Issue #18

PowerMouth Entertainment proudly presents

O U TH ZO FF Issue #18 2015

CELEBRATING QUEENSLAND’S MUSIC SCENE!

MAGAZINE

GUY PEARCE & DARREN MIDDLETON PLUS! SHAUN KIRK / CLEON’S 3 / CHRIS TIMMS / RELEASE THE HOUNDS CHRISTIAN TRYHORN / MOJO BURNING / AMANDA KAY / EVOL WALKS

WHAT’S INSIDE 4 | CLEON’S THREE

23 | MUSO-TO-MUSO

Cleon Barraclough dials it down at the Jazz Music Institute

A rant about music appreciation

6 | A NIGHT OF BLUES

Spotted on our local stages

Charlie Musselwhite headlines at The Triffid

8 | COVER STORY: GUY PEARCE & DARREN MIDDLETON We weren’t going to miss this!

12 | EVOL WALKS

A Brisbane favourite returns from the US with a new band and sound

24 | LIVE N’ LOCAL 28 | SHAUN KIRK

Playing it down at Lefty’s

32 | DARYL BRAITHWAITE Killing it (still) at The Hamilton Hotel

34 | BEATING A DIFFERENT DRUM

Interview with Christian Tryhorn of Beats Cartel & Mojo Burning Festival

14 | SOUND ADVICE: ACOUSTICS PART 1

36 | LAUNCH PAD

16 | THE CHRIS TIMMS EXPERIENCE

36 | AMANDA KAY

How does your room measure up?

An interview with a very clever man

18 | THE 1975

We caught their gig at the Brisbane Showground Marquee

20 | ALBUM/CD REVIEWS

A regular section providing free promotion for pro-active marketers

Talks travels, clulture and musical flavours

38 | RELEASE THE HOUNDS

On DIY-ing and being creative without a budget

Issue #18

1300 309 609 | info@mouthzoff.com

Editor & General Manager Abby Skye Founder & Sub-Editor Randy G Art Direction & Layout Abby Skye Ruby McKenner Writers Laura James Peter Muldoon Matt Thrower Kylie Cobb Kath Duell Abby Skye Matt Gleeson S S Shaman Randy G Angie Everingham Jim Corrigan Photographers Nadia Achilles Bob McGahan Graeme Plenter Jeff Ram Lauren Brodie Greg Elkenhans Web Development Ally Eastman Business Manager Wayne Ficnerski

Phone: 1300 309 609 Email: admin@mouthzoff.com Web: www.mouthzoff.com www.facebook.com/mouthzoff

MouthZoff Magazine is proudly made by this awesome crew of musicians and music lovers, among with many others not pictured.

If you love live music and would like to be part of the writing, photography or admin team, visit www.mouthzoff.com and say hi!

CLEON’S THREE EW I V E ER

LIV

Nearly four years after the release of “Globalectic” with The Soundscapes Quintet, composer and pianist Cleon Barraclough has dialled it down with Cleon’s Three, whose debut album “Techni-colour Rain” offers an energized and modern fusion of salsa, timba, funk and contemporary jazz. The ensemble kicks off their national tour at the JMI Live club in Bowen Hills, Brisbane, with forthcoming dates at most capital cities around Australia.

JMI (Jazz Music Institute) 8pm // Thursday 5 February

By Laura James Photography by Nadia Achilles

Cleon is a well-known face (and sound) around Queensland’s music scene – he’s performed with everyone from The Brisbane Contemporary Jazz Orchestra to Chukale, and the expanse of musical territory he covers only seems to enhance his diversity as a performer. Yet it seems to be in Cleon’s Three, at the junction of Afro-Cuban and jazz grooves, where the leader of the eponymous group really shines.

In opening number “Temporary Template,” the trio firmly establishes their trademark sound – tense, dissonant and vibrant – while showcasing the talents of Brisbane-based Sacha K on drums. This unique tune also heralds the beginning of what appears to be a

E masterclass in changing tempo, with its sudden shift from complex world patterns into a fast swing feel rousing an enthused cheer from the audience.

In other words, I would not have been surprised if I was witnessing a jam session, which was indeed enhanced by the venue’s intimate nature.

The title track “Techni-colour Rain” serves up a potpourri of styles with an emphasis on piano and electric bass: the soft rainfall of high keys in Cleon’s opening solo is reminiscent of [Cuban pianist] Ruben Gonzalez with elements of Debussy’s Préludes, while bassist Osmar ‘Chiky’ Salazar’s solo exudes a more traditional Cuban sound. In what is possibly the most technically innovative performance of the night, Sacha K supports these dual harmony lines of piano and bass with soft brushes and military-style drumming, making the piece a highlight of the set.

I particularly enjoyed “Season’s End,” whose slightly ambiguous title is clarified by an edgy and intricate theme driven by brooding, dense chords.

Penultimate number “Mambo Influenciado” is an interesting interpretation of a Chucho Valdés classic, complemented with a cheeky hint of cowbell by Sacha K. Cleon advises the audience that Salazar is actually from Valdés’ hometown, and I am reminded of the unspoken nostalgic connection often shared by musicians who hail from the same corner of the world.

The trio nicely ends the set on a distinctly Afro-Cuban note with the aptly titled “Sabor Cubamo” (“Cuban Flavour”).

Salazar, who was most recently on tour as the musical director and composer for “Ballet Revolucion,” extends his rich, smooth tones into “Aster.” As we enter the halfway point in the set, it’s clear that the trio has deep chemistry, though this connection is fluid enough to allow space for Salazar to engage with Cleon and Sacha individually. One benefit of the longer song lengths on the album, and of the solo-based and improvisational structure that characterises jazz in general, is that the musical rapport between band members is easily transferable to – and tangibly developed on – the stage.

All in all, JMI’s sleek and intimate venue is the perfect setting for this display of fearless and driven musicianship. Despite the sometimes unattainable complexity of the material, the liveliness of the performers and the progressive blend of so many diverse genres and sounds is bound to keep listeners guessing.

A NIGHT OF BLUE At The Triffid LIV

EW I V E ER

ES 8:00pm Thursday 26 February

By Matt Gleeson Photography by Nadia Achilles The “A Night of Blues” event was held at The Triffid (Newstead) on the evening of Thursday, 26 February. The headline act was the internationally acclaimed Charlie Musselwhite Band, supported by two local acts, the Mal Eastick Instrumental Trio (from Sydney) and the Buddy Knox Blues Band (from Tamworth).

Opening the festival was the Buddy Knox Blues Band, whose members include Buddy (lead vocals, Gibson guitar), Gareth Hudson (5-string electric bass, didgeridoo, double bass) and Teangi Knox (drums). The band played an appealing blend of southern American style blues (ala Freddie, Albert and B.B. King), original home-grown blues and a few Cajun-inspired tunes (with additional member Fiona Peters on accordion). I have enjoyed seeing Buddy’s clips on NITV’s “Volumz” music show, but this was the first time that I had seen him live. The overall performance quality was high, although the lyrics to “Sweet Home Chicago” received an interesting reworking! Buddy’s self-composed “Original Aboriginal” was a personal highlight with evocative lyrics and some inventive ‘amplified’ didgeridoo playing.

The second act was an instrumental trio led by Mal Eastick on lead guitar, and ably supported by Pete Kohlhoff on bass guitar and Rudy Miranda on drums. I was first introduced to Mal Eastick through his guitar work with Sydney-based rock band, STARS, who released a trio of albums in the latter part of the 1970’s, and left behind some memorable songs such as “Quick on the Draw”, “Mighty Rock” and “Look After Yourself”. Over the years, Mal has played with some of the highest profile musicians in the business including Buddy Guy, Eric Burdon, Jimmy Barnes, Kevin Borich and Phil Manning. The Mal Eastick

Instrumental Trio came out of the blocks with a ferocious onslaught of power rock blues featuring wailing guitar, heavily strung electric bass & powerful drums. However, there was a brief interlude when Mal Eastick recalled events on the day that Stevie Ray Vaughan had passed away, and a subsequent jam session that occurred with fellow Aussie guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. This was followed by the performance of two Stevie Ray Vaughan tunes including “Lenny” - a festival highlight.

The headline act finally hit the stage at 9:30pm, led by heavyweight blues harpist and vocalist Charlie Musselwhite, who was supported by Matthew Stubbs (guitar), Steve Froberg (bass) and June Core (drums).

