“Australia’s PJ Harvey…possessing the punch of Cat Power and the wise words of Joni Mitchell” (Courier Mail)
Lucie Thorne as one of the most striking lyricists and voices of Australian Contemporary song. Her latest releas, ‘Black Across the Field’ has garnered extraordinary attention from the country’s leading critics, including being awarded ‘Best Roots Album of 2009‘ in the Sydney Morning Herald, and has just been short listed for the prestigious Australian Music Prize for her 5th release Black Across the Field.

1. What was the first band you saw live? What’d you learn from them?
I remember going to an acapella concert with my parents when I was quite young, and being really moved by the beauty of all those voices together…I can clearly remember standing up the back of the room, my whole body goose-bumped, swimming in the gorgeousness of human voices in harmony…

The first big show I went to was a few years later – Bob Dylan at the Launceston Silverdome in the early nineties. It was an amazing experience, although it was famously difficult/controversial. (He was not in his prime that time round, in fact it wasn’t clear he knew which way was the front of the stage let alone where he was etc)

3. Got any pre-gig rituals?
After all these years I still get a pretty serious attack of the nerves before most shows, so, I tend to hide away and do quiet vocal warm-ups, and maybe a few push ups (?!) to focus that adrenalin (and, ah, also due to the butterflies, and to the constant amusement of my band and touring comrades, I tend to go to th dunny a lot directly before a show, though I don’t suppose that really counts as a ‘ritual’ does it?!).

4. What do you think is the most important issue affecting music in NSW is today?
Broadly speaking I reckon the music community is in a pretty healthy place right now. There’s certainly a lot of great music being made. And although in some ways its getting more viable to independently record and tour, a little bit of funding support goes a long way for indie artists. Especially if you’re trying to tour a band. Or get that bit of extra cash together to promote a release. So it would be great to see an increase in funding opportunities for new and emerging contemporary music…

5. If you weren’t a musician what do you think you’d be doing?
I can’t imagine not having music in the middle of my life, its what drives and sustains me. But sometimes I daydream about a quieter (/saner?) life where I kept this whole music-making thing more to myself though…and ah, maybe being a grocer? or a librarian…?

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Posted Tue 23rd Feb, 2010 by Meg Williams.

Photo of Danimals with Mark Ronson and The Dap Kings from the TED Lab writing a new song in New York

Danimals began, largely, as a solo project for Sydney artist Jonti Danilewitz. But as time moved on it wasn’t long before Danimals turned into a five-piece for their live shows, transcending far beyond Jonti’s original concept.  With the intentions that the shows (and music in general) have an exciting rhythmic element, the band revolves around three drummers that rotate around a single drum kit and separate synth and percussion stations. Recently Danimals won the Tooheys Extra Dry Competition to fly to New York to collaborate with countless musicians at Mark Ronsons Studio. The writing week has already happened and in March 2010 the track is to be released.

Answered by Jonti Danilewitz

1. What was the first band you saw live?
Hah, well first live band I saw were the Bee Gees back in my South Africa days. I was really young but it was huge because no international acts came to South Africa then!

2. What’d you learn from them?
I was too young to process anything at that gig in particular, but what I learned from the Bee Gees in general was how to secure harmonies in popular music, because those dudes has a vocal blend like no other and used them like different instruments in an orchestra.

3. Got any pre-gig rituals?
We all do Om’s in the street for as long as possible.

4. What do you think is the most important issue affecting Music in NSW is today?
Well at least in the social strata I’m in, it’s the musicians who tend to jump in too early into the external factors of being an artist, like promoting themselves as young and interesting. Instead they would really benefit a lot more from locking themselves away for three years to just listen and learn records and make music. And then worry about the other stuff. The evil ticking clock is alot more fictional than we think it is!

5. If you weren’t a musician what do you rekon you’d be doing?
I would be drawing frogs as a living – that was probably my only other passion.

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Posted Thu 7th Jan, 2010 by Meg Williams.

A precociously inspired 21 year old skate rat from Northwest Sydney, Jonathan Boulet makes a brand of ceremoniously uplifting, deeply colorful pop that sounds like something for which you’ve been inadvertently searching but never dreamed you’d find. His debut self titled album is out now through Modular Records.

