Blank - issue 92 - November 2021 - LOGAN by Blank Street Press

The Long Sunset with Angus and Julia Stone issue #92 - November 2021

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NOVEMBER 6-7 GOLD COAST CAR SHOW, MUDGEERABA SHOWGROUNDS A huge display of cars, bikes, trucks and retro caravans. Market stalls both days.

NOVEMBER 13 SATURDAY NIGHT BOARD GAMES, OLD POST OFFICE, 57 RAILWAY STREET, MUDGEERABA 6pm – 10pm

Come along to meet new people and play board games. Bring your SATURDAY - Rev-it-Up Family favourite game and teach how to Retro Day with Cars & Caravans play it or jump into a game with from 50’s to 70’s bands, monster others. Bring along drinks and trucks, FMX stunts & fireworks. snacks (event is alcohol free). SUNDAY - everything on Wheels $2 entry fee. a section of Austinville Show Cars, Bikes, Trucks, Conservation Area along the Meetup.com Caravans & more! upper reaches of Mudgeeraba Creek. Register online to goldcoastcarshow.com.au/ NOVEMBER 5, 12, 19, 26 secure a spot and receive full MUDGEERABA LAWN BOWLS details of the event. For more NOVEMBER 6 CLUB, SOMERSET DRIVE, information, go to HINTERLAND REGIONAL PARK MUDGEERABA naturallyGC@goldcoast.qld. BUSHCARE GROUP TREE gov.au or phone 5581 1537 PLANTING, HINTERLAND LIVE & FREE entertainment on REGIONAL PARK Friday nights – relax and enjoy, 8am - 10am eat at the bistro. NOVEMBER 24 GC TECHSPACE OPEN NOVEMBER 5 Whitey Protect, restore and enhance NIGHT TOUR, OLD POST NOVEMBER 12 Caleb Lafaitele our natural areas. If you enjoy OFFICE, MUDGEERABA NOVEMBER 19 Wolfie being outdoors, being part NOVEMBER 26 Raff De of a community and want to GC Techspace have a make a difference to our natural community tour on the 2nd NOVEMBER 27 environment then come along to and 4th Wednesdays of every AUSTINVILLE LANDCARE this event. month. People of all ages and GROUP, AUSTINVILLE experiences can come together Eventbrite.com.au CONSERVATION AREA, 621 to access tools, equipment, AUSTINVILLE ROAD share knowledge and learn. NOVEMBER 11 Bring your laptop and any REMEMBRANCE DAY, projects from home. In conjunction with the City’s ELSIE LAVER PARK Natural Areas Management Meetup.com/gctechspace/ 11am Unit, this group is currently focussing on restoring

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NOVEMBER 28 MUDGEERABA COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CAROLS, FIRTH PARK, MUDGEERABA The combined Churches of Mudgeeraba have organised this event - bring your family and friends along to enjoy a fun evening of Christmas carols, with performances from local schools, orchestra, choirs & dancers. Activities for the kids, food trucks, picnic seating. Division9@goldcoast.qld.gov.au NOVEMBER 28 MUDGEERABA COUNTRY MARKET, MUDGEERABA SHOWGROUNDS, 115 MUDGEERABA ROAD 4th Sunday of the month 7am – 12pm Community market, local stall holders, creatives & producers, food vendors & live entertainment.

Free car parking and dog friendly. facebook.com/ MudgeerabaCountryMarket DECEMBER 3 & 4 FESTIVAL OF SMALL HALLS SUMMER TOUR 2021 SPRINGBROOK COMMUNITY HALL (3 Dec) – hosted by Springbrook Community Association MT NIMMEL HALL, AUSTINVILLE (4 Dec) – hosted by Mt Nimmel Hall Committee Featuring Tullara and Andrea Kirwin, with local support These Idle Hands For more information on the event and the exciting artists, and to purchase tickets Festivalofsmallhalls.com

20 NOV 11 DEC

Logan Launch

4 DEC

Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

Your local stories

Managing Editor: Natalie O’Driscoll

Hey Blankers,

Creative Director: Chloe Popa

This is a special edition. If you’re reading it on the Gold Coast, you may not realise that it’s a special edition, but trust us, it is.

Advertising & Partnerships Manager: Amanda Gorman Partnerships Support: Simone Gorman-Clark TeamWriters: Anthony Gebhardt & Zac Fahey Graphic Designer: Heidi Glasson Distribution: Swingin' Safari Crew Contributors (print and online): Natalie O’Driscoll, Anthony Gebhardt, Zac Fahey, Marj Osborne, Glenn Tozer, Erin Bourne, Simone Gorman-Clark, Prudence Clark, Nikki Archer, Dani Teveluwe, Anne Janelle, Amelia Green, Yasmin Nelson. Logan content writer: Belinda Topan Logan photographer: Beauden Gouge Logan section and front cover Graphic Design: Jennifer Daniell Logan distribution and partnerships: Neil Beattie and Deirdrie Tehan Cullen Cover: Angus and Julia Stone 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 is independently owned and published by Samantha Morris, Chloe Popa, Amanda Gorman and Natalie O'Driscoll. Founded in 2013 we are an independent voice for local music, arts and lifestyle and we rely on advertising as well as our generous contributors to keep us ticking. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editor, publishers or the writing team. Editorial: news@blankstreetpress.com.au Advertising: advertising@blankstreetpress.com.au Gigs: gigs@blankstreetpress.com.au Follow us: Facebook/Instagram@blankstreetpress

When Blank’s owners Chloe and Sam first decided to start a street press here, it was in response to the tired old stereotypes about how Gold Coast was a cultural wasteland; all style no substance. It wasn’t true eight years ago, and now it’s about as far from true as it is possible to get. The fact is, every city has a beating cultural heart. Sometimes you just need to know where to look for it. This month marks the first of our expanded editions into the City of Logan, a city with a nascent musical and arts scene that’s grown exponentially in recent years, and will no doubt continue to do so, the same way Gold Coast’s has. And we want to be at the forefront of it. Again! So if you’re reading this mag in Logan, you’ll notice the middle eight pages are dedicated to the cool happenings and awesome folks in your cultural scene. Gold Coasters, your mag will look the same. But to mark this momentous occasion, we would very much like to acknowledge and celebrate the passion and hard work of our Swingin’ Safari crew Neil Beattie and Deirdrie Tehan Cullen, without whom our 400+ distro spots would not have received their mags for the last eight years, and without whom we absolutely would not have been able to pull off the move to our northern neighbours. This dedicated pair have worked for us and also donated countless hours of their own spare time in support of Blank’s endeavours over the years, and we wouldn’t be where we are without them. They aren’t interested in the spotlight, so you won’t see any pics of them in our pages. But they did agree to send us a couple of messages to be immortalised in this special edition. Neil: “We both genuinely love being part of the Blank Team - it is a privilege to contribute to the exciting evolution of the region's cultural evolution. It’s been easy to see how this has very much driven by Blank Street Press...offering partnerships with local and regional creatives. Not very often do people get the chance to be paid for doing what they love, it’s like a hobby gig where we get to regularly visit all the cool cafe's, bars, libraries and shops that offer Blank magazine for their customers. As a professional news photographer of many years with camera always at the ready Deirdrie has taken some great little photo essays of a Blank Day of Distro on the GC, which are always interesting... the venues thumping... the cafes full… the Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

scene ticking along and really thriving in many ways... that's a real added bonus of being out and about being part of the Blank Street scene.” Deirdrie: “I love being a part of the Blank Team and Swingin Safari Events! I have been helping drop off Blank before COVID, so it’s been amazing seeing the changing face of the Gold Coast over the years… Now with excitement, we are merging further North into Logan and distributing into Brisbane CBD! My passion stemmed with the arts and culture at Queensland College of Art, where I emerged as a professional press photographer for 10 years. My priorities changed when I had my three wonderful kids (and now a grandson), however I still had a camera in hand and became one of the grassroots advocators establishing the Gold Coast Birth Centre as the main consumer rep… Some of my birth images of local mums and families still done their walls. After completing two degrees in Arts Psychotherapy and Counselling, I have just started my business Eco & Art Therapies. YES, arts, culture and fun are in my blood! I love connecting with people on the road when we deliver Blank and keeping up with the creative scene of the Gold Coast.” Enjoy this edition dear readers, and take care of yourselves. Til next time. Yours, Natalie O’Driscoll Managing Editor

Be sure to bring your favourite mark making implement to scribble your love letter to Miami on The Walls’ walls. Dress code: Miami chic (as pictured). Saturday 4 December at 5pm. Free ticketed event, register at Eventbrite.

Photo by Juanita Broderick

Red Bull Trail Heads comes to GC

Festival of Small Halls returns

Red Bull Trail Heads is the brain child of Red Bull Endurance Athlete Courtney Atkinson. It brings the fun and exciting influence of enduro mountain bike racing to the world of Trail Running, and on 13 November it’s coming to Numinbah Valley. Feeling brave? Visit redbull.com to enter.

The latest Summer tour of Festival of Small Halls will feature stellar performances from uniquely talented Australian / Fijian artist and producer Andrea Kirwin and magical folksy guitar whizz Tullara, and will hit Austinville on 4 December. Tix at festivalofsmallhalls.com.

Exhibitionist Bar gets new menus

Send a love letter to The Walls Join The Walls team, artists and creative community in celebrating nine years of magic in Miami with a final sunset at THE WALLS, featuring an eclectic and fascinating range of past exhibiting artists.

Get ready for delicious days and nom nom nights on the roof of HOTA Gallery, with two new limited menus on offer at the Exhibitionist Bar. On 16-17 Nov, it’s all about Ramen Rave. We’re taking ramen, shaking, stirring, pushing it to the extreme. And on 30 Nov-1 Dec Never Mind the Menu. Here’s a Burger. A menu so filthy, it’s banned in the UK. It’s burgers. Read the bloody name. All the details at theexhibitionistbar.com.au.

Take me to Paris, HOTA After a string of successful Queensland and international tours, French-born, awardwinning singer and songwriter Pauline Maudy presents a personal show about growing up in two places. Take Me to Paris is a show about belonging and identity. It’s about our search for an idealised version of heaven on earth, Napoleon’s fascination for Australia, Australia’s fascination for the city of love and everything in between. Go to Paris on Friday 12 November in the Lakeside Room. Tix at hota.com.au.