The bandleader’s longevity goes back to the early 1960’s when he first arrived in Chicago and played with Big Joe Williams. His debut album “Stand Back!” was issued in February 1967. One of Charlie’s most recent collaborations was with Ben Harper on the “Get Up!” album, which won the 2014 Grammy Award in the Best Blues Album category. Charlie’s ability to narrate his life’s journey between songs and translate those experiences into his musical performances is commendable. Age certainly has not wearied him, and his spectacular stage presence and command of the audience was on show for all to see. Charlie’s harp playing and expressive vocals were in fine form. His band members also performed to a very high standard. Special mention should be made of June Core’s exemplary drumming technique.

The overall performance highlighted an international superstar at the top of his game, and the enthusiastic crowd looked on with absolute delight. Please come back soon, Mr. Musselwhite.

BROKEN TRANSL Guy Pearce & Darren Middleton Nambour Civic Centre || 7:30pm Friday 13 February W E I V

By Angie Everingham E R E V LI Photography Supplied MouthZoff Mag was front & centre when Guy Pearce & Darren Middleton brought their ‘Broken Translations’ tour to the Sunshine Coast. After beginning their tour late last year, this perhaps-’unlikely pairing’ had been touted as an unforgettable experience, and by the time it reached the Sunshine Coast, and the well attended show at QPAC in Brisbane the night before, it had already been receiving great reviews.

I had been looking forward to this show since buying tickets on the day of their release. It’s not every day talent like that comes to the coast, and I wasn’t going to miss this one! Those of you who have been fans and followers of the Brisbane music scene will know Middleton from his glory days in alternate rock band, Powderfinger. Those of you who have ever watched a little Aussie TV show called Neighbours, or been a fan of Australian movies will be well familiar with the work where Pearce has earned most of his acclaim – until now. It’s fair to say some in the crowd had come to see for themselves just how well Guy would transition from the stage and screen to the sharing this stage with Middleton, who he gracefully introduced as ‘one of Queensland’s favourite sons’.

Broken Translations rolled into sleepy Nambour on February 13th, after winding their way round the country with their band dubbed, “The Octobers”. So named, because it happens to be that all the members of the band celebrate their birthday in October … with Guy & Darren making some sort of reference to their respective parents all having a lot of ‘drunk sex’ in January!

Whatever it was, the combination works like a well oiled machine, with the Octobers (drums, bass, violin and two fabulous female backing vocalists) as much a part of the performance as the two frontmen.

The Broken Translations tour melds ‘Translations’, Darren Middleton’s 2013 offering, and Guy Pearce’s ‘Broken Bones’ from 2014; and celebrates their emergence as solo artists. Both are fantastic albums in their own right, and come highly>

I had been looking forward to this show since buying tickets on the day of their release.

It’s not every day talent like that comes to the coast, and I wasn’t going to miss this one!

LATIONS

recommended to add to your personal collection.

Together, the two sets of tunes blend perfectly, as the artists share the stage, and confidently provide eachother’s backing vocals in a seamless fashion.

The intimate setting in the local civic centre was the perfect arena to give life to the songs. The night opened with the stage in darkness - then one spotlight illuminates one man and one keyboard … it’s Guy, introducing us to his album by singing the title tune, Broken Bones. What a voice! I mean, I knew he could hold a tune, but the man can really SING!

it has a level of comfort of watching two old mates jamming together and playing you some of their favourite tunes.

Next Darren and the Octobers join Guy on stage and we are treated to the beautiful tune, ‘Time’s On Your Side’ from his album, Translations. For a perfectly simple song, the words are powerful and the delivery is sweetly carried by the delicate harmonies and melodic tune. It’s fair to say it’s one of my personal favourites, from an album which has been on my high rotation list for a good while now. Next comes Darren’s song ‘Sunrise’, which he explains is a song he came to realise he had written about his daughter.

When Guy steps forward to deliver his song ‘Storm’, you realise he’s one of those singers whose voice is at its best when he’s nearing the top of his vocal range. The power in his voice when he really belts it out is quite impressive, and he delivers the song with conviction, ably backed up by harmonies from Darren and the band.

One could be forgiven for thinking this outfit had been together for quite some time; however they’ve only been collaborating since last year when an industry contact suggested they should maybe do some work together…nicely played! The chemistry between these two artists on stage goes well beyond a couple of musos who have just become used to eachother; rather they blend their style and personalities so

well, it has a level of comfort of watching two old mates jamming together and playing you some of their favourite tunes.

Other highlights as the show progresses are “Leader of the Land”, “Taste” and the vocally impressive “Overflow” from Pearce’s self-produced, Broken Bones. Darren’s songs “Lover’s Shoes” and “Be With You” further breathes life to ‘Translations’ and a powerfully delivered rendition of Powderfinger’s “The Metre” rounds out the evening, leaving us all wanting more.

Apart from the excellent entertainment on stage, the highlight of the evening for me came after the show, when waiting at the merch table; watching the crowd line up to meet the two artists. Many of the waiting crowd were lining up to have their newly purchased albums autographed, hoping to briefly meet the pair, and take an awkward selfie which would no doubt soon hit their Facebook pages.

Both Darren and Guy patiently worked the crowd like the seasoned professionals they are, but it was Guy who made someone’s night when he took all the time in the world to meet and talk with her, as she had pushed through the crowd to meet her idol.

She was right next to me – a young, blonde haired woman with Down’s Syndrome, who I later met as Renee. Renee had brought her DVD copy of ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ to the show, and it appeared to be her life’s goal to have Guy sign it. She was so incredibly excited to meet him, and when he stopped, and took the time to linger and chat with her and sign the DVD and make jokes about his naked bottom gracing the front cover … she may as well have been the only person in the room. Her eyes lit up, and welled with tears - it was a beautiful thing to see, and it perfectly capped of a memorable night of soulful music.

If Broken Translations comes to your area – do yourself a favour and experience it. If you’ve missed it live this time round, pick up a copy of Broken Bones, and Translations, and be impressed by what’s coming out of the local music industry…I know I was.

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CRACKIN’ THE

WALLS It’s Friday night in Brisbane’s fortitude valley, the centre hub for clubs and live performance in Brisbane and also the best place to catch our city’s more characteristic personalities from around town. But tonight I’m here for a greater purpose, my first live review of Evol Walks coming direct from the USA promoting their new single ‘Buzzed’. Evol Walks front-woman is Queensland’s own Leah Martin-Brown with supporting members CJ and Zac on guitars, Ian on bass and Andreas on Drums. This group have assembled a pan-pacific hard-rock clan combining legendary sounds of Aussie rock and historic overtones of classic American rock, producing a modern rock’n’roll resonance for the next generation, and I love it! However, on this night, not all band members could attend the gig and Leah instead called on some former Lilly Rouge members who were energised for the night and together they gave Ric’s Bar a sonically smashing dose of Evol.

‘Evol Walks’ has incarnated as a Hard Rock outfit to release their first single under the direction of L.A. producer Brian Howes (Nickleback, Airborne). When I asked Leah how it came to be, she explained, “I was contacted in December 2013 by a representative of the A&R Company who now look after us. They had heard some music I’d written and performed … and told me I needed to come to the States as they believed I had something that could be quite successful. Next thing you know- I’m on a plane headed to Los Angeles!” Over the last 12 months the band has worked hard both on stage and in the studio to pump out some brand new tunes for their fans and a growing audience from the Australian coast to California. I asked Leah how she thinks American fans are dealing with more aussies moving in to show off our rock-socks “Everyone we have encountered in the States has been very receptive to what Evol Walks has to offer, they love Australians and they love their rock and roll”.

Back to Friday night in the Valley at Rics Bar and supporting act, Love Hate Rebellion, get on stage for

With Evol LIVE REVIEW Walks

their set and do a great job warming up the crowd.

After a short break I see a bright flame-topped red headed front-woman setting up her mic, and the other four members squeezing onto the short stage and after a short introduction, bang! The energy is released into the crowd, opening with Heart-Breakin Woman, a good hard song and a great show opener. I had to ask Leah about this song and her writing angle, “I was inspired by the numerous classic rock songs referring to women as heartbreakers and soul stealers etc and thought it would be awesome to write a song like that from the woman’s perspective…” yea, I can dig that!

