LOCALITY

[THE LATEST ON LOCAL MUSIC] WITH JANNAH FAHIZ. SEND GIGS AND INFO TO: [JANNAH.FAHIZ@GMAIL.COM]

Winter is officially here, but the music doesn’t stop! Grab your scarf and your beanie but, most importantly, don’t forget your dancing shoes! I’ve got a list of great gigs you’ll want to be tapping your toes at and, if you’re feeling ambitious, maybe you’ll want to get involved and put your performance skills to the test. Local events incoming!

After a successful debut last year, Mic Check is back as Mic Check 2! Hosted by NewBorn Noise and Cutlab, this will be a night not to miss. The event will be hosted by local hip hop legends MN Cappo (emcee, The Street University hip hop masterclasses) and Chemi-cal (scratch DJ and Canberra DMC Champion) who will be spinning the finest tunes for you. There will be an array of local hip hop artists as well as an open mic! So, if you’d like to give it a go, get in early for an opportunity to perform. It’ll take place on Saturday, 24 June from 9pm at Smith’s Alternative. Tickets are available for $20 via the Smith’s website.

What better way to spend your Sunday afternoon than enjoying the folk tunes of Josie Dunham! Catch her at Smith’s Alternative on Sunday, 25 June from 3pm until 5pm. Josie is immensely inspired by nature and relationships and uses her music to explore her connections, both physical and emotional.

This is Josie’s farewell show before she heads overseas for a while so you better catch her while you can. You may see some other talented guests joining her on stage too. Opening the show will be local musicians of the same high standard; Tab Hart and Julia Walker. Tickets are available via Smith’s Alternative’s website for $15.

Gia Ransome is heading on her east coast Crush tour and she’s bringing her band along for the ride. The final destination is a hometown show at The Shaking Hand on Friday, 30 June from 7:30pm. This tour is to celebrate the release of the brand new single which the tour is named after. Gia describes the sound as “indie rock/psychedelic pop with a hint of danger”. Also performing will be Sydney’s Drive By’s and our local Fin Geach. Tickets are available over at Humanitix for $15.

Our very own Burntout Bookings is turning 2 and thus is throwing a party to celebrate! Interstate bands Suzi (Melbourne), All Regards (Melbourne), and Goon Gremlins (NSW) will be hitting the stage along with locals Box Dye and Bad Lunar

If you aren’t already familiar with these fabulous musicians, you can expect a night of indie/rock and alternative. The venue will be serving food and drinks. Parking at this venue is limited and Burntout Bookings encourages you to carpool or use public transport/e-scooters.

And this event is all ages to boot, so bring the whole family! It’s taking place at Live at the Polo on Saturday, 8 July from 7pm. Tickets are $35 and are available via Humanitix.

Looking to get hands-on in the music scene? Canberra Eurosession takes place every Monday from 4pm - 6pm at Smith’s Alternative.

Inspired by the pan-European balfolk sessions in the UK, Adam Fenech is hosting these weekly free sessions and encourages all skill levels to come along.

As a group, you’ll play through a piece of music. There will be sheet music available or you can learn by ear. Either way, Adam will be there to guide you. Bring your choice of instrument to the next Monday session. For more info, contact Adam at canberraeurosession@gmail. com.

And that’s this month’s highlights! It may be getting cold out, but our local venues will warm both your hands and your hearts.

Happy gigging and all the best. Until the next one!

Emerging Canberra singer-songwriter, Leila, is only relatively new to the big, wide world of music, but she’s chalked up plenty o’ performances in short time. And no wonder.

Accompanying her folky acoustic pop sounds is a posivtively amazing voice. With a debut single in the offing, the time is now to get to know her better...

How did you start on this magical musical journey?

I have always loved to sing and have found it to be a great way to express myself. As a child, I was captivated by The Wiggles and would mimic them on TV for hours a day.

I would put on home ‘Christmas concerts’ for my family nearly every year just because I loved performing for people.

Before long, I started to use an instrument other than my voice. After I picked up the guitar and the piano, a love for creating my own songs, and twisting covers, developed.

Describe your sound:

Folky acoustic pop.

What key tracks should people check out?

I don’t have any tracks out at the moment but people should definitely give my Instagram or Facebook a follow if they like my sound. There are some exciting announcements coming up.

Who/What are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Birdy, Emeli Sande, Calum Scott, Amy Shark, P!nk, and Chris Stapleton have all inspired me in my music career so far.

What are some memorable experiences you’ve had?

Performing at Enlighten Festival as a part of the Illuminations, and performing at Relay For Life. Both experiences were really rewarding in so many ways.

What do you love about the scene?

The people - musicians, producers, booking agents, and more. At every level, everyone is there for one another, willing to give advice if one needs it.

It’s a really supportive environment.