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It’s Santa Paws time! There’s nowhere better to grab a pressie for your pooch than Santa Paws at the Park on Sunday, 7 November at Country Paradise Parklands, Nerang. With over 100 doggy market stalls, talks and demos, fundraising activities for Animal Welfare League and a photo booth to take a photo of your pup with Santa, you’ll be wagging your tail for sure. Free entry, RSVP via FB.

NEWS TAP ON

by o you t t h g brou

Chutney And Burleigh Brewing Forging A Good Time Alliance Words by Anthony Gebhardt

Since we last had a natter with on-the-rise Gold Coast rock band Chutney, they’ve been busy forging intrepid musical pathways, despite the current pandemic-induced challenges plaguing the live music scene. With a bunch of new tracks both on the airwaves and getting ready to detonate, the band have also managed to forge a solid alliance with local craft beer legends Burleigh Brewing. It's a partnership that commenced earlier in the year and shows no signs of waning, as we discovered when speaking with the Burleigh Brewing Marketing Team. “Our partnership with Chutney first came about when we engaged them to play at our Burleigh Comedy Night back in March. We've been pals ever since and it's blossomed into a super supportive relationship. “We originally really bonded over how we can support the local community and give back through our respective passions. These days, we keep each other up to date with what's going on in our corresponding calendars and if there's anything we can align on we try to make it happen. We support them, and they support us right back!”

This mutual support was most recently in-play at the Crafted Beer Festival in Broadbeach in September. Chutney played a blistering, good-time set that went down a storm, with Burleigh Brewing in attendance and seeding them beer and merch. Says Chutney’s Andy Reid of the experience; “Crafted was a blast! To be back in a festival environment on a perfect Gold Coast day, by the beach with all our mates drinking delicious beer was quite a treat.

“The whole weekend was amazing, I think it was obvious how much fun we were having and that energy infected the crowd, which made for the best set we've ever played. Keen for more days like that!” Andy also elaborated on the origins of the band’s partnership with Burleigh Brewing and why ongoing collaborations make sense. Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

“We reached out to Burleigh Brewing regarding some rider for our recent show with Peach Fur in Warwick, as we'd struck up a relationship when we played the pre-party for the Gold Coast Comedy Festival. We were hoping to secure a couple of cartons of beer, maybe! We were surprised to learn that Burleigh Brewing already had ourselves and Peach Fur highlighted to work with and had been discussing partnering up literally that week! “After chatting it was obvious that they really wanted to engage in local live music and supporting artists. So far they've helped us out with lots of delicious beer, tonnes of merch and splashing our name everywhere they can. “They're looking to support live music events across the coast in whatever capacity they can - watch this space, we've barely scratched the surface when it comes to all the exciting projects we have in the works with the legends over at Burleigh Brewing!” As far as what the future holds, it’s somewhat sobering to realise that for a relatively new band like Chutney, the joys of playing regular live shows to a bumper crowd is something

that to-now has eluded them, as Andy elaborates; “As a band that released our first single (‘Outcast’) a month before the dreaded 'vid hit, we haven't really known the freedom of open borders or full capacity crowds at all. We've learnt that we need to release strong songs and videos and engage online as best we can to stay relevant in these strange times, so we will continue to work on that formula. “Our next single 'Life I Like' is out on November 4th and is honestly our best work yet. With any luck life will begin to return to normal and we can get out on the road soon. We take a lot of pride in our live show and it's always been a dream of ours to tour the country. Hopefully we can make that happen soon!” Burleigh Brewing has announced its next Brewer’s Notebook beer is being released in late November, ready to refresh during the hottest month! Not only that, the team are gearing up for a new Summer Merch collection. Follow @burleighbrewing and @chutney_band for updates.

QLD MUSIC TRAILS & SCENIC RIM REGIONAL COUNCIL PRESENT

THE

Elysian Fields

THE

Canungra

Live in the Scenic Rim

ANGUS & JULIA STONE BALL PARK MUSIC BABE RAINBOW • HATCHIE #qldmusictrails

Sat 12 Feb 2—10pm

Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

thelongsunset.com

Stone’s Long Sunset a Scenic Rim sensation Angus and Julia Stone are heading our way in early 2022 for The Long Sunset, a new, bespoke music event set in the lush surrounds of the Scenic Rim. We scored a wonderful chat with the engaging Julia just ahead of tickets going on sale.

Words by Glenn Tozer

Julia Stone has an energetic positivity to her voice that is infectious and would bring a smile to anyone’s face. Joking about growing up with cattle farmers as grandparents, she seems very comfortable about the upcoming festival with her brother Angus at Elysian Fields, a sometimes polo and equestrian facility, in the picturesque Scenic Rim green fields, just west of the Gold Coast hinterland. “Riding in on a white horse would be amazing but I’m not sure we can incorporate that into our show,” Stone laments, tongue firmly in cheek.

“This show is really exciting though, our first in Queensland since 2018,

will feature indie-folk outfit Angus and Julia Stone and Brissie rockers Ball Park Music, who will be supported ably by Babe Rainbow and Hatchie. Canungra’s Elysian Fields will come alive on 12 February 2022 for this boutique live music and camping experience, which has been part-funded by the Australian Government’s RISE Fund and Bushfire Recovery Initiatives. Joel Edmondson is CEO of Queensland Music Festival, the entity that created Queensland Music Trails to activate regional Queensland as live music tour destinations. He has hopes these sorts of events will become some of our state’s most popular.

and Angus and I are so glad to be coming, particularly because it’s rural and we don’t often get to play rural shows. Half our holidays as kids were based at our grandparents’ farm near Bulahdelah on the NSW mid-north coast. If we weren’t sailing, we were farm kids.”

“Hosting world-class cultural events throughout regional Queensland is important for our culture and our economy, particularly as we work towards the global event that is the 2032 Olympics. We hope that these sorts of events will grow organically to grow the regional economy and build momentum over the coming decade,” Edmondson states optimistically.

The Long Sunset, the latest event from the creative brains at Queensland Music Trails,

“Importantly though, the identity of these events should be about the intimacy. Angus

& Julia Stone performing at The Long Sunset fits that objective perfectly; an intimate afternoon gathering in the country.” As Stone reflects on holidays as a child, and then the influence of her parents as she and Angus grew as musicians, her personable chatter shows why industry leaders like Edmondson are so positive about this event, and about Angus and Julia. In April 2021, Stone released ‘Sixty Summers’, a solo album perhaps best described as a pop-folk triumph, but which also captures some of her personal experiences and aspirations quite beautifully. The title track reflects on the brevity of life, at a moment earlier in Stone’s life where a friend had exclaimed ‘Can you believe we only have sixty summers left?’ So what does Julia Stone have planned for her remaining sixty summers? “Well, both of us, Angus and I, are committed to living authentically. We don’t want to make records we think will be a hit. We want to make records that we really like.

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We’ll keep following the feeling; the inspiration; there’s always something to learn,” Stone remarks. “More personally, I’m beginning to love the arena of mental health. There’s such a need there in our community. I think I could be helpful in that arena.” Testing new experiences and embracing new challenges has not been foreign to Angus and Julia Stone, and even this year they released a scored soundtrack to international hit video game hit ‘Life is Strange’. They’d had a song already incorporated into an earlier edition of the game, but being asked to score an entire new episode came at the perfect time. “We really do thrive together in the studio. We’d finished touring a show, all around the world over about two years and had reached that moment where we felt we’d like to keep doing what we love doing without being in a new city every night,” Stone recalls.

“The video game episode was about a brother and a sister, and involved superpowers, and it just resonated with us. The team in Colorado were so lovely and it was such a surreal experience to see where all the video game production happens.”

What’s going on, Tyrone Noonan? Words by Natalie O’Driscoll

Most of the ‘Life is Strange’ album was recorded on Angus’ farm, but they also spent some time with Neil Finn in New Zealand as they put together the final elements. The interview pauses again for laughter as Stone suggests her real superpower is making the whole team stop in order to eat, whether in a studio or on a stage rehearsing a performance. What is truly a superpower, however, is Angus & Julia Stone’s capacity to inspire a new generation of performers. In an earlier interview with Blank, awardwinning GC duo Hollow Coves called the music of Angus & Julia Stone a seminal influence on their early career. With the Gold Coast pair having now reached 200 million streams, Julia reflects on how the success of other artists like Hollow Coves, inspired by her and her brother, makes her feel. “Mostly, it makes me feel really old,” she laughs.

2021 is the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s musical masterpiece ‘What’s Going On’, and HOTA, Home of the Arts is celebrating this epic milestone with a brand new production by one of Australia’s most respected musicians, Tyrone Noonan.

hatred, suffering, and injustice at every turn. Covering themes of racism, drug abuse, poverty and the environment in his lyrics, Gaye not only addressed the issues of 1971 America but also appeared to have a crystal ball when it came to worldwide issues, 50 years on and 30 years after his death.

“It’s coming up to 20 years of hard work for us. Someone wise once told me, ‘a popular song is a doorway to your music’, and ‘Chateau’ and ‘Big Jet Plane’ are that for us. Those songs really mean a lot to me and I have so much gratitude for the way they make people feel. It’s even still surprising when, more recently, video gamers recall our songs as memorable to them.

Having performed the songs of Marvin Gaye for years with his band Palimpsest, Tyrone - who has tasted significant national success as co-lead of Brisbane band George along with sister Katie has re-arranged ‘What’s Going On’ in its entirety for a bespoke production that will be getting its second outing only on the Gold Coast, following a successful showing at Brisbane Festival.

“Whoever you are, we are so bloody excited to be coming up to Queensland to play all our songs for you, old and new.”

When we caught up with Tyrone, we asked him about his relationship with Marvin Gaye’s music.

“We’re at crunch time now. This upcoming event in Glasgow [United Nations Climate Change Conference] is a real opportunity for us to face up to this reality – that’s already that’s looking like it might a kind of whitewash situation - that we’ve been living unsustainably on this planet for too long.

The interview closes with more laughter following Stone’s unexpected pun about champing at the bit (with The Long Sunset being hosted by an equestrian centre). The feminine half of Angus and Julia Stone is filled with joy and hope, and there’s little doubt a trip to the country for a Long Sunset in February will help us enter 2022 amply supplied with Julia Stone’s wonderful optimism for life.

“I’ve always be a fan, and this particular album is such an incredible body of work to be placed into one recording,” he tells us.

“Marvin seemed to be aware of this back in 1971 before anyone was talking about ecology.”

