Blank Gold Coast issue #77 May 2020 by Blank Street Press

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MEET THE FINALISTS FOR THE INAUGURAL GOLD COAST MUSIC PRIZE

or the very first time, the Gold Coast Music Awards is offering a careerdefining prize to an emerging artist who’s expected to make great strides in the coming year.

on Bleach* and Placemaker's digital channels, introduction to Bleach* partners looking to support local artists, the opportunity to be the opening act for Bleach* Festival's Behind The Golden Doors event in late 2020 as well as future paid opportunities to work with Bleach* in 2021.

This year, the inaugural Gold Coast Music Prize is being sponsored by Bleach* The Gold Coast Festival and an impressive list of local industry experts have thrown their weight behind the concept to put together what is, absolutely, a career-boosting prize of epic proportions.

The prize also includes a comprehensive single release PR campaign from Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, a self-managed artist mentoring package from Asho at Foostomp, artist-to-artist mentoring package from Julz Parker and Leesa Gentz (Hussy Hicks), strategic grant and award writing support from Wombat Creative, a photo shoot or music video package from The Edit Suite, feature marketing and promotion of gigs as well as a live recorded video from GIGL, venue hire and marketing for a gig at HOTA, instore performance opportunity at #beatniks Record Store and 12 months of editorial and advertising support from Blank Gold Coast. In addition there's a luxe stay at QT Gold Coast in an ocean view king suite, with breakfast for two in Bazaar and one-day complimentary pool cabana hire with a $100 food and beverage package plus paid performance opportunities (where possible) available through Southport Sharks, CBD LIVE, Gold Coast Music Awards and East West Presents.

Three incredible Gold Coast artists: Doolie, DVNA and DENNIS., will go head to head for the Gold Coast Music Prize which will offer the winner an incredible list of opportunities. The Gold Coast Music Prize is supported by Bleach* Festival and incorporates one mentoring session with Artistic Director and CEO of Bleach* Festival Rosie Dennis, the creation of an artist profile clip to be shared by Bleach* for promotional purposes, an online profile

DOOLIE

DENNIS.

DVNA

Tell me about your musical career to date?

Tell me about your career to date?

I used to write all the time when I was younger, or even just sing random things and pretend I’m in a music video or on a stage. I started doing musicals, choir, eisteddfods, and singing concerts and music camps, until I decided I wanted venture out on my own and start getting out there. So I started busking and doing pub gigs for a few years. Then by 2015 I had written enough songs that I could select a few to record.

I moved to the Gold Coast 6 years ago from Yeppoon to study at Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium of Music. I had always been super in love with music growing up and studying music after school just made sense! During my degree I travelled to Nashville on a two week scholarship and really made the connection that I was pretty serious about making music a full time thing!

When I was 18 I started to take my music a little seriously. I went over to the States to work with some producers and songwriters and that’s ultimately what lead me to falling in love with production itself. On returning home, I enrolled myself into a degree and was taught / self-taught the basics of songwriting and production.

By 2016 I had won a Queensland Music Award and decided to start my own project where it would be me, a band, and all my original material… I would be on a stage, I would wear costumes, and there would be lights and a crowd, and that’s exactly what happened. Things started to really evolve by then, I started meeting new people, learning new things, wearing bigger and bolder costumes. Then I met the Etcetc team, and I did my first features with Poolclvb and Paces. I started getting to know more people once again, and it led me to perform on stages at Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Big Pineapple Festival as a guest vocalist, and I even had my own set at Big Pineapple Festival. I’ve met so many talented people who I’ve had the luck of working with. What do you love most about being an artist on the Gold Coast? I love the community! And I just love how nice and supportive everyone is of one another. I love how close the community comes together, and also how great some of our live venues are. I also love how accessible things are for Gold Coast musicians, like performing at great venues, and how they’re all really close together.

I graduated in 2017 and released the first single of the DENNIS. project in 2018. Since my debut single 'ALIVE' I signed with Independent label 'Get Smart Music' started by Industry veteran Russell Thomas, released two more singles 'TRAP DOOR' and 'VERTIGO', played a lot of shows in 2019, produced a full on music video for 'VERTIGO', got announced as the opening act of the 'Drop Festival' Coolangatta 2020 and now I find myself in the running for four Gold Coast Music Awards. What do you love most about being an artist on the Gold Coast? The Gold Coast has become my musical mum! When I was nine I sang for the Gold Coast Mayor at the Christmas Lights Up Awards and I felt like the bees knees. When I moved here and played my first show at Nightquarter I really felt a sense of connection to the music community here on the Gold Coast and when I was asked to open up the Drop Festival for this year, I realised how much being a Gold Coast artist feels so good and so right. If I hadn't been pushed to pursue my career here on the GC I’m not sure I would feel as fulfilled and backed as I do today! All those things my real Mum makes me feel everyday. I am so lucky to be a Gold Coast artist.

Gold Coast Music Prize is proudly sponsored by Bleach* The Gold Coast Festival. 4

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I was 24 and after finally being happy with a song to the point of release. ‘Girl On The Move’ became my debut single and that’s where things really started to take off. Triple J quickly jumped on board and have supported my releases ever since. Four singles later and I can happily say I’ve played festivals I thought I never would have, worked with some incredible artists all over the country and get to do music as a close to full-time job. You studied at TAFE Gold Coast. Can you tell me about that experience? I praise TAFE for being my gateway into the music industry. The teacher-to-student relationship was super personal and I felt like I always had access to them which helped a lot. The facilities in the campus itself were of a super high standard and always well looked after. We were encouraged to use the studios at all times. I met key people during my studies and can honestly say I wouldn’t be where I am if I hadn’t attended TAFE. What do you love most about being an artist on the Gold Coast? How close and supportive all of the artists are around here. We show up to each other’s gigs and get behind each other’s journeys. It’s truly beautiful to witness. Not only that, the city really pushes us as well. Publications like Blank GC, festivals like Bleach* just to name a few always make themselves present and check in with us: assisting with promotion, making sure we have everything we need. It’s great to be a part of this community! Samantha Morris

Stay connected Bleach* proudly supports the Gold Coast Music Awards. To stay connected with your local creative community, follow us online and register for our e-news.

‘Watersongs’ at Bleach* 2019 Image credit: Art-Work Agency

PODCAST STUDIO Professional studio hire.

Welcome to HOTA, Home of the Arts We’re that kind of place – where art meets life.

H O TA . CO M . A U

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INCREDIBLE GOLD COAST TALENT SHOWCASED AS ARTIST OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

e’re completely and unashamedly biased about the quality of music coming out of the Gold Coast. But more than that, we’re also totally proud of the goals being kicked by a huge number of artists, spreading their wings outside of our beautiful, regional city. Across all of the nominations for this year’s Gold Coast Music Awards we witnessed huge numbers of digital streams, Australian and international charting success, sold-out shows here and abroad, bigger and bigger stages across the globe and deep connections with fans, online and IRL. But the finalists for Artist of the Year have gone over and above when it comes to putting the Gold Coast on the map as a music city. And I’m here to tell you about some of the ways they’re doing that. Hussy Hicks are a quirky example of artists making a full-time living out of music, while staying true to their rootsy roots. Over the past 12 years, Hussy Hicks have released six studio albums, three live albums and toured relentlessly. Their single ‘Get Ready’ hit #1 on the AMRAP Radio charts and last year saw the band perform at so many festivals they lost count. As well as mainstage gigs at Bluesfest Byron Bay, Blues on Broadbeach and Woodford Folk Festival they toured the USA and Europe twice and scored a coveted slot at Electric Picnic, Ireland’s biggest festival. Among all of that frenetic activity, Hussy Hicks, who are past winners of the Artist of the Year category, managed to donate their time to perform at grassroots community events as well as mentor emerging Gold Coast artists. In a complete contrast of genres, Bombs Away have also been kicking goals. They’re one of only a few Australian acts to hold down five concurrent top ten tracks on ARIA, Billboard, iTunes, Beatport and Spotify charts with their tracks sitting on high rotation around the world. This multi-platinum DJ / producer duo have amassed some 50 million + streams on Spotify with nearly 40,000

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followers. They have more than 1.3 million fans across their social media platforms. They’re one of the all-time most watched Australian musicians on YouTube and are touring non-stop. Hollow Coves, a previous Breakout Artist of the Year winner, are another Gold Coast act who’ve spent most of the past year on the road. Since the release of their EP ‘Moments’, they’ve lapped the globe selling out shows across Europe, UK, North America and at home in Australia. Their debut EP ‘Wanderlust’ amassed 200 million streams and the debut single from their album ‘When We Were Young’ was premiered by Billboard. Hollow Coves sold out all but four shows on their 2019 European / UK tour that saw them play 17 shows across eight countries, highlighted by a sold out 500 person show in London. Also reaching audiences across the world is San Mei – another past winner of the Breakout Artist of the Year category for the Gold Coast Music Awards. Over the past three years, San Mei whose real name is Emily Hamilton - has embarked on a journey full of career-defining moments. She was an internationally recognised performer at SXSW (where she performed nine shows in six days) and has built a formidable team consisting of label partners Believe Digital, Etc Etc Music, domestic agent Four Tone, international Agent UTA, and US comanagement. Her releases have been streamed more than 1.5 million times across 72 countries and over three years she’s taken an immense leap from bedroom producer to internationally recognised artist and in-demand collaborator. In her short career, San Mei has supported Kingswood, Ali Barter, G Flip, Jack River, Gang Of Youths and performed festival sets at This That, Yours & Owls and Falls Festival. Another festival darling, but in a completely different genre is country music star Casey Barnes. At the time of writing, Casey had just released his new album ‘Town of a Million Dreams’ which immediately charted at #1 in the iTunes all genres charts. The two-time

Golden Guitar finalist saw his 2018 album ‘The Good Life’ debut on the iTunes country charts peaking at #2 on the ARIA country charts. 2019 saw Casey roll out a national tour with a bunch of international performances thrown into the mix. He took out the Groundwater Country Music Festival’s inaugural People’s Choice Award and performed at CMC Rocks. Casey’s body of work has connected with an incredible number of fans. He’s got 173,000 regular monthly listeners on Spotify and his weekly live-streamed iso-concerts regularly have hundreds of people across Australia tuning in. Also racking up global streams in the millions is Busby Marou. Half of the duo live on the Gold Coast. With top 20 airplay and three ARIA charting albums, Busby Marou are a soughtafter act, connecting with fans across the world. Their self-titled album is certified ARIA Gold, while their follow up album ‘Farewell Fitzroy’ debuted at #5 on the ARIA albums chart, and third album ‘Postcards from the Shell House’ is a #1 ARIA album. Busby Marou were nominated for four Queensland Music Awards and won the Blues / roots category for ‘Naba Norem’. Busby Marou were also nominated for two Golden Guitar Awards following the release of ‘The Great Divide’. And these are just the finalists. Across all the nominations for the Gold Coast Music Awards, there were hundreds of millions of global streams and all sorts of big ticket achievements worthy of recognition. It’s a shame there’s only one trophy. The Artist of the Year category is sponsored by HOTA – Home of the Arts. We announce winners of this and nine other categories of the 2020 Gold Coast Music Awards on Thursday 30 April from 7.00pm. Get the viewing details at bit.ly/GCMA2020. Samantha Morris

Artist of the Year category is proudly sponsored by HOTA - Home of the Arts.

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Photo by James Wills.

MEET THE

BREAKOUT ARTISTS

RISING AND SHINING WITH PEACH FUR

ince their emergence in 2015, eclectic, psych-infused alternative rockers Peach Fur have rapidly arisen to become one of this city’s finest acts, off the back of their killer live show and vibrant tracks such as ‘Glimmer’ and the ‘Doreen Drive’ EP, which has garnered them over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Their burgeoning success has seen them deservedly nominated in the ‘Breakout artist of the year’ category at this year’s GCMAs. To coincide with this honour the band recently dropped a head-turning new EP, ‘Awake’, which we review in the New Music column of this month’s magazine.

Denny Hilder from the band let us in on how the new EP fits within the Peach Fur song universe. “All the songs off 'Awake' are a collective of thoughts and experiences over the past four years. Beginning after the year of graduating from high school in 2015, I guess that ‘Awake’ is another chapter of my life and beliefs. We feel it's our best work up to date lyrically and musically, the songs talking about the law of One, love, making love, addiction and the existence of other intelligent life out there in the universe.”

This year sees the band nominated in the ‘Breakout artist of the year’ category at the Gold Coast Music

musicians in light of COVID-19 hasn’t stopped the band from staying positive and keeping creative.

Awards. In a white hot, tightly contested field (with IVEY and Eliza And The Delusionals also in the running), it’s an outcome that has left the guys both enthralled and humbled.

“Within the short period of venues shutting and stricter social distancing laws coming into place, we had the time to record a couple acoustic, stripped back versions of some songs out in a lovely little creek cascade in Mudgeeraba,” Denny explains.

“We were so stoked when we found out!” says Denny. “We're just happy to be in a category with our amazingly talented friends. Not to sound cliched, but we feel we've all already won to be recognised by our city for doing what we love.” The band have previously been involved with the GCMAs in a performance capacity, playing both the Awards Night ceremony as well as the official afterparty, an experience that clearly resonated with the lads. “It was fun as!! We all got dressed up in different coloured turtle necks looking like the Wiggles had a baby with sheep dogs haha! It was a great experience to play on such a big setup with the beach in the background and to get on it with such an awesome group of people.” This year the Awards will be very different on account of the current COVID-19 situation, with a virtual awards night taking place online instead. However the current lack of conventional musical outlets for

“We were intending on getting film clips done for all the songs on our new EP (‘Awake’) in our time off gigging, but that has been put on hold until laws loosen. In the meantime, we have Matt Schembri, Gold Coast legend of the visual arts, working on an animated clip for our song 'Aliens'. We are all staying very positive and keeping busy (as we are all still working), taking the time out now to write new music and create things.” To wrap things up, I ask the guys what in store in the world of Peach Fur once things return to the way that they were. ”Touring as much as possible! We plan to finish the Australia/New Zealand tour we had only just started in March, then we'll look at doing a single tour or something like that to follow up with.” ‘Awake’, the new EP by Peach Fur, is available now via all the usual streaming platforms. Anthony Gebhardt

Breakout Artist of the Year category is proudly sponsored by Griffith University and the Queensland Conservatorium's SEED program. 8

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Image: Zennieshia Butts

ELIZA AND THE DELUSIONALS

liza & The Delusionals have never been afraid to think big.

“The goal has always been to play huge shows,” says singer-guitarist Eliza Klatt, who founded the Northern New South Wales/ Gold Coast band in 2015. Over the past few years that dream has slowly become a reality as the group’s sweetly snarling, anthemic brand of indie rock has led to supports with artists such as Silversun Pickups, The Frights, Grinspoon, Nothing But Thieves, Dear Seattle and Killing Heidi, appearances at landmark festivals such as BIGSOUND, Falls Festival and Canadian Music Week, and major radio support both locally and internationally. After a slew of well-received early singles, the band’s climb was kickstarted in earnest by 2017 debut EP ‘The Deeper End’. A potent mix of buzz-saw guitars, ear-worm melodies and Klatt’s undeniable vocal hooks, singles such as ‘Salt’ instantly caught the attention of national broadcaster triple j. “We’re just writing songs we want to hear ourselves,” says guitarist Kurt Skuse. “You hear us in our purest form in our writing.” The band recently had to cut their USA tour short and miss out on appearing at SXSW. While we’re glad to have them home safe for a while, we’re also anxious to see them back on the road doing what they do best.

ASHLEY “TEX” MARTIN (22), GUITAR Best thing about being a Gold Coast artist? I think the diversity of our musicians and artists is what I love most about the Gold Coast community. I’ve always enjoyed being able to go to a show and catch a really strong mixed lineup of bands and genres. Couple that with our support network and it becomes so clear that we really do have one of the most tight-knit communities around.

IVEY

RUBY (20), BASS GUITAR Favourite Gold Coast artist? I’m really loving San Mei at the moment. She just released a new EP in March and it’s amazing. I especially like her songs ‘Cry’ and ‘Wonder’ which she released in 2018. I also really love local band Catchpole, I’ve seen them live a few times and they’re so energetic, they really know how to create an atmosphere with their live show. I’m really excited to see what they do.

