Paula from Tasmania
BY PAULA XIBERRAS
IT’S HAMILTON THE MUSICIAN! I recently caught up with one of Australia’s stars in Hollywood, Nicholas Hamilton. Nicholas is best known for the two ‘IT’ movies. He’s also acted alongside such Hollywood stars as Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving and Jessica Chastain. As well as acting, Nicholas is a talented songwriter and musician and calls himself an actor-musician, saying each form of expression is equally important to him. Nicholas comes from a musical family with both his parents and his brother involved in music. Nicholas is back in Australia to visit his family after COVID’s exile and also take advantage of the thriving music and film business in Australia at the moment. His new single ‘In Line’ tells the story of his move to LA for an acting career as a ‘terrified’ eighteen year old, setting out alone. After a scary start, Nicholas has become independent and disciplined, the latter evidenced in his writing with staff writers in LA. Nicholas talks of the dystopian feeling of arriving back in Australia for his fourteen days of quarantine but speaks well of the hotel and the good food. ‘IN LINE’ IS OUT NOW.
WHAT’S UP WITH YOU’RE SO VAIN Aussie band, songwriters and song interpreters Chocolate Starfish have a new single and new album out. I spoke to band member, vocalist Adam Thompson recently about the new single and album. The band’s interpretive talents turn to a re-creation of 90’s hit, 4 Non Blondes song ‘What’s Up’. It was in 1994 that Chocolate Starfish did a unique cover of another of their favourite songstresses, Carly Simon’s ‘You’re so Vain’. The band were living in LA in the 90’s when the song was released in Australia and played on MTV. Adam has been a big fan of Linda Perry from the 4 Non Blondes (so called because they didn’t fit the California blonde stereotype). Adam has long fantasised Chocolate Starfish singing with 4 Non Blondes. While the pandemic was frustrating in some aspects it did afford the band time to nurture their new songs and arrangements including ‘What’s Up’ says Adam. 78 | THE IRISH SCENE
BOTH ‘WHAT’S UP’ AND THE NEW ALBUM ‘BEAUTIFUL ADDICTION’ ARE OUT NOW.