The band continued their set rocking the stage so hard the drummer worked the house kit floor tom off stage right but never missed a beat! The bouncing Bass-man was just awesome, tall and shaven moving like Peter Garret snorting pepper-corns on a floor of raspberry jelly but a whole lot more co-ordinated. At different times Leah and the band were getting down into the crowd and making close contact with the audience, who were a little surprised at first seeing the band was so willing to connect with them up close. Some of this was necessary as anyone who knows Ric’s bar knows the limited space Bands have to perform in, but their performance was so natural. Leah’s powerful vocal ability rocked out nicely with strength and agility however, the vocal tone was a little lost again due to the house set up as the audience has to stand directly under the Front of House speakers which muzzles a portion of the vocals from all the other noise levels occurring in the same acoustic space.

So here is what I got from Evol Walks as a performing band. First, they look the part, when you see these guys they are relaxed and easy going but take their work seriously, I think they could maybe glam up their wardrobe just a bit more for their tour though, the relaxed Aussie presentation of jeans and t-shirt shines through a bit too much in Aussie rock, that’s not a bad

RICS BAR || 8pm Friday 6 March

By S.S. Shaman || Photography by Greg Elkenhans thing, its who we are but where’s the ego driven INXS rock glammar gone? The band has a tight sound on stage and well rehearsed with everyone knowing their part in the performance but also love showing off their energy and desire to impress an audience. Its also good to see a singer with her own microphone because it tells me that the singer knows their own voice well, its qualities and limits and makes use of the proper equipment to bring out their best qualities. The audience was a little slow to return the energy and just received the spectacle at first but I think that’s just an inherent response most touring musicians get from Queenslanders, yet once we get excited we get loud and wild, and it was not different this night.

The band was powerful, as I told Leah afterwards, “if you played anymore songs I think the walls would start to crack in half!” Why? A band like Evol Walks could easily meet the Calibre of The Angels or the Baby Animals and anyone who has seen these Bands know that they need a bit of space to really pump and expose their quality. The issue with Ric’s bar is that it just wasn’t the right size for these guys to really shine, but a good powerful performance from Evol Walks and definitely a band I will be watching.

Now, if you missed them, you will have to wait a little longer as they prepare for a US Tour and an upcoming EP Debut later in the Year and then they shall return to us again for a new Aussie tour after that. Let the thunder from down under that is Leah of Evol Walks smash it on!

SOUND ADVICE WITH

Peter Muldoon

ACOUSTICS PART 1

HOW DOES YOUR ROOM MEASURE UP? Acoustics is something all of us in the audio industry will have to deal with at some point in time. Whether it is the joy of capturing the acoustics of a beautifully treated room or, more often than not, battling against the acoustics of a terrible sounding home studio, acoustics is something that we simply cannot avoid. In this set of articles we will be looking at ways to treat common issues associated with acoustics within the home studio. I’m not going to bore you with the theory of acoustics or tell you who Wallace Clement Sabine or Oscar Bonello are (but by all means Google their names). Instead I will try to condense my knowledge of acoustics into something practical that you can immediately start applying to your home studio. In this issue we’ll look at how you can measure the acoustics of your studio and the difference between the control room and the live room.

Despite what you may have heard, larger rooms do not necessarily have better sounding acoustics than smaller rooms. Whether you are mixing in one or the other there is still a lot of emphasis put on the fact that the environment a song is mixed in can be the make or break of a great mix. These days most people’s control rooms consist of a carpeted bedroom with a few items of furniture. Lucky for most, this is already quite an acceptable listening environment for mixing music.

The idea is to have as flat a frequency response as possible. If this is not the case don’t worry, there are many ways you can improve the sound of your room.

The first thing you could do to check whether your room is acoustically ideal is to refer to something called the Bolt Ratio.

This is a graph that relies purely on the size of a room. The x axis displays the width of a room while the y axis displays the length. Without getting into too much detail, the idea is to have your room fall within the circled area on the graph. If it does not then you can choose to change the size of your room until it does. For example, this could mean placing an extra wall or surface somewhere along the length of the room to shorten it. If your room falls way beyond the measurements listed in the graph, then you can simply half or quarter them to make it fit. For example a room 5m x 4m would be equal to a room that is 2.5m x 2m. Beware though, as this should only

be used as a guide since it does not take into consideration any other aspects of a room. There are many great rooms in the world that do not fit within the circle and there are many terrible rooms that do.

To ensure a more accurate reading of your room it may be best to measure it with a microphone and some measuring software (ie. FuzzMeasure Pro for mac or RoomEQWizard for PC). The websites you download the software from will usually tell you how to set it all up and measure your room properly, but the general gist is that your speakers send out a sine wave and the frequency response is measured. Some software also measures things such as reverb, but we’ll get to that in another issue. Once you have your measurements you can then start to make the necessary changes to your room based on the frequency response you receive.

If you are lucky enough to have a separate live room in your home studio you can also measure the acoustics within it.

With this room you are also looking to achieve a flat frequency response as this will give you the closest representation of the instruments you are recording. Although different live may each have a fairly flat response, they can still differ greatly in how they sound. In most cases these differences are intentional, with a particular sound of a live room being part of the reason for a studio’s success. This can be determined by all sorts of things such as the dimensions, materials and treatment of the space. With live rooms you can add a touch of personal preference in choosing how you treat your live room.

If you like that there is a slight boost around 100Hz then don’t try to treat it. Keep in mind though that you don’t really want to be battling nasty room tones when it comes time to mix.

If you are even luckier and have two or more live rooms in your home studio it could be a great idea to create different acoustics for each. For example, you could have a room that pleasantly boosts 80Hz for recording drums and another that allows a little more 8kHz for guitar or vocals. Doing this would provide more choice for you and your artists when recording, but keep in mind that none of this really matters when you are only close miking.

Where your control room and live room happen to be the same room it is best to treat it for mixing. It is always best to put the emphasis on the mixing environment as the final mix is what people will hear at the end of the day. Next issue we will look at the difference between absorption and diffusion and discover what materials can be used to achieve different results in your home studio.

CHRIS TIMM W

IE V R E T IN

Interview/Story by Matt Thrower Photography supplied CHRIS TIMMS is not only one of the state’s busiest and most gifted guitarists, he’s also a writer and performer of heartfelt progressive rock with his massively talented band The Chris Timms Experience. Matt Thrower caught up the musician to discuss music, lyrics and his new album “The Second Chapter”.

How would you describe the progress from your debut album “The Journey Home” to “The Second Chapter”? In some ways, I consider “The Journey Home” as an experiment as it was the first time I’d attempted a release by doing everything myself. It wasn’t one of those jobs where you show up to the studio for a few hours, play and then leave everything in the hands of someone else. I was literally flying solo.

After it was released, I was able to really assess what worked well and what didn’t work so well and create a 2nd album that is more polished and has more focus with “The Second Chapter.” I think that’s what it’s all about - that constant learning curve you go through with each project.

The song “No Longer Welcome” is quite epic and divided into three parts. How did this song come about? “No Longer Welcome” was a funny one actually. I originally wrote Part 1 and took it to the guys in the band and I decided to record it with them in the studio. It was released in 2012 as “No Longer Welcome” and was going to make its way on “The Second Chapter” as it was released. After I released it and continued the sessions on the album, I

found myself going back to “No Longer Welcome” and hearing extensions of melodies and certain variations of rhythms and I realized that this tune wasn’t finished. So, I began the work on Parts 2 and 3. As you hear it on the album now, Part 1 was recorded with The Experience, while Parts 2 and 3 were recorded in my home studio.

It was a massive task bringing that track together to its true completion but I think it finally came out well after a couple of years of work.

A combination of elements seems to influence your lyrics, from faith to life observations. How do you go about writing lyrics for your songs and what inspires you? Yeah, the concept of faith is an interesting one as I think it’s a vital part to the human condition that we often overlook. We tend to place an emphasis on faith in a religion or a God that we choose to follow (often described as leaps of faith) but there are what I would call “smaller steps of faith” that we use multiple times a day without even thinking about it. Like when we sit at the breakfast table and trust that the chair we are sitting on will support our weight or when we turn on the taps at the bathroom sink and trust that water will come out of the spout. We aren’t really clouded by doubt or confusion that “maybe” the taps won’t work or maybe that chair will wobble and break, we just accept it as we go to turn on the taps or sit on that chair. I think people are pretty complex, fascinating and interesting, capable of incredible things

MS

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?

and unfortunately, sometimes we are capable of terrible things. There’s a rich well of influence in the human condition, seeing it in others for sure, but also finding the strength to be vulnerable enough to look deep within yourself.