ELIZA KLATT (23), LEAD SINGER, RHYTHM GUITAR Hardest thing about being a young person in the music industry? I think it can be hard to know where to start. You know learning from experience is the best way to find your feet - so being able to have the opportunity to be on bigger stages or tour outside of your hometown can be a really big leg up for a band just starting. And also being exposed to live shows and festivals - I still remember my first festivals and concerts when I was really young and being so inspired by them - so being able to easily go to shows as a young person is really important for inspiration in my opinion. Samantha Morris

he very first roots of Ivey can be traced back to brothers Lachlan (Guitar / Vocals) and Matt McGuffie (Drums) learning to play guitar and drums alongside their next-door neighbour Dante Martin (Bass) in 2006. The teenaged trio found their platform by performing at events like their parents’ parties. In fact, it was in 2012 at yet another family gathering that Millie Perks (Vocals) was asked by her encouraging yet albeit tipsy relatives to play guitar and sing alongside him at midnight. Afterwards, Lachie hesitantly asked Millie, who was only 12 at the time, if she would like to join the then-trio to sing for the band.

The group found themselves writing their very first original tracks and sharing their first song in 2014, with all members still in high school and under the age of 18. From here, the band hustled their way through adolescence and the music industry, playing shows, navigating their personal lives and attending school. Still in their formative years, and off the back of strong single releases, Ivey found themselves supporting acts like Middle Kids, Ruby Fields, Confidence Man, Ocean Alley and Tiny Little Houses, all while the love from triple j and triple j Unearthed continued to grow. Ivey’s sophomore EP, ‘Gorgeous’, was recorded with renowned producer Konstantin Kersting (Mallrat, The Jungle Giants, Tia Gostelow). The EP’s second single, ‘Won’t Be’ was also picked up by iconic French Label Kitsuné, which saw the release charting in iTunes Charts all over the world, including Australia, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Thailand and France. In the past year Ivey have performed sold out headline shows, to packed crowds at BIGSOUND, Byron Bay Falls Festival, where their set at the Jack Daniels Barrel House Stage reached capacity, won Triple J Unearthed Slot for The Drop Festival Coolangatta, and became the Triple J Unearthed Feature artist of the week, gaining them a national spotlight on Triple J Radio.

MILLY (19), VOCALIST One thing you’d change about the music industry? The music industry is such a male-dominated industry. Even though there are many amazing female artists it would be amazing to see some more women coming into the music business!

DANTE (23), BASS Favourite Gold Coast band? There’s so many amazing bands coming through on the Gold Coast but we’re especially fans of daste. They’ve already mastered their sound and you can tell all their music is really well thought out and fits into the soundscape they’ve created perfectly. We were also lucky enough to get them to play at our Fire Relief Fundraiser which was our first opportunity to see them live and we loved it. For a band that’s been playing live for just over a year their live set flows so well and is a lot of fun so we definitely recommend going to check them out once venues re-open. A couple of us also know them from football and school so it’s great being able to reconnect and support each other in the Gold Coast music scene.

LACHLAN (22), GUITAR Hardest thing about being a young person in the music industry? It’s hard to find your feet in the industry because what you don’t realise when you first start out, is that the industry constantly changes. People move in and out of the industry and making those first steps without proper guidance can lead to quite a few mistakes and set-backs, and can often lead to rushing things (like releasing or touring). I’d tell any young musician or band to take their time, write heaps of music and learn as much as you can. Samantha Morris

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e all connect with music in different ways and for some it’s the full audio-visual package that gets a song over the line.

The Gold Coast Music Awards Video of the Year category, which is sponsored by QT Gold Coast, recognises the creative team responsible for creating a song’s video clip. The finalists for this year’s Video of the Year award are diverse. And quirky. Which is what you’d expect for a category judged on creative intent as well as production quality. There’s pirate metal, punk, country, pop and funk and the video styles are as eclectic as the music on offer.

HARRY J HART CALLS OUT AT THIS YEAR’S GOLD COAST MUSIC AWARDS

Let’s meet some of the finalists for this category. We asked them what makes a great music video as well as what their all-time favourite is:

With guitar licks that melt faces and a voice that melts hearts, 18-year-old Harry’s debut single tells of the anguish caused by getting caught up in your own headspace.

What makes a great video? “A great music video is one that has clear intentions. One that could be super complex or very minimalistic but makes that extra connection with the viewer that is more than it ‘just looks good’.” Favourite ever music video: Bea Miller's 'It's not U its Me'

That event screens via Facebook on Thursday 30 April from 7.00pm. Get all the details at: bit.ly/GCMA2020. You can follow Harry’s journey at harryjhart.com, and find out more about what he calls the “best music degree on offer” at Southern Cross University scu.edu.au (All courses are currently being delivered online).

CASEY BARNES ‘A Little More’ What makes a great video? “Something that tells the story behind the song visually and also keeps you engaged.... I think your goal is to try and take the song to that next level with the clip. For example, a fan may have heard the song on radio but fall in love with it or connect with the song even more once they see the clip!”

With a sound reminiscent of Silverchair, this narrative of the loneliness and despair of depression promises a banger of a live performance, but for now, that will have to wait.

Samantha Morris

“I think a great music video is one that makes you want to be in it for whatever reason, or is more entertaining than narrative.”

‘Vertigo’

At just 14, Harry was named alongside Amy Shark as a Gold Coast Musician to Watch and in the years following shared bills with the likes of Tones and I, Casey Barnes, Rick Price, Adam Brand and Daniel Champagne.

For now, Harry is working with music industry locals in an array of online initiatives. These include the recent and successful #goldcoastsoundslike stream-a-thon, Live at the Lockdown from Suga Bar and he will be giving a live, acoustic performance of his single at the Virtual Gold Coast Music Awards.

What makes a great video?

Also ‘Oh So Quiet’ by Bjork.”

DENNIS.

In the heady, live music days pre-COVID-19, the 2018 Bluesfest Busking Comp Best Overall Guitarist had planned a release to coincide with his sets at Jungle Love Festival and the Gold Coast Music Awards.

Vocals, Being Jane Lane ‘Savage Sunday’

“One of my favourite video clips of all time is ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ by The Verve.

The opening act for this year’s Gold Coast Music Awards is Southern Cross University Harry J Hart. No stranger to the stages of the Gold Coast, Harry’s been garnering praise from across the globe.

The dark pop-rock anthem that is ‘It Calls Out” has punchy drums and heartfelt lyrics with guitars remaining the driving force of the song, which, in demo format, sat for weeks at number 1 on Triple J Unearthed charts and saw Hart named a Queensland Music Awards finalist.

TEIGAN LE PLASTRIER

“Really you can't beat some of the music videos Michael Jackson put out like ‘Thriller’ but I've always loved ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana! (oops I think I just picked two).”

ANTHONY ‘HRYMA’ HYRMAKOWKSI Video writer, director, props and set builder, editor for ‘Archangel’ by Baltimore Gun Club. Also the drummer. Busy lad! What makes a great video? “Lack of slow motion video. And no sexualised footage to sell the music.” Favourite ever music video: Primus’ ‘Wynona's Big Brown Beaver’. “Hard choice between all the Primus videos, but this is their first one I recall seeing. It's a creative masterpiece. It inspired our clip ‘Archangel’, that is in the running for this award.”

Full list of finalists for Video of the Year, sponsored by QT Gold Coast: Archangel - Baltimore Gun Club Savage Sunday - Being Jane Lane A Little more - Casey Barnes Vertigo - Dennis The Story - Eddie Ray Don't Feed The Monster - Ella Fence Dig Bury Drink - Lagerstein Tommy Franklin - Tijuana Cartel Samantha Morris

Video of the Year category is proudly sponsored by QT Gold Coast.

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Release of the Year category is proudly sponsored by Southern Cross University.

RELEASE OF

THE YEAR

he past 12 months have seen some truly world class releases emanate from these parts. Narrowing the field down to the final nominees proved to be quite a challenge, so without further ado here are the anointed five, proudly presented this year by Southern Cross University, home of the Bachelor of Music (now being delivered online).

The album was both a personal love affair and labour of love for Benny, with the multi-instrumentalist recording it himself and playing all the instruments in his home studio. Sonically rich and musically diverse, ‘Cities Of Gold’ is highly deserving of its nomination as one of the outstanding Gold Coast releases of 2019. “As a collection of music, it ticks all of the necessary boxes, but as a stand-alone analysis of what makes a community more than a collection of individuals it is an outstanding portrayal of one man’s love affair with the people and places that have shaped his past, present, and future.” Kris Peters, Blank GC.

SAVAGE SUNDAY – BEING JANE LANE

The merry purveyors of all things funkilicious brought the zing and the fizz in copious doses, wringing every ounce of their high energy vibe into the recorded format. The album is awash with the band’s high energy take on funky good-times, supplemented with tasty lashings of hip hop, soul and a splash of 70s boogie.

Those five sassy lasses known as Being Jane Lane are no strangers to the GCMAs, having taken out the ‘Peoples Choice’ award in 2017. And 2019 saw them deliver one hell of a punk rock banger in the form of their debut album ‘Savage Sunday’, a title which gives a knowing wink to the brutal aftermath of a hard-partying Saturday night. Delivering 12 sizzling slices of in-your-face, anthemic punk with a wicked, laugh-out-loud twist, the album was produced by local champion Guy Cooper at his Seratonin Studios here on the Gold Coast. Our review, delivered by new music scribe Zac Fahey, proved to be quite prophetic: “Through themes of love, loss and sex delivered passionately by vocalist Teigan Le Plastrier, there’s not a dull moment within the 12 track LP. This album is a true culmination of hard work and raw talent and is set to be one of the best punk releases of the year.”

“You will laugh and reminisce, and you will want to dance, both ‘lighting it up’ and ‘getting down’ as well.” Glen Tozer: Blank GC

THE GREAT DIVIDE – BUSBY MAROU 2019 was the year that talented two-piece Busby Marou delivered their highly regarded fourth album, the heartfelt and feel-good sounds of ‘The Great Divide’. The album’s genesis saw the merging of worlds and cultures with the duo, Tom Busby and Jeremy Marou, traversing the great divide between the Australian mainland and the Torres Strait Islands to visit Jeremy’s father. The album was produced by Oscar Dawson of Holy Holy, whose sonic alchemy added an extra dimension to the duo’s sound palette, without sacrificing their inherently organic and heartfelt approach to their songcraft.

CITIES OF GOLD – BENNY D WILLIAMS The multi-talented Benny D Williams is one of the hardest working performers you’ll encounter. His eclectic musical output, renowned for its dazzling sonic tapestry, is delivered in one-man band mode and expertly fleshed out with an array of loops and effects. And with his 2019 album, ‘Cities Of Gold, this selfprofessed ‘digital caveman’ elevated his muse to the next level, taking on the challenge of delivering a concept album in this age of short attention spans - and winning. The album is conceptually based on Benny’s experiences with the Gold Coast lifestyle and his observations of and interactions with the people of his home town. 12

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The album further solidified the duo’s connection as both musicians and as mates, which is maybe best encapsulated in their own words: “The great divide is not about division or adversaries. It’s about recognising that we all have a different account of events in our own lives and celebrating how those differences combine to create a unique and colourful story. Without our great divide, there is no Busby Marou story.”

SQUEEZED FRESH - ELECTRIK LEMONADE 2019 was the year that high energy Gold Coast funklords Electrik Lemonade came of age, with the eight headed groove machine translating their fabled live power (they’re also in the running for this year’s ‘Live act of the year’ award) into one hell of a partystarter with their 2019 release, ‘Freshly Squeezed’.

MOMENTS - HOLLOW COVES Having previously taken out ‘Song of the year’ and ‘Breakout artist of the year’ at the 2018 GCMAs, this past 12 months has seen global indie-folk success story Hollow Coves rise to lofty new heights with their stunning debut long player, ‘Moments’. The intrepid duo, consisting of co-guitar/vocalists Matt Carin and Ryan Henderson, enlisted the services of producer Chris Bond (whose resume includes Ben Harper and Xavier Rudd), who also embellished their sound with the addition of bass and drums, resulting in a fully fleshed, technicolour realisation of their breezy, uplifting, acoustic based and harmony rich template. Both dreamily introspective and in thrall of the wide open road, now more than ever, we should heed the words of Hollow Coves and take comfort in the knowledge that all things shall pass and freedom, as we knew it, will be ours again. “I’m dreaming of the road again, set free in the wind, feels like we found home again,” Hollow Coves. Anthony Gebhardt

Remember when you listened to music on a discman? Over half our students do. 53% of Southern Cross University students are aged 25 and over. Meaning you will be studying alongside people with a range of life experiences. Not only will you learn from our 5-star educators and professional placements, but also from the other students in your cohort. Online learning, the Southern Cross way, is a dynamic and interactive environment. Access the quality of a Southern Cross University education with the convenience of studying where and when it suits you best.

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LIVE ACT OF THE YEAR

ho’d be a Gold Coast Music Awards judge? Each category comes with its own set of challenges, but in the case of Live Act of the Year, just try choosing between these five stellar acts, each with their own devoted following. The Live Act category also carries a particular passion and poignancy at the moment, with live music devotees currently going without their regular fix, and the live music industry in a state of devastation. Category sponsors Gold Coast Music know a thing or two about live performances, with owners Stewy and Tamara having won an epic Battle of the Bands on the GC back in the day with their group Southern Axent. They believe “confidence” is one of the things that makes for a great live act, as well as a “trust and belief in each other.” When asked what they had to say to all the finalists, they were warmly encouraging. “Congratulations and DON’T STOP! The biggest mistake for a lot of bands is stopping, don’t stop no matter what. Especially during these strange and unprecedented times we are in right now, appreciate what we have and keep playing and singing!”

Image: Zennieshia Butts

Wise words. Gold Coast, here are your top five Live Act of the Year finalists.

CASEY BARNES Opening the gates of 2019 with a national tour, Casey’s impressive live performances also earned him a slot supporting The Davisson Brothers and then taking out Groundwater Country Music Festival’s inaugural public voted 'People’s Choice Award'. Casey smashed the competition, receiving double the votes to 2nd place. His global audience is growing drastically with over 134,000 listeners per month whom have generated over 7 million streams, plus with over 45,000 fans joining in on socials to tell Casey they’re ready for whatever he’s got next.

ELECTRIK LEMONADE Electrik Lemonade is a merry band of funklords that play a repertoire of funk, hip hop and dance music. Each member brings their own slice of Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Lovin’ in the live show, culminating in a whirlwind of explosive energy that comes with a tidal warning as the crowd uncontrollably burst into a wave of dance and good vibes. They present a energetic, visual music show - after which, the crowd is never left with anything but a funky uplifted feeling. People don’t like or even love Electrik Lemonade. They have uber fans.

IVEY Still in their formative years, and off the back of strong single releases, Ivey found themselves supporting acts like Middle Kids, Ruby Fields, Confidence Man, Ocean Alley and Tiny Little Houses, all while the love from triple j and triple j Unearthed continued to grow. In the past year Ivey have performed sold out headline shows, to packed crowds at bigsound, Byron Bay 14

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Falls Festival, where their set at the Jack Daniels Barrel House Stage reached capacity, won Triple J Unearthed Slot for The Drop Festival Coolangatta, and became the Triple J Unearthed Feature artist of the week, gaining them a national spotlight on Triple J Radio.

HUSSY HICKS Critically acclaimed Australian act Hussy Hicks are a tour de force featuring Leesa Gentz’ powerhouse soul vocals and Julz Parker’s revered guitar skills. Prolific and accomplished musicians, Hussy Hicks have honed their sonic dexterity over the past 12 years with five studio albums, multiple industry awards and more than 1,000 live shows under their belts, from Australia’s biggest blues, roots and folk festivals to 15 plus international tours, which now sell out across Europe. Known for their emotive lyricism, energetic live shows and fiery, frenetic instrumentation, it’s no surprise beloved locals Hussy Hicks have staying power and a stellar national and international reputation.

TIJUANA CARTEL Tijuana Cartel is a East Meets West wonderland. A sensory overload, euphoria, fat beats and heavy, bass-fuelled electronica live band that brings together beats and people of all cultures to unite on the dance floor. They’ve graced Australia’s biggest stages: Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival, Woodford Folk Festival & Peak Festival (NYE to 15,000 punters). 2016-17 saw them go international with performances in Indonesia & New Zealand on top of their gruelling Australian tour schedule. The live set is driven by house beats, infused with trumpet, percussion and frantic middle eastern guitar lines blending layers of rich, intricate and atmospheric soundscapes with laid-back rhythms and luscious vocals. Natalie O’Driscoll

Live Act of the Year category is proudly sponsored by Gold Coast Music.

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MUSICIAN OF

THE YEAR JACKSON DUNN

J FELICITY LAWLESS

isionary, bohemian rocker Felicity Lawless stimulates the senses and elevates the soul with music which is extremely hard to pigeonhole. Something Felicity is no doubt quite proud of. Her sound fuses the gypsy world with a vibrant smorgasbord of flamenco, rock and folk.

