After a year of collaborating and participating in the government initiative for youth music, Freeza, a small group of successful committee members didn’t want to give it up. Restricted by a one-year maximum stint in the Freeza organisation, they asked themselves what they could do next to continue and further their experiences in the music industry. Not even a year on, those musings have cultivated to a sold-out launch of their very own record label, Decibels Records.

The launch took place at the Northcote Town Hall on Thursday night as part of the Darebin Music Feast, and it featured three very impressive young bands from the area, The Kilniks, Rosie & George and Animaux. These bands all beat competition from other local artists to score a record deal with Decibels earlier this year before proceeding to meet with producers and the Decibels committee to put together their EPs. Appropriately, the launch of the record label was simultaneously the launch of each respective EP. The event welcomed a crowd of young and old, packing out each studio of the Northcote Town Hall to its full capacity.

Following a short introduction from some of the Decibels committee members, The Kilniks kicked off the night. Originally just a two-man band, the group has now expanded to include five-members. Though the keys player was absent on the night, the group held together very well. Playing light rock with catchy undertones, The Kilniks could be compared to The Arctic Monkeys and Little Red. Lead singer Tom Benjamin is charismatic yet modest, somehow blending the rockstar vibe with a gentle, family-friendly charm. The set was remarkably versatile, featuring some heavier pop-rock tunes such as the title-track of the EP ‘Get Dumb Have Fun’ alongside softer tracks such as ‘Float Away’. In the latter, the band invited a violinist on stage for accompaniment, and the variety continued when the female drummer stepped up to sing from time to time. The title-track for the EP was a highlight, kicking off with an intense drum solo and everyone jamming. ‘It isn’t right’ was also a stand-out, ending with an acapella chorus from the band, showing off their musical talents and versatility. For their final song, the group covered Little Red’s ‘Coca Cola’, prompting many of the crowd to jump to their feet and dance.

Up next, we walked around the corner to the other studio where we found a dimly lit stage adorned with lamps, fairy lights and vine-leaves. The perfect setting for folk-pop band Rosie and George. Again, as evident from the name, this band was originally a two-piece and has since grown to include two other full time band members, Staz on drums and Will on bass. Since last time I saw them, they have expanded their repertoire with more diversity and polished their overall sound. The songwriting partnership of Rosie and George is ideal, with George’s rock-style guitar and Rosie’s classically trained voice. The room was completely filled, with many people resorting to sit on the floor in order to see these guys perform. Beginning with a new tune, they went on to play an array of their older songs and all the songs featured on their new EP. ‘Daisy’ is always a stand-out, really showing off Rosie’s mesmerising voice as does ‘Carousel’ before it takes a turn into a faster-paced, rhythmic pop-folk tune. Towards the end of the set Rosie and George ripped out a rendition of ‘Voices in my head’, a story about a murder with a contagious rhythm and folk-rock vibe. Interestingly, this murderous tale was followed by a light-hearted lullaby called ‘Mr Sunshine’, but somehow this juxtaposition worked to their favour, showing just how adaptable their music could be. Rosie and George were joined on stage by a small horns section which complemented the tune perfectly.

The last venture for the night was back to the other studio at the town hall. Animaux are on the back of supporting young rockers’ Stonefield around Victoria. Opening with ‘Anything’, the vocal talent from Alex is evident, her voice effortlessly soaring above this troupe of instrumentalists. Within the first couple of tracks, Animaux had already pulled a very boisterous crowd to their feet to dance along to their boppy-pop, jazz infused music. People danced and cheered constantly throughout the set, heightening the happiness of the night. Animaux smoothly altered the lyrics of their song, ‘Turn it up’, to include each of the bands for the night, and the lead singer even picked up her alto-sax for a few songs. A clear favourite for the crowd was their signature cover of Passion Pit’s ‘Little Secrets’ and the very catchy, ‘This Time’, which I’m hoping will be the debut single from the EP.

As the night drew to a close, the audience headed back out to the foyer where they lined up to purchase the brand new EPs from these three very different, but equally talented, bands. Differences aside, each band agreed that there was a particular person to thank for the work of Decibels Records: Kate Duncan. She, according to members of the committee, is the driving force behind the creation of this record label, and the reason so many young people have had the opportunity to engage with the record making process, backstage and on it.