“I love and respect so many musicians and songwriters, but I don’t think that any one artist has ever created such a complete body of work”.

‘Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)’ was Gaye’s second single release from the iconic album, a title that reputedly caused a stir with his record label.

Canungra’s Elysian Fields in the heart of Yugambeh Country will come alive on 12 February 2022 for The Long Sunset, a unique music and camping festival with a vast selection of food and art from local artists and artisans and a wholesome, unique experience for all ages. Tickets go on sale 5 November at thelongsunset.com, and will certainly sell out. The Long Sunset is a Queensland Music Trails event presented by QMF and Scenic Rim Regional Council.

History agrees, with ‘What’s Going On’ holding the coveted number one spot on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of all Time, and its title track holding steady at number six on the Greatest Songs list. ‘What’s Going On’ is a concept album, told from the point of view of a Vietnam vet returning to his home country to witness

“It’s actually more relevant than when it was written, which a little disheartening in a way,” says Tyrone.

“Motown founder Berry Gordy apparently said ‘What the fuck does ecology even mean?’ laughs Tyrone. “Although he wouldn’t have been alone. Quite a few people wouldn’t have known what that meant back in 1971.” The upcoming production will see ‘What’s Going On’ performed in full with a short interlude between each side, along with some choice song selections from throughout Marvin’s hugely successful career. This is no Broadway show; it’s all about recreating the legendary live experience

Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

of Marvin Gaye and the time is right to witness the spectacle of a live performance of this album. Tyrone is joined by his Palimpsest bandmates for this show, featuring some of Queensland’s finest musicians: Brendan St Ledger on keyboards, James Mcintyre on guitars, Joshua Hatcher on saxophones, flutes and glockenspiel, Chris Pearson on bass, Aaron Jansz on drums and Cindia Reine on percussion. I ask Tyrone how he plans to channel Marvin on stage. “It’s interesting - I know this is going to sound weird - but I do believe it is like channelling,” he says “At the Brisbane Fest show I really really got that feeling, and I almost felt like I was out of my own body observing what was happening, just giving over to that energy.” It seems the crowd felt it too, if the “absolutely amazing” feedback was anything to go by. “I think everyone in that whole room was connected that night,” Tyrone tells us “You know Gaye does deal with some heavy subjects on the record but it’s not all doom and gloom, it is quite hopeful and we finish the show with a bunch of dancing tunes from throughout his career which is lots of fun.” You can get connected with Tyrone and Palimpsest when they cross the stage at the Lakeside Room at HOTA on Saturday 13 November, performing the iconic ‘What’s Going On’ in full as well as selected Marvin Gaye tunes. Tix at hota.com.au. And in the words of Tyrone, “come prepared for a transformative experience”.

NOW COVERING

city of Logan Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

Substation33: Changing the way we look at waste Words by Belinda Topan

With technology a huge part of our everyday lives, we follow the trend of keeping up with the newest gadget and smartphones available. But we never consider the waste we create with our old technology, which ends up in landfill and causes harm to our environment. Most of our electronic waste still works – or at least the parts within.

Logan café gives back

Logan business Substation33 wants to change the way we deal with e-waste by reusing the tech we throw away.

Words by Belinda Topan

Driving down the Pacific Highway slip road in Slacks Creek, you wouldn’t expect to find a bustling café tucked down a quiet laneway. This is Extraction Artisan Coffee, a hidden gem in Logan City, bringing high-quality food and delicious coffee to the table, seven days a week. After throwing open the doors to Extraction Coffee back in April 2016, owners Alex Milosevic and his partner Heather wanted to create a café in Logan that didn’t just produce good coffee, but high-quality food as well. Before opening Extraction Artisan Coffee, Alex worked in the silk industry and then went on to learning about and roasting beans. Alex fell in love with coffee all over again, and this experience is the reason why the team roasts their beans onsite. But this is the tip of the iceberg of Extraction Artisan Coffee. On the outside, we see a lively café with friendly staff and highquality food. Behind the scenes are Alex and his team are bringing positive impacts to the local community and outside of Australia, too.

“These are the things that fuel us. Having these great businesses in Logan that we work and operate with and want to see thrive,” says Alex. "We don't want to just be talking about doing stuff - we want to see outcomes."

“Our primary role in the community is to create opportunities and train people on all the back of electronics and recycling,” Tony continues.

Extraction Artisan Coffee has worked with numerous organisations within and across the world. Their work ensures your next cup of coffee is giving back to the farmers who grow the beans, our local farmers who produce the milk and, local businesses who supply fresh and high quality to your plate.

Substation33 has been running for ten years, collecting broken printers, old laptop batteries and more to make and reuse the parts they salvage. Tony Sharp, owner and founder of Substation33, started this business to make a positive change in the community.

Extraction Artisan Coffee also works alongside community organisations, such as Yourtown and the overseas educarecoffee.d

“I started Substation33 from a perspective as a youth worker to create a change around electronic waste ending up in landfill but using that electronic waste to create employment opportunities for young people,” explains Tony.

“We’re not just a café in the middle of Logan. We really take responsibility for everything we do, and as individuals, we have a direct effect on everything that happens in the world,” explains Alex. “All it takes is one person to do one small thing, it starts off as a ripple and then it eventually turns into a wave. “Why does Extraction pay more for produce? Cause there's a bigger picture. It’s not just about me being ‘fancypants,’ serving high end products. It’s about serving a quality product that actually benefits not just the customer but the person I bought it from. “We pay a premium for what they do, and the customer can taste the effort, and the love farmers put into their food and community.”

Substation33 has built several projects out of the spare parts they salvage, creating 3D Printers, charging stations and smart flood warning signs alerting drivers roads are flooded up ahead, says Tony. “We process 200,000 kilos of waste a year, and we have recycled 97% of the donated electronic waste.” This means that only 3% of what SubStation33 collects ends up in landfill. With the help of community volunteering, Tony and his team get together with the parts they have, teaching younger generations to build with recycled waste.

And this is just the beginning, says Alex. The team is looking forward to progressing further in the future, working with local businesses, selling their coffee in bulk, and training other businesses to provide highquality coffee. For more, visit extractionartisancoffee. com.au

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“Diverting waste from landfills and creating a positive change in peoples lives.”

hcsdsjbcdjcbdsbcdbdscbdscddcs Check out Substation33 at substation33.com.au.

Logan City Council signs Small Business Friendly Charter Words by Belinda Topan

Small businesses in Logan are set to benefit from a new Small Business Friendly Council (SBFC). Minister for Employment and Small Business Di Farmer welcomed Logan to the growing list of councils that have signed the charter. “Small businesses are the heart and hubs of our local communities. They are our families, our friends, our neighbours, and they keep our communities strong. “By signing the Small Business Friendly Council charter, councils commit to support small businesses in their respective area and help to reduce red tape.” Says Di Farmer. City of Logan Mayor Darren Power said Logan City Council is committed to supporting local small businesses through its new Economic Development Strategy.

The Strategy includes forming the mayor’s Local Job and Skills Taskforce, which will engage with local businesses to create employment opportunities.

Visit our cafe roastery today for speciality coffee, single origin tea and tasty house-made food. We also serve exceptional V60 filter coffee, barista tasting plates and single origin cold brew.

Find out more about us at extractionartisancoffee.com.au Unit 7/3375 Pacific Highway, Slacks Creek M-F 6am to 2pm S-S 7am to 2pm

#gratitude #visitlogan

“In addition to helping them build a resilient and sustainable workforce, Council will work closely with existing businesses across all sectors to grow the local economy and attract new customers and investment,” Cr Power said.cdscdjdcscd Check out more about SBFC at business.qld.gov. au/qsbc

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Assorted Grains: Planting the seeds of Logan's growing arts scene Following the success of Logan’s recent event Art Plus Beer, a celebration of all things arts, music, food and brews, we sat down with one of the organisers to learn more about the passionate arts co-op that’s striving to nurture the community arts scene in the area.

When it comes to cultural tourism, people want more. They’re looking for something interesting, unusual. They want to experience something new. And we intend to give it to them in the place they’d least expect it! Their local café, restaurant or sports oval. A shopping centre, carpark or bookshop. That way, they can experience the amazing art creating by local artists right in their own neighbourhood. Imagine walking into your local burger joint and experiencing a combo live art and rad music. Walk outside to see cultural dance, punctuated with powerful spoken word poetry. Plus great food! With all its limitations, we’ve seen COVID as a blessing. Rather than being tied to a single space (with huge overheads) we’ve decided on a flexible approach. After all, Logan is such a huge region and by being tied to one space, we’re limiting our impact. Instead, we’re partnering with existing Logan-based businesses, organisations and government to activate the communities with our unique, multidisciplinary events and programs. If you wanna get involved and host an event, let us know! What was the public response to Arts plus Beer, and what events do you have planned for the future? The response was amazing! We wanted to create a visually exciting, thoughtprovoking event that shared a combination of cultural stories, different mediums and focus on providing a unique, and visceral arts experience. Our audience loved it, here’s just some of what they said below.

Words by Belinda Topan + Natalie O'Driscoll

Ali Strachan, an innovator of Logan Arts Coop, now known as Assorted Grains, is a selfprofessed art geek and cat lover. When she’s not helping businesses grow their profiles through her impressive copywriting talents, she can be found at the coal face of the local arts - working with organisations and councils to support all kinds of artists across the spectrum of their careers, and putting on a range of creative and unexpected multidisciplinary events throughout the region. Dynamo Ali managed to squeeze in a few minutes to chat with us about Assorted Grains, the philosophy behind it, and what’s next for the future. What inspired you to start Assorted Grains, and what is the organisation about? Our Logan arts co-op started with a vision to create dynamic spaces for all types of artists, writers, musicians and performers to create, run workshops and programs, develop their skills and engage with the community.

As a group we represent many different creative disciplines and people from varying backgrounds. Our organisation, now known as Assorted Grains, hopes to be able to represent the many different types of artists and people across the region. Sharing their voices via arts culture.

“I loved the live music, I actually can't remember the last time I was at a venue with live music! But the spoken poetry was very special. I have never experienced a performance like that before.”

Who does the Assorted Grains support? Being community-driven, our focus is on supporting our Logan-based artist and art workers. Visual and public artists, sculptors, dancers, performers, actors, musicians, poets, writers, ceramicists, textile artists, photographers, videographers and more. While we may engage artists and performers from outside the region, we always do so in a way that benefits Logan creative sector and community. What sets the Assorted Grains apart from other arts organisations? Two things. Our distinct, multidisciplinary events, and our flexible approach.