Felicity has honed her skills and her sounds from the streets and tapas bars of Spain as well as bustling Japanese live music venues, to huge festival stages across Australia and an eclectic mix of cafes, bars and restaurants across the eastern seaboard. And Felicity’s audiences are as diverse as her influences. Her music is characterised by a flashy, Spanish guitar style, soaring vocal melodies and hypnotic rhythms. Felicity performs with an energy that elevates and inspires while infusing her crowds with enthusiasm and joy. Having honed her craft busking relentlessly around Australia with nothing more than her guitar to feed her, it is little wonder that she has learned to capture and enchant audiences with virtuosity and sincerity. Her band is comprised of guitar wizard and Lovestreet Studios mastermind Scott French (Cheap Fakes, Allensworth, A French Butler Called Smith), living legend Geoff Green (George, Women in Docs) and bass maestro Regotron, but she regularly collaborates with others and is known for her community-minded spirit.

ackson Dunn knows a thing or two about performing on the Gold Coast. He started playing guitar when he was ten and went on to form a three-piece grunge band that would regularly perform at famed venue The Playroom. It was an open jam night but as Jackson says “we’d play our little hearts out.”

He was hooked on guitar from day one. “My mum would play to my brothers and myself to put us to sleep and I was fascinated by it,” Jackson said. “Before I knew any chords, I would sit the guitar on my lap like a lap steel and hit the strings with chops sticks in a rhythmic pattern until I made a tune.” Jackson’s been recognised for his amazing musicianship, standing alongside Leesa Gentz, Felicity Lawless, Julz Parker and Lindsay Waddington for the Musician of the Year category this year, sponsored by Gold Coast Music. But, like many creative workers, Jackson hasn’t always found this artistic path to be an easy one. “I always struggled as a musician to make a living when I was younger not because the will or talent wasn’t there but because I was uneducated in the business side of the industry,” Jackson said. “It wasn’t until I did a year long music business TAFE course that I started to treat my career as an actual business. It really helped me to realise the business potential I had as a self-managed touring solo musician. I started seeing all the mistakes I had been making as well as missed opportunities and began to iron them out.” “If you want to get paid like a professional then you have to act like a professional.” Jackson says one of the biggest challenges for him as a solo artist is being pigeon-holed. When he first started performing solo, John Butler and Jack Johnson were massive and because he also played guitar he’d be put straight into that genre. “But once you see one of my performances, you’ll know I’m not,” he said.

Musician of the Year category is proudly sponsored by TAFE Queensland. 16

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Gold Coast is most certainly home for Jackson, and before ‘the Rona’ his life was basically on tour. Jackson would proudly introduce himself as being from the Gold Coast.

“I love being a Gold Coast musician,” he said. “The music scene here is thriving with so many cool venues to play or go listen to music. From live rock sets at Mo’s to intimate acoustic sets at Ground n Sound... My two faves... I can’t really say anything bad about the Goldy. I love it here.” If you haven’t heard or seen Jackson perform you need to know that his is a “big guitar” sound. He combines lightning speed strumming with a beer bottle for a slide. He’s got thumping foot stomps and mesmerising drum loops and alongside that, riffs that will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. It’s a skill he’s honed through a strict regime of practice, something he’s taken from a stint as in amateur boxing “One thing that was drilled into our heads was: Preparation. Preparation. Preparation. And that has stuck with me into my music career,” Jackson explained. “I always make time to rehearse. Even when I’m on the road for months on end. I make time. Hotel room, acoustic rehearsal in camper… I feel like I’m lying to the audience if I don’t give them all that I can. Kinda like ‘hey here’s a half arsed version of what I can do, hope you like it’. And his advice to newcomers in this space is along those same lines. “Play every show with the same passion and intensity as if it were your last. I used to try and win crowds over with banter or gimmicks but it’s in the moments where I completely lose myself in the guitar that always gets the loudest reactions.” And as with plenty of artists who’ve grown up performing on the Gold Coast, Jackson has connections with most of the other finalists for the Musician of the Year category. He’s shared stages with Leesa Gentz and Julz Parker as well as Felicity Lawless. “The Hussy Hicks actually donated me an old small PS system years ago I used for many years as a home rehearsal set up... cheers girls,” Jackson added. Jackson’s got a new single coming out later in the year called ‘All the Feels’ and he cannot wait to hit the road again soon. Follow Jackson’s journey at fb.com/jacksondunnmusic. Samantha Morris

JULZ PARKER

LEESA GENTZ

LINDSAY WADDINGTON

Julz Parker is without a doubt one of the country’s most talented and highly respected guitarists. And that’s little wonder when you find out she’s been around music – most of it live - her entire life. One of the core members of Hussy Hicks, Julz has forged a path for herself that sees her collaborate on stage and off with other highly regarded musicians and she always has time for artists finding their feet in the city’s burgeoning creative scene.

Leesa Gentz has been singing for as long as she can remember. When she was just nine, her parents took Leesa and her sister to Tamworth Country Music Festival and she watched all those musicians doing their thing on stage and says she immediately knew what she wanted to do with her life.

Lindsay Waddington, or “Waddo”, as he’s affectionately known, has a list of career achievements as long as this current lockdown is feeling.

“I can't actually remember a time when music wasn't part of my life,” she told Samantha Morris. “I played violin from three to five but gave that up for cartoons for a bit,” she said about her musical history. “My Dad and his friends would often sit around playing Neil Young songs so I think that's where my love of acoustic guitar came from - then I went a bit rogue and started playing Roxette covers for simple keyboard for a while.” “I've been lucky to make a living out of music since high school. I've always had a 'keep your expenses low' approach which has meant I could keep my freedom to undertake creative projects high.” “Fingers crossed I'll still be able to make a living out of music into the future,” she said. “I've always been most inspired by music in a live setting so my biggest inspirations have come from local musicians. I was lucky enough to get to sit in and play as a 13-14 year old with Gold Coast bands, Donna and the Moderation and Double Shuffle and that exposed me to so many of the great songwriters and how to connect with people through music. I was also lucky to tour with Phil Emmanuel in that time so that taught me enough about guitar that even if I practised for the rest of my life I'd still have more to learn.” “I haven't really been focused on keeping my guitar skills at a 'high level' but I started out in a pretty mental guitar virtuoso scene so I guess my focus has more been trying to make sure I can always play what I hear in my head.” “We usually remain very gig-fit so I get to play enough guitar to keep my comfort level pretty good. That said - nothing makes me happier than having a massive guitar sound on a massive stage where the whole band sounds huge and taking a few minutes to 'play'.”

And it was very early on in the piece when she worked out she could make a living out of singing. “Mum and dad were super supportive of our music obsession and bought a little PA system for me and Kristy (older sister) and we booked a bunch of pub and cafe gigs and learnt enough songs to play a three hour show and just got out there and played gigs.” Leesa released her first single with ABC records at just 16 years old and early in her career signed a major publishing deal with Warner as well as signing to the ABC/EMI record label.

Compere, producer, songwriter and owner of Gold Coast’s Kross Kut Records recording studio, Waddo has done it all. But it’s his long career as a sought-after multiinstrumentalist, prolific session musician and awardwinning recording artist that has seen him nab a finalist nod for Musician of the Year at the 2020 Gold Coast Music Awards. “I'm very proud and honoured to be named as a finalist this year,” says Lindsay of his acknowledgment. “I've been fortunate to receive awards in Australia and Internationally but there's something special to be recognised in your home town awards. “I've been very fortunate to travel the world playing my brand of music but there is nothing like coming home – it’s a special place.”

She’s toured the world fronting many bands, and her stage craft is obvious when you see Leesa perform live, but the past 13 years has seen the talented vocalist share frontwoman duties with Julz Parker as the core members of the internally acclaimed Gold Coast blues and roots act Hussy Hicks.

To date Lindsay has released 10 albums and won or received finalist nominations as an instrumentalist in many of Australia’s leading industry awards. In 2019 Lindsay was inducted into the prestigious “Hands of Fame” in Tamworth NSW during Australia’s largest Country Music Festival and also won “Traditional Country Album of the Year” in Nebraska USA.

Despite crossing paths with all manner of music industry stars, it’s her co-collaborator and general partner in crime, Julz Parker that Leesa says is her biggest inspiration.

Waddo has also won many awards as a producer, including producer of “International Country Album of the Year” in Iowa, USA four times.

“When I first met Julz about 15 years ago I was totally over the music industry and at a bit of a loss as to what I should do to occupy myself,” she said.

If that’s not enough, in 2019 he released his 10th Instrumental album, and launched his own YouTube channel featuring his music which has now had over 1.3 million views. This year already he has been announced as QLD Musician of the Year and winner of Traditional Country CD of the Year during the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

“She has an incredible ability to make stuff happen, second only to her insane musical talents. Julz lives and breathes music and has an incredible way of inspiring musicality in others, and I'm so grateful to have been sharing that inspiration for many years now.” As someone who started her career at such a young age, Leesa has some words of wisdom for other young vocalists. “Sing as often as possible, in as many different situations, with as many people as possible,” she said. “It's all about throwing yourself into the game and the more hours you've spent playing music and being with musicians the better you get - simple as that!”

You could forgive him for not having too many more musical bucket list items to tick off. “Well, I would love to play the Grand ole Opry,” he laughs. Tune into the Virtual Gold Coast Music Awards on 30 April to see if Lindsay manages to add Gold Coast Musician of the Year to his impressive list of accomplishments. Natalie O’Driscoll

Samantha Morris

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hat makes a great song? Ask a bunch of different people and you’ll get a bunch of different answers. So that’s exactly what we did. We checked in with our Song of the Year finalists from this year’s Gold Coast Music Awards, and found out just what it is about a track that turns it from pleasant ditty to magical earworm.

SONG OF

THE YEAR

CASEY BARNES

DVNA

ELLA FENCE

DENNIS.

What makes a great song? I think the beauty in the answer to this question is it’s in the eye of the beholder... or should I say listener. That's the beauty of music... everybody has their own unique tastes and what appeals to one person, may not always appeal to another... but at the core I think a GREAT song has to have a memorable melody. It has to stick in your head and if you can combine that art form with an amazing story and great lyrics then you're well and truly onto a winner!

I think the lyrical content itself can make even the most basic song genius. But for myself personally, it’s all about the melodic hook. The bit that sticks with you several hours after hearing it. The part EVERYONE - no matter the language barrier - can sing along to. Hooks can be sung, played or produced electronically. I always find it super enjoyable adding these little bits of magic throughout songs. It makes the ears prick up and makes the track super addictive.

Songs can be great in a myriad of different ways, but whether or not it's considered great can be so subjective. So I don't think I can speak for what makes a great song for any writer other than myself.

One that in 20 years’ time people will still remember! A great song doesn’t mean the greatest lyrics or greatest chords as long as there is a catchy melody and food beat then you have it! At the end of the day not everyone will think your music is great but as long as you love your own music and you think it’s great that’s all that matters! A great song is one you are proud of!

PACES

HOLLOW COVES

A great song connects with an emotion in the listener. And that doesn’t necessarily just mean “I love you” or “I miss you and want you back”. It could be “It’s Friday night and I’m psyched to see my friends”, or “I’m so grateful to spend time with my dog”. There’s a lot of people feeling a lot of different things out there, and if you can tap into one of those feelings in a new way, you’re on the path to having a great song.

I think a great song happens when a few key components all come together in harmony. When the feeling of the music and the sentiment of the lyrics are beautifully paired. When the melodies add to the emotion and draw you in to the lyrics rather than distract you from them. It should make you feel something. A great song should be able to change an atmosphere, change emotions, and have you fully immersed in the song for that moment.

ELIZA AND THE DELUSIONALS

IVEY

For me personally, I love a song that has a really catchy hook or guitar line - something that gets stuck in my head. When I discover a new song that does that, I find myself humming it constantly and playing it 100 times while I’m driving. I think sometimes a really good melody or certain chords together can make something really special as well. The cool thing about music and songwriting is that everyone has their own way of relating and connecting to music, and their own idea of what makes a great song.

This is hard one, because music is ultimately subjective. Of course there are aspects that make some songs “technically” better than others - well thought out lyrics that have an impactful theme, dope chord progressions, a chorus that HITS, musical foreshadowing and intricate composition. Yet, just because a song has all these things doesn’t mean it is good, or even great. Music is about the listeners’ individual journey with the song, and how they resonate with it. That’s what makes a great song, why you think it’s great, not what anyone else thinks.

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I look when I'm writing, for ideas that continue to resonate with me after I've finished them. If they keep coming up in the back of my mind, I believe I'm onto something. If the song has told the intent of the story but not given too much away, I think that's great too, because to me it means I've captured the heart and the feeling, without pigeonholing the experience. Something I definitely look for when writing is discomfort. If I can't listen back to a song without feeling nervous, on edge, or exposed, I know there's something in there of great value. That's where the gold is, in that intense vulnerability.

HUSSY HICKS It's really hard to say - some super simple catchy tunes are great - then there is ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. I don't know if I even have an answer but I guess a few things I look for in a song are lyrics that don't seem throwaway or just chucked in to fill up space, Interesting sounds and melodies - and lots of personal truth. Natalie O’Driscoll

SUNSET CITY There are so many different elements to a great song, it’s so subjective. For us, we think it’s all about character… a great song has something really familiar but different to anything else you’ve ever heard, and it pulls you into its world for three minutes before you hit rewind. That’s what it is for us.

Song of the Year category is proudly sponsored by CBD Live.

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VENUE OF Venu of the Year category is proudly sponsored by Oztix.

THE YEAR

n these crazy times of self-isolation that we currently inhabit, now more than ever we can all appreciate the joy and invigoration that live music brings into our lives. And while we’re all counting down the time till we once again get to see out favourite bands pumping it out in the flesh, let’s take a look at the six venues nominated for ‘live venue of the year’, each of which that took live music on the Gold Coast to a whole new level over the past 12 months .. and will do so again soon.

COOLANGATTA HOTEL

HOTA - HOME OF THE ARTS

THE ROMPA ROOM

Affectionately known at ‘The Cooly’, this iconic Gold Coast venue has continued to reinvent itself and remain relevant on the live music scene across decades. Over the past 12 months, its spacious 600 capacity confines has played host to a stack of top shelf local and international acts, including punk rock legends CJ Ramone, Bodyjar and 28 Days, garage rock royalty Radio Birdman and The Stems, roots rockers Catchafire and The Beautiful Girls and classic rock illuminati Jon Stevens, The Black Sorrows, Thirsty Merc and hard rockers The Poor.

While the Gold Coast Arts Centre has long been a bastion of cultural innovation on the Gold Coast, its recent re-branding as HOTA, Home of the Arts has seen it step up to become a major player on the Gold Coast live music scene.

Located within the confines of The Hinterland Hotel in Nerang, 2019 saw the emergence of the newest player on the GC live music block in the form of The Rompa Room, which started putting on original live music on Friday and some Saturday nights. Catering for up and coming local acts as well as touring bands, it quickly gained traction as ‘the’ venue for discovering the best in new and happening sounds on the Coast, with at least seven new bands playing their debut show there.

2019 saw it partner with Graham ‘Asho’ Ashton of Footstomp Music to deliver a contemporary music program par excellence, supported by a range of venue options both large scale and intimate. The launch of ‘The Lakeside Sessions’ in conjunction with the spectacular Outdoor Stage saw a stack of respected artists of the calibre of Baker Boy, Nick Cave (In Conversation), Busby Marou, James Morrison and Kate Miller Heidke perform there, as well as specially curated events such as Tim Roger’s Liquid Nights At Bohemian Heights. While ‘Fridays On The Lawn’, in conjunction with the intimate Basement venue, allowed up and coming acts to showcase their wares.

Some of the cracking Gold Cost acts that featured at The Roma Room during 2019 included Tokyo Beef, The Goldhearts, The Wayward Suns and Atticus Chimps, to name but a few.

ELSEWHERE Since opening its door in 2003, Elsewhere, situated in the heart of Surfers Paradise, has been a ‘finger on the pulse’ live music hangout for disciples of in-the-now sounds. I can still vividly recall the thrill of catching legendary US garage-psych exponents Thee Oh Sees there a few years back, and chatting with front man John Dwyer who was hanging out in the venue prior to their set. It’s that type of venue. 2019 saw the venue diversify its repertoire further with the launch of multiple live music nights, including ‘Common Concept’, the brain child of Gold Cost band IVEY (who themselves are in the running for the ‘Breakout artist of the year’ award.) And its intimate 250 capacity played host to the cream of the Gold Coast’s burgeoning live music scene, with everyone from DVNA, Tesla Coils, Cakes as well as many of the bands nominated for this year’s GCMAs all performing there over the past 12 months.