1. What was the first band you saw live?
The Super Jesus

2. What’d you learn from them?
After watching their drummer play, I decided that from then on I would play with my cymbals as high as they could go so I could lift my arms as high as I could and smash them as hard as I can

3. Got any pre gig rituals?
Not really. It changes, sometimes once we’re all on stage we’ll have a moment of nothing. Or start off with a noise improvisation. What ever we’re feeling like really.

4. What do you think is the most important issue affecting music in nsw is today?
Peoples willingness to create. The majority of bands in NSW will hear someone’s music and decide to replicate the sound because its what they like; a lot of the time unconsciously. This is counter productive to the creative community of NSW. However, there is definitely more and more bands doing their own thing and creating music that is challenging and fresh. Its gaining momentum and the more people get into it, the better the music is going to get.

5. If you weren’t a musician what do you think you’d be doing?
Getting music lessons so I could become a musician.

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Posted Mon 21st Dec, 2009 by Meg Williams.

After The Fall burst onto the Australian music scene in 2004 releasing their self-titled debut of that year, with tracks such as “Mirror Mirror”, “Room For One More” & “Sunshine Showers.” Rollingstone Magazine named it one of the Top 50 Albums of the year. After The Fall was also welcomed into triple J’s Hottest 100. By late March 05, After The Fall was back in the studio recording their second album “Always Forever Now”. After a busy 3 years After The Fall took a break from touring and locked themselves in their home studio on the central coast of NSW writing material for the 3rd album. After The Fall’s forthcoming third album [IN] EXILE is scheduled for release AUG 28 2009 through legendary rock label Roadrunner Records.

Answered by Mark Warner

1. What was the first band you saw live?
Frenzal Rhomb at my local roller rink called froggys – I couldn’t hear properly for three days after it…it was the beginning of the end for my hearing … WEAR EARPLUGS!!

2. What’d you learn from them?
Not to take things too seriously. It’s only rock n’ roll.

3. Got any pre-gig rituals?
I like to be at the venue a few hours before the show…I need at least a 3 hour window between eating and playing…and I also like to have stage clothes to change into.

4. What do you think is the most important issue affecting Music in NSW is today?
I guess Morons who move next door to a venue then complain about the noise.. it would be like me moving next to the ocean and complaining about the sound of the ocean…and more locally speaking Money…I like to eat but it gets hard sometimes.

5. If you werent a musician what do you reckon you’d be doing?
I don’t really like hypotheticals…but if I must play…making something with wood? Probably guitars or recording bands and the like.

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Posted Mon 14th Dec, 2009 by Meg Williams.

Aeriae is Sydney-based electronic composer/producer Wade Clarke. Aeriae’s tracks pulse with all the addictive beat microscopy and spliced atomic delights of IDM masters like Autechre, and wed these rhythms to conspicuous tonal beauty and classical figures. Organ lines, crystal-like textures and treated White Girl voices wrap around tracks whose compass includes the song-like and the properly experimental.

Aeriae released his debut album ‘Hold R1′ in 2007, along with the award-winning 8-bit animation for the track ‘AMay’. The second album ‘Victris’ is due in 2010, as is as another Aeriae project, an 8-bit horror adventure titled ‘Leadlight’.

1. What was the first band you saw live?
It’s hard to say. It was at the Big Day Out and I feel like I saw a whole bunch at once. There was Alchemist, Tumbleweed, TISM and The Jesus Lizard.

2. What’d you learn from them?
I wish I could say more intelligent and useful for myself, but mostly I learned about them -they rocked.

3. Got any pre-gig rituals?
Make my hands are warm. I have Raynauds disease (bad circulation in hands and feet) and playing without blood in my hands is both cumbersome and dangerous.

4. What do you think is the most important issue affecting music in NSW is today?
I can’t speak for the whole state, but in Sydney there were some prominent venue closures and related problems in 2009. It seems it’s logistically too difficult for a lot of venues to appease councils in urban areas. Standards need to be maintained because residents should be able to live comfortably near venues, but even while going out of their way to meet these standards, venues have had to close. Something’s going wrong here.

5. If you weren’t a musician what do you rekon you’d be doing?
I can’t not make music, the same way I can’t not write or draw. I have to continue  to do these things in spite of my real fears of ending up in abject poverty.

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Posted Mon 14th Dec, 2009 by Meg Williams.