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“The best part was the integration of art, poetry, music, and food!” “I loved the atmosphere, music and overall vibe of the event. The poetry was incredible too.” “The live music was great, combined with live art, gave everyone something to enjoy.” “The best part was having the artworks being exhibited and the live arts happening while being able to listen to and watch the live music happening inside the venue.”

We’re still putting together our program for next year, but you can expect it to feature more of the same unique artistic combinations in different ways. What are the goals you want to achieve with Assorted Grains? Our goal is to put Logan on the map as a cultural destination of choice by bringing our city to life. Strengthening our creative economy–so people don’t have to travel to Brisbane or the Gold Coast to experience something exciting. In turn this will foster community connection, which is so important during this pandemic. Visit facebook.com/assorted.grains for more.

Lighthouse Care is a beacon of hope for families all over Logan, providing affordable food for those over half a million families in the region.

Logan's newest night markets

A light shines brightly over Logan Words by Belinda Topan / Photography by Beuden George

What inspired Lighthouse is a light in a dark tunnel. Debbie Hill, owner and founder of Lighthouse Care, reflects back when she wasn’t well, struggling through tough times. She experienced what it is to be down on your luck and not be treated with decency. “I’ve experienced what it was like to be treated less than human, to be treated be like an animal, and when I recovered, I knew I didn’t want anyone else who is struggling to go through the same thing.” explains Debbie. Debbie needed to make a difference, and with her husband Ron and his support, they both grabbed a few loaves of bread, drove to Eagleby in their van and handed them out. Debbie and Ron became a light for those who needed it. From the van, it grew to the garage of their house, and from their home, it grew to the warehouse in Loganholme we all know today. People from Logan, Ipswich, Redland and Gold Coast come to Lighthouse Care.

As for Debbie, she cannot count the amount stories that have stuck with her. Coming across families from all creeds, she has learnt a valuable lesson. “Working and building this organisation I’ve learnt not to judge people. You don’t know what they are going through, no matter how nice their car is or how nice their clothes are, they too are going through tough times.” Lighthouse Care’s reach has grown further during these difficult times, with click and collect at their warehouses, Loganholme and their newest store Hillcrest. Lighthouse care also provides home delivery reaching as far as Burleigh Heads, Dinmore and Caboolture.

Words by Belinda Topan

For a long time, if you drove down Distillery Road, you’d see Beenleigh Distillery and a large empty warehouse. But the road has come to life in recent years. Situated halfway between the Gold Coast and Brisbane, visible and easily accessible from the M1 Motorway, the old warehouse has been re-purposed for a reignited space. Kenton Campbell, Founder of Zarraffa's Coffee and CEO of Tonken Property Group, has transformed the road into Distillery Road Markets, market full of good food and entertainment. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Distillery Road Markets will showcase some of the most outstanding local food, art and music with the launch of this exciting weekend event

With support from food banks, charities and the local community, Debbie and Ron are grateful to be able make a positive impact in someone else’s life, no matter how small.

“The amount of people we’ve helped is incredible. It brings me great joy knowing how I have helped them. I wouldn't be doing anything else,” says Debbie. Shop at lighthousecare.bigcartelcom/products

florist, farmer-grown produce, street food, vendors, dessert purveyors, artisans and crafters.” "Spotlighting some of the best stallholders and marketers in the game, DRM will be home to many; from the heirloom gardener, florist, farmer-grown produce, street food vendors, dessert purveyors, artisans and crafters.” Trucks & Tunes is the first market experience, a music and food hybrid held every Friday and Saturday night from 4pm to 8pm. And on Saturday and Sunday mornings, 7am to 1.30pm is market heaven DRM Bazaar. "It's a chance for locals to devour delicious food made onsite by an epic line-up of local food trucks and stalls while enjoying a revolving roster of local music acts with the whole family," added Kenton. With seating for up to 150 people, the DRM markets will be held weekly on the southern car park site, welcoming visitors from all over to Logan's newest food precinct and emerging entertainment hub. Fighting against COVID setback, the DRM is booming through phase 1 of its development.

"We have designed our weekend markets to celebrate our region's love of fresh produce, dining and entertainment, offering guests a unique experience each time they visit," said Kenton. "Spotlighting some of the best stallholders and marketers in the game, DRM will be home to many; from the heirloom gardener,

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"This is just the beginning, and there's much more to come in 2022, as we open the entertainment precinct, more eateries and a brewery," said Kenton. Check out DRM for more details or to become a stallholder at drm.market/weekend-markets

Sunrise in Logan for emerging writer

The champion behind Logan's art community

Words by Glenn Tozer / Photography by Simone Gorman-Clark

Words by Belinda Topan / Photopgrahy by Simone Gorman-Clark

Rhiannon D. Elton is a local fantasy detective author with six books published and has planned another four books to be published by December for the completion of her first season of ten books. But that’s not all. Rhiannon is also Logan’s Arts Champion for the Chamber of Commerce, and recently organised Logan’s first writers festival. Rhiannon wanted to create a space for local authors to talk about their journeys and inspire the younger generations. “Ever since the Logan Writers Festival was first announced there has been an overwhelming amount of support from the community,” she tells Blank. “Local authors were desperate for a place to share their work with the public and by creating a space that was dedicated to them we were able to help them build their readership. “I was inspired to start a Logan Writers Festival mostly because we haven't had anything like this for ten years. As a writer and a businesswoman, I know the importance of having a thriving community and the strength that can lend you. “Having a tribe that you can learn from and be pushed to succeed with is often the factor that makes you successful or not.” “I often hear that being an author is a lonely life, but I don't think it has to be. Sitting in a library writing with your friends, getting together to do working bee days, and sharing each other's successes is far from lonely.

"I wanted Logan to get a boost in building its own thriving literary community,” Rhiannon continues. Thanks to Rhiannon, the Chamber hosts numerous dinners and breakfasts during the year, offering locals a chance to network and receive knowledge that helps to turn their art into a business “The purpose of these events is to bridge the gap between business and art so that we can create a community in Logan where we make the ‘starving artist’ a myth.” says Rhiannon. For the rest of 2021, Rhiannon will be preparing the final Arts Breakfast and Arts After Dark with the Logan Chamber of Commerce for the end of the year. And organising her book launch in December. “This will be the first season of the Wolflock Cases series, my fantasy detective novel series. It's a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Lord of the Rings for anyone who loves a good mystery and puzzles to solve,” says Rhiannon. Rhiannon continues to support local authors and artists, hosting the second writers festival in 2022. “The arts is filled to the brim with interesting people and every day I get to help them reach their goals is a blessing,” she says. Check out Rhiannon’s books at rhiannoneltonauthor.com, and visit loganchamber.com.au to see what the team is up to.

Often buzzing down at The Hive, a free coworking hub in the Logan Central Library, 25-year-old author Belinda Topan is one of the catalysts behind a thriving writers’ scene emerging south of Brisbane. Originally from Beenleigh, Topan is the author of a series of books about a family of vampires thousands of years old, conceived in Ancient Rome. But Topan recalls a more contemporary influence for her popular vampire series. “I remember watching Saturday Disney and Buzz Lightyear had a robot nemesis called NOS-4-A2. I think that character maybe inspired me at 10 years old to create Arthur, who was a vampire slayer in one of the first stories I wrote.” That genuine counterpoint sets the tone for an interview with a few laughs and some circumspection about what drives her characters and inspires Topan to write. “A sense of fun is important. Conveying moments of quirkiness breaks up the solemnity of that eternal battle for vampires, who are considered perfect, fantastic creatures, but with elements of human emotional fragility. “Family is an important theme too. My own family drives me nuts sometimes. But family doesn’t have to be ‘blood … it’s just people who have got your back. There’s a parallel to that in my vampire stories. Vampires choose their families to some extent and loyalty is critical.” Topan’s characters are illustrated beautifully too, bringing Asian and Euro influences together uniquely. She remarks on how that came about. “Studio Ghibli’s gorgeous animation is an influence on my work and that Japanese manga/anime style shapes my characters to some extent, even though the background of that battle between vampires and werewolves has European origins.

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“Sourcing my illustrations actually happened on Twitter. I found a German illustrator and contacted them. While they said they normally only drew male characters they liked my concept and relented, illustrating both the male and female vampires in my stories.“ The art scene in Logan is really building right now, according to Topan. She says momentum is important but it’s about being a participant and not just an observer. “The Logan Writers Festival really started my involvement in the scene. The curator, Rhiannon, has been a wonderful supporter for me there. I’ve been a volunteer and a guest speaker; running sessions. It sure beats sitting in my room hiding away. None of my family are writers so developing peers and mentors through the festival really helped me develop my writing.” Topan, perhaps like many young adults, doesn’t mind a bit of gaming but also likes to rock out and she says music often inspires her writing process. “When I’m not writing, you might catch me playing Pokémon or Super Smash Bros. And I love pop/punk music like Short Stack and Fall Out Boy. “There’s actually a song by A Day to Remember called ‘Sometimes You’re the Hammer’ which inspired a fight scene in one of my books. Music can be so emotive for me as I’m writing.” The chat concludes with Topan’s plans for the coming year, like recording audio books for her two main published works; ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Sunset’; already in planning phase, as well as some school workshops in home town Beenleigh inspiring the next generation of aspiring writers. With young leaders like Topan, Logan’s art community appears in good hands.

The Automaton get Ferocious with 'The Exit' Words by Belinda Topan

Logan’s Music scene is getting louder and heavier and thanks to musicians Fi, Pete, Deja and Jimmy, and their band, The Automaton. In early October the band released their newest Album ‘The Exit,’ bringing a fun mix of heavy psychedelic fusion to Logan’s growing music scene. We shot some questions to the band in order to get to know them a little bit better. What influences inspired your album? We're super influenced by the interconnectedness of all living things, that's been a real driver during the writing of The Exit. Everything is one, and we probably won't shut up about it. Otherwise, cult sci-fi movies, women in heavy music, literature, the local underground music scene, psychedelia, futuristic art. How has the response been to the album so far? Insane. We've had some amazing feedback from all over the world, and people are sharing it and discussing it. It's flamin’ awesome.

