetly enthuses, “I love to live life to the fullest.  I was in a bad state, mentally and health-wise, for a while there, but now I have a new zest on life.  I used to hide away because of my size, but now I embrace it! I got into making music through dancing, and the love and feeling that music gave me.  I’m filled with joy to be able to finally come out from the shadows and show the world what has always been inside of me.”

             Stream: I NEED SPACE            Watch: I NEED SPACE

November 4, 2019 0 comment
MusicNewsJazz FolkPop

The Winter Gyspy: “Bojke”

written by Emily Cheung

Dreamy indie darlings The Winter Gypsy have today announced their new single Bojke (prounouced ‘boy-ke’), a wistful and perceptive ode to a beloved family dog.  The song is accompanied by a thoughtful, haunting clip featuring two masked friends, produced in collaboration with Gerard Wood from New Era Media (Timberwolf).  To celebrate the new release, The Winter Gypsy will be hitting the road to play The World Bar (Syd) on June 23, The Grace Darling (Melb) on July 7 and Exeter Hotel (Ade) on July 8.

Bojke is the perfect follow up to the band’s debut EP Page I.  Considered, intricate and unassumingly memorable, Bojke sweeps broadly, swells and disappears into the ether, gently lulling the listener back down to earth.  Evocative of Fleet Foxes and The Paper Kites, this is indie folk done right; soaking guitars, gentle drums and humble harmony surround the lead vocal as it floats assuredly above it all.  Reflecting on the track, lead vocalist Tushar Singh says, “The title is an ode to our bassist and his brother’s dog who passed away this year; her name was Bojke.  At the time, I had written out these lyrics in a narrative sense, not necessarily written about anyone in particular.  The song had absolutely no relation to me, but I could feel that it could relate to someone else.  A few weeks after I wrote the song, Bojke had passed away.  I instantly linked Bojke to the lyrics in this song and it was strange but so fitting as to how much these lyrics I had written weeks in advance had related to the incident.  I asked the two brothers if I could name the song after her, and they said yes.”

The clip for Bojke is in keeping with the theme established in the bands’ previous video Took Me By; two friends spend routine time together, during which everything is normal except for the fact that they are masked.  Then, suddenly – two becomes one.  Tush explains, “The video clip is based on two friends or two siblings, if you will.  The entire clip is demonstrating a bond or friendship between the pair, and it follows the two masked people hanging out casually; almost as if you were watching their day to day life.  Everything flows smoothly until the climax.  You no longer notice two people, you only see one; which in my mind, portrays the death of someone.  This is the part of the clip where it confirms the connection of Bojke and their owners, Olly and Isaac.  You never know when you might lose someone close to you.  The masks used in the clip was to keep the creepy, eerie, but still intriguing visual going from the previous video clip, Took Me By, seeing as we used the same masks in that video too.  We’d love to essentially make a connecting world out of our music videos.”


Audiences can gain exclusive access to the special world of The Winter Gypsy on the upcoming east coast tour.  Thrilled to be heading out for some interstate shows, Tush enthuses, “We like to bring a bit more to our live performances than you hear in our recordings.  We definitely are more upbeat at our live shows, and you can expect trumpet, soaring instrumentals and a range of vibes.  We’re very excited for our next tour!”


Bojke will be available on June 5.

Stream: BOJKE          Watch: BOJKE          Buy: BOJKE 

THE WINTER GYPSY SHOWS

Tickets from www.thewintergypsy.com

FRI 23 JUN |  THE WORLD BAR, KINGS CROSS, SYD | 18+
FRI 7 JUL | THE GRACE DARLING, COLLINGWOOD, MELB | 18+
SAT 8 JUL | EXETER HOTEL BEER GARDEN, ADELAIDE, SA | 18+

June 20, 2017 0 comment
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