Do you have a favourite song on The Second Chapter? If so, why is this your favourite? Haha! It’s a good time to ask me this as I went back just the other day and listened to it for the first time in roughly six months. I don’t spend a great deal of time listening to my music but for me, I’m usually buzzed by the tracks that are more challenging which will usually come with the “epic tracks” (longer song lengths, structure, many sections) so I guess at the moment, it would be “No Longer Welcome.” Many people have been drawn to “The Disconnected” or “Walking With You”. One guy mentioned he really enjoyed “It’s My Life” over every other track on the album so I guess it’s different for everybody.

Your blogs describe your early influences such as AC/ DC and Jimi Hendrix. How did you get into the more progressive rock influences that are very prevalent in the Chris Timms Experience sound? I think looking back, it’s just been a natural progression for me. AC/DC are masters of the straight ahead hard rock track and I was really first drawn to them through “The Razors Edge” and the track “Thunderstruck” and the power of that electric

guitar sound. From there, I was just consuming as much music from the guitar heroes of the 20th century, so it didn’t take me too long to get to Hendrix. Jimi really got the ball rolling for a lot of guitar heroes and the next generation to come out of that. He just took things to another level. I came into a love of metal music through high school and then I came across players like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Gary Moore, Eric Clapton and David Gilmour who taught me of the dynamics of the instrument and that it was ok to not be playing on 11 all the time. Ballads became cooler to me as well. So of course by that point, prog rock appealed to me and gave me the freedom to go wherever I wanted as an artist.

Who are some of your biggest influences as a guitarist?

Well yeah I guess I glossed over my high school influences earlier so I should talk about those musos as well. Through high school I was listening to a lot of those hard rock/metal guitar heroes of the late 70’s to early 90’s. Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Randy Rhoads, Paul Gilbert, James Hetfield, Dimebag Darrell, Tony Iommi, Dave Mustaine and Adrian Smith/Dave Murray from Iron Maiden are all influential to my playing. I think it’s cool to acknowledge and respect these guys for the unique identity and sound they all have.

These guys could all play the same riff/melody and they would all sound like themselves. They found their own voice and that’s something I knew I had to strive to find from an early age. >

... How would you describe the progress from your debut album “The Journey Home” to “The Second Chapter”? In some ways, I consider “The Journey Home” as an experiment as it was the first time I’d attempted a release by doing everything myself. It wasn’t one of those jobs where you show up to the studio for a few hours, play and then leave everything in the hands of someone else. I was literally flying solo. After it was released, I was able to really assess what worked well and what didn’t work so well and create a 2nd album that is more polished and has more focus with “The Second Chapter.” I think that’s what it’s all about - that constant learning curve you go through with each project.

The song “No Longer Welcome” is quite epic and divided into three parts. How did this song come about? “No Longer Welcome” was a funny one actually. I originally wrote Part 1 and took it to the guys in the band and I decided to record it with them in the studio. It was released in 2012 as “No Longer Welcome” and was going to make its way on “The Second Chapter” as it was released. After I released it and continued the sessions on the album, I found myself going back to “No Longer Welcome” and hearing extensions of melodies and certain variations of rhythms and I realized that this tune wasn’t finished. So, I began the work on Parts 2 and 3. As you hear it on the album now, Part 1 was recorded with The Experience, while Parts 2 and 3 were recorded in my home studio. It was a massive task bringing that track together to its true completion but I think it finally came out well after a couple of years of work.

A combination of elements seems to influence your lyrics, from faith to life observations. How do you go about writing lyrics for your songs and what inspires you? Yeah, the concept of faith is an interesting one as I think it’s a vital part to the human condition that we often overlook. We tend to place an emphasis on faith in a religion or a God that we choose to follow (often described as leaps of faith) but there are what I would call “smaller steps of faith” that we use multiple times a day without even thinking about it. Like when we sit at the breakfast table and trust that the chair we are sitting on will support our weight or when we turn on the taps at the bathroom sink and trust that water will come out of the spout. We aren’t really clouded by doubt or confusion that “maybe” the taps won’t work or maybe that chair will wobble and break, we just accept it as we go to turn on the taps or sit on that chair. I think people are pretty complex, fascinating and interesting, capable of incredible things and unfortunately, sometimes we are capable of terrible things. There’s a rich well of influence in the human condition, seeing it in others for sure, but also finding the strength to be vulnerable enough to look deep within yourself.

THE 19 Social philosophy and a humid moonlit night may seem like the perfect ingredients for a grown-up evening, but the teenage crowds are relishing them at The 1975’s final Australian show of their Asia-Pacific tour on Sunday. During the aptly titled “Pressure,” lead vocalist and provocateur Matt Healy requests the crowd, to whom he refers as “a big mass of individual persons,” to take two steps back from the stage in the hope that “in this Darwinian process, the fittest will survive.”

His humble entreaty is justified: unparalleled support for the band’s only Brisbane show necessitated a move from art deco theatre The Tivoli (standing capacity 1500) to the over 7000-person capacity Marquee at the Brisbane Showgrounds.

Boasting an impressive catalogue of tracks from their selftitled debut album, this indie rock band from Manchester have supported acts such as Muse and the Rolling Stones, and return to masses of Australian fans on the anniversary of their 2014 tour at Big Day Out. My fellow concertgoers – adolescents and concerned parents alike – have their phones and selfie sticks raised for opening song “The City,” which emphasises Healy’s adept vocal technique and charismatic stage presence. But it’s performances of hits such as “M.O.N.E.Y” where the band – guitarist Adam Hann, drummer George Daniel and bassist Ross MacDonald – truly exemplifies their deep connection to each other and their craft. Syncopated synth melodies are richly layered under the slightly weak wah-guitar pedal, giving

975

EW I V E ER

LIV

The Marquee at the Brisbane Showgrounds 6:30pm Sunday 18 January

By Laura James || Photography Supplied

the more sombre lyrics (“has he got enough money to spend?”) an unusually optimistic feel.

Yet it is precisely this juxtaposition that typifies The 1975’s current sound. The variety of intermingling genres within their songs suggests they resist categorisation, but their Brisbane appearance demonstrates a certain nuance that distinguishes them from the rock genre’s typical Wall of Sound formula. “Settle Down,” one of my personal favourites, is palpably Michael Jackson-esque with its edgy combination of 80s funk rhythms and Healy’s aching falsetto. The anthemic “Heart Out” is reminiscent of College and Electric Youth’s popular soundtrack hit “A Real Hero,” with the introduction of John Waugh on sax giving the song a lush 80s ambience.

During “Me,” the audience is asked to put their phones away, allowing the band to showcase their indie chops with a static beat, subdued sax and digital harmonies wafting overhead. The 1975 have clearly succeeded in creating palatable yet intelligent music for their young demographic, but the lack of a bridge in almost every song means that the build-up of power and energy doesn’t always push through. That being said, one of the special moments was Healy and Waugh’s low-key performance of “Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You.” The soft piano ballad not only lends itself to the

addition of saxophone (not in the original recording), but Healy’s voice reveals an emotive storytelling ability and skilful mixed registration balance.

For a four- (occasionally five-) piece band, the scale of the show is immense. I’ll take this opportunity to give well-deserved snaps to the crew at the Brisbane Showgrounds, because their lighting skills are outstanding. The combination of geometric shapes of light and billowing stage smoke had the ethereal effect of moonlight passing through clouds, and significantly enhanced the band’s polished blackand-white aesthetic. The 1975 clearly run a tight ship, and their moody atmosphere, anthemic tracks and genuinely heartfelt lyrics have captivated Generation Y in a big way. Their ability to draw in a large live audience from this demographic and maintain a connection with them is only encouraging in an era where listeners are often satisfied with the online music experience.

Right before the encore of their best-loved hits “Chocolate” and “Sex,” Healy captures the spirit of the evening with his final philosophical musing: “...the world does shit things lots. But music transcends that superficiality, and we are all here together because of music. So let’s be one.”

ALBUM/SINGLE REVIEWS

CHRIS TIMMS

ELBURY

D’ANGELO & THE VANGUARD

From the opening track you know this is going to be explosive. You’re immediately sucked in to the journey you just feel this album will be.

The 3rd release from Brisbane Folk Indie band Elbury presents a collection of thought-provoking melodic originals reflecting the esoteric and gestalt fundamentals of urban city life.