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SOUNDLOUNGE

MO’S DESERT CLUBHOUSE Self-described as ‘a venue by artists, for artists’, over the past three years Mo’s Desert Clubhouse has risen up from a cutting edge, underground initiative to a fully-fledged performance space without sacrificing one iota of its unique charm. The venue undertook a major upgrade of its facilities during 2019 and a total focus on original live music across a range of diverse genres saw over 130 shows take place, including memorable performances from local legends such as Karl Williams, Black Rabbit George and Baltimore Gun Club. Also renowned for championing the realm of all ages shows and children’s events, Mo’s truly is a venue for all of the people.

Self-described as ‘the musical heartbeat of the Southern Gold Coast’, the Currumbin Soundlounge is renowned as one of the friendliest and most vibrant venues for discerning music lovers of all persuasions. And in 2019, ‘The Soundie’ heralded their 15 year anniversary of live music with a special celebration featuring performances by Tones & I, Sweater Curse, Bugs and Clea. The past twelve months also saw the venue diversify into the realm of live stand-up comedy, as well as putting on their first songwriting workshop with Canadian duo Tomato / Tomato. And of course they continued to serve up an impressive array of musical talent, playing host to 55 shows from a diverse range of artists including Kyle Lionhart, Clare Bowditch, Tijuana Cartel, British India, Felicity Lawless, Dicklord, Rollerball, Lime Spiders as well as international acts such as Shonen Knife, Millencolin and Goldfinger. Anthony Gebhardt

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GETTING LIBERATED WITH YORKE

aving announced her presence on the musical landscape over the past few years with her well received singles ‘First Light’ and ‘Wake the City’, emerging alt-pop singersongwriter Yorke (aka Grace Hughes) has just taken things to a new level with the recent release of her splendid debut EP, the intriguingly titled ‘Liberosis’.

If you’re wondering what it means, read on, as we chat with Yorke about the origins of the L word, as well as a whole bunch of other stuff, including her recent GCMA nominated collaboration with PACES on the track ‘Vertigo’. Congratulations on your stunning debut EP, 'Liberosis'. You worked with some esteemed producers and mixers on it. How did these opportunities come about and did they play an active role in shaping the direction and final outcome of the songs? I’m lucky that I have a great team who help set me up with some great collaborators. I try to go into each session with the elements that define the ‘Yorke’ sound (instead of a reference playlist or something) and work with the producer to see how they interpret it. I often get quite strong-willed in sessions, and aren’t afraid to speak up, which is completely different to my everyday life where I can’t decide what to eat or wear. I really love collaborating though, each person I worked with on this EP brought their own little moment to life. The name of the EP, ‘Liberosis’, is quite alluring. Upon googling the word I discovered that it was defined as "the desire to care less about things". How did you discover it and did you specifically choose it as the title of your EP to encapsulate an underlying theme to the songs as a collective body of work? I’m someone who really struggles with change so when I randomly came across the word ‘Liberosis’ AGES ago, I wrote it down because I really resonated with its meaning, and then completely forgot about it. When we were in the process of culling the songs down, I realised how strong the theme of letting go was throughout each track, in their own individual ways. I was in a shopping centre with my mum when I suddenly remembered the word and texted my manager - “I’ve got it!!! I know what the EP title has to be!!!”. On reflection, I don’t think it could be anything else, I still love it.

Collaboratively speaking, you recently teamed up with Gold Coast artist PACES on his track 'Vertigo', which has been nominated for 'Song of the year' at the upcoming Gold Coast Music Awards. How did this collaboration come about? And do you think the track is in with a shot of taking out the gong in a pretty hotly contested field? PACES is the best! The goodest of eggs. Mikey (PACES) and I had wanted to work together for ages, but just hadn’t found the right project. I had written ‘Vertigo’ a while back and always thought Mikey would be cool on it. So I was super stoked when he sent through a draft within about an hour. It’s such a fun track and I think we blended both Yorke and PACES worlds really well.

Honestly, I’m so SO damn chuffed the song is a finalist! I was a finalist back in 2015 pre-Yorke and always hoped I’d be back! There is an amazing group of artists nominated, so whatever happens, I’ll be happy. If it wins though, I’m gonna have the biggest iso-party with my parents! This year the Awards will be very different on account of the current COVID-19 situation, with a virtual awards night taking place online instead. How have you, as a performer, adapted to the very real impact of not being able to play to people in venues? And how are you coping with the concept of social distancing and isolation in general? I’m looking forward to watching the awards online with a nice glass of red in hand! I think everyone is struggling with adapting a bit. It’s a strange time. On the night prior to the EP release, I did a little live stream performance and Q&A with each collaborator, which was really fun. I guess I’m using this time to practice and hone my craft as a performer. I cannot wait to start playing again though, as well as attending every live gig possible. In general, I’m really lucky I live on farm land, and in an area where you can do things like nature walks, with no one around. I’m also doing a lot of writing sessions and learning to produce! I got a new mic recently and it’s changed my life. Being able to have these luxuries, as well as some downtime to read and watch Grey’s Anatomy, has stopped me from getting too bogged down in the darker side of my emotions. Things could be worse.

Once things return to normal, what plans do you have for forging ahead with your music? I’m going to be optimistic and say that I’m really looking forward to my tour in October! I think I’ll do a big writing stint in both Melbourne and Sydney, and also re-plan my UK writing trip (was meant to be in May). I’m a sucker for a good session, so will probably just try make up for lost time. Also… did someone say new music?! Anthony Gebhardt

Be sure to wrap your ears around Yorke’s fab debut EP, ‘Liberosis’, which we review in this month’s New Music column.

REAL ROCK CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GCMA FINALISTS

LIVES. AT

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Managing Editor: Natalie O’Driscoll

Advertising & Partnerships Manager: Amanda Gorman Partnerships, Social Media & Live Team Coordinator: Simone Gorman-Clark TeamWriters: Anthony Gebhardt & Zac Fahey Intern: Amaya Coburn

Editorial: news@blankgc.com.au Advertising: advertising@blankgc.com.au Gigs: gigs@blankgc.com.au

Cover: 2020 Gold Coast Music Awards artwork, Skull Murphy by Dion Parker @dionsribs

Acknowledgement of Country We genuinely respect and acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and play. We honour their elders past, present and emerging as well as the rich contribution that continues to be made to society through art, story and music.

About us: Blank GC is independently owned and published by Samantha Morris and Chloe Popa. Founded in 2013 we are the Gold Coast’s independent cultural voice and we rely on advertising as well as our generous contributors to keep us in the fray. Opinions expres sed herein are not necessarily those of the editor, publishers or the writing team.

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The legendary team at Wallaby Hotel in Mudgeeraba are cooking 250 meals every Monday for four weeks, for local musicians who might be doing it tough right now. They’ve reached out to their agents to help deliver the message and meals each week. Venue Manager Mark Westaway says this is for a couple of reasons. “The musos would feel a lot more comfortable talking with the agent they work for rather than going online and leaving their details for me to follow up, and agents now have the opportunity to check in on their artists and ask the question ‘are you okay?’” Meals will be available for pickup each Tuesday. You can contact any of the supporting agents: Andy – Clark Independent Artistry - fb/cia. clarkindependentartistry/ Carl – Jabba Entertainment - fb/ JabbaEntertainment/ Todd – Hubdit - fb/hubditlive/

CIRCULAR WORLD BY PRU WILSON Gold Coast photographer Pru Wilson, is another artist whose latest work has been funded by Rage Against the V(irus). ‘Circular World’ is a digital photographic series with the concept of taking artistic images of circular objects found in and around photographer Pru Wilson’s home whilst in isolation during COVID-19 pandemic. The objects are not just merely photographed as they would usually be found within the household, they are placed and photographed to create eye catching or images that can be questioned viewed and discussed. The images within the series will total to 88 circular objects – can you find them all? Test yourself at hota.com.au/circular-world

D’ARCY DOYLE AWARDS CANCELLED It may not be a surprise that this iconic art prize has been cancelled for 2020, but it’s no less of a blow. Nationally recognised and offering an impressive prize pool, this beloved local art show, affectionately known as ‘The Doyles’ and named for esteemed artist and long time Mudgeeraba local d’Arcy Doyle, was established in 2004 and has grown every year since, attracting an extraordinary pool of talent from across the country. It will be sorely missed, and we look forward to its triumphant return in 2021. Image: Blind with artist Jeska Valk

Contributors (print and online): Samantha Morris, Natalie O’Driscoll, Anthony Gebhardt, Marj Osborne, Zac Fahey, Catherine Coburn, Glenn Tozer, Nicole Browne, Kris Peters, Sam Beau Patrick, Jessie Walter, Kylie Cobb, Katie Norman, Simone Gorman-Clark, Amaya Coburn, Erin Bourne.

WALLABY HOTEL DOES MUSO MEALS

Image: by Dane Scott Creative

Creative Director: Chloe Popa

HIGH STAKES FOR LOCAL ARTISTS

And of course musicians can contact Mark directly through fb/thewallabyhotel/ as well if they want to.

A huge congratulations is in order for local artists Jeska Valk and Tamara Armstrong, who have both had artworks featured on national television thanks to Gold Coastbased online gallery Art Lovers Australia’s deal with Channel 7’s popular House Rules: High Stakes. Gold Coast art and Gold Coast galleries killing it, in one fell swoop, and from a safe distance to boot!

“For me it’s just about us giving back to the guys that were hit first and possibly hardest,” says Mark. Like we said. Legends.

THE CREATIVE WORLD OF JAY JERMYN

KYLIE CHAN’S MINDS OF SAND AND LIGHT Kylie Chan is a full-time writer, based on the Gold Coast, who has entertained audiences worldwide with a total of twelve bestselling novels and numerous smaller works, including the acclaimed Dark Heavens and Dragon Empire series. Now, the writing of her latest work ‘Minds of Sand and Light’, is being partly supported by HOTA’s Rage Against The V(irus) artist fund. Begun once the world went into lockdown, ‘Minds of Sand and Light’ is a new cyber-thriller with a grittier, more desperate take on the fate of the world. You download the first three draft chapters over at hota.com.au/minds-of-sandand-light.

Flip to the New Music column in this month’s magazine and you’ll see our review of ‘Tilt’, the latest single by neverending content creators Veople, the experiential sound collaboration between musician Julian Currie and multidisciplinary artist and musician Jay Jermyn. Jay’s creative output for early 2020 didn’t stop there though, with his project News of the Hour holding the honour of being the first project to launch under HOTA’s Rage Against the V(irus) Funding. From 13 to 17 April, Jay and his special guests responded to the disorienting nature of the constant news cycle with a unique sound performance streamed via Instagram that aimed to dissolve out all the “noise” and agenda from the media. Jump on over to Bandcamp to check out Veople’s new track, and read up in more detail about News of the Hour over at blankgc.com.au.

CASEY BARNES NO 1 Having suffered a huge blow with the cancellation of his massive upcoming tour, local country king Casey Barnes has rebounded with the awesome news that his latest album ‘Town Of A Million Dreams’ has hit the coveted #1 spot on the iTunes charts, and not just on the country charts, but across all genres! Visit blankgc.com.au for our interview with Casey about this welldeserved achievement.

WHARVES HAVE NOTHING W

ith the release of latest single ‘Nothing Left To Say’ earlier last month, Lennox Heads based indie rock band Wharves should have been looking to consolidate their name in the UK with a tour scheduled for May, but like most of the entertainment world have had to re-evaluate things significantly with the current Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe. “It kind of puts everything on hold in terms of physically touring,” said vocalist/guitarist Matthew Collins, “and it restricts any income except for publishing deals. If our song was used on TV or an ad or something like that – which we have actually just got one of those – it can help us out while this is going on. You’re not sure how long it’s gonna be so we don’t want to book plans to go to the UK and have them postponed again. We just have to take it as it comes with that and make plans that are changeable. We are trying to get on top of live streaming and producing content from home rather than just sit around for six months. We want to capitalise on the time we’ve got rather than be upset about the situation.” One thing Wharves can control is their music, and according to Collins the reception to ‘Nothing Left To Say’ has been one highlight in a prolonged period of disappointment. “It’s been really good!” he enthused. “We’ve been doing a bit of a crowdsourced film clip for it as well so we’ve had a lot of friends and fans doing dances in their isolation to the new track. I think everyone is really enjoying that.” ‘Nothing Left To Say’ sees a slightly different musical direction for Wharves, with their usual guitar-driven sound expanded upon with the use of synthesisers and electric percussion. “It’s a bit of a tricky one,” Collins pondered. “I don’t know what completely led us to experiment as such but we got labelled as a bit of a guitar rock/guitar band and the way we look at it is there’s way more modern technology than just the guitar at the moment. We thought we would give it a go and experiment and see what happens rather than be bunched in with a lot of the rock stuff. It was a lot of fun and cool learning how new technology works with music and keeping a bit more of an open mind to it.” With an EP to follow, Collins reveals that the direction taken with the lead single is something that will permeate through the rest of the recording. “It’s gonna follow that a bit,” he nodded. “The other stuff might not be as in your face but we are definitely gonna run across a similar vein sonically although the mood will be slightly different with each song.” The band met while studying the Bachelor of Contemporary Music at Southern Cross University Lismore campus in Northern NSW. After rehearsing together for a University showcase event, band members – guitar and keyboardist Michael Watson, drummer Fraser Rojo Perrott, bassist Scott Finch and lead singer Matt Collins – found their sound and formed WHARVES. “It’s part of the WHARVES story that we met through studying music at Southern Cross. The access to world class lecturers and facilities really helped kick start us as a band,” Matt said.

“Also, being surrounded by likeminded musicians with similar ambitions is a great reason to study music at University, and the Northern Rivers is a hub for creatives – especially musicians.” While admitting to being a highly creative band, Collins also credits producer Steven Schram with having significant input into each musical twist and turn undertaken by Wharves. “We write a lot and create a lot,” Collins said, “but we can also be a bit indecisive as a group (laughs). We have a really good producer that reins us in a little bit but also pushes us in different ways. He has a really strong opinion about things so if we are a bit unsure if something is done or if it is a good idea or not he has that opinion of no or yes that makes it easier for us to orientate around it. I think that helps. As well as experimenting we’ve also been focussing on one particular drum sound or things like that as well. There are certain restrictions I’m putting on the songs as well as expanding them so it has some sort of cohesiveness with the sonics.” While the EP has always been slated for a 2020 release, Collins admits the exact release date has also been affected by the current climate. “It’s a little bit up in the air,” he sighed. “This Corona thing is affecting our touring and timeline a bit. We’re still writing and doing music that we are yet to record so I think we will have another new song in the next couple of months and then probably before Christmas we should have an

EP. Hopefully, as the restrictions ease and slowly get under control, we want to go to the UK before the end of the year as well. Even before the release of ‘Nothing Left To Say’ Wharves have been making an impact on the UK music scene. After successfully touring with DZ Deathrays through Europe and the UK in 2019 the band are looking to capitalise on their growing success and are eager to get back after having to postpone May dates. “We got a great support with DZ Deathrays,” Collins recalled, “and they have done about nine tours there and we jumped on the back of one of theirs. We met a promoter while we there that really liked our sound and felt like it resonated – which we have always felt ourselves. We have always felt we were more of a UK sounding band than an Australian sounding band, and we are getting more radio and things like that than we are getting here at the moment. We’re getting BBC and Radio X – whose audience is about eight or nine times bigger than JJJ. It’s pretty exciting so that’s where we are focussing most of our attention. We have more fans here in Australia but we want to push that overseas market as well.” You can check out Wharves on Bandcamp as well as follow their socials for updates on new music and touring plans when they become available. Southern Cross University is currently offering its popular Bachelor of Contemporary Music program online. More at: scu.edu.au/study-at-scu/ music-and-creative-arts Kris Peters

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ALL THE RAGE AT HOTA Y

ou’ll have heard by now about HOTA – Home of the Arts’ rapid response program to support local artists. The Rage Against the V(irus) Artist Fund keeps artists earning when their livelihoods are under threat. But it also keeps artists creating art for their audiences during these times. Image: by Ink and Pixel Media

The whole program is about presenting art quickly, for online delivery. The concept presents an opportunity for artists to develop an imperfect and unformed idea… an idea that they may have been formulating for some time. The one thing these projects all have in common is their ability to be executed quickly. HOTA is expecting to support 50 local artists over eight weeks, with some $50,000 disbursed to those creative workers. There are artists creating in-home concerts, web series, short films, photography, singles and EPs, podcasts, zines, digital art, live interviews and more. Here’s five of our favourites, recently announced:

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DISRUPTING THE DISRUPTION BY LYSTRA BISSHOP

UNPACKED BY ZAC FAHEY Zac Fahey has been living and breathing music for the past 15 years. Starting his career as a musician after graduating from university, he eventually gravitated towards the industry, cutting his teeth at label services company Footstomp Music and more recently freelancing with organisations as diverse as BLEACH*, Gold Coast Film Festival, BIGSOUND, ABC Radio, Music Industry College, Blank GC and TAFE Queensland. In this project, ‘Unpacked’, Zac will launch a video interview series focussing on Gold Coast musicians who have released an exceptional single over the past 12 months. Each interview will dive deep into the inner workings of the song, deconstructing musical parts, discussing inspiration, lyrical content, recording and writing techniques. The interviews will discuss technical aspects of music in everyday terms, appealing to all audiences both musical and not, in a relaxed and casual manner.

