Tagged By pop

Interview w/ Husky Gawenda

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husky

Following on from Mel T’s interview with Geoffrey O’ Connor. I spoke to Husky Gawenda of Husky, another Australian band set to play the Laneway Festival circuit this summer. Husky have had a lot of love on the site for their singles and live shows. In October they released their debut record ‘Forever So’ and have been touring the country playing to sold out crowds and very happy fans.

I started by asking about the release of ‘Forever So’.

We finished the record last year so we were sitting on it for a little while. We’d spent a lot of time and energy and love on the record so waiting to release it was a bit hard in a way cause we really wanted to get it out there and have people hear it. So to finally put it out and start to get feedback in all sorts of different ways – on Facebook and twitter and all the ways you get feedback these days – it’s been quite amazing. The fact that there are people out there connecting with it and enjoying it is an amazing feeling.

and having that direct connection with fans?

Yeah, its a beautiful thing because in the past the only feedback you get other then meeting people at shows, which is a great way to get feedback but other then that the only feedback you get is from critics. That’s all good but it’s a different sort of feedback I think. So to be able to just read people responses to the album on our Facebook wall is great. It’s a great way to gauge how people are feeling about it.

How has playing shows and the time since writing the record changed the way you feel about the record ‘Forever So’?

It’s interesting, I don’t listen to the record. I don’t think that much about the actual record. Obviously we’ve been playing and touring a lot so the record has become a live creature. It’s a thing we do live, we’ve had to work on translating the recordings to a live setting and we’ve had a great opportunity to do that this year because we’ve had so many support tours and now we’ve had our own tour. I’m still feeling really good about the songs, I still feel that most of the time I can connect with them while I’m playing them. Sometimes they mean something different to me while I play them to perhaps what they meant when I wrote them but there is nothing wrong with that, that’s the nature of songs and any sort of art. I’m really enjoying playing the songs and seeing how people respond and connect with them – it’s great fun.

The arrangements on the record are quite unique, have you had trouble translating that to a live set – you have a lot of scope to play around with? (more…)

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Dead Letter Chorus – 'Yellow House'

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It’s winter and it’s bloody cold, a bastard with a biting chill thats left me and everyone I know curled up inside, fighting off the cold. Dead Letter Chorus are back with Yellow House, bringing warmth and youthful romanticism back to this bitter winter.

The video is super honest in it’s delivery – singers Gabby Huber and Cameron Potts are almost painfully cute as they ride across pastel golden fields with the sun on their backs. This is a song of sweet love & warm living rooms, and a clip to match.

It says good things of their new album, Yearlings, due out mid June.

Video after the break.

(more…)

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Charlie Mayfair – 'Tell Her'

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Tell Her by Charlie Mayfair

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Queensland seems to be suffering from a relentless flood of fantastic music. Riding high on the wave are Charlie Mayfair, a folk-rock six piece based in Brisbane. They’re notorious for incredible live shows, filled with rolling drums, soaring multi-part harmonies and undeniable indie charm.

I heard Tell Her for the first time in a dingy alley in Brisbane after a gig. Someone threw me a rough mix and I’ve had it on loop ever since. It’s a track for dark days and harsh nights, filled with those pounding drums and heart breaking vocals. It’s a drug you can’t deny, filled with raw emotion and soul. It’s currently unreleased, but you’ll be able to get it right here in about a fortnight – and it’s so very worth the wait.

Charlie Mayfair are hopping around the country over the next few months, supporting Skipping Girl Vinegar & Emma Louise. They’re also joining Tin Sparrow for their EP launch tour – and all of that in the next month. Make the time to catch them live.

Charlie Mayfair on FB

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Tiger Choir – ‘Unicycles’

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Tiger Choir - Unicycles

Layering lazily half yelled group vocals above rolling, satisfyingly punchy live drums and surrounding the lot with loose guitars and electronics, Tiger Choir’s Unicycles is another consistently solid step into dreamy, cotton wool pop.

Backing up last years’ debut EP, the Hobart trio’s first full length is a larger, fleshed out realisation of their summery (actually, more Autumn-y) carefree tunes.

Often spearing off on unhinged experimental electronic tangents, a quirky drumstick lead in the literally titled Wordless or unhinged watery guitars, giving the organised noise, well, a little bit of swagger.

More so, the warm tones and experimental tangents streaming out of the thick, healthy beats are varied enough to allow each track something fresh, yet remain consistent across each of the 10 tracks.

In other words the package on a whole feels like an album, not just a collection of varied indulgences.

They’re currently filling the national support slot for The Drums, touring now.

Check it here http://tigerchoir.bandcamp.com/

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Adrian Whitehead

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Adrian Whitehead -‘ Caitlin’s 60s Pop Song’

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Melbourne’s Adrian Whitehead has a voice and song-writing ability reminiscent of Elliott Smith circa XO.

His debut album, One Small Stepping Man, shows off a pop sensibility that makes a vintage sunshine aesthetic sound fresh and exciting. Fittingly, the opening track is called ‘Caitlin’s 60’s Pop Song’ – both an apt name and a solid example of Whitehead’s sound and ability.

The right stuff to get you in the mood for Summer.

www.myspace.com/adrianwhitehead

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Empire Of The Sun – 'We are the people'

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Empire Of The Sun – ‘We are the people’

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A ‘teaser’ single released on iTunes recently ahead of the October 4th album release, just over a week away. I have high expectations from this album and I know a lot of people do. This song starts off slow but the chorus triumphs thanks to Luke Steele’s unique voice and gift of melody. Have to say that I wasn’t expecting a sci fi themed artwork when I first heard of this project, but I guess it doesn’t really matter.

www.myspace.com/empireofthesunsound

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