‘White Wine” is a spacious yet mild harmonic introduction, pressed by the deep earthy tones of Tom Beith’s bass and Michael’s ghostly guitar melodies.

Edward’s charmed yet mellow vocals has wisps of Syd Barrett and Paul Simon kneaded through; “My path is worn into the floor, From every night before” to “Big Friday night, I pause, slowly to begin, But then I plunge on in”. Demasquerade is telling real stories, such as the track Way Down Queen, about a pedestrian struck down by traffic and how the witness to this event was left to deal with facing this trauma (the pedestrian fortunately did survive).

Released by D’Angelo all of a sudden late last year, Black Messiah ended a 14-year studio album silence from the progressive soul artist. Like his earlier records, the album (recorded with his high-skilled band The Vanguard) boasts a deep groove feel, returning R&B to the warm, caramel analogue sounds of ‘70s soul and funk. Many have described the new record as like an updated take on Sly & The Family Stone’s claustrophobic, politicised funk masterpiece There’s A Riot Goin’ On and it does share that album’s encased-in-wool sound and raw bass/drum grooves. However, it also shows the massive influence of Prince, not least in its regular use of slightly demented multi-tracked vocal harmonies as well as the more stream-of-consciousness, “feel” based work of ‘70s Marvin Gaye. It’s a slightly challenging listen – too laidback in sound to attract most Queen B fans, but also too abrasive to work as background slow jams at a dinner party. It’s also an undeniably politicised work, reportedly rush-released in the wake of the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases which showed race relations in 2014 America were still fraught with tension. The ultimate feeling one gets from Black Messiah is a blend of confusion and exhilaration, not unlike the country it soundtracks.

It is also one of the finest R&B records since Miguel’s Kaleidoscope Dream, and proof that absence has not distilled D’Angelo’s impact one iota.

The Second Chapter

From gorgeous melodies to insane riffs, this will appeal to fans of Pink Floyd through to Van Halen and everything in between.

This guy knows how to use every single note, through every single pedal and amp sound to create something special. Think a refined Knopfler or a more experienced Satriani.

The sound Chris has created is prog rock at its absolute best. The collective of ‘No Longer Welcome’ (parts 1, 2 &3) are almost an album on their own. If I had to pick on something, it would be the lack of depth in the vocal production. It felt like the vox was almost an afterthought to an instrumental album.

In any case, this doesn’t take away the fact this guy is clearly one of Australia’s best guitarists and composers by a long shot. And for the sceptics, the DVD included leaves no doubt as to this man’s talent ( I watched it three times). I promise, you will be blown away.

Jim Corrigan

Demasquerade

The Elbury team engaged a number of external talents to assist them in this latest work including engineers Nik Strugar, Cam Smith of Incremental Records and Nell Forster.

Demasquerade stays true to the genre of progressive Folk and Indie styles and I found this latest work of Elbury to be a deeply moving experience and a pleasure to receive. If you know Elbury then you know what I’m talking about.

S.S. Shaman

Black Messiah

Matt Thrower

SECOND AFFAIR

THE WOODMAN

ROWAN J EDWARDS

Second Affair

Lies

One Day I’ll Be King

Brisbane Band Second Affair blow me back with their opening track ‘Nothing More’ pumping the powerfully rich vocals of Simon Vermeulen, the high driving tones of Toby Thompson (rhythm guitar), the wild cries of Tommy Drake (lead guitar, now there’s a cool name for a lead guitarist) and drawn together by the solid presence of Bassist Jase Fuller and Drummer, Chris Neill. The boys of Second Affair have pulled me in and knocked me out with their modernised reformation of classic rock by taking the best of elements of this genre of the last 25 years.

I normally wouldn’t just review a single as you don’t get a feel for the whole journey or flavour of an artist from just one song. I was asked to listen to this and make my mind up afterwards.

It starts as a fun, folky, Mrazy type of sound that will have you tapping along like you’re at a Byron Bay hippie festival. Then something happens. I wasn’t sure what at first.

I’m glad I did.

This is an exceptionally good song that is well produced and should be in the charts.

It goes from a grungy Spin Doctors number, moves to Bob Dylan-meetsNirvana, then shuffles into Bob Marley-meets-The Clash. And you know something, I like it.

Woody’s voice is something different and absolutely awesome. It takes me back to when I first heard ‘A Good Heart’ by Feargal Sharkey. I was hooked straight away.

By the time I got to ‘Haters’, I was really digging the transitions and had to start over again. It made more sense the second time around, even with the rockabilly ending.

‘Lies’ is the same. Super pretty melodies, the exact mix of harmonies and backing and everything sits perfectly where it should. And the vocal sound is such a nice change to the compressed, tuned, perfected pop sound (that makes it hard to distinguish one vocalist from the next).

It may seem a bit disjointed or like he’s tried to fit every genre into one record but it’s actually quite cool and quirky.

The Album is tight and polished from smooth ballads like ‘Once Mine’ to the knuckle down crunching tracks of ‘Girl like you’ these guys know what they want to give us and they know how to sell it! Boasting elements from Queen to The Choir Boys, they are uniquely, Second Affair. These guys run balls to the wall on this album and the cream has surfaced with plenty of energy.

Second Affair could have a definitive future in Australian rock music, make it happen!

SS Shaman

I’m really hoping that this is the first single off an upcoming album.

The Woodman is not getting this CD back, I love it.

Jim Corrigan

You’ll be hearing more of Rowan I’m sure and it will be at one of those grass roots festivals alongside Bruno or Ed. Jim Corrigan

MUSO-TO-MUSO WITH

Abby Skye

MUSIC APPRECIATION Last Sunday I went to Fridays Riverside and caught what’s gotta be one of the best jams in Brisbane.

The highly accomplished Steven Jaymes runs a tight ship and works with only the best, so it’s no wonder his regular Sunday sessions have become quite renowned and developed a steady audience of genuine music appreciators. It’s the perfect afternoon - open air, stunning views, great service and of course, superb performances, always. The patrons aren’t rowdy - they keep to themselves, quietly and respectfully awaiting the next set. Most people in the audience know the musicians and have been coming here a long time. That’s just the way it goes (gratuitous reference to one of Steven’s original songs, sorry bout that).

While I was catching up with the musicians, one of them mentioned the latest change to the line-up the compulsory introduction of a digital drum kit.

While most digital kits are pretty good these days and can pull a decent sound, but they obviously don’t play or sound like the real thing. This may seem like an insignificant change, plus it keeps the lady (who the musicians knew by name) who consistently calls to complain about the noise (seriously?? Why live in the CITY?!) happy, but for the people who have been attending this jam for years SPECIFICALLY to watch what these mega-talented people can and choose to do on their instruments on that particular day, it’s a serious fun-spoiler. The difference at this gig is huge. These drummers need the full timbre of the drums at their disposal to deliver the solos we’re used to, the kind that give you goosebumps all over.

This feels more like just a beat. A funky, tight and very clever beat, but not the kind that makes you hold your breath without knowing you’re doing it.

Looking around the stage, I notice the bass player is using a digital double bass these days and both keyboards are housed in timber boxes shaped like real pianos. It’s still an incredible show and Steven is a bit of a genius with the sound he can still deliver, but it’s just a bit sad. I got to sharing horror stories of my own - anyone who has played at the Brisbane casino lately knows about the new ‘no amps on stage’ policy, which has understandably turned a

number of good bands away, as it makes the job quite difficult. It’s a bit like setting up a painter with a canvas, easel and a rainbow palette, then throwing a set of monochrome goggles on them and expecting a cohesive result.

I got chatting to one of the audience members (obviously another regular), who made a good point about education - in early school days, we all learn the basics of melody on a recorder or keyboard, but we’re not taught how to appreciate music.

His words rang very true to me, as I recalled the countless gigs I’ve done where people have left the room during a song they just requested, wanted to hear Oasis over Jeff Buckley (#@??!), or come up to the stage during a song and to ask something like “how much do you guys charge for a function?”.

Gold.

An environment such as this one is a very special thing. Hats off to Nigel at Fridays, who has got to be one of the only venue owners left who truly understands the importance of entertainment in his venue and the critical role it plays for his patrons.

He truly respects his entertainers, because in addition to being their boss for a short while, he is also a genuine appreciator of music, just like the rest of us.