Lystra Bisschop is an award-winning writer, growing up in far north Queensland and descending from the Guugu Yimithirr, Birri Gubba, Torres Strait Islander people (Erub Island). In 2018, Lystra was the recipient of the black&write! fellowship, a national writing competition run by the State Library of Queensland, for her manuscript The Upwelling. She has recently also signed a book publishing contract with Hachette. Now the Managing Editor of iconic surf publication Surfing Life magazine, Lystra is also a visual communicator, teacher of the deaf, graphic designer, photographer and storyteller. “’Rona has been challenging,” she said. “Self-isolation, job losses or shifts from the norm, family working and schooling from home and that pressure of health and financial uncertainties.” “I’ve had a head start: self-isolation (bedridden for three years), homeschooling (two years), working from home (15 years).” Lystra will be putting her writing and life skills to use and will write an article for HOTA about practical strategies that work for her in dealing with these times. She’s hoping to inspire artists to keep moving in their creative outputs.

Image: by Jorge Serra

Image: Bushfire Victims by Elke Gil

ORANGE BY DANIELE CONSTANCE OK, ZOOMER BY ARTWORK-AGENCY Zoom has quickly become the go-to for digital meetings. It's great – until you're in a serious discussion and realise your washing is hanging behind you and your kids start wreaking havoc and running around in the nude. Enter – Art-Work Agency's OK, Zoomer Virtual Background series which will be made available for download via the Art-Work Agency website and HOTA platforms shortly. Art-Work is using this funding to provide resources for their five Gold Coast-based designers and artists to create a series of Zoom virtual backgrounds. The artists have been challenged to "reimagine their ideal working space" and create a background scene in response to this brief, a virtual opportunity to explore the concept of remote work in a creative and uplifting way. Founded by Claudio Kirac and Paul Bow, Art-Work Agency stems from a belief in doing good work with good people. AW is a fusion of Claudio and Paul's collective skill sets – a perfect blend of 'art' and 'work'. “At the heart, we’re a multidisciplinary creative agency working across branding, photography, art and design,” Claudio said. “From creative branding through to large-scale public art activations, we work with people and companies who share our values.” “We put quality over everything else and believe that well executed ideas equal opportunity and that smiling regularly helps us live longer.”

Orange’ is a striking and almost unmissable giant being moving, living, day by day, viewed from within the confines of a two bedroom apartment in Coolangatta. Striving to be an enigma in an increasingly restricted and familiar environment. Drawing on performance, choreographic and photographic practices, ‘Orange’ aims to capture the domestic duties, joys, sorrows, absurdities and small freedoms of our new normal lifestyle during the Covid-19 crisis. This photo and short film series follows a largely mundane routine, providing a glimpse into the private world of this individual, who in many ways, reflects all of us. This work will be a collaboration between performance maker Daniele Constance and photographer/videographer Jorge Serra as they share a living space together during isolation. Daniele is a participatory artist, art therapist and producer, with a strong focus on socially engaged art making practices. She creates artistic works that draw from direct experience and storytelling, using verbatim, documentary, contemporary and embodied performance practices. She has trained with artistic companies including: Rawcus (Melbourne), Force Majeure (Sydney), one step at a time like this (Melbourne), Ping Chong+Company (NYC), which has given her a strong and diverse embodied performance language, understanding of and continued practice with: dance theatre, participatory art, site specific performance, large scale and long standing community arts projects. Daniele is also the proud Director and Co Founder of social enterprise Suitcase Rummage, which takes place in Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and regional areas across the country.

THE LIFE OF DUSTY BY DION PARKER His art has been appearing around the Gold Coast for years – from SWELL Sculpture Festival to HOTA’s 2017 Christmas Commission – and now, Dion Parker’s signature character ‘Lil Dusty’ will appear in a series of new animations, launching on HOTA’s social channels in May 2020. Dion will create all the animations from his iPad while the world is in shut down. Fans will be able to tune in every day to discover what daily activities Lil Dusty gets up to! Dion Parker is one of our favourite Gold Coast artists. He has a multidisciplinary practice which sees him draw, paint and create digital art and animations. His sculptural works use materials such as bronze, timber, cast resin, recycled materials and steel and he is known for his humorous, innocent yet cheeky and beautiful works, predominantly featuring his signature character, ‘Lil Dusty’. Dion has exhibited 2D and 3D works in group and solo shows around Queensland and interstate. His work resides in public and private collections around Australia and overseas.   In 2018 Dion won the Swell Sculpture Festival Major Award for his collaboration with Andrew Cullen titled ‘Prickles the Unhuggable Bear’, a four-metre-tall teddy bear made from recycled barbed wire and reo bar, now residing at M-Arts Precinct in Murwillumbah.  In 2012 he received the Jennie Neumann emerging artist award at Swell Sculpture Festival.  For the last five years, Dion has created the sculptural trophies and posters for the Gold Coast Music Awards, with winners including Amy Shark, Karl S Williams and Saint Lane. Samantha Morris

Follow these, and other artists funded through HOTA’s Rage Against the V(irus) program at hota.com.au/rage-againstthe-virus-program/. www.blankgc.com.au

HOTA Gallery Opening in early 2021 with a packed program of international exhibitions and incredible art, indoors and out. BOOK NOW MORE INFO

H O TA . C O M . A U -HOTA-GA L L ER Y H OTA . COM.AU/NEW

Artist impression of HOTA Gallery

‘If You Wanna’. Written about throwing caution to the wind, the song takes a theatrical musical journey led by a driving beat that builds and releases in sync with the lyrics. The track was released at the end of April alongside a creative online musical celebration broadcast across Alisha Todd’s socials live from Love Street Studios.

LEMAIRE’S SUN-KISSED SOUND. BROOK CHIVELL’S POWERFUL NEW SINGLE

After creating a buzz with his 2019 release ’20 Dollar Wine’, Northern NSW hip hop fusion artist Lemaire is now giving us his heavily anticipated energetic follow up ‘Where’s Up?’ A collaboration with Gratis Minds band members Jay Orient and JK-47, ‘Where’s Up?’ leaves the early Ed Sheeran vibes of Lemaire’s previous material behind and focus’ on clean rap versus over a killer, sun-kissed backing track. If your day needs brightening up, hit play on this beauty right now.

original solo project under his own name Michael McCartney. ‘Too Long’ has set the bar high as the first single of an ambitious 12 month release plan which will see McCartney offer 16 tracks across four EPs. With rock at its core, ‘Too Long’ borrows pop sensibilities from Harry Styles, finds the vintage sounds of The Black Keys all while carrying the swagger of Mark Ronson. Featuring an allstar cast of collaborators, McCartney worked with fellow Gold Coaster’s Ian Peres and producer Mitch Finglas to create this well crafted vintage pop stunner.

Brook Chivell is yet another local powerhouse pop-country artist kicking goals here at the moment, helping to truly solidify the Gold Coast as a major producer of quality country music artists. ‘In My Life’ is an extremely well written song that seamlessly builds into each and every chorus making you want to sing along at the top of your lungs. This is Gold Coast’s pop country answer to Areosmith’s ‘I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing’.

Single Out 7 May.

VEOPLE’S ELECTRONIC THRILLER

JACOB LEE DESTROYS HIS SILHOUETTE

Local multidisciplinary artists and compulsive creatives Veople have just given us the first of four singles set for release in 2020 with the electronic thriller ‘Tilt’. With an impressive back catalogue including a host of high profile collaborations and artistic commissions, the band have recently expanded their sound further by consciously pushing the boundaries of experimental electronica. Over five and a half minutes ’Tilt' works at carving two songs into one, ending at a climatic culmination of synthesized goodness.

RHEA ROBERTSON’S TRIBUTE TO DAVID LYNCH

ROUND MOUNTAIN GIRLS REFLECT ON THE GOOD THINGS Live stage favourites Round Mountain Girls are keeping their creative juices flowing this month with the release of ‘First To Let Go’, a hard hitting mix of alt-country, rock and folk styles brought home with the band’s signature fiddle shredding solos. Lyrically inspired by fleeting moments that can never be quite captured, ‘First To Let Go’ is a song about loss and reflecting on the good things; a fitting muse for the current climate. Keep an eye on the bands socials for some creative activations including live performances and a regular series hosted by the band’s front man called ‘Banjovi’s Name That Tune’.

Accurately self described as a hybrid between electronic and pop styles, Jacob Lee’s new single ’Silhouette’ offers a deep illustration of the inner struggles faced when dealing with self doubt while reflecting on past mistakes. Consciously disjointed, ’Silhouette’ switches sharply between layered electronic sections and sparse vocal moments, projecting the desired emotion of uncertainty to the listener. As the second last track of his forthcoming album, ’Silhouette’ is the hidden gem that found the light. Out 1 May.

MISS LUCY’S DAZZLING DEBUT

DASTE CHANNEL GOTYE ON SOPHOMORE EP

ALISHA TODD THROWS CAUTION TO THE WIND Alisha Todd is continuing to keep us intrigued with her fascinating new single 32

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daste have delivered on their promise of new music this month with the release of an exceptional sophomore EP titled ‘Same As It Ever Was’. Featuring the low-key banger ‘About Us’ which we raved about in April’s issue, the EP is an 11-minute sonic head massage. Intimate vocals float over lush instrumentation to create a beautiful sonic landscape similar to that of a Gotye album. The real highlight track of the EP and the bands current single is the charming ‘Telephone (What’s Your Name?)’. So put on some headphones and enjoy the massage.

Rhea Robertson is here to keep us company during isolation with her haunting new single ‘Mulholland Drive’. Inspired by David Lynch’s mystery cult classic of the same name, Rhea Robertson continues the dark undertones of the film with her smoky vocals and slow, haunting instrumentation. ‘Mulholland Drive’ is the kind of song that will put shivers down your spine and would not sound out of place as the soundtrack to Lynch’s next twisted installment.

MICHAEL MCCARTNEY STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT One of Gold Coast’s most under appreciated musicians has finally stepped out from behind the shadows of session work and high end corporate gigs to present his fantastic

‘All In A Day’ is the first single from Miss Lucy, a new project from local multiinstrumentalist Blair Condon. Playing in touring bands for the past few years Blair decided to get out of his comfort zone with Miss Lucy, experimenting with different sounds and styles to create something completely unique. ‘All In A Day’ is a simplistic, quirky, electronic ballad based around a vintage digital drum loop and a Wurlitzer electric piano. The song does an excellent job of capturing a particular emotional state. Written as a mockery of a premature mid-life crisis ‘All In A Day’ will leave you pleasantly dazed.

by her generation with the angsty new single ‘Teenagism’. Her fourth single to date, ‘Teenagism’ sees Amy Elise experimenting with her style, venturing into grungy pop territory here, a far cry from the acoustic folk sounds of her previous releases. Armed with the lyrical sentiment “Being young is hard, all you adults just don’t get it” ‘Teenagism’ is a teen rock anthem to be sung loud with your fist in the air.

an excellent job of defining their own style with this release by keeping their sounds generally clean rather than fuzzed out and rough around the edges like psych rock contemporaries King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard. So plug in and take a trip with Gold Coast’s own brand of psych rock mind-melting goodness.

DODGE WILL HAVE YOU DANCING IN YOUR PJS

PAPER ROUND TAKE YOU DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE Paper Round have introduced themselves to us this month with their stunning debut ‘Rabbit Hole’. Probably due to the fact that they have been playing together for many years already, the local four-piece have delivered a mature and effortlessly cool single here. Led by a beautiful sounding organ, the track slowly builds in intensity, finishing off with a fabulous crescendo of guitars and vocal harmonies. Paper Round offer a healthy mix between britpop and modern psychedelica and have managed to create a sound that’s unlike any other on the Gold Coast at the moment. Expect big things from this outfit in 2020.

Dodge provide you with your monthly fix of cowbell with their disco/rock hybrid ‘Dance With Me’, a cleverly written and lusciously recorded single. The band seem to be evolving out of the derivative indie rock sound heard on their debut and are successfully forging their own unique style within the tried and tested genre. Think LCD Sound System meets Catfish And The Bottlemen and you’ll have something close to what’s on offer here. For a song written about dancing, it well and truly does its job. ‘Dance With Me’ is guaranteed to get you up and grooving, even if it is while wearing PJs in your living room.

AMELA’S AUTHENTIC POP

THE WAYWARD SUNS GENRE COLLISION MYSTERY

GESTICULATIONS ‘STAY CURIOUS’ Gesticulations is the brand new project fronted by local music industry heavyweight turned poetic songsmith Graham Ashton. The debut single ‘Stay Curious’ is a raw and deeply emotive piece written about longing for a dear friend that has passed. Ashton’s signature baritone vocal is delivered in an intense spoken word style, backed by sparse instrumentation and tactfully juxtaposed by the soothing voice of Hanna Campbell. ‘Stay Curious’ is the first taste of a forthcoming Gesticulations album that is currently being worked on alongside key project collaborator and Gold Coast’s ‘go to’ producer at the moment, Benny D Williams.

RAE LEIGH’S SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

In case you were wondering, Amela is alright and she tells us so on her uplifting new single. ‘I’m Alright’ is a glistening pop song featuring all the production bells and whistles of a top ten hit. Setting herself apart from other pop artists once again though are Amela’s vocals, bringing a unique intimacy into the mix that radiates authenticity. ‘I’m Alright’ offers taste of what we can expect from Amela’s forthcoming album, a project she’s been working on for almost 12 months with Gold Coast producer and collaborating partner Josh Beattie.

Everyone’s favourite party starters The Wayward Suns are colliding genres once again with their signature blend of rock infused hip hop on their brand new single ‘Mystery’. The self proclaimed cosmic groove merchants deliver the groove nicely with some intricate guitar work and well placed scratching fills while delivering some seriously deep, contemplative lyrical content. This track is bursting with energy and when the time is right, it’s sure to be a live hit.

MARDI WILSON KEEPS THINGS MOVING

FURRY GOODNESS

AMY ELISE DELIVERS TEENAGE ANTHEM 15 year old Gold Coast artist Amy Elise voices here opinion on the struggles faced

Rae Leigh is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down and has just released her third consecutive single for 2020 ’Sleepless Nights’. Co-written with legendary Australian country musician Allan Caswell at a songwriting retreat in Tamworth, the track is about having fun, escaping everyday life and enjoying simple pleasures with a loved one. Rae Leigh collaborated with an international team in complete isolation to record ‘Sleepless Nights’ and is still working hard at finishing her debut album set for release later this year.

The next best thing to going outside is taking a trip with your mind, and Peach Fur’s new EP ‘Awake’ provides the perfect vessel for such an adventure. Expanding on their epically psychedelic 2019 release ‘Aliens’ the five track sonic journey is intriguing from start to finish, taking unexpected stylistic turns, plying with unconventional time signatures while leaving space for extended instrumental parts. The band have done

Mardi Wilson is known to be a bit of a musical nomad, constantly on the move, playing solo gigs all along the East Coast whenever she can. Now with recent developments, she alongside many other traveling musicians have had to make major creative and financial readjustments. This dramatic change has not stopped her and many others from doing what they love - recording and releasing fantastic music to keep us all entertained. Aptly titled ‘Runaway’, Mardi Wilson’s new single is an uplifting pop song that seems to continuously building in energy and intensity. Recorded at Gold Coast’s Blind Boy Studios with Brad Hosking, the track was a true studio collaboration with Brad adding backing vocals and instrumentation as well as his well renowned skills behind the recoding desk. www.blankgc.com.au

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Flip this pause into a reset for your future. The world as we know it might have stopped, but your learning doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an exciting time to reinvent what you do. Southern Cross University offers flexible and online study options for all courses at this time, including contemporary music. Learn songwriting, composition, arrangement, and music performance and presentation from your living room. You will also have access to live lectures, full access to our 5-star* student support, and have the confidence in choosing a Southern Cross University degree which has been refined since 1986. *Good University Guide 2020

scu.edu.au

GOLD COAST FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SCREEN INDUSTRY GALA AWARDS FOR 2020 T he Gold Coast Film Festival recently awarded $20,000 in cash and prizes to filmmakers across 17 awards at its Screen Industry Gala Awards, which was delivered online on 16 April, due to the global pandemic.