How long have you been together, and how did you all meet? We've been a four piece for about three years now. Pete and Fi knew eachother from way back, and Fi and Deja we're in another band together before THE AUTOMATON. Jimmy is a vagabond we found at a music festival and completed our lineup. How long have you been together, and how did you all meet? We've been a four piece for about three years now. Pete and Fi knew eachother from way back, and Fi and Deja we're in another band together before THE AUTOMATON. Jimmy is a vagabond we found at a music festival and completed our lineup. Fi saw Deja sing at a party about 13 years ago and said to herself, one day imma start a band with that girl. So yeah, it was a long time foretold. Where can people catch you live? We're in the middle of a local region tour at the moment.

We kicked off playing Mitchell Creek Rock and Blues Festival, and recently played out at Banshees with our fam Gutterfire. We're playing in Rock Beats Depression on 6 November, which is important to us all and then for the QLD leg of the Aftermath tour in late November with a swag of Aus' best bands. For people who’ve never heard you before, how would you describe your sound? I guess Heavy Stoner/psychedelic rock would be our main jam. But if you ask us, we actually sound like relentless mountain lion prowling the desert looking for prey. Ferocious.

Fun question: if you could tour with anyone right now, who would you tour with? Ooft, that's hard. If it were locally based, def Hobomagic or Cakes or Drug Cult. Internationally speaking, it'd be dope to play with All Them Witches, Blues Pills, Orange Goblin, King Woman. What’s next for the band? We're just riding out our tour for the rest of this year and then we go back into the creation cycle. Who knows what rolls up, but we'll be ready. Listen to ‘The Exit’ at linktr.ee/theautomaton and follow the band @theautomaton and fb.com/ TheAutomatonAus

Hanging five with Briana Dinsdale Words by Belinda Topan

17-year-old Logan Artist Briana Dinsdale is taking Australian country music by storm. Having already performed on stages at Gympie Muster and Tamworth Country Music Festival, Briana also released her first Album ‘Beginnings’, blending the sounds of country and acoustic blues to create 12 relatable songs. But this is just the start for Briana. Now having just formed a five piece band, she continues to grow her audience by performing at Village Fest and Logan Eats and Beats, with a tour from her debut album just around the corner. We hung five with this future country star. What kind of stuff would we find on your current fave playlist? A lot of different things! Recently, I’ve been loving expanding my musical listening as I find it helps me generate new ideas and I also really just love it! There are artists from Taylor Swift to Queen to musical theatre numbers like Alexander Hamilton from ‘Hamilton’. I just love it all! But country will always be number one in my heart.

If you could tour with any Australian acts right now, who would that be? I would love to tour with Charlie Collins or Melody Moko. I look up to both of them so much and think the way they approach country music is so innovative yet so true to the original genre. Definitely a way I’m trying to approach country music. If you had to choose between only playing music for the rest of your life, or only listening to music for the rest of your life, which would you choose and why? That is a hard one! They’re both so amazing in their own rights. I adore listening to production choices, writing choices and live performances as well as just being able to get on a stage and do what I love! You’re probably going to not like my answer and I’m sorry in advance l, but, I can’t choose!

What are your thoughts on the Logan music scene? It is so amazing! The support from the community, the council and fellow musicians is amazing! Everyone is supporting each other because they love live music. Logan City Council really helped me get starting with gigging back in 2018 through the Logan Live Boost program which has changed my life and I’m forever grateful. What is your ultimate career goal?

In the far future, I would also love to open my own live music venue in Logan to reimburse my gratitude and passion to Logan. Check out Briana’s album ‘Beginnings’ at brianadinsdale.com/beginnings, and keep up to date on her Instagram @brianadinsdaleofficial. You can catch her at Logan Entertainment Centre on Saturday 21 November supporting the Saruzu Quartet.

My ultimate goal is to be able to do music full time whether it’s songwriting for myself or other artists, performing and touring or teaching music to other people.

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City of Logan is about to see a month-long celebration of live music The scheduled Logan Live Originals series (all from 5pm-8pm) are: Saturday 20 November Woodridge Adventure Park A hip hop and R&B night featuring Beauty and the Beats, Street University reps MAD, Illcit, Jade

LIGHTSKIN JONAS

and Unison, Side Tracks, Lightskin Jonas and East Coast Alien. Saturday 4 December Beenleigh Town Square A country, roots and folk concert featuring Jaylee, Mama Juju and The Jam Tarts, Rae Leigh and

Logan music comes a-live

Briana Dinsdale. Saturday 11 December

Words by Natalie O'Driscoll

City of Logan Residents and out-of-town visitors alike will be treated to a veritable feast of live original music during November and December, with a mix of established and emerging artists performing three free gigs hosted by Logan Live. The Logan Live Original Series, kicking off on Saturday 20 November, will cater to a diverse array of musical tastes, with each evening representing a handful of related genres.

She discusses why the event is so important for artists. “It’s a beautiful platform for local artists of Logan to showcase their talent in spaces where they predominantly wouldn’t have music, like the Woodridge Adventure Park,” she says. “For us, it’s about a connection with hip hop scene. We’re really keen to share a bit of hip hop with Logan.”

Logan West Community Centre A rock/punk night featuring Couch Surfers, Sloj, August River Band and Machine Age. City Lifestyle Chair CouncillorLaurie Koranski said the Logan Live Originals events would allow the community to sample the City of Logan’s live music scene. “It has been difficult to hold live music events over the past two years because of the pandemic restrictions,” Cr Koranski said.

Having been on the local music scene for a while now, Lana is acutely aware of a cultural shift in the region over the last few years.

This carefully curated event ensures that music lovers of all kinds are in for a huge end-of-year treat.

“I know anyone who performs in Logan Live, at least 50% minimum of the act needs to be from Logan. It means they’re investing in local artists and keeping the circle of the arts moving which is great.”

Note: There are no crowd limits for the first two events but the third one on December 11 will be restricted to 120 people.

Logan Live aims to build the capacity of the live music scene in the City of Logan, but also leave a legacy where business owners continue to engage performers even after the program ends, because they see the value that live performances provide to their businesses and the community as a whole.

Logan Live is an initiative of Logan City Council and supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and educational partner JMC Academy.

City of Logan has run the Logan Live Original Series for four years. Now back in 2021, it promises to be bigger and better than ever, with the region’s burgeoning cultural scene practically bursting at the seams with top notch talent ready and raring to hit the stage. One such talent, Lana Tukaroa, will be performing on the first night as part of hip hop collective Beauty & The Beats, alongside skilled female MC Hope One. Both of these multi-talented women will also be MC-ing the first night. It’s not Lana’s first time performing with Logan Live, having crossed various stages in years past with her family band.

BRIANA DINSDALE + BAND

“We look forward to the community experiencing live original music from some of the amazing musical talent we have in Logan.

Hip hop and R&B lovers will delight in the first night of the series, while the second evening will celebrate all things country, roots and folk. It’ll be time to break out the devil’s horns on the final night, when a rock and punk themed lineup will send things off with a bang.

“There are a lot more opportunities in Logan now, and the Council has taken initiative to help encourage more local artists to get seen,” says Lana.

RAE LEIGH

“The list also includes a number of artists who have been part of Logan Live over the past four years.”

Bookings are essential for the three events and can be made by visiting loganlive.com.au.

AUGUST RIVER BAND

In addition, as part of the event, a Logan Live Boost professional development series will be offered to local musical talent with the aim of growing the scene while also providing cultural tourism to the Logan area and support for local businesses.

MACHINE AGE

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Paddle, Paddle, Paddle: A Story for the Dads Words by Prudence Clark

A bit DISTRACTD? Maybe it’s ADHD Words by Natalie O’Driscoll | Photography by Simone Gorman-Clark

DISTRACTD is a brand new Gold Coast organisation connecting communities, delivering information, education, panel discussions, mingles and advocacy, all about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is one of the world’s most common mental health disorders. According to the World Federation of ADHD, it is thought to occur in nearly six percent of children and 2.5 percent of adults. And yet, confusion abounds about how it presents, how it is diagnosed and treated, with many people suffering the effects of ADHD throughout their lives without even realising that they have it, let alone knowing what to do about it. One such person was Amanda Gorman, local artist and Blank’s partnerships manager. Diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, she became hyper-focused on ensuring that there was a local organisation where people could come together and support one another, learn, and break down some of the stigma around this hugely misunderstood disorder. Enter DISTRACTD. What was your first reaction to learning you had ADHD as an adult? At first I had no understanding of what it was. I had heard of it but had no idea other than thinking it was hyperactive kids. So when I was told I had it possibly I was confused. Then after looking at symptoms and seeing how differently ADHD can present in individuals I was intrigued. Once the official diagnosis was made, it all made perfect sense to me. I had a feeling of a light being switched on - of understanding a whole lifetime of behaviours. I was actually really happy to know. Everything made sense all of a sudden.

Are there any common misconceptions about ADHD that you’d love to dispel? Yes there are quite a few. It’s not bad behaviour or parenting and girls have it just as much as boys but they don’t always get picked up as easily if they are not being hyperactive. It’s not a matter of trying harder - I like to refer to it like this - you would not ask someone who required glasses to try harder to see. It is a REAL disorder. There are so many more, that we’ll discuss in DISTRACTD. There are so many systems and strategies along with treatment to help with these things, that we’ll also be covering in the organisation. It’s not something you grow out of but it’s something you can help with forming habits of actions over time to improve areas. What is your vision for the future of DISTRACTD? My blue sky goal for Distractd is to unite our Gold Coast ADHD community and break the stigma around it. I would love for the Gold Coast ADHD families and individuals to feel a sense of belonging with the organisation. That they feel valued, seen, and supported better together. That the industry professionals working in the space each day can all come and have an opportunity to put forth their various studies, findings and knowledge for the community to digest and learn from as they wish at the regular events we will hold. I want this to be a positive ADHD Movement where people can feel that sense of belonging and hopefully be proud of ADHD as there are so many positive aspects of this too. Catch the first of the DISTRACTD meet ups at 6pm on 10 November at Karma Collab Hub in Burleigh. A panel will discuss getting a diagnosis, where to go afterwards, give practical life coaching advice and the event will also feature a talk on medications from a psychiatrist, with a Q+A session at the end. It’s a free event, but registrations are essential. Visit distractd.org. To read the full interview, visit blankstreetpress.com.au.

