CATALYST: 'BEDROOM POP', Issue 1, Volume 78 by Catalyst Magazine

ISSUE 01

BEDROOM POP

Enter The Age of Bedroom Pop Young people are the epitome of hope. In art, in music, in film, in writing, in laughter, in anger, in culture and in change. As your Editors for Catalyst 2022, this idea is the driving inspiration for everything we’re creating and producing this year. So, for our first issue, we gravitated towards the concept, aesthetic and theme of what we call ‘Bedroom Pop’. Bedroom Pop encompasses a range of labels, though is primarily known and mostly popularised as a music genre. Think the synth sounds, lofi psychedelia and breathy, relaxed vocals of artists like beabadoobee and Clairo. What separates these artists from the mainstream, is that their success stems from the tiny spaces of their bedrooms; writing, singing, mixing and mastering with their own minds and abilities. Untethered inspiration, idiosyncratic ambition. More than