Documentaries were the big winners in the live-stream ceremony with SLIM & I, Kriv Stenders’ documentary on Joy McKean taking out the PKF Best Australian Film Award and indie documentary MORGANA, co-directed by Josie Hess and Isabel Peppard taking out the Blackmagic Design Best Australian Independent Film Award. Post-production house, The Post Lounge won the inaugural Queensland Screen Business of the Year Award and special FX Makeup and Prosthetics specialist Jason Baird was awarded Gold Coast Screen Professional of the Year. In partnership with Surfers Paradise Alliance, $8000 in cash prizes were awarded for national short film competition SIPFEST: Shorts in Paradise. Yulubidyi – Until The End by WA’s Nathan Mewett & Curtis Taylor took out the top prize of Best Film, winning $3000, with Brisbane’s Pearce Hoskinson taking the $1000 Runner Up Best Film prize and $1000 Best Screenplay prize for Desert Island Secret Santa.

AWARDS AND WINNERS: Blackmagic Design Best Australian Independent Film Award

Queensland Screenwriting Award, thanks to The Heaton Group

Sponsor: Blackmagic Design

Sponsor: The Heaton Group

Prize: Blackmagic Design product (Pocket Cinema Camera 6K worth AU$4,065)

Prize: $5000 for winner, $500 for second prize, $500 for third prize

Following a four-day online screening window for SIPFEST and over 800 votes, the $1000 People’s Choice Award went to TJ Power for his film The Bus To Birra Birra.

Winner: Morgana – Isabel Peppard & Josie Hess

Hannah and Eliza Reilly’s Shelias took home Best Australian Webseries and $500 thanks to Bond University and the festival’s showcase of Queensland student shorts, EMERGE! awarded $250 thanks to HOTA – Home of the Arts to winner and Griffith University student, Narissa Amies for Not So Grim.

PKF Best Australian Film Award Winner: Slim & I – Kriv Stenders

3rd ($250 each – tie): How To Kill A Genre – Noah Southam and The Lost Girls – Dustin Schmidt

The Queensland Screenwriting Prize, with thanks to the Heaton Group, awarded winner Stephen Lance $5000 and Tim Sayer $500 in second place with Noah Southam and Dustin Schmidt tying for third with $250 each.

SIPFest Short Film Festival presented by Surfers Paradise Alliance

Queensland Screen Business of the Year Award

The online event was watched by nominees and audiences across the world, with winners sharing in $20,000 worth of cash and prizes thanks to prize sponsors HOTA – Home of the Arts, PKF Accounting and Business Advisors, Blackmagic Design, Burleigh Brewing Co., The Heaton Group and Surfers Paradise Alliance. “While the screen industry is in a tough time right now, we were pleased to be able to bring everyone together to celebrate the films, scripts and achievements of the award winners,” said Lucy Fisher, CEO/Festival Director Gold Coast Film Festival. The 18th annual Gold Coast Film Festival program was due to feature four world, nine Australian and 11 Queensland premieres and just over 300 films, panels, events across 14 Gold Coast locations from 15 – 26 April. The Gold Coast Film Festival is supported by the Queensland state government through Screen Queensland and Tourism and Events Queensland. The Gold Coast Film Festival is supported by the City of Gold Coast.

Sponsor: PKF Accounting and Business Advisors

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2nd ($500) Olivia’s Song – Tim Sayer

Sponsor: Surfers Paradise Alliance

Winner: The Post Lounge

Best International Film $500 – Back to Graceland – Sakari Sankkinen

Gold Coast Screen Professional of the Year

Best Australian Film $3000 – Yulubidyi – Until The End – Nathan Mewett, Curtis Taylor

Sponsor: Burleigh Brewing Co.

Runner up Best Australian Film $1000 – Desert Island Secret Santa – Pearce Hoskinson

Prize: Burleigh Brewing Co. beer, Backstage double pass and 4 VIP Burleigh Cinema tickets (valued at $400)

Best Actor $500 – Bronte Pearce – Desert Island Secret Santa

Winner: Jason Baird

Best Screenplay $1000 – Desert Island Secret Santa – Pearce Hoskinson Best Film from a Gold Coast Resident $1000 – Eye for an Eye – Elizabeth Cullen People’s Choice Award $1000 – The Bus to Birra Birra – TJ Power Webseries Awards with thanks to Bond University Sponsor: Bond University Best International Webseries- Man of Joy – Jordan Kenneth Kamp, Rob Johnson Best Australian Webseries – $500 – Sheilas – Eliza Reilly, Hannah Reilly

1st ($5000): The Secret Lives of Dresses – Stephen Lance (script written by Stephen Lance and Megan Simpson Huberman)

EMERGE Best Student Short Film Sponsor: HOTA – Home of the Arts Awards/Prizes: Best Student Film $250 Winner: NOT SO GRIM – Narissa Amies – Griffith University For more information visit www.gcfilmfestival.com

DITCHING THE MEAT FOR PLANTS – IS VEGAN THE WAY TO GO?

ver the past few years there has been a lot more talk around following a vegan diet. Particularly in 2018 & 2019 when the documentary “Gamechangers” was released on Netflix and many people began to question whether a vegan diet was a better choice. Is swapping all animal-based products for plantbased products the healthiest eating pattern to follow? I’m giving you all the evidence to make that decision for yourself! A vegan diet is similar to a vegetarian diet, where only plant-based foods are eaten. Generally, this will exclude meat, poultry, fish and seafood, dairy products, eggs, and often honey and other animal-derived ingredients. Veganism has been growing in Australia with 1.16% of the population now following this style of eating – this has more than doubled since 2016. People may adopt this style of eating for several reasons such as concern for animals or the environment. But lately the focus has been on the health benefits that this style of eating may provide.

those on a vegan diet? Poorly planned vegan diets can lead to both macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies. There is an increased risk of inadequate protein, as well as important vitamins and minerals including iron, vitamin B12, calcium and omega-3 fats. These risks can be overcome by choosing the right types of vegan foods, as well as supplementation for vitamin B12. The bottom line is that plant-based diets are beneficial for our health – we have known this for decades and have been trying to encourage people to undertake them. Eating styles that follow this are the Mediterranean or DASH diet, which are heavily based around fruit and vegetables and have a low consumption of meat-based products. The take home message is that we should be eating more plants, and we can do this without cutting out all animal products. We should be basing our meals around plants and including a small amount of animalbased products for protein, iron, calcium and vitamin B12. For those currently following or wanting to follow a vegan diet, always seek advice to ensure you are getting all your required nutrients. Jessie Walter Jessie Walter is a dietitian and nutritionist currently working in private practice. She enjoys working with people to establish healthy relationships with food and reduce the stress that can be involved with food, eating and nutrition.

This is with good reason, as research has shown benefits to following a plant-based diet; however, should we be following a complete vegan diet, or just reducing our intake of animal-based products? Vegan diets have shown to be beneficial for reducing heart disease, lowering LDL (bad cholesterol), reducing blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer. While health benefits are of extreme importance, there are also many high-profile athletes that have adopted vegan diets in recent times which may influence others to make this decision.

SOURCES:

There is no doubt that eating a diet higher in plants can improve our health, but what considerations or concerns are there for

STUDENT NURSES ON THE FRONTLINE OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS

hile experienced health services staff are busy prepping for an onslaught of COVID-19 cases once restrictions are relaxed, they are being aided in several cases by health students, many of whom who are on first placements that they are unlikely to forget.

“I wanted to experience something like this in my career as a nurse, but never expected it to be this soon and on the frontline as a student.”

For TAFE Queensland student nurse Hollie Velings, it meant her placement at Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) quickly progressed to help fight the global pandemic.

TAFE Queensland Director of Faculty for Health on the Gold Coast, Deb Blow said many Diploma of Nursing students out on clinical placement have reported excellent feedback during their experience.

“I felt extremely honoured and privileged to be in a position where I was skilled enough to be able to help fight on the frontline,” said the Diploma of Nursing student.

“We are continually checking in with our students to ensure they are emotionally coping during this unprecedented time and we’ve had a great response in regards to the positive contribution they are making by assisting in very meaningful ways,” said Deb.

“This is what we as nurses have been preparing ourselves for forever. This is part of why I wanted to become a nurse.” Hollie, just 18 years old, was one week into her work experience placement in the immunology ward at GCUH, where she provided care for patients with infectious disease, when the outbreak reached the Gold Coast.

Vegan diets: everything you need to know - https://daa. asn.au/smart-eating-for-you/smart-eating-fast-facts/ healthy-eating/vegan-diets-facts-tips-and-considerations/

“As COVID-19 progressed, the decision was made to move the ward I was working on to a different location so we could be more equipped to provide care for incoming COVID-19 positive patients,” said Hollie.

Vegan diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers - https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970017-0192-9

“With this move, I helped pack up the ward, organise and transfer existing patients to a different location and set up the new ward to be fit for infected COVID-19 patients.”

Plant-based diets are best…or are they? - https://www. health.harvard.edu/blog/plant-based-diets-are-best-orare-they-2019103118122

The Biggera Waters resident said she always hoped to be able to one day use her skills to help in a health crisis such as this.

Being in the final stages of her studies to become an enrolled nurse, Hollie said the experience has defined her career direction upon graduation. “I have taken away a lot of knowledge about the importance of infection control policies and supporting fellow nurses in such a difficult time, and it has made me realise this is the area of work I want to pursue,” she said.

“I have been a registered nurse for over 35 years but have never experienced anything like this; our student nurses will gain experience in nursing that is once in a lifetime.” Deb said it is wonderful to see TAFE Queensland student nurses embracing the opportunity and choosing to support front line staff who are working tirelessly. “I am so very proud of our student nurses; this pandemic will certainly consolidate their desire to be on the front line caring for our community.”

Natalie O’Driscoll

For more information about TAFE Queensland’s nursing programs call 1300 308 233 or visit tafeqld.edu.au.

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EXPLORE YOUR CAREER IN CREATIVE INDUSTRIES STUDY CYBER SECURITY, DESIGN, GAMING, IT, MEDIA, MUSIC, SOUND AND LIVE PRODUCTION

SEE WHERE TAFE CAN TAKE YOU GET STARTED

APPLY NOW

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RTO 0275 | CRICOS 03020E | HEP PRV13003 www.blankgc.com.au

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BUCHI KOMBUCHA BRINGS GUT HEALTH TO YOUR DOOR

n a time where we have seen many of our local hangouts forced shut, leaving us the customer to adapt to new ways of receiving our ‘date night’ restaurant meal or see our favourite bands perform, have you wondered how our local business community is surviving and what is driving those who are still going forward? Buchi Kombucha is among many local businesses whom have had to pivot in the way they do business, making sure their customers are still able to get their ‘gut loving’ kombucha and survive in this strange climate we are in today.

The immediate aim for Buchi in this situation was to create a safe environment for their customers to get their Kombucha whilst also keeping the health of the planet in mind. “Our goal has always been to offer a reusable option and reduce the impact our business makes on the environment and over this time, we didn’t want to lose that,” explains Jason, Founder of Buchi Kombucha. “The refill stations we have at the markets for our customers are very important in that therefore we had to adapt to new hygiene practices so that our customers were safe, and they could be assured we were supporting social distancing protocols.” Buchi have seen two sides for local business during this time. Some businesses they know have survived like them, while many others have lost access to their customers completely, and had to close their doors. To keep their customers stocked up they decided to start their home delivery service. “Buchi is all about community,” Carolyn Ritchie, local Gold coast distributor states. “We wanted to take care of those who couldn’t get out for their Buchi supply due to having to self-isolate.” “Thank goodness [some of the] the farmers markets are still alive,” Carolyn continues. “There is this beautiful

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sense of normality there. We can connect with our customers, and they can feel safe in getting what they need, supporting our farmers at the same time. Even in this time of social distancing, it still holds this space of connection.” Supporting the local economy is important to Buchi, in particular our local farmers. “We support local wherever we can,” says Jason. “Farmers have faced a lot of hardship with the recent fires and droughts. So, to us it is important to get behind them. All our products use only wholefoods so whenever the farmers have excess fruit, we purchase that from them to create local seasonal flavours.” Buchi ONLY produce seasonal flavours, so if you are craving a mango kombucha in winter, you probably won’t find it! Who knows what the after tale of COVID-19 will tell? How our local economy will recover and how we as a community will connect with each other remains to be seen. Among the hardships there have certainly been people thinking more about their health, and reaching out to others offering support. Asking Jason what piece of advice he would give to others, he replied: “Get planting, get fermenting and if there is one thing more contagious than COVID-19 that will see us through this challenge, it’s your SMILE. Spread it around.”

Nicole Brown

You will find Buchi Kombucha at: Saturday Currumbin / Palm Beach High School Helensvale Markets (Helensvale Hornets Junior Rugby League Club - short-term). Sunday Miami High School They also make deliveries all over the Gold Coast. Head to their website buchi.com.au to enquire.

TAFE QUEENSLAND SUPPORTS STRUGGLING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

AFE Queensland staff on the Gold Coast are rallying together to support international students doing it tough, after recent events have left many struggling to make ends meet.

TAFE Queensland General Manager on the Gold Coast, Karen Dickinson said many students came from around the world to further their education and have found themselves without family, employment or financial assistance. “Here on the Gold Coast we train more than 500 international students and many of them are facing financial hardship, but providing food and essential products is one worry we can take off their minds,” said Ms Dickinson. “For the last three weeks, TAFE Queensland staff have been sourcing non-perishable goods, and I am overwhelmed and so grateful for the response we have received.” Ms Dickinson said as word of the drive has spread from staff and domestic students to their networks, campuses across the Gold Coast are being bombarded with kindness from the community. “Many Gold Coasters are struggling to make ends meet right now, and it’s humbling to see people generously sharing what they can to support those in need,” she said. “The community response has been fabulous with several community agencies and businesses making donations.”

“We’ve received everything from food, personal care items, and grocery store vouchers which are being packaged for our international students to takeaway.” A number of international students have already been into the TAFE Queensland Gold Coast Ashmore campus to collect their care packages. Isabela Tronco from Brazil, who studies early childhood education and care at TAFE Queensland’s Southport campus has been out of work since the pandemic hit. Mrs Tronco said she is extremely grateful for the generosity and support TAFE has shown to its international cohort. “As an international student I am not eligible to receive any support from the government, but I still have to find a way to pay the rent and buy food,” she said. “The package from TAFE has helped me and my husband to get through this hard time and we were able to save a bit of money for bills as we didn’t have to buy groceries for the week.” “It’s been hard, but this kind gesture has released some of the pressure and made us feel supported.” Donations can be delivered to TAFE Queensland Customer Service Offices at the Ashmore, Coomera and Southport campuses. However the Ashmore campus is the collection point for all international students. For more information on how to donate or collect please call (07) 5581 8625 or email studentmentoring.goldcoast@tafe.qld.edu.au

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Thank you nurses

Thank you aged care workers Thank you cleaners

Thank you health therapists Thank you clinicians Thank you scientists

Thank you receptionists Thank you midwives

Thank you psychologists Thank you to everyone working on the COVID-19

frontline and the many behind the scenes professionals. Stay safe, while we stay at home,

From the Southern Cross University community.

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Want to make a difference as a health hero? Your path to a rewarding career starts at Southern Cross University. The world as we know it might have stopped, but your learning doesn’t have to. It’s an exciting time to reinvent what you do. Reset your future.

Apply now – start in July scu.edu.au

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PROGRAMMING IN A POSTPANDEMIC WORLD V

irginia Haym is no stranger to the challenges that come with programming in the arts. She started her career in Youth Arts in South Australia, moving on to directing Melbourne Fringe Festival and then to Sydney Opera House, where she worked for ten years as Executive Producer of the Studio and the Head of Contemporary Culture, specialising in the presentation of contemporary performance.