If you’re sick of the same old bedtime stories revolving around dinosaurs, bears and puppies, then the new children’s book, ’Paddle, Paddle, Paddle’ by Stacey Cole, could be just what you and your little one are looking for. Born and bred on the Gold Coast and with a Masters of Education under her belt, Stacey has always had a passion for working with children and believes that reading a good book can make anybody who is unhappy, happy. After growing tired of watching her husband, Jackson, rummage through the bookshelves for a ‘good’ book to read to their baby boy Sonny, Stacey decided to fix the problem once and for all and just write a book.

“Jackson was always looking for a book to read to Sonny that he could actually relate to, one that wasn’t too long or too short. Given surfing and reading are such huge parts of our lives, I decided to combine the two and write a book!” Statistically, women do most of the reading in a child’s life, both at home and in school and I am sure there are plenty of mums out there who could recite most of their book collection by heart and know which pages to skip when pushed for time. However, research also shows that when a father reads to a child, he is more likely to scaffold the story and read it in smaller sections, facilitating the child’s overall understanding and breaking down the story in a more logical, nonpage skipping manner. “Believe it or not, incredible things happen to a child’s brain when a dad reads to them - it truly does have positive long-term effects,” Stacey said. “Not only does it enhance positive mental health for the father and the child, but it also improves language skills, selfconfidence and strengthens their bond.”

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Not to mention the fact it gives mum enough time to sneak in a glass of wine and sit down for ten minutes. Of course writing any kind of book, be it for adults or children, comes with challenges and Stacey found that at times feedback from friends and family was hard to swallow. “My Dad told me I should be careful using words like ‘rad’ and ‘wettie’ for wetsuit in a book, and although there was a part of me that agreed, I also know they are really common words for my target audience,” she said. “I guess it came down to trusting my own gut instinct about what would and wouldn’t work. Overall, I’m really happy that the book has received such great feedback at the charity events and story time readings around the Gold Coast and can’t wait to flesh out more ideas on paper for my next one.” You can follow Stacey at @by_staceycole to find out where she is doing readings of her great book, ‘Paddle, Paddle, Paddle’.

Meet Fast Proof Press Words by Anthony Gebhardt

Fast Proof Press (FPP) is a family founded Gold Coast commercial printing business that has been servicing the print needs of both local and interstate clients for over 40 years. They are also the printers of this very magazine! Situated in Lawrence Drive, Nerang and specialising in digital, web and offset printing, the firm is managed by brothers Matthew and Daniel Whitton, who took over the running of the business from their late father Bob in 1998. To find out more about the history of the firm and how they’ve managed to stay relevant and successful after

all these years, we recently had a chat with Director Of Sales Daniel Whitton. Can you give us a brief rundown on the history of Fast Proof Press – how it all started and a few of the key milestones you've achieved along the way? Our father Bob Whitton started Fast Proof Press back in 1979 in a small factory in Southport. He had a vision to service the tourism industry with colour brochures, together with a desire to give his three boys a better life growing up on the Gold Coast. Over his time, he taught us the passion and craft of both printing and running a family business. Under his reign, the business expanded into the Sydney Market, employing hundreds of people we now call family. Winning both Gold Coast Business of the Year, and Queensland Business of the Year, Fast Proof Press is a well-known Print Service Provider. Bob our father passed away at the early age of 52, passing the business to his sons in 1998. Your company has been in the printing game now for over 42 years, which in itself is an epic achievement! What particular factors do you think have contributed to FPP remaining relevant and viable, particularly in an industry that has evolved to the degree that printing has? Fast Proof Press was always and still is to this day, at the forefront of the industry. We were the first to offer colour printing and the first to install Apple Macs and to ‘image direct to plate’. It may seem sad to say, but with the early passing of our father, it left the business to be run by directors whom were in their 20's, allowing us to understand and embrace new technology. In a rapidly changing world, with less and less physical medium and an ever-stronger focus on the online realms, how do you see the future of printing?

UPCOMING EVENT

In one word – relevant! Print media is more and more relevant than ever before. Yes, a lot of items have taken the online route, however we are seeing more and more return back to print, as they lose credibility in the online space. Imagine buying a million-dollar property off-the-plan without a really nice brochure to take home with you? Having a hard copy brochure to take home for your coffee table reinforces your decision to purchase. The world wide web is just that, it is very impersonal and so large up-and-coming brands find it very hard to get traction, this is where print shines; branded boxes, local flyer marketing, personalised direct mail, custom corporate gifting and niche magazine publishing all turn to print to become and also to remain relevant.

Thursday 10th November Karma Collab Hub, Lemana Lane Miami 6pm - 8.30pm

Hear from Industry experts Dr Glen Craig (Psychiatrist) & Dr Jeff Bailey (Psychologist) and others discussing ADHD topics through informal couch conversations with DISTRACTD founder Amanda Gorman

Check out the team and their services at fastproofpress. com.au.

RSVP to attend at

www.distractd.org 22

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Get ready for a FREE Summer Block Party

My Kind Of Chaos Get Ready To Stir Things Up Again Words by Natalie O’Driscoll

Words by Anthony Gebhardt

High octane punked-up alt-rockers My Kind Of Chaos are resurfacing on the local music scene with a revamped line up and a swathe of tunes both old and new in tow, which they’ll be showcasing as part of their first live show in awhile at Vinnies Dive on 11 November. We first featured them in the pages of Blank about a year ago, and at the time the band had just released their hardhitting debut record, ‘The Monster Stirs’ and were ready to take it on the road, before the ravages of COVID put paid to the bands grand plans. Says front man and founding member Nic Griffiths of how things have played out over the past 12 months; “Yeah we were all ready to go and then it all fell apart. As the guy who put all this together it hit me pretty hard but it was so providential, because the band that is now My Kind Of Chaos, is the band I’ve dreamt of being in my whole life. “Mick Norris, our bass guitarist has been with me since the beginning and is without a doubt one of the best bass players I have ever worked with. “Our guitarist, Cameron Appleton-Seymour, joined just before it all hit the fan. I’m so glad he did because when we had to convert all the songs into a three piece, he had to re-learn everything, but rose to the challenge without a second thought. He is an incredibly talented guitarist and I can’t imagine this band without him in it. “We kept looking for drummers and finally we found Rick Zammit. Rick slotted in straight away and learnt all the songs in four days and was exactly what we were looking for. Drummers like him are so rare and we’re all so very stoked to have him on board.” Having utilised the pandemic induced down-time to solidify their ranks, the guys are now super-charged and

champing at the bit to get out there and make up for lost time, Nic tells us.

Say a great big musical sayonara to 2021 with 21 Artists, seven venues, five hours and one street.

“Now that the gigs are lining up we’re going to hit the ground running, gig as much as we can and not look back. All of us have the same tunnel vision and that’s rare. Usually not all band members are as equally committed but we all want the same thing. Music is our lives and unless we’re all playing music together, we’re not really living our best life.”

As restrictions ease and music fans look to a summer of more fun, QMusic and the brains behind BIGSOUND have teamed up for the ultimate end-of-year party on 28 November; one last chance to say ‘F@#K off!’ to 2021, and hello to 2022!

In the meantime, the band have released some cracking singles, including most recent number, the punchy and funny ‘Calm Down Karen’, which is actually a sneakpeak of their upcoming second album. Says Nic of the machinations of the new material;

Kicking off BIGSOUND's 21st birthday celebrations, BIG SUMMER BLOCK PARTY is a free, all-out blowout closing off of Fortitude Valley’s Warner Street for five hours of non-stop music, food trucks, outdoor bars, local DJs; and 21 of Queensland’s hottest artists take to the stages in seven of the city's most beloved venues.

“It’s got a different sound to it but we’ve managed to keep our heavy riffs and big drums in there. If you liked the first album, then the second one won’t disappoint. We won’t be releasing it till late next year as we really want to tour ‘The Monster Stirs’ properly, now that we can.”

The inaugural lineup features BIGSOUND showcasing alumni Eves Karydas, First Beige, Sampology, Golden Vessel, Clea and LÂLKA; as well as a selection of the sunshine state’s most exciting new artists like LISI, THE RIOT, dameeeela and more.

Their long-awaited return to the live ranks sees My Kind Of Chaos step up to the stage at Vinnies Dive in Southport on 11 November, for which they’re raring to go, as Nic explains.

Not mention Gold Coast legends Jesswar and Eliza & The Delusionals!

“The songs are so much fun to play and we simply can’t wait to play them to everyone.” And play them to the people they shall, as My Kind Of Chaos hit the stage across the following dates: Vinnies Dive on the 11th of November with Middle Ground + The Fool, King Lear’s Throne on the 28th of November with Seven Day Mask, Tripsitta and Bare Beets, The Zoo on the 13th of January with The Silencio, Lunchtime and Supertrooper, Banshees Bar on the 29th January with Dirty Dead Dinosaurs and Supertrooper. Visit blankstreetpress.com.au for the full interview. Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

BIGSOUND Festival co-programmer, Ruby-Jean McCabe said, "Cancelling BIGSOUND this year was devastating for us all, so being able to curate a lineup of Queensland's past BIGSOUND showcasing artists and those we believe are the future of BIGSOUND was a real treat for Dom [Miller] and I! It's a celebration of the incredible talent we have in this state, and a sneak peek of what BIGSOUND 2022 could hold." Big Summer Block Party is a FREE event running from 4pm to 9pm on Saturday 28 November in Fortitude Valley. Check out the full lineup and more at bigsummerblockparty.com.

Mojo Collective hit their stride Words by Natalie O’Driscoll

Gold Coast blues aggregate Mojo Collective is a groovy mishmash of genres, personalities and nationalities that come together in one funktastic package, and they’ve finally just released their self-titled debut EP with a cracking launch show at Mitchell Creek Rock n Blues Fest. Jokingly referred to as “the best-rehearsed band on the Gold Coast” by frontman Don Nicholas, Mojo Collective formed a couple of years ago through Gold Coast Musos Jam, basically just in time for COVID. Comprised of Don, Doug Marsden, Béla Vasvári and Bevan Davison, this supercharged supergroup are veteran Gold Coast musos who’ve played with the who’s who of blues, and now together they’ve released an original, high-octane blues, funk and soul album that is a perfect reflection of the group’s synergistic approach. We caught up with Don Nicholas to talk recording, influences and what’s next for Gold Coast’s funkiest (and most well rehearsed) new musical collab.

