Features

Why Canberra’s Gingerfest is not to be missed this weekend

Remembering the Ginger Ninja are a not for profit organisation that have organised punk rock festivals in honour of their close friend Nicholas Sofar-Schreiber, and this Saturday at MOLO Live, situated just upon ANU Campus, the great organisation is gearing up for a day of great music, great beer, and to commemorate the titular Ginger…

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What it’s like interviewing on the ARIA Red Carpet for the first time

The 2018 ARIAs have well and truly gone, but that night was one to remember! November 28th, 2018 marks the date I was lucky enough to report at my first red carpet event and now it’s time to do a tell-all on the experience: Interviewing some of Australia’s biggest names in music can seem like…

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SXSW 2019 just got even bigger: Here’s everything you need to know

The SXSW Conference and Festival, or South by Southwest, recently announced additions to its massive line up of showcasing artists for 2019. For several decades now, this Texas based event has been celebrating music, film and interactive media and has turned into a hot spot for connecting with other international artist, labels, and audiences. Being…

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Why Paul Kelly’s Making Gravy Festival will be more than just Flour, Salt, a Little Red Wine and a Dollop Of Tomato Sauce

When Paul Kelly announced the inaugural Making Gravy show in 2017, little did the public know of the success the show would bring. Not only did it help everyone celebrate one of Australia’s greatest storytellers during the most festive time of the year, but it also helped accentuate the absolute strength that is the current…

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Exclusive Video Premiere: Marét “Perfectly Imperfect” (2018)

Aussie singer-songwriter and self-described “joyful warrior” Marét has arrived with her irreverent and irresistible brand of pop music. Described by The Eye Creative as “the next significant act in Australia”, we’re excited to premiere the video for Marét’s latest track, the feel-good “Perfectly Imperfect”. Of the track, Marét says: “Being imperfect is the one thing…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Andrew Phelan “Charlottetown” (2018)

For the first time since 2015 Australian born, Vancouver based folk musician Andrew Phelan is returning to Australia with a full band, and a bunch of new songs. We’re pleased to premiere one of those songs, “Charlottetown”, today ahead of it’s offical release tomorrow.  “Charlottetown” is a road song. On the one hand it’s a…

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Guest Playlist: Matt Perriment – The songs that made “Oceans”

Matt Perriment is an indie folk-inspired singer songwriter currently based in London, who has steadily been establishing himself in the British festival scene. He’s recently released a new single, “Oceans”, which is the first taste of his forthcoming sophomore EP Memos, which is set for release in March 2019.  Undoubtedly a gifted songwriter, Perriment has…

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Meet the first Aussies heading to Brighton for The Great Escape 2019

To celebrate a ten-year partnership with Sounds Australia, UK’s premier showcasing event The Great Escape will host a slew of Australian artists at their next annual run, with Australia as the focus country for the event. And they’ve announced the first ten Aussie artists to grace the event’s stages. From the 9th until the 11th of May,…

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Set List Essentials: Five songs we hope Damien Rice plays on his first Australian tour in more than a decade

Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice has announced his return to Australia in February 2019 to perform his first shows in over ten years. Playing intimate venues in Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Bendigo and Melbourne, Rice will be playing his most iconic songs and fan favourites from My Favourite Faded Fantasy, which have yet to be played live for Aussie…

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Come Out and Play: Who’s headlining Good Things Festival in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne?

As one of Australia’s biggest festivals for alternative rock music fans, Good Things is kicking off their run across the East Coast this December. From the 7th until the 9th of December, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane get to enjoy the massive line up the festival features. To make sure you don’t miss your favourite acts, Good Things…

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Six acts not to miss at the 10th anniversary of Progfest 2019

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Progfest will be back in 2019! Described as the ultimate annual gathering for progressive music fans, the festival, which began in December 2008, features progressive bands of all styles and genres and the 2019 instalment is set to the biggest yet. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of…

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12 up-and-coming artists from Australia and around the world we think you will love

With streaming services and so many great artists going round it’s easier than ever to find new music. However, the endless options make this process overwhelming and often disheartening. We have picked out 12 great artists who we think might just be your next favourite artists! Fripps and Fripps Back in 2014 I watched a…

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7 new Canadian bands you need to listen to this week

Canada, stereotypically known for its love of hockey and maple syrup, is also home to some incredible bands. We were recently over on their fine shores to attend the conferences BreakOut West and Halifax Pop Explosion, and have returned with a compilation of seven bands from this great country that you need to listen to…

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It’s not just Peking Duk: 5 musicians you didn’t know wrote children’s books

Musicians seem to be a pretty multi-talented bunch. Some of them find themselves in television and movies el la Cher and others find themselves walking the runway like Young Thug. What you might not expect however, is the amount of musicians who have delved into a different sort of profession. Writing children’s books! Rockstars expanding…

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Exclusive Single Premiere: Girl York “Lost At Sea” (2018)

Indie rock trio Girl York have teased the release of their upcoming, sophomore EP, Dreaming in 505 with new single “Lost At Sea”, which we’re pleased to premiere today ahead of its release this Friday. With elements of gritty 90s shoegaze, this track, the last little taste before the EP’s release at the end of the month,…

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Album Review: The Beatles White Album Experience delivers for Beatles fans on 50th anniversary