A stint as a freelance producer, curator and arts advisor both in Australia and internationally and then as creative producer of Festival 2018, led to her taking on the role of Head of Programming at HOTA – Home of the Arts. But as you can imagine, none of the challenges she’s encountered before, have anything on the situation she finds herself in right now. “It’s really weird, because I’ve spent so much of my time in a theatre and suddenly there’s this silence,” she said. “There’s nothing going on anywhere across the world.” Virginia says she’s never been a programmer who relies on things like YouTube to get a feel for productions. “It’s about seeing things yourself,” she said. “It’s about other people seeing things. So, that is what feels completely the weirdest.” So, while she can’t interact with her international colleagues in physical theatres,

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instead, there’s lots of virtual networking going on. “I’m actually doing lots and lots of touching base with colleagues, and my team daily. That’s working really well because they’re an amazing groups of creatives.” “With my international colleagues and national ones, we’re just staying connected, you know, ‘how’s things going with you, where are you up to?’, that kind of thing.” “We’re all in exactly the same place. That’s an interesting thing too. There’s a humility there. Everyone’s at the same point. I’m on this Global Connect network and talking with major Centres in the states, and we at HOTA, we’re in exactly the same place as them.” And despite what you might think, Virginia says this is a time of great connection. Usually everyone’s so busy getting on with things, she explained. “Those conversations are more important than ever. I feel more connected. There’s a greater level of openness,” she said.

“The arts sector is in pretty dire straits. I’m pretty concerned about what it’s going to be like, to be honest.” When pressed on this topic, Virginia made it clear that any predictions in this space were impossible. The entire sector is shrouded in a huge cloud of uncertainty right now. But she did have some insights.

“I think there will be some companies that won’t make it through,” she said. “Some venues that won’t make it through.”

“We’ve done one co-commission, across three States which is a major online theatre piece. It’s very beautiful,” she said.

“The landscape won’t look the same… there are a lot of conversations around how we won’t just leap out of this… audience sizes will be smaller for a start.”

“We’re really just trying to find that contrast around what’s not currently being done by others and trying to connect in to our program what you would have been seeing now.”

HOTA was one of the first cultural institutions nation-wide to respond to this crisis by announcing funding for local artists to produce works that could be shared digitally. $50,000 is available to fund 50 projects. Virginia says she’s finding that the program is unearthing artists she hadn’t previously known about. “These artists don’t have a relationship with Home of the Arts, and they just get on with their indie stuff.” “It’s a small amount of money, but as soon as that program came online, that influenced a lot of people interstate to do similar,” she said. “That’s our core online program. It’s down and dirty and quick and we’re not trying to make big sophisticated concerts,” she said. But RAGE Online will be different. “It is in contrast to Rage Against the V(irus),” Virginia explained, “and includes some of the things you would have seen at HOTA in person over this period.” “We’re using artists that would have been involved. It’s not full productions, but a taste.”

Virginia is excited about the prospect of programming more local content as venues adapt to the likelihood of international travel restrictions being in place for quite some time. “We don’t know what the story is going to be with International artists,” she said. “It could be that no artists are coming in [internationally] until next year. And interstate, who knows? So yeah absolutely I think that initial focus will be about talking to our ‘hood and in this region where people can travel around this area… that makes sense in the first instance. Then programs will grow.” “Our role is to bring great art to our audiences, to empower them and entertain them. That’s our role,” Virginia said, “So, we’re just rolling with the punches. It’s all we can do.” “I’m really looking forward to engaging with live performance again,” Virginia said. “I’m hoping we can bounce back bigger and that audiences get out there and embrace it.” Samantha Morris

Craig Tuffin

Image: Nebulous Thoughts by Craig Tuffin

NOT YOUR AVERAGE PHOTOGRAPHER M

eet Craig Tuffin. Based out of Kingscliff, Craig turned to working with 19th century photographic processes including daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes in 2006. He is one of a few photographers in Australia working with these challenging mediums to create single and unique images. We got a little insight into his artistic processes.

How did you start off in art? When was the first time you thought “I want to be an artist?” I think I’ve always been an artist, it’s something you feel attuned to from a young age. It can certainly be encouraged by your family if they have their own experience in the arts, but I think we have an internal mechanism that steers us in certain directions. Now if you ask “How long have I been a professional artist?”, that’s a very different question. I have been an educator for about 28 years and have taught a variety of things, one of them being darkroom practice. At the same time I was doing some freelance photographic work which were primarily editorial pieces. My art practice was happening behind closed doors whilst other things took the front seat. However, I had a massive head injury in 2007 which completely changed my priorities. It’s not unusual for a life or death experience to act as a catalyst for change and this one

convinced me to take my art practice more seriously and focus on it professionally. What would a typical art day be like for you? A typical day (when there is one) has me walking down to my local coffeeshop where I order my usual medium double-shot cappuccino, catch up on what’s happening globally in the New York Times and answer emails. I like to be back in the studio to start my work day by 8-8.30am. From there I have a variety of things to deal with from setting up the studio for a shoot, or preparing it for a workshop. Along with making my personal work, I run private workshops on a variety of historic photographic methods from the very first techniques published in 1839 [daguerreotypes] to film development and darkroom printing. I often have to photograph on location. When I’m doing some of the oldest methods of photography on glass plates, I need a darkroom on location. I have a both renovated caravan that was built as a darkroom in the ‘70’s and a long-wheel base van that serves as both a darkroom and large camera obscura. These need packing and preparing before I can ‘hit the road’.

It’s not always as romantic as it sounds however, there are always menial tasks to perform like cutting, edging and cleaning glass, mixing chemistry, scanning and varnishing plates, and yes, even sharpening pencils. What messages are you trying to convey with your art? It really depends on the narrative of each particular body of work I produce. I’m very concerned that the most important part of any series of work is the idea. Refining that idea is essential and can/should take time. I always like to work on multiple projects at the same time with each developing at its own pace. One of my major series titled Yahna Ganga (Bundjalung Language Yahna: to sit or sit down, Ganga: To hear; to think; to understand) started as a collaboration with the local Minjungbal people and is a contemporary look at the importance of essential cultural tropes and the significance of place. All of the work were singular pieces and was made using a photographic process from 1851. I’m very proud that some of this work is now in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Australia.

Other work looks at the significance of minorities. I am currently working on a “Supers” series that’s built on the premise that everyone has the capacity to perform phenomenal acts. People that wouldn’t fit the stereotype of a typical Hollywood Superhero are dressed in appropriate costumes. They never make eye-contact with the camera (and therefore the audience) as they don’t consider themselves or the acts they perform anything significant. Finally, I’m working on another series titled “My Dream Death” which is essentially a catharsis. I’m visiting the space between life and death as a means to communicate the vague memories associated with the moments in and around my head injury. I like to make a ‘body’ of work which mean each piece and how it is sequenced within the whole completes the narrative. Sometimes viewing a piece on its own can lose some of its emphasis. I also like to make work that asks more questions than it answers. At the end of the day, the audience and their personal experiences determine the meaning of any singular image, regardless of my reason to make it. You’re a finalist in the 2020 Head On Portrait award. What would it mean to win? I am very honoured to be in the final of the Head On Portrait Award. There are some incredible entries in all of the major Australian competitions so to be included is very humbling. I’d love to win but I understand that, as with all art competitions, the final vote is completely dependent on the subjective decision of the judging panel. I’m sure the judges will select a photograph worthy of first place. I think that the Head On Award committee has set a wonderful benchmark by making the competition online this year due to the Coronavirus outbreak. It would have been easier to simply cancel the competition and associated exhibitions, but the director Moshe Rosenzveig has shown incredible initiative to keep the award alive. See more of Craig’s work on Insta @craig. tuffin Sam Beau Patrick

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THE ULTIMATE VIRTUAL BUCKET LIST FOR CURIOUS KIDS IN ISOLATION

his is the ultimate isolation bucket list for kids. And I’m not stretching the truth. Due to, well, basically the entire world shutting down and creative workers wanting desperately to stay connected to their fans, there’s an unbelievable volume of cultural content available for free right now and if you’re not taking advantage of this, especially given the kids are at home, you’re quite mad.

GET A BED-TIME STORY FROM DOLLY PARTON

HANG OUT WITH DAV PILKEY

Scholastic is offering free online courses so your kids keep learning while school is out. The Learning at Home website delivers daily reading quests as well as a healthy does of science, social and community studies, maths and literacy. The program is divided into weekly and daily sessions and covers prekindy to Year 9.

That’s right, the author of the insanely popular kids’ books ‘Dog Man’ and Captain Underpants’ is offering free sessions for kids who love his stories and illustrations. Dav is reading from his books and teaching children how to draw his characters, but on the Scholastic website you’ll also find a series of creative tasks that tick a lot of creative AND developmental boxes.

DISCOVER THE GREAT INDOORS The world’s best known survival expert has partnered with Scouts UK to put together a series of 100 activities that will help families keep busy while warding off cabin fever during lockdown. The Great Indoors is a collection of activities which boost communication and problem-solving skills, help kids discover science and develop practical hands-on skills that can be applied in all sorts of situations – indoors and out.

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Aimed at kids, but totally suitable for adults who need a soothing voice, Goodnight with Dolly sees the acclaimed singer swap songwriting for story-telling. She’s reading a new book every Thursday (US time) at 7.00pm for the next ten weeks. We’re only two weeks in and so far Dolly’s delivered ‘The Little Engine that Could’ and ‘Coat of Many Colours.’

ACCESS FREE ONLINE SCHOOL RESOURCES

STREAM FREE AUDIBLE BOOKS FOR KIDS While school is on pause, kids can stream a huge range of audiobooks via Audible for free. There’s award-winners and best sellers as well as super star kids favourites like Peter Rabbit and Pooh, Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter, The Jungle Book and literally hundreds more.

ATTEND A VIRTUAL MARINE BIOLOGY CAMP

Every Monday and Thursday at 11.00am (PDT), the good folks at Oceans Initiative (@ oceansinitiative) are live streaming a virtual marine biology camp. The scientists, stuck at home with their daughter, are well equipped to understand the need to both educate and entertain children. They’ve been talking about killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins, how they take breath samples to understand diseases in wild dolphins, how they keep whales, dolphins and porpoises safe from fishing gear and parasites in marine mammals.

DRAW LUNCHTIME DOODLES WITH MO Mo Willems is an American writer, animator, voice actor, and creator of children’s books. His television work includes creating the animated television series Sheep in the Big City for Cartoon Network as well as working on Sesame Street. Well now he’s inviting you into hist studio every day for a lunch doodle. With children viewers he’s exploring ways of writing and making together while he chats about his characters. The series contains 15 episodes with downloadable activities also available at the Kennedy Center Artist-inResidence website.

SEE LIONS AND PENGUINS AND ZEBRAS, OH MY! Melbourne Zoos are live-streaming videos from a bunch of wildlife enclosures across multiple properties. And just like visiting the zoo in person it can be hard to spot the critter sometimes. Since launching there’ve been live streams from the tree-kangaroos

and echidnas a well as lions, giraffes, snow leopards, penguins and zebras.

GET A SPACE STORY FROM AN ASTRONAUT WORKING IN SPACE Your kids can listen to space-related stories being read from real astronauts living and working in space as part of the Storytime From Space series.

JOIN WALLIAMS FOR STORIES EVERY DAY David Walliams OBE, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He’s releasing a free children’s audio story every day on his website, released at 11.00am (UK time) and available for a week after.

LEARN HIEROGLYPHICS WITH ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TEXT Children aged from 8 up can learn how to write their names in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs with a step-by-step guide from the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada.

VISIT THE SURFACE OF MARS Adventurous, house-bound kids will delight at the chance to visit the surface of Mars. Thanks to images recorded by NASA’s Curiosity rover, the 360-degree photo tour, with spectacularly high resolution will definitely bring the smiles to space-mad kids’ dials. Samantha Morris

PREPARING THE CITY COLLECTION FOR THE NEW HOTA GALLERY

Jason Baird GOLD COAST’S SCREEN PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR 2020

magine a spellbound five year old on the cusp of the late 1970s, captivated by a black and white-faced, fire-breathing Gene Simmons et al, being encouraged to “rock and roll all nite, and party every day” from his television. Fast forward a few years, and an 11 year old, possibly partGelfling, immerses himself in a world dominated by Skeksis, embarking on a mission to restore the Dark Crystal, saving the world.

These formative years laid the foundation for Gold Coast creature creator Jason Baird’s impressive professional career in makeup, costume and prosthetics, launching him to international recognition for blockbuster films made around the globe, which then led him to his recent Gold Coast Screen Professional of the Year win at the Screen Industry Gala Awards, delivered online on 16 April. Baird reflects fondly on seeing these films and images as a child and finding his purpose.

“I just thought; someone has to make that costume stuff and that’s what I’m going to do.” Baird’s company JMB FX Studio, based in Arundel on the Gold Coast (not far from Warner Brothers Studios), has brought those childhood dreams to life and over the past few decades his passion and commitment to excellence has seen him appointed to work on blockbuster sets including Kong - Skull Island, Thor - Ragnarok, and Aquaman, creating makeup effect, creatures, creature suits and myriad prosthetics for film production. Baird recalls his greatest challenge and success as the team leader for the Hanks/ Spielberg HBO production “The Pacific”

that culminated in a 2010 Emmy award for Outstanding Prosthetic Make-up for a Miniseries or Movie. “Being engaged by a US producer to form a team and deliver a project over almost 2 years; 6 months pre-production and then 12 months of shooting; was a real honour. Working with that team, and then winning the Emmy, is something I’m still incredibly proud of.” Baird was a finalist for the Gold Coast Film Festival 2020 Screen Professional of the Year award along with producer/actress Anna Waters-Massey and documentary director Jude Kalman.

Notwithstanding his enormous career, Baird speaks humbly about taking out the final win and understands the diversity of nominees represented a real challenge for the judges. “It’s an honour… over the years I’ve loved contributing to the Gold Coast Film Festival as a tour host. People love visiting our facility and always want to stay longer, and they love seeing the set locations on the Gold Coast. “Awards like this aren’t just about the accolades though; I really get a kick out of the smaller jobs, where we often mentor young practitioners, rigorously vetting them and then seeing them evolve, as we nurture and give back to the next generation, helping them succeed.” Baird’s coming season isn’t about to be relaxing either, already working with Academy Award winning designer Catherine Martin (Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby) on the Elvis biopic being produced on the Gold Coast, and his team still produces the specialty costume elements for the local Warner Brothers Movie World theme park. He’s a proud Gold Coaster no doubt destined for continued success. “Living on the Gold Coast is amazing… right now, with all that’s going on… You wouldn’t want to be living and working anywhere else!” Glenn Tozer

taff are doing an incredible amount of work, preparing the City Collection for the HOTA Gallery opening in 2021.

Did you know HOTA is the home of the City Collection which includes more than 5000 works of art worth more than $32 million? The City Collection also includes one of the largest collections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in regional Australia. Behind the scenes there is an enormous amount of work that goes into maintaining a collection of this size, and of course staff at Home of the Arts are also preparing to move the collection to its new home in early 2021. The gallery team is currently demounting and de-framing many works on paper, disposing of unwanted frames at auction, removing wires, adding fittings and backings to hanging works. They are also preparing and updating our archival storage options including paper folders, blue board storage boxes, solander boxes for demounted works and making bespoke storage boxes for 3D items like ceramics and small sculptures. The team only uses the highest quality, museum grade archival materials which are non-acidic, UV resistant and will not discolour or otherwise effect the works. The gallery team have more than 2300 paintings/framed works to be prepared,

500 works to be unframed and boxed, 900 unframed works to be boxed and more than 630 3D works to be boxed/wrapped/crated. They are also reviewing and re-boxing items in the museum collection and will make around 500 storage/transport containers. As well as preparing for the move, the team are also photographing works of art and securing copyright permissions, a valuation of the entire collection will be undertaken, offsite/loaned items are being collected and ongoing conservation activity is being carried out. Once work on the collection has been completed a selection will be moved off-site to allow staff to move existing storage fixtures and fittings into the new Gallery later this year. Artwork storage options include large format map drawers, rolling hanging wracks and archival tube rolls. The storage areas will be maintained at 21 degrees and 50% humidity, conditions considered ideal for the preservation of a variety of artworks. Once the brand-new storage is set up in the new gallery, the collections will be moved across in preparation for the inaugural collection hang. The new HOTA Gallery, with AAA rated environmental controls and specialist lighting, will showcase the City Collection in a way it’s never been seen and allow it to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. The doors of the new HOTA Gallery will be thrown open in early 2021, and we cannot wait!

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THE GREAT MYSTERY OF THE WAYWARD SUNS

osmic groove merchants The Wayward Suns are a band that we here at Blank GC always have a lot of time for. Their 2018 opus ‘Paradigm’ was one of that year’s best local releases, an intoxicating amalgamation of reggae, blues, roots and funk underpinned with hip-hop inflected grooves and a dash of rock.