Tell us about your debut EP ‘Mojo Collective’. The EP was reordered with Troy Borg at his Gold Coast studio, Sunnyside Studios. We'd heard some material from a friend’s band who'd recorded there previously and liked the sounds he'd captured. Not overproduced, just capturing the essence of each of the players. We roped in my brother Murray Nicholas as Producer, and what you hear on the EP is the first of that overall collaboration. The music is all original, with everyone's background and experience bringing us to the sounds you hear. The band's name Mojo Collective (also the EP title) is all about the "mojo" or energy, broad musical influences and individual personalities that each musician in this collective brings to the table, that builds together to capture what we have with these tunes. How was the launch show at Mitchell Creek? Awesome. It was really good – I hadn’t played there before. Super welcoming

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crowd! It was the right kind of crowd for us, a little bit older, and they great production, it was a well organised gig and just really well set up. We managed to play Friday and Saturday night, on Friday about 5 o’clock as the sun was starting to go down, and Saturday night was a bit rockier. It was a sell out, and we were really well received. What’s next for Mojo Collective? Next up is some more song writing and recording with Troy to build into a full album. We are also in the early stages of promotion of the CDs release via our social channels, and planning further some further Blues festival and local GC gigs in the coming months, following on from the release of the EP. Mojo Collective have merch and CDs available to buy via fb.com/ mojocollectiveband, so that you can not only listen to cool tunes, but look cool while doing so! Keep an eye on their socials for when you can hear them live next. To read the full interview, hop on over to blankstreetpress.com.au.

It’s a pirate’s life for Kallidad Words by Natalie O’Driscoll

E D I U G G GI

NOV 2021

S MONTH MUSIC THI HARKS! FREE, LIVE UTHPORT S O S E H T T A

BERST 5 NOVEMBER

RED ROCK 6 NOVEMBER

RAPTURE 12 NOVEMBER

RECKLESS 13 NOVEMBER

RUSH HOUR 19 NOVEMBER

RO LLING ST O NES EX PERIENC E 20 NOVEMBER

ZOOKEEPERS 26 NOVEMBER

PINK TRIBUTE 27 NOVEMBER

Yo ho, yo ho, the pirate’s life for Kallidad. Gold Coast’s masked mariachi trio Kallidad have changed the rules of the game yet again with their latest release ‘Black Powder’, a rollicking, pirate-themed stomp from deep within their warped imaginations. Curious yet? This grimy, lo-fi instrumental number gets right to the keel of the matter, with a swaggering groove that certainly gets its sea legs as it sails along its merry musical way. The song instantly transports the listener to a world where treasure maps lead to buried gold, sturdy ships sail the seven seas and taverns are full of wild, bellowing, dancing revellers. Try not to move to this one. We dare you. “This song is already a live favourite at Kallidad shows,” says the band’s Captain Jace, “and is fast becoming infamous as the high point of a live set that has seen the band travel the world!” We can sea why (sorry). While perfectly happy wowing the big crowds at Splendour and Montreux Jazz Fest, this swashbuckling trio are keen to get a little more up close and personal with the local fans at a slew of upcoming shows, kicking off with some Gold Coast love at Mo’s Desert Clubhouse on 5 November. If you miss them there, you can walk the plank with Kallidad at Nightquarter on the Sunny Coast on 6 November and Lefty’s in Brisbane on 7 November. All tix can be purchased (gold and jewels gladly accepted) through kallidad.com. Arr.

southportsharks.com.au Corner Olsen & Musgrave Aves, Southport QLD | 5532 1155 *Entertainment subject to change at any time.

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Studio Scout: New start-Up seamlessly matching up creatives with dynamic locations Words by Anthony Gebhardt

Studio Scout is a newly launched online marketplace based on the ‘share’ economy, acting as a liaison point for creatives (such as photographers, content creators and social media and events managers) and small business and property owners by providing an on-demand list of spaces available to rent by the hour for creative productions.

and stress out of having to randomly source locations. We recently chatted with Founder Jess Cutler from Studio Scout to find out more about the concept and how it came about. Congratulations on the launch of Studio Scout! How did you come up with the concept - was there a particular 'lightbulb' moment where the idea came to you or is it something you've had bubbling away in the background for a while?

With a focus on creation, collaboration and community, it’s the brainchild of local professional photographers Jess and Renee. They liaise closely with all the hosts on the Studio Scout platform (such as property owners, cafes, restaurants, officeco-working spaces and fitness centres) to understand their spaces and locations. As well as delivering an easy, hassle-free booking system the platform provides information for creatives on important elements such as layout and lighting.

Thank you! I guess like most start-ups, the idea for Studio Scout came from a problem, or frustration that both Renee (Co-Founder Studio Scout) and I experienced. As photographers, we were always looking for real-life locations to book for our clients, but found there was no centralised platform that displayed options, availability and a means to book. Instead the whole process of booking a photoshoot location was long, slow and

With hosts receiving free listings, it’s also an opportunity to increase their exposure and diversify their income stream, while for creatives Studio Scout takes the time

very manual. The idea came to us in 2020, and when we realized there was no such platform, we knew we wanted to create it. What's the response been like so far, both from clients and customers? We have been blown away by the positive feedback, both from Creatives and Hosts. A common response is how needed a platform like Studio Scout is and there's genuine excitement for the opportunities it will open up. Projecting forwards, where would you like to take this concept?

STUDIO SCOUT

From

Private Properties

Scout, book, and create in the coolest places across Australia Cafes/Restaurants

Co-working Spaces

Fitness Centres

www.studioscout.co

Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

Being Creatives, Renee and I have SO many ideas for Studio Scout. Dreaming big, we'd love to be the go-to location scouting and booking platform for Creatives and Brands in Australia. But for us it's more than just providing a service; community and collaboration is at the very heart of what we do. We're always brainstorming opportunities to be able to foster that within our community, so watch this space! If you’d like to become a Studio Scout Host (and list your space for free) or if you’re a creative looking to take the hassle out of scouting for a location for your next project, get in touch with the team at studioscout.community. To read the full interview, hit up blankstreetpress.com.au.

Introducing Georgia Hoareau Words by Anthony Gebhardt

There’s a talented new songstress on the block and she goes by the name of Georgia Hoareau. Growing up in a highly musical household, Georgia has spent the last few years busking around the Gold Coast with her brother Will as part of the duo The Genez, as well as honing her own burgeoning song craft. The first taste of her talent has just come out in the form of her impressive debut single, ‘Seventeen’, a coming-of-age lament belying her tender years. Having recently supported on-the-rise rock prodigy Harry J Hart at his recent EP launch at HOTA, Georgia is looking to springboard into 2022, with a debut EP in the pipeline. We recently had a chat with Georgia to find out more about her music and what makes her tick. Congratulations on your debut single, ‘17’. Can you put us in the picture on the genesis of the track and how it came together? Thank you! This song started in my bedroom with a guitar on the night of

my 17th birthday. The song came from having so many expectations for this age and once I turned 17 it wasn’t what I expected. I think you just realise that the person that you are, never changes but everything else does. Who are a few of your biggest musical influences? I have so many influences and for different reasons. I have artists like Lennon Stella, Catie Turner, Gracie Abrams, Rex Orange County, Lizzy McAlpine and John Mayer who inspire my song writing. Then there’s Billie Eilish and Finneas whose song writing and production I just love. Outside of music what do you enjoy doing? I love going out and seeing my friends or meeting new people, I get a lot of inspiration for my writing from being social. I also love reading, acting and animals. I always want to be a vet until I realised, I needed to do a lot more science subjects then I was doing.

Where would you like to take your music for the rest of 2021 and beyond? I’d like to release more music and hopefully connect with even more people through my songs. The music industry has been hit hard this last 18 months but I’d love to be doing more gigs and playing my music for people. Beyond that I hope to turn this passion of mine into my career.

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Georgia Hoareau’s moving debut single, ‘Seventeen’, is out now on all major streaming platforms. TO read the full interview, head over to blankstreetpress. com.au.

KOOLZ Brings The Summer Vibes

Introducing Chiffon Magnifique

Charming Lowfi Business

Tayiha Hits Her Stride

My Kind Of Chaos Rise From The Ashes

Jesswar Delivers

Idle Hands and Rich Harmonies

Joseph Vea Mixes Things Up

Another track oozing with summer vibes this month is KOOLZ’s RnB jam ‘Beach Daze’. Co-written by local hip-hop artist Scopes and featuring the distinct carefree vocal flow of LEMAIRE, the track was written about enjoying a classic mid summers costal afternoon. With some serious 90s throwback polished pop / RnB production ‘Beach Daze’ has us excited for what's to come in KOOLZ’s forthcoming debut EP.

After a experiencing a particularly tumultuous time over the last 12 months, My Kind Of Chaos seem to have risen from the ashes with a new lineup, tour dates and a re-release of their 2020 record ‘The Monster Stirs’. Featuring eight high-energy 90s punk rock inspired tracks that are sure to put fire a in your belly, the raucous energy in this record seems to be even more relevant now than it was in 2020. You can catch them performing at Vinnie’s Dive on 11 November, and be sure to check out our interview with frontman Nic in this edition.

Telsa Coils front man Jed Walters is bringing us into his dark and mysterious musical world yet again with the first release under his brand-new project Chiffon Magnifique. ‘Abomination’ mixes the industrial rhythms and ambiance of a Nine Inch Nails track with the quirky guitar sounds and baritone vocal effects of the post-punk era. Written, performed and produced all in his home studio, ‘Abomination’ is creative expression at its finest.

Hot off the back of winning Breakout Artist Of The Year at the Gold Coast Music Awards, local hip-hop icon Jesswar has released a killer new single ‘BAD LIKE RIRI’. Paying homage to the American superstar Rihanna, the track features a huge collab with Erica Banks of US Tok-tok fame. With savage vocal flow behind a grimy backing the track is raw and unapologetic - a sound that has become unmistakably Jesswar’s own.

After a huge year of releases, Business are continuing to solidify themselves within the Gold Coast music scene with their second EP of 2021 ’a weekend at finn’s’. Charming Low-fi production is complemented by solid songwriting and an excellent mix of indie guitar-based tunes that range from the fuzzy rock vibes of the opener ‘dreaming again’ to the intimate performance of the EP’s closer ‘home’. A real start-to-finish beauty here from Business.

Local alt-country six-piece These Idle Hands have finally followed up their stunning debut album ‘Petrichor’ with the harmony filled single ‘Wandering’. Led by a loosely strummed acoustic guitar, the dreamy folk ballad is complemented by playful slide guitar, stunning vocals and ruminating lyrical content. You can catch the band in action this month at Groundwater Country Music Festival.