Thankfully, Sunday sessions at Fridays aren’t going away anytime soon. But it did get me thinking about how sacred, rare and endangered this kind of space is. The impact of noise restrictions imposed by liquor licensing is a topic for another article, though there are already some great ones written from a local perspective (check out Shane Wilke’s articles and awesome initiative ‘Australian Live Entertainment Reform Think-Tank’ on Facebook).

Slowly, slowly, we’re making progress and turning things around, but I think it will still take many more years of proactive nurturing by us music-lovers if we truly want ‘music appreciation’ to have a home.

In the meantime, the best thing we can do to support live music is to go out and appreciate more of it!

LIVE N’ LOCAL SPOTTED ON OUR LOCAL STAGES

Live N’ Local is brought to you by our talented and musicaddicted photography team: Jeff Ram, Greg Elkenhans, Bob McGahan, Nadia Achilles and Graeme Plenter.

Clockwise from top: Transvaal Diamon Syndicate at Mojo Burning Festival (courtesy of Vampp Photography), Josh Smith, Remedy and Nina Ward at the Hard Rock Cafe Surfers Paradise Open Mic Night, Lauren Lucille at Brick Bar & Bistro and Smoking Martha at Eatons Hill Hotel

LIVE

E N’ LOCAL

Clockwise from top left: Goosebumps at The Triffid, The Chris Timms Experience at Miami Sharks, Dead Wolves at The Triffid, Glenn Brady from FAT at The Triffid

SHAUN KIRK Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall || 9pm Thursday 12 February

By Laura James || Photography by Greg Elkenhans

EW I V E ER

LIV

As Shaun Kirk warms up to the dulcet tones of Johnny Cash playing through the speakers, the bartender at Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall tells me that this young act is no stranger to Queensland’s music haunts: he has performed four or five times at this venue alone. We’re situated in what was once a gentleman’s club, and Lefty’s has paid homage to its predecessor by hanging lacy underwear from the antlers of the stag heads on the wall. But the intricate chandeliers, dark wood paneling and opulent red drapes give this relatively new bar an oldfashioned Western saloon twist.

The image of the travelling minstrel passing through these “old time” venues seems fitting, then, for Kirk –the self-described blues/ soul troubadour from New South Wales is continuing his expansive tour around Australia, with upcoming tour dates at the Nannup Music Festival in WA and the Flying Saucer Club in Melbourne supporting Diesel.

Kirk’s pre-show banter is quiet and endearing, referring to himself as the “entertainment for the evening, so to speak.” But his opening number, a classic B.B. King cover, is a complete knockout. The dualities in Kirk’s performance are astonishingly complex, yet they come out clear – rough, edgy vocals and thumping drum beats (provided by the plethora of electronic pedals at his feet) are offset by slick and polished acoustics and a smattering of plaintive harmonica. Kirk enters traditional blues territory through Bo Diddley’s “Before You Accuse Me,” with his powerful, authentic sound emanating from subdued guitar strumming and yearning vocals. Later on, blues classic “Bright Lights, Big City” takes on more of a fifties rock feel, with the addition of a dragging tempo and showy finish.

In terms of vocal ability, Kirk’s flexibility can only be described as skillful, but the style of his soulful voice is difficult to pinpoint – it’s evocative of a bluesy Robert Plant, perhaps crossed with Neil Young and Diesel, and his sometimes

excessive vibrato is nicely contrasted with strong mixed registration and a gritty falsetto.

In any case, it’s clear that Kirk’s exploration beyond the blues on his latest album “Steer The Wheel” (see tracks such as the Bee Geesesque “Stitches”) has trickled into some of his more comfortable covers.

Themes of road tripping and escape – in Kirk’s case, from a tedious day job in a music store - emerge in “Two Hands on the Wheel,” a well-paced original number that highlights Kirk’s heartfelt yet playful songwriting ability.

Although its melody is less adventurous than some of his other originals, its catchy hook (“two eyes on the road, two hands on the wheel”) had listeners cheering and clapping along. The final tune of the first set builds up like a steam train into frenzied excitement, giving Kirk the opportunity to play an interlude without plucking and demonstrate his impressive guitar slide (which was so fast, his hands blurred).

Rich layers of drums/synth effects and vocal reverb characterise the second half of the set, which included crowd favourites such as Tony Joe White’s “As The Crow Flies” and “Blues For My Birthday.” “Every Dog Will Have Its Day” churns together a sweaty, slow drum beat, gentle plucking and wailing harmonica into a fragile balance between harsh and soft timbre that perfectly captures the raw longing in the lyrics. Meanwhile, “Give To The Needy,” one of my favourites out of Kirk’s originals, opens with a languorous, melting guitar solo and asserts its Robin Hood-style social message with its simple yet electrifying chorus.

The set closes with an earthy a capella number due to a broken guitar string – a strong finish to a lengthy set. Kirk is undeniably an original storyteller whose sumptuous sounds are brought to life on stage by his relentless energy. Blues aficionados can only hope that this solo powerhouse continues to fire up the blues scene for years to come.

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DARYL BRAITHWAITE

At the Hamilton Hotel || 21 February Photography By Greg Elkenhans Sadly, our reviewer fell ill on the night of this event, so here are some fun facts, history and achievements to accompany the photos of the Australian institution and legend that is Daryl Braithwaite: Daryl first found fame as lead singer of Sherbet, a band synonymous with the 70’s and their accomplishments during their long career were many. Between 1971 – 1978 Sherbet produced 20 national top 40 singles and were the first Australian band to top the $1million mark in album sales in this country, with a total of 15 albums and 30 singles to their credit, with songs like ‘Summer Love’ becoming the highest selling single of 1975 and ‘Howzat’ not only a hit in Australia, but also in England & America.

In November 1988 Daryl released the phenomenally successful album ‘Edge’ which spent well over a year in the national Aria chart, peaking at #1 for several weeks. In 1989 it became the highest selling CD in Sony Music Australia’s history, spawning 5 hit singles including ‘One Summer’, written by Daryl which went

on to achieve gold status.

In November 1990 Daryl released his follow up album ‘Rise’, Daryl again proved that he had what it takes to make an album work and both the critics and public agreed. Rise boasted a further 5 hit singles. The most popular was undoubtedly “The Horses’, holding the #1 position on the national charts over 3 consecutive weeks. The unexpected success of this single led to being voted “Australian Song of the year’ at the 1991 Australian Music Awards.

Live the formative and flowing years of Australian Music with Daryl Braithwaite who is known for teen hysteria, international breakouts, multi platinum albums, extraordinary collaborations, performing at the sweatiest dives and some of the worlds most famous stadiums.

Daryl Braithwaite remains an integral part of the evolution and development of Australian popular music and a must see live on stage.

BEATING A DIFFERE

INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTIAN TRYHORN; FOUNDER OF MOJO B

ENT DRUM

BURNING AND BEATS CARTEL

In a musical landscape largely governed by the beat of the Triple J drums, how does a genre like stoner rock and blues not only survive, but thrive? Committed to beating the heavy blues rock drum, Sunshine Coast muso Christian Tryhorn is no stranger to the struggle of the ‘slow burn’ road to musical success that comes with playing alternative genres.

“I’ve booked around 5000 and have played [with band Transvaal Diamond Syndicate] more than 1000 original shows since 2009, yet making headway in this Blues Rock style is challenging without the support of commercial and youth-oriented radio stations and street press. We basically have 4 people deciding what good music is in Australia and what should be heard and supported en masse. Why is that?” says Christian.

Over the last five years Tryhorn has toured extensively with his own band, established Beats Cartel, a management, booking and publicity agency and most recently, launched “Beats Radio” a bi-weekly “Nu-Blues” digital radio program hosted by The AU Review. All in a bid to not only make a living from music, but bigger than that; to foster a national community around rock, roots, stoner and blues.

The embodiment of Christian’s mission is the Mojo Burning Festival, held in March at Brisbane’s New Globe Theatre. In its second year, the festival boasts 27 bands on three stages, over two days. “All killer no filler” was the festival’s motto and from what I saw, Beats Cartel delivered on their promise. This is the second event put on by this crew that I’ve attended and both times I have been surprised and delighted to discover a new band in a genre I didn’t know I liked! My exciting find this time was Brisbane band, The Blackwater Fever. I was blown away by these guys. As a bass enthusiast, Jed Walters was thoroughly engaging; commanding the stage from the outset. The music took me on a perfect journey through this genre; just when I felt it was getting too heavy they’d pull it back with melody and groove. I think that’s what I like about this music scene the most: I’ll never be bored with the same sound song after song.