50 years ago, The Beatles released what is considered by many, one of the greatest albums of all time. The double album featuring 30 tracks, although technically self-titled, quickly became known as simply, The White Album. Now, five decades later, Spotify has facilitated the release of The Beatles White Album Experience, a 107 track audio-visual playlist that has attempted…

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Exclusive Premiere: Royal And The Southern Echo – Correspondence (2018 EP)

Today we are excited to premiere the debut EP from Brisbane’s Royal and The Southern Echo, the brainchild of singer-songwriter Bryce Schneider, ahead of its official release tomorrow. Partly written whilst living in Berlin, Correspondence is Schneider’s attempt to bring some of the Queensland sunshine to Europe, and find a sense of home.  Listening to…

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Interview: Klaus Fluoride of The Dead Kennedys (US) talks causing chaos in Australia

There are a lot of stories about San Franciscan punks The Dead Kennedys’ chaotic debut Australian 35 years ago. There were riots and arrests, but one I had to know about was the legendary pineapple incident. While talking to bassist Klaus Fluoride about the band’s return to Australia I brought up the incident, hoping to…

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Tour Diary: Australia’s Fatai makes her Austin City Limits Debut

ACL still feels like a dream. Some of the most fun weekends of my short lived life so far! Especially for an Aussie kid who left school at 13 with a dream to change the world through music, this opportunity became my classroom to learn from my peers, make new friends, show and tell, and connect new dots that couldn’t have been as divine if I didn’t take the risks to chase after my…

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5 Artists you don’t want to miss at WAMfest 2018

Now in its twenty-fifth year, WAMFest is WA’s favourite annual celebration of emerging homegrown artists, bands and producers. Devoted to celebrating and showcasing local talent, the festival is the largest of its kind in the world, and will culminate this week, with a weekend filled with outdoor performances, venue showcases, workshops, and industry events all centred…

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Nine shows not to miss at the Sydney Festival in 2019

Every January, Sydney Festival helps kick off the new year with a massive cultural celebration, and 2019 is looking to be no different. The 2019 instalment of the festival includes eighteen world premieres, five Australian premieres, and eight Australian exclusives, and features a programme which runs the gamut of cutting edge contemporary theatre, visual arts and…

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8 acts you need to see at Hong Kong’s Clockenflap Festival

With ticket prices from Australia to Hong Kong at record lows, now would be as good a time as any to look into tickets to Hong Kong for the city’s long-running outdoor music and arts festival, Clockenflap. As one of Hong Kong’s signature music events, the festival features about one hundred different acts and will…

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Wake Up Call: W Hotels’ bold rewrite of what a music festival can be

You have to be careful when promised a luxury festival experience nowadays. One minute you’re proudly uploading Instagram stories and living your #bestlife, the next minute you’re stranded in The Bahamas being chased by rabid dogs, desperately downing questionable ham sandwiches, and watching through tears as your tent is used as fire fuel. Okay, maybe…

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7 tracks to get you ready for the 2019 Twilight at Taronga concert series

Quickly becoming one of the leading summer concerts in Australia, music lovers and animal lovers alike collide in the heart of Sydney’s Taronga Zoo for the annual American Express Twilight at Taronga series. Dripping in impeccable talent, the line-up boasts artists from Grammy Award nominated singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc, Australian favourite Vera Blue, 90s Icons You…

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Five Aussie acts set to make waves at SXSW Festival 2019 in Austin, Texas

South By Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival is an annual conference held in Austin, Texas, and is the number one hot spot for eyeing down your fav new artists. Mixed with a bunch of industry legends and newbies from around the world, artists perform in front of industry professionals, media and fans at venues ranging from…

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Meet 5 deserving acts who just scored their first ARIA nominations

Well well well, Amy Shark should be blushing a big right now. After writing her most recent hit “I Said Hi” about the music industry ignoring her until the release of her 2016 breakout hit “Adore,” the industry itself has just done her a huge favour, nominating her for nine different ARIA awards, the most…

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Interview: Dave Prowys of The Paper Kites (Melbourne) talks about imagining strangers’ lives on their new LP On The Corner Where You Live

Dave Powys’ one-and-a-half year old daughter has just returned home from day care and bounced into her father’s arms. “Oh, hello!” he greets her. “Hey darling, how are you?” She responds with a series of chirps while receiving kisses on her forehead. It’s a warm scene; one that could be part of the collage of…

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Exclusive Transcript: The embarrassing state of Sydney’s music scene put on International display at the Music Tourism Convention in Germany

At the end of August, I was invited to the Music Tourism Convention to deliver one of the day’s focus presentations. While most other speakers were tourism professionals who shined a positive light on their city, I was there with a different take: a cautionary tale of what can happen with industry and government don’t…

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4 more acts not to miss at Australian Music Week as 40 more artists and conference program details are added

Sometimes leading trends in music can become boring and predictable. From 7th to the 9th of November, Australian Music Week celebrates the artists going at it a bit differently, down at the Shire. Lather on that sunscreen and come feel the heat of Australia’s most accessible, grassroots music industry conference. With a focus on real…

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Five Tracks That Inspired Us: Hey Geronimo (Brisbane) and “Working For Google”

Earlier this month, Brisbane-based outfit Hey Geronimo released their new album Content. Off of it came the single “Working For Google”, which saw a video released around the same time as the album dropped. We asked the band to share with us five tracks that inspired the track: Boys Better — The Dandy Warhols https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw0N0bIBKvc…

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