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Adding to the positive vibes of this month’s fantastic batch of new releases is Tayiha with her polished pop single ‘Good Energy’. Likened to Tylor Swift, Tayiha seems to have the same knack of injecting authenticity into her take on pop music through powerful unfiltered vocals and relatable lyrical content. At only 16 years of age and with every single sounding better than the last it’s clear that Tayiha has a bright future.

Joseph Vea continues to experiment with his sound on his latest remix collaboration ‘Find Me (UK Garage Remix)’. Featuring verses by NZ rapper Rizvan and the electronic breakbeat inspired production of TamaGotchi, the remix completely flips the script on what you would come to expect from the typical soul flavours of Joseph’s previous work. Paired with a narrativebased film clip that focuses on overuse of mobile devices, ‘Find Me (UK Garage Remix)’ is a refreshing new offering that has all come together beautifully.

Naomi Connell’s Intimate Acoustic Gem

Naomi Connell has taken our breath away with her beautifully intimate acoustic gem ‘Strangers’. With just a voice and guitar Connell manages to captivate the listener from start to finish through clever wordplay and striking vocal delivery reminiscent of early Laura Marling. Telling the heartbreaking tale of a couple growing apart in love, ‘Strangers’ stands tall as one of the strongest local releases this month.

Hart’s Emotive Rock

Harry J Hart is continuing his stellar year with the release of the well-rounded theatrical pop-rock EP ‘Holding On For My Life’. A collection of songs written about the demise of a relationship, the six tracks take the listener on an emotional journey from the post honeymoon phase opener ‘Who We Are’ to the lingering finality of ’Calls Out’. With emotive rock songwriting reminiscent of a young Daniel Johns, Harry J Hart’s Debut EP well and truly delivers on its anticipation.

Spillage Channel Santa’s Beard

Spillage are giving it to us straight this month with their meat-andpotatoes rock track ‘Feeling Good Today’. Written about the joys of life and the importance of good friendships, Gold Coast based front man Sam De Pasquale describes the track's vibe as "warm and fuzzy" – like Santa’s beard, a hilarious yet strangely fitting illustration of the rugged 90’s inspired rock track.

Anita Springs’ Pure Country

Self-described as “pure country”, Anita Spring has collaborated with country music stalwart Allan Caswell on her latest release ‘Changing My Mind’. Old time fiddle, slow tempo upright piano and emotive harmonies transport you through the swinging doors of saloon in a country-western movie. So, saddle up and hit play on this instant classic.

Future Star…

Local songwriter/producer Joey Bagley has teamed up with 11-year-old future star Lyla Edwards on the uplifting piano ballad ’What If I’. An idealistic song written about the karmic effect of our actions, the track carries an important message for future generations that is flawlessly delivered by Edwards’ stunning vocal. Powerful stuff here from some names that I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from in the future.

Gimmy Flowens Bursts With Colour

The Oogars front woman Gimmy Flowens has released the second single under her own name this month with the playful, post-punk inspired beauty ‘Don’t Be Afraid’. Born from a restless, self-analysing moment about empowering yourself through risk-taking, the track and it’s vibrant accompanying video seem to burst with colour both sonically and visually.

Like every month, we couldn’t write about everything we wanted to, so here is a handful of extra tracks we couldn’t squeeze in but really deserve a listen…

Heavy Wax’s Reggae Earworm

Heavy Wax are getting us prepped for summer with their feel-good groover ‘Take Life Easy’. Driven by a one-drop beat, the track features all the elements of a classic reggae tune from the skanking guitar to the bright horn fills and a chorus that will stick in your head instantly. Written about removing the noise that surrounds us in life, ‘Take Life Easy’ a certified hit, easily Heavy Wax’s strongest release to date.

Mitch King’s Soul Lifting Anthem

Local acoustic hit maker Mitch King has gifted us with another euphoric, blues-infused single ‘Higher’ from his latest EP ‘The Open Doors’. Building from a raw guitar/vocal intro the track channels Mitch’s famous live energy adding layer upon layer of guitar, rhythms and vocals to create a body of sound that seems to lift your soul. Accompanied by a charming video featuring some cool local footage shot at Blues On Broadbeach earlier this year, ‘Higher’ is the full package.

Georgia Hoareau Has Our Attention

Georgia Hoareau has certainly grabbed our attention this month with her excellent debut single ’17’. Channeling the intimate pop vibes of Olivia Rodrigo, Georgia brings us into the allconsuming world of a teenager navigating new freedoms and responsibilities. Simply beginning with a stunning vocal accompanied by piano the track slowly grows adding mostly organic instrumentation to create an honest sound that dances between storytelling indie-folk and modern pop. Really strong stuff here from this new young talent. Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

The Medicine Hat Conspiracy, (Self Titled Album)

Casey Barnes, ‘ Gone Gone Gone’

PHARAOHS, ‘Fable’

Send your music, press kit and a high res photo to newmusic@ blankstreetpress. com.au Curated monthly by Zac Fahey

Girl And Girl EP,

’A Typical Friday Night’

Amy Elise, ‘Only 16’

Wet Season, ‘Drift’

A scholarship backed by Rolling Stone magazine.

That’s Excellent. The scholarship, designed to support a Contemporary Music student at Southern Cross University, is a partnership between one of Australia’s most vibrant music universities and the world renowned magazine. Our music degrees are delivered at Coomera on the Gold Coast and at our Northern Rivers campus in Lismore by lecturers who are practicing musicians with strong industry links. Start your music career at Southern Cross University and join our growing community of talented graduates making music on stages and in studios around the world. Applications for the scholarship are open now until 13 December, 2021.

Apply now for 2022. scu.edu.au/music

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When The Walls Talk: Artist Smalls Words by Amelia Green - Photography by Smalls

CBD Sundown: Laneway Cabaret Words by Natalie O’Driscoll

Vibrant, bold and layered-to-perfection, every Smalls piece enchants audiences, whether viewed up close, or from afar. In fact, this artist’s work jumps off the wall and into your memory. Remarkably, Smalls paints a diverse array of subjects and styles, from people and lettering, to flora and fauna, with incredible depth and expertise. An absolute master of his craft, passion and exceptional precision tie his dynamic body of graffiti, street, mural and illustration art together. Over his 12-year professional art career, Smalls has worked with high-profile clients across the country such as Westfield, MasterBuilders Australia, Rebel Sport and Nike. He also has extensive experience delivering workshops for schools and youth.

yourself into your art and when you see people really, genuinely enjoy it, or stop and say ‘thank you’, it’s pretty special. It’s a unique sort of art from in that you sort of pour yourself into the space during the creation, and then leave it, to possibly never see it in person again. So knowing that it’s left in the view of those who enjoy and appreciate it is a real highlight for me. What are some of the obstacles or challenges creating art in public?

We sat down with Smalls to chat about his public art practice, how the Gold Coast shapes his work and street art more broadly.

Oh man, in terms of OH&S concerns, being a mural artist is cooked! Balancing awkwardly 3 meters up a ladder in the sun, breathing in fumes for 12 hours a day – I know my back, shoulders and lungs are all just like “bruh, what are you doing?” And in a public space there’s often a list of logistical and access issues to overcome as well; not to mention the stress and self-doubt that’s involved in creating something in the public eye – But still, best job I’ve ever had and I wouldn’t change a thing.

How would you describe your street, graffiti and mural art, to someone who has never seen your work before?

What is one thing more people should know about street art?

I find it difficult to describe which sounds weird, but I’ve always felt the importance of maintaining a broad range of skills, in a variety of mediums and subjects. I feel this allows me to learn from and integrate different mediums and styles together, and also combine learning from alternative practices to try be the best artist I can be. My background involves graffiti, tattooing and a mix of hip hop, and hardcore music which influences my work; but I also enjoy portraiture and nature inspired themes.

That without graffiti, without the tags, street art as it is, wouldn’t exist. I get people all the time come up to say they like my work but hate graffiti – they hate tags, hate writers and wish they would do murals instead. And to me, that doesn’t make sense. Street art has roots in graffiti, it’s grown from graffiti and shares the same soil. Sure, you can like one more, or prefer and appreciate it more, but you can’t love the butterfly and hate the caterpillar.

What do you enjoy most about creating art in public space? Sounds a bit corny, but I think the reactions and joy it brings to the viewers does it for me. You put so much of

Gold Coasters can check out some of Smalls’ recent work firsthand at Cheeky’s Bar in Surfers Paradise and the Burleigh Motel…. and hopefully many more to come! Visit iwritesmalls.com and @iwritesmalls for more. Visit blankstreetpress.com.au for the full interview. Blank - issue #92 - November 2021

Following on from the huge success of October’s inaugural multi-arts event CBD Sundown in Southport, City of Gold Coast is upping the ante with November’s offering, bringing circus to the masses for CBD Sundown: Laneway Cabaret on 26 November. It’s not every night you get to see a circus but that is just what’s in store for audiences at the next CBD Sundown. It will be a wild night of aerial performance, crazy juggling, acrobatics and acts that will boggle your mind. It’s fun, it's quirky, but best of all it’s local. We spoke with Gold Coast performer Laurinda Janlewicz about just what will be going down while the sun sets on 26 November. Can you tell me a bit about what you’ll be doing at the next CBD Sundown, and what audiences can expect? The next CBD Sundown series will take you on a journey through the wonder and delight of circus. Mr PP’s in Southport are hosting the evening bringing you a special Laneway Circus Cabaret. This circus is for adults with a bit of cheeky sexiness, hilarity and random surprise. There will be acts of aerial performance, acrobatics, object manipulation, music and fire. Be impressed and inspired by local Gold Coast circus artists doing extraordinary things. Why should Gold Coasters come along to the next CBD Sundown? It's different! Activating Mr. PP’s back laneway and carparks with circus exuberance and pizzazz. Local professional circus artists are collaborating together mixing their talents and creating a unique flavour of entertainment for Gold Coast City. It's free from 6-9pm. So grab your friends and get a glimpse of what the local Gold Coast circus community can do from 6pm – 9pm on Friday 26 November at Mr PP’s Southport and various cospaces, for CBD Sundown: Laneway Cabaret. Like all the CBD Sundowns, there will be roving performers, live art and delicious food and drink options. This is a free event, but you can register through Eventbrite for updates.