The talented five piece have continued to dazzle off the back of their killer live show and their inclusive, positive outlook. With live music sadly off the radar for the time being, the band have followed up their recent cracking single, ‘Real Shift’ with another dose of aural magic in the form of new number, ‘Mystery’, which we review in this month’s New Music column. We recently had a chat with the guys to find out more about the mysteries of the new single and to discover what else is going down in their world during these isolation times. As usual their responses align with the spiritually cosmic vibe that radiates from their music… Congrats on your new single, 'Mystery'. You describe it on your website as 'manifesting magic from the rabbit hole'. Can you let us in on the magic you manifested to bring it to life? The Mystery is a reflection of the magic of life. It’s the evolution of the coming of self or self-knowledge, through direct and indirect experience of all things here on this big beautiful planet for us to delve into. They say a smart person learns from one’s own mistakes, yet a wise person learns from others mistakes also. The Rabbit Hole is the Mystery! And how far down into the Mystery are you prepared to go in life? The Wayward Sun's in-house motto is... doin’ it! Is this new single a precursor to other new material you may be working on at the moment?

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Yes, we are working on a plethora of new tracks. Each of them, in true Wayward form, are a unique blend of genres and none other to their own. Of course, they're underpinned with our own individual styles that come together to mesh our Wayward sound. The last time we interviewed you there was talk of a new album potentially seeing the light of day in 2020. How are those plans shaping up? Plans for the new album are definitely underway, with material seeping out of the Wayward mixing pot. We had an East Coast tour booked for mid-year which was to fund the project, but of course that has now been postponed due to the world’s unforeseen circumstances. But ya can't keep good peeps down and we're coming out swinging regardless. We just have to strategise our way through this mystery to bring the world the Wayward goods. We're also pondering an acoustic EP for the Wayward fan base, as it's been requested time and time again. Back to our roots, so to speak. You guys recently played a show at the Rolling Sets Festival, sharing the stage with acts like Hilltop Hoods, Mallrat and The Rubens. What was that vibe like and how did your set go down? Yesssss we did. We were so stoked to share the stage with some of Australia’s top bands. We've been touring to Coffs Harbour for the last couple of years and have a fan base down there that have become family. So the vibe was lit. It's no mystery the love we have for live music, so it's always a blessing to blaze the festival stages and give back doing what we do best, because we are massive fans. Live Music Love For Life. Live music is in a sad state of COVID-hiatus for the foreseeable future. In these current times of stay at home isolation, what have you guys been doing to stay sane, creatively speaking or otherwise?

Well, we've been delving into the creative pretty heavily. We're currently filming an in-house series of Wayward TV. It’s a short series of episodes called 'The Wake up with Wayward Show’. It's to give a little more insight into the magic and mystic of our adventures and lifestyles. We kick out the jams every Wednesday night at our registered place of business 'Casa Del Wayward'. It includes segments like 'Grammar Hammers', with hard hitting lyrical bars to open the show. Then there’s other segments like 'Good Vibes', where we improvise a short song with the topic of our choosing, dedicated to a friend, fan or family member that's shown us support over the past few years. We’ve created a communiverse Wayward World around us. We also finish each show with a live performance of one of our songs, either old or new, for the fans. We've also been refining our new songs and getting them ready for the studio and generally jamming out new content for future projects to come. Any messages of hope and redemption for those doing it tough without their regular fix of live music? For the Wayward World out there we would like to say that no storm lasts forever. And with good vibrations, love and hope, anything is possible, so stay true to yourself, friends and family, because great things have no fear of time. And like the last thing we say on the mic at every show... “Everybody love everybody.” If we can strive to do that unconditionally then the whole world will change for the better. See you all post world gone crazy! Much love! Much love indeed to The Wayward Suns and their Cosmic Groovology. Hit up The Wayward Suns on all the usual channels. Anthony Gebhardt

WE TALK TEENAGISM WITH AMY ELISE

t only 15 years old local musician Amy Elise has released four singles, recorded music in Nashville and performed more live shows than most musicians twice her age. Her latest offering ‘Teenagism’ dives into the everyday struggles faced by young people in the modern world. We sat down with Amy to discuss her new sound and got some great perspective into what ‘Teenagism’ is all about.

What was the songwriting process behind ‘Teenagism’?

How did you evolve from writing acoustic ballads to teenage rock anthems?

Oh wow, I’ve honestly got quite the list going for this. The main gigs that I’ll want to see are mostly metal bands that I listen to because they’re most commonly the bands that I can’t see when they tour because it’s always 18+ venues. I think I’ll mainly just look forward to being able to go to any gig considering at my age my options are pretty limited.

I think for me, the turning point was writing ‘Ctrl Alt Delete’. I’ve got a lot of acoustic ballads that I would play live that I haven’t released, so I got stuck in writing that style, but when I wrote ‘Ctrl Alt Delete’ it opened my eyes to what I actually wanted to do. I find writing rock songs take a lot more energy creatively, but the pay off is always better. Your latest single ‘Teenagism’ provides some great insight into what it’s like being a teenager in 2020. You say “being young is hard” - What are some of the issues you face? For me, the main point of that song was saying that while we know you’re out at work and you’ve had long and stressful days, that doesn’t mean you have to undermine our less stressful experiences. We can understand that you as an adult has had a harder day, but we are still teenagers, having teenage issues that we want to talk about and telling us that your day was worse than ours diminishes what we’re feeling. It’s also a lot about pressure, which there is a lot of in teenagers. To find who we are, to know exactly what you want to do when you’re older, to experience things so you’re ready for the world but to never misbehave or get things wrong.

For ‘Teenagism’, the first thing I came up with was the “I’m a dumb teen girl, I do dumb teen things” line. From there it was a matter of writing about what was perceived to be dumb things that we do as teenagers. After that, the chorus really just flowed and after some slight editing, I was really happy with it. When you turn 18 what are some of the first gigs you’re hoping to see?

What are some of the best underage concerts you’ve been too? I saw WAAX during a youth week all-ages show, which made my love for their music grow even more and they were amazing to watch. I've also been to see Girl and Girl on multiple occasions, and they never fail to impress. I’ve been to bigger concerts like at the Riverstage and the Entertainment Centre as well, but I think smaller gigs always feel better. Are you still managing to collaborate with other musicians during this time of social isolation? If so, how are you doing it? Not so much real co-writing or playing with other musicians, but I’ve got a lot going on in terms of songwriting challenges which involves professional songwriters going live and teaching us different techniques to use in terms of writing, and editing, and things like that.

What’s the first thing you’re going to do when life goes back to normal? The first thing I’m going to do is go to a gig hopefully! I was planning on going to two festivals this year, and I definitely would have snagged tickets to any one I could get to, so a gig seems like the best option. Also I really miss my friends so I can’t wait to spend some time with them. How does recording in Nashville compare with getting in the studio with Gold Coast all-round music legend Benny D Williams? I find recording with Benny the easiest process in the world. We bounce off each other so easily and I always feel like my ideas are valid and that he wants to hear my opinion. In Nashville they were very welcoming, but being the type of person I am, everything was so high-tech and advanced that I felt intimidated. I just find that I work better back here with Benny. He definitely gets my vibe and he’s been the source of some of the greatest ideas behind the production of my recent songs. What are your post COVID-19 plans for releases and live shows? I’ve been doing some live streaming performances here and there, and I’ve also got a music video for ‘Teenagism’ coming out very soon so I can’t wait to share that. I have heaps more releases up my sleeve ready to go, and am continuing to write, so I will keep releasing and will schedule a release event as soon as it’s okay again to do so. I have a date booked for Mo’s Desert Clubhouse in October, so I really hope that can go ahead. Check out ‘Teenagism’ now on Spotify. Zac Fahey

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I LIKE RAMEN 2251 Gold Coast Highway, Nobby Beach

t’s official. I have just renamed a restaurant, formerly known as ‘I Like Ramen’ to ‘I Love Ramen’.

After recently dining again at Australia’s first and only 100% plant-based ramen restaurant, any words short of superlatives would be understating the facts: this is one exceptional place! Begun by Bobby Douglas as a stall at Miami Marketta where he was joined by Dominic Benjamin, the duo gained a regular following through their popups at Bine before opening their first permanent store as part of The LC, no longer operating.

n a modern version of the Biblical loaves and fishes, Pixel Bakehouse is baking bread to feed hungry unemployed people on the Gold Coast.

Now, after a year in Brisbane, the guys have brought I Like Ramen home to where it all began, taking up residence in the high-profile Surfboard Empire building at the northern end of Nobby Beach.

With thousands of jobs lost recently on the Gold Coast, many people are doing it tough. For some, excluded from government benefits due to citizenship, there’s seemingly no relief apart from charity.

A larger kitchen and permanency have brought an expanded menu of new favourites. OK, so we were already sold on the Shiitake Mushroom ramen for its rich and earthy umami flavours, as well as the Panko mushrooms served with garlic aioli, but now there’s even more to love. Just like a toddler let loose in the lolly shop, we made (vegan) 'pigs' of ourselves discovering an array of punchy Pan-Asian influenced dishes: ‘Fish’ fragrant Tempura eggplant in a sticky plum sauce loaded with fresh basil ($13), the texture sensational Roasted lychee salad with chili tamarind jam and whipped local organic tofu ($12) and a trio of bao ($22) sitting pretty. Here's looking at you, kiddos, all dressed up with fillings of Holy ‘Duck’ with plum glaze and pomegranate mayo, Karaage jackfruit with gochujang and cos, and Panko mushroom with kimchi and sriracha aioli (our favourite ‘shroom with a coat on). Dancing on our tastebuds, each dish is bursting with colour, flavour and texture. Sheer delight! Of course, we also try the cult favourite ramen, their earthy rich umami broths built on kombu and other seaweed, shitake mushroom, soy, spicy kimchi and white miso (plus lots of secret ingredients, we’re sure). Choose your toppings including bok choy, fresh sprouts, fried tofu, vegan chick’n and housemade kimchi loaded up with sliced mushrooms, chopped spring onions, fresh sprouts, fried shallots, roasted seaweed, chilli threads and black sesame. There’s no end to the goodness. Funky and relaxed with a killer menu, each dish we try is an absolute knockout. So how could I Like Ramen possibly get any better than this, we ask Dominic. “With vegan wines, local and imported beer on tap and by the bottle, a full cocktail menu and fine Japanese whiskies

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Pixel Bakehouse owners, Wil and Dani Pearce, decided that they would step up and spend every Thursday baking loaves to feed the hungry. on offer, our goal is to be known first and foremost as a cool, trendy establishment that you go to for a good time…but it just happens to be vegan. Bobby and I have both been plant-based for about four years. For me it was a choice to live a more compassionate lifestyle,” he says in passing. “Our market has grown. We know that people like our product, so now it’s about advancing in that space. Using tablets to order food, we have lots of flexibility with the menu,” Dominic tells us. “It means that we can tweak items by the season and make small changes rather than having a full menu change. Zac Taylor (Head Chef, ex-Rick Shores and Little Valley, Brisbane) has so many ideas and so much experience with Asian food!” “We see so much of a future for us at this venue,” says Dominic. “Already we’ve had shaping nights and board talks, film releases and meet and greet with greats like Mark Richards.”

Having worked in the food industry around the world, the couple made the Gold Coast their home over seven years ago. They started Pixel Bakehouse and soon achieved success, developing a regular clientele who love their bread, sold at the HOTA and Palm Beach Farmers’ Markets and Door 50, Mermaid Beach. “We both have a passion for great bread. It is flour, water and salt. That's it. It's simple, yet extremely difficult to make consistently well,” Wil tells us.

“Every time we go to the bakery, we really do try our best to make the best bread we can, then we don't charge the earth for it. So, we are very grateful when people light up and tell us it's the best bread they have tried. It means the world to us.” All was good… until COVID-19 struck.

Oh yes, we know that the restaurant is called I Like Ramen, but this is a love affair...and it's all plant-based. But love comes first, people, and we LOVE everything about it.

It soon became clear that things were getting really tough for a lot of people; rough enough that Wil and Dani made a decision about giving back to the community that they love.

Visit their website ilikeramen.com.au for online takeaway.

“We believe bread is a staple, not a luxury and it should be affordable and available to everybody. We have been lucky enough that we have been able to put a few bob away for a rainy day, and well, it's bloody pouring.

Marj Osborne

GC GENEROSITY IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

We looked at our situation and saw that we will be able to weather the storm that is COVID-19, but there are a lot of people out there who can't. We heard through a few customers that they know of families losing jobs, no savings, living week to week etc. So, we thought, ‘We have flour, we have time, and we have the ability to make bread for people.’ So, we did.” Late in March, Wil and Dani started baking a few hundred loaves every Thursday to donate to charities who could distribute the bread to those who really need it: Nerang Neighbourhood Community Centre, who make up boxes of food up and give it to those who need it. Mermaid Community Centre, who give people free meals. Mermaid is our home, so we like to help our local area when we can. Hearts of Purple, who help families and people who are broken from domestic violence. They also look for other charities that feed homeless etc. New Life Foodbarn, who make boxes up (to feed a family for a week) and sell them at $50 to those that can afford it. This helps a lot of people. “This is all funded by us,” Dani says. “We are making approximately 250 loaves on a Thursday but that will increase. We do not take any money and we pay for all the flour. It is just a day we chose that we have off where we can bake bread and give it away. We were going to do this for the duration of the pandemic, but after seeing the gratitude from every single charity who we gave bread to, we decided to make this a regular part of our bakery. They really do need the bread, and they really do help people,” the couple say. ‘What goes around comes around’, the saying goes. We hope that the Gold Coast public remembers this kindness long after COVID-10 becomes just a faded memory. Marj Osborne

he last month has been a difficult time for the Gold Coast hospitality industry, with current restrictions meaning that they have had to rely solely on takeaway customers. This has unfortunately led to many restaurants and cafes shutting down, with many Gold Coasters losing their jobs as a result. Yet despite this being a tough time for the hospo world, restaurants and cafés have persevered and are offering some amazing initiatives that give back to the community that has shown them so much love.

Pixel Bakehouse are running “Charity Thursday” where they bake and donate bread to Gold Coast charities.

Many restaurants are offering meals for fellow hospo workers that have lost their jobs, or for essential workers slogging it out on the daily. Blackboard Varsity started out by offering to give a meal to an out-of-work hospo worker for every meal that is bought from them. Balter Beer and The Pastry Emporium jumped on board, with 100 meals, beers and sweet treats being given away.

For coffee lovers, Byron Based Marvell Street Coffee Roasters are running “Gram for a Gram” where for every gram of coffee the public buys from their online shop, they will donate the same to your favourite local coffee shop, plus you get a 10% discount when you use your café’s code. On the GC those cafes are Seadog, Highline, Cubby Bakehouse, Bam Bam Bakehouse and Custard Canteen. Spreading that coffee love further is Joybeans Coffee who are giving everyone who buys 1kg of coffee a free 250g bag to “pay it forward” to a friend who needs it. Now that is sharing the love.

Offering “Pay it forward” systems are Cycho’s Buffalo Wings and Daark Espresso with each restaurant taking donations towards giving food to essential workers and those who have lost their jobs during the pandemic, and Labart offering free meals to health care workers and those in need. Along with these initiatives, many other restaurants are offering deals to healthcare workers including Randy Wallhole’s $7 bagel and brew, 20% off at Kebabs 4 You, 15% off at Black Sheep Bistro, free coffee at Black Lime Café and Cruize Espresso giving out food parcels. Rosella’s Bar celebrated the start of their free delivery service by offering free meals on the first Monday for anyone who dropped by. Oi Izakaya has introduced “pay what you feel” curries each night, with those who are unable to pay able to have a free meal, whilst those that can continue to support the initiative being exceedingly generous.

The Henchman Miami and Next Door Espresso have donated fresh produce boxes to those in need, whilst BBQ Bazaar offered free pasta to the elderly, giving away 1000kg of pasta! Artichoke Restaurant is also looking out for seniors, giving away one litre tubs of delicious minestrone. “Necessity is the mother of invention” as the saying goes, with popular local distilleries Granddad Jack’s and Husk Distillers commencing production on hand sanitisers, giving them out for free to local businesses and those in need.

On the creatives side, 4040 Creative are creating a free of charge social media design for businesses in need and photographer Nine Fivers offering free content creation for struggling businesses. Even through these unusual times it is heartwarming to see how much the hospo industry is supporting others. Please email us at news@blankgc.com.au with any other great initiatives that we can add to this story. Catherine Coburn You can follow Catherine’s takeaway food adventures on Instagram @ goldcoastfoodie