My one concern with events like these is epitomised in this statement from the Mojo Burning website: “We’re not in this for the money. We’re not in this for the fame.

We’re in this to promote the music we like and bring a bunch of rad bands and fans together to experience something ‘outside the box’ and awesome.”

By Kylie Cobb Photography Supplied

That is a whole lot of passion and altruism right there.

However, it also highlights an issue I see with the current lay of the musical land. Profit seems to be a dirty word. Profit is not a dirty word people! Profit pays bills.

Profit puts food on the table. Profit ensures that talent stays in the industry. This isn’t limited to musicians I’ll add. Publications, blogs, bookers, venues and graphic designers should all be making money if their work is good. Because let’s face it, those of us in the grass-roots/ alternative music biz understand what music offers society at large and we passionately strive to keep it alive. But we need to make sure the slow burn to success doesn’t result in burn off!

Use the example of this boutique festival: nine months of preparation and promotion, official support by seven media outlets, and 27 seriously talented bands from around Australia playing for cheap. Even with respectable ticket sales of 400 at $35/40 a pop, you don’t need to be a mathematical genius to work out that neither promoter, band, nor possibly venue, made a decent profit from this gig. Most importantly, they should have! The interest from punters is clearly there, the price is right, the event is simply costing too much to run at this stage in its life cycle. If more cash sponsorship or government grants and funding can’t be obtained, the obvious answer to me is to reduce the number of bands until the event gains enough momentum to be self-sustainable.

Christian Tryhorn is among thousands of Australian musos on the road to success. I have faith that his and others’ dedication and hard work will result in recognition for their talent. Starting as a ‘struggling musician’ is surely a rite of passage of sorts, but with a music industry so focused on mainstream and ‘indie’ genres the struggle is amplified for anyone beating a ‘different’ drum. We’re all seeking the answer to a widely pondered question: how do we make grass-roots and alternative music a financially viable venture?

Paramount is getting the mathematical equation right.

But another biggie is that agencies, businesses, bands and media need to keep upping the ante, collaborating, avidly supporting and creating financially viable, out-ofthe-box music experiences to get the punters, like me, out-of-their-musical-boxes to discover the full kit of drums.

LAUNCHPAD

LITTLELAM RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM

CELINE DION & ADELE FANS TAKE NOTE

The debut album “Plastic Paper Lemonade” by Brisbane based indie/pop band LittleLam will be launched at the Zoo on Friday May 1st, 2015 at 8pm.

Jodie-Joy, Brisbane singer/songwriter EP album titled JJ hits radio on 1st May 2015. Jodie-Joy has been busy making waves touring as a songwriter and performer in USA working with Two time Grammy award winning producer Marc Swersky (Credits: Joe Cocker, Hillary Duff, Renee Geyer) and previously recording with renowned labels such as Columbia Records. Marc Swersky stated “Jodie’s artistry is her voice and she is equipped with her own individualized style that conjures other radiohit mavens such as Annie Lennox, Celine Dion and Dusty Springfield.”

Plastic Paper Lemonade is a collection of tales written by the bands lead singer Leanne Harmer in the months after the breakdown of a fiery relationship.

These ten songs represent a young woman’s journey from angst to sorrow, and on to acceptance, optimism and ultimately hope. Soaring melodies, thick guitar textures, infectious rhythms, catchy pop hooks and luscious arrangements all frame the poetic storytelling of this young band’s sound. While LittleLam has been affectionately described as Indie-Pop, there are many other facets to their sound, with songs ranging from anthemic rock to jaunty/jangly folk tunes, and a small dash of country twang in their repertoire. LittleLam will be joined by local bands Devel and Until Home when they launch “Plastic Paper Lemonade” at the Zoo on May 1st. $10 presale tickets are available now from the bands, or $12 at the door.

The album is available now digitally thgough iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, JB Now and more. www.littlelammusic.com

Got something exciting to share?

An upcoming tour or release? An album or recent award?

Be our VIP guest and hear the album & other hits played live and exclusively by JJ and her band on Sunday 19th April at New Globe Theatre Brisbane from 1pm. Celebration launching her music video single ‘Naked’, combined with private screening of her TV music documentary ‘Story of the independent artist’. www.jodiejoy.com.au

LIVE AT THE HARD ROCK CAFE Gold Coast native Paul Galagher will be bringing his Brisbane based Moist Metal trio MofoIsDead back home to open for Darkc3ll.

THIS SECTION IS FOR ALL PROACTIVE SELF-MARKETERS

BENNY’S TRIPPIN’ ON EMPTY A dreamy combination of psychedelic soul, blues, roots and trip-funk, Benny D Williams redifines the modern solo performer with his new official release, Trippin’ on Empty. Benny’s style strays from the typical folk sound of most one-man bands. This new single will have listeners grooving away and audiences marvelling at this musician’s ability to create a full band sound with layered vocal harmonies, beautiful acoustic instrumentalism and seamless use of live performance technology.

Benny D Williams is well established in his home region having delivered some 200 shows last year alone. He is renowned for his talented multi-instrumentalism, diverse sounds and rich voice. Weaving a sonic tapestry on the fly, Benny’s performances are up there with the one-man band favourites: Gotye, Kim Churchill, and Shaun Kirk; you would think there’s a whole band on stage, but this is one man with one big sound! www. bennydwilliams.com

BE N A C YOU ED HERE UR T A E F TOO!

CARNIVAL OF FREAKS IS COMING! Hemingway has just announced the release of their debut E.P titled “Carnival Of Freaks” which will be due out on the 28th of May. “Carnival Of Freaks is a collection of songs that our fans kept coming up to us after our shows and asking if we had a record with this or that song on it, so we got into the studio and bashed out these tunes.

We are 110% behind this record and think everyone will enjoy it” the band commented. The E.P is supported by dates along the East Coast of Australia including The Zoo in Brisbane, and The Rad in Wollongong. Hemingway is an Alternative Pop Reggae quartet soaked in high energy and a taste for fun. Carnival Of Freaks will available online and at all Hemingway shows. www.facebook.com/ hemingwaymusicau Upload your photos, media releases, links, etc. at

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NEW SINGLE FROM BOXED IN

NEW SINGLE FROM JULIA HENNING

After garnering rave reviews in the UK, Boxed In's debut self titled record will be released in Australia on May 29th 2015 with the infectious single 'Foot Of The Hill' being the territory's first taste of the critically acclaimed album. The single's driving rhythm section reflects Boxed In's obvious House Music production influences while the haunting overtones and engaging vocal delivery give the track a truly unique sound.

Popping up out of nowhere, there is nothing holding back the Adelaide local who has already reached milestones many young acts could only dream of. To date, Julia Henning has completed two national tours, with a third just announced. She has won ‘Best Song’ and ‘Best Artist/Band’ in the 2014 SA Fowler’s Live Music Awards, played the Sydney Opera House while a film crew captured the whole experience, which is now entitled ‘Julia Henning – Songs From The Deep End’, a documentary on Henning’s story so far. Julia Henning was also, most recently invited to play ‘WOMADelaide’ and received rave reviews from her stand out performance.

Visually illustrating these elements, the recently released music video for 'Foot Of The Hill' follows the twisted nature of the track with a darker/psychedelic approach that leaves the listener pleasantly confused.

Known for crafting tender ballads to epic rock anthems, Henning is an artist that defies genre stereotypes. After the success of her 2014 debut album ‘Fledgling’ produced by Govinda Doyle (Angus & Julia Stone) and described as a soul stirring tapestry of real life conflicts and emotions; Henning announces a brand new single ‘Away From Me’ from her forthcoming EP.

LAUNCHPAD BONEZ GET WEIRD Sydney 5 piece Bonez, started 2015 with a bang. Launching their blistering track ‘Lemonade’ with a 3 month tour of oz, the band are refusing to lose speed. Heading back on the road this week to continue the mayhem with a run of Northern dates, kicking off April 2nd at Ric’s Bar, Brisbane and wrapping up May 29th at the Vanguard where the band will officially launch their new 5 track EP. The band is quickly gaining a reputation for their blistering live performances leaving venues around Australia shouting “Let’s Get Weird!”

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By S. S. Shaman

Amanda Kay

Photography Supplied

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Hello Amanda, Its been a little while since MZ has caught up with you, what have you been doing with yourself and your music recently? Hi Shannon. I have been traveling and collaborating with new musicians and composers.

I've come to the 'Americas' to find out more about music from West Coast Smooth Jazz to Jamaican Reggae, from NY Protest Folk Ballads to Mexican Latin and Flamenco grooves. Playing with new ideas and people inspires me to write and I'm loving some of the songs I've been recording as I travel.

You have worked with a number of other talented artists and engineers previously, from your own band ‘The Crew’, Angus McCready and Marco and Ben Davidson, who have you worked with recently and how have these artists affected you and your music? That is a hard question. I have been playing with such a plethora of exquisite musicians. Before I left Australia I did some recordings with Cmonky, Pix, Al Boulton and Wayne McIntosh studios in Qld. In the 'Americas' I performed at the Lighthouse in LA where 'The Lighthouse' jazz album was recorded. I had the treat of supporting Jim Page and enjoyed his dedication to sharing information and looking towards positive social change in Seattle.

I loved sitting in with some of the top jazz artists in the world at Vancouver International Jazz Festival. I had a joyful evening of music in Winnipeg filmed with Kumaran Reddy and I recorded a great version of Xpression with David McInnes in his studio in Halifax. I got a real kick out of meeting and playing with the score writer for The New York Ballet and Lady Gaga as well as meeting Chic Corea and his band whilst in NY. I played with a few local musicians at the jazz clubs in Manhattan and in the park. Some had sat in the same place and played with Bob Dylan in the 60's. Jammin' with the Funk, Jazz and Traditional Mountain Music people in the Asheville N.C. and Athens G.A. gave me new insight. Playing in New Orleans blew my mind. The Free Jazz and Manouche jammed there was outstanding. I just finished recording a few new tunes with Daniel Medina, Fer Civeira and Daniel Rodriguez Ruiz in Mexico City. We recorded a Manouche style song so it was an Auzzies version of French Gypsy Jazz recorded with Mexicans. It was fun.

This week I'm finishing up a project with the producer Morris Porter. His work is currently in the top 10 in the NY charts and I'm excited about creating a song with his reggae instinct, great pulse and dynamics. Completely new musical colours for me. I am also looking forward to recording a live session this weekend with 'Morunco', a Puerto Vallarta group who are masters of Gypsy Jazz and Flamenco. I have played with many more terrific artists.

Amanda, you have done a lot of travel around Queensland, Australia and even as far Mexico, do you have a special destination you haven’t been yet and why there? In the next couple of months I would like to visit Nicaragua, Panama, Columbia, French Guiana, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia and Cuba (if I can fit it all in). I am attracted to visiting places that have interesting and vibrant musical combinations and history. I also find the Bolivian successful change for the people, with current government policy, fascinating. I hope to write about it while I'm there.

When visiting a new destination such as Mexico, do you tend to write for a new album based on your location or do you have music ready to record when you arrive and prefer to spend the time making new friendships

as you record? Lately I am creating new music every time I pick up the guitar. The music is definitely influenced by the musicians around me and the places I am journeying through, though I do play and record songs that were written in Australia too. Lyrics of late have been of a more personal nature. My latest tune (written and recorded this week in Puerto Vallarta) was inspired by looking for the stars in the night sky (I miss the Southern Cross) and thinking about how I enjoy the brightness of many stars in the sky. When people shine they let go of their shadows. Others can find the desire to do the same thing creating a brighter world.The next album I am planning is going to have songs written and recorded from around the world in different studios with different musicians and engineers. From the Sunshine Coast to Nova Scotia, from Cairns to Coyoacán. I'm excited about the sessions gathered so far. New friends and music from many places. Songs created by many happy faces.

You have performed at along list of festivals and play across variety genres, is there a favourite style of music you prefer to play live? My live shows are somewhere between Folk and Jazz with a little Latin thrown in. I am drawn to writing storytelling ballads.

Do you have any plans to get back down to Brisbane for a few shows? There are a number of Brisbane fans who would love to see you again. I hope to be visiting Brisbane soon after my return to Australia in May. It will be a treat to play in Brisbane again.

As well as being a great musician you are also an artist and have designed CD covers for other musicians such as Jazz musician Peter Vance, where does your inspiration come from? Music inspires my art. Dreams also create a desire to paint, to catch the fragmented memory and make it real. At times my sketching is like a shield from feeling left out, when I'm somewhere busy yet feeling alone: a stranger in a crowd. It can give me purpose and help restore the balance of perspective.

Well our time is almost up but do you have any special announcements you would like to share with us about your next project before we depart? I am excited about the 'Many Places, Many Faces' album and hoping to have it finished and released in the next 6 months. A number of tracks for this album are being worked on this week by the talented Reggae producer Morris Porter. I'm stoked with Cynthia Cabellos work on the video clip she created for the song 'Until tomorrow' filmed at the Gold Coast at the end of last year. She really caught a terrific interpretation of the lyrics with her cinematography. I am eager to see what happens with a live recording I am doing this weekend with the extraordinary Flamenco/ Manouche entourage 'Moruno' and I am looking forward to hearing from my fans about my clips posted on Youtube lately of my traveling musical journey.

Release the Houn

Forming in 2012 on Brisbane’s Southside, Heavy Punk band Release the Hounds (Liam, Tim and Rory) have created a n gimmicks, DIY belief system to forge their own form of “New Hardcore”. MouthZoff chats to the band about the Brisban music scene, the DIY belief system and scoring number three in the ZZZ hottest 100 for 2014.

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By Kath Duell Photography Supplied

Are you putting a new EP together? When will it be released? We have been recording tracks in a warehouse for our next release. We originally had enough tracks for an album but have decided to cut a few and not rush, we all have to be 100% agreed on a song before we commit it to a release.

I love the DIY belief system you’ve created - tell me about it: Our DIY ethic was born out of 1.Being poor as shit and 2. Being sick of hearing “hardcore” releases with super triggered drums and auto tune vocals. We’ve always sought to keep our music and videos simple and real. We are happier with how our music sounds live tracked with no metronome. When you are playing punk something you record well at home or in a warehouse or in your Nannas flat can feel and be as effective as something that takes weeks and thousands of dollars in a studio, there is no wrong way to record as long as you are realistic and diligent with your techniques.

Tell us about the number three spot in the ZZZ hottest 100: At the end of 2014 people told us they thought ‘Bullets My Only Weakness’ might make it into the 100- it was getting a bit of play from the Z’s but we hadn’t thought it would be something that would happen to our band. Every time someone said the song would make it in, I would tell them if it does I will do a naked snow angel. I was in Vancouver Canada, listening to the countdown and was sure we weren’t in the 100... 4am New Year’s Day when I was drunk as shit, ‘Bullets My Only Weakness’ comes on at number 3. I pictured doing a snow angel being similar to being to jumping into icing sugar. Instead it was like using a cheese grater on all the exposed parts of my body, it honestly hurt my face more than my junk. Anyway, moral of the story, don’t make bets that involve your naked body and the internet.

Who are the brains behind your clips? They are hilarious. Haha that’s all us, we love doing videos for our music, and try avoid doing the whole “we are a band playing instruments in a room rocking out cos we rock” thing. I think it comes back to the DIY no budget thing, when you have no money you have to be creative.

What are your thoughts on the Brisbane music scene right now? I can only really comment on what I know, punk and metal. I see our punk scene as a super supportive group of people, playing in each other’s bands, going to each other’s shows, and I see the metal scene as a collection of punters and incredibly talented musicians absolutely stoked on each other’s bands and ability. Heavy music rules this town, which can be greatly accredited to 4ZZZ, from the community and airplay to the carpark shows, Brisbane has a lot to thank that station for.

What do you want for Brisbane’s music industry? More recognition of heavy music. Brisbane has an incredibly strong and prevalent heavy scene, full of powerful and professional bands who frequently pack out shows. Yet I look at events like Bigsound/Valley Fiesta and ask “Where the fuck are the punk and metal bands?” How are good heavy bands supposed to be getting national airplay or even do solid tours if our own town events won’t recognise them?

Tell us about your Brisbane (classic Compton) hats and where can we purchase one? I looked into making one with the help of my best mate Doug from DVNT Clothing. I wanted to do this for RTH merch, a Brisbane version of the classic Compton hats, I love Brisbane, it’s my ghetto, it’s our fucking hood. People seem to love them and if it raises Brisbane pride then that’s all I need to justify it. The DVNT clothing online store takes care of our entire Brisbane hat orders http:// dvnt-clothing.com/collections/limited-edition/products/rth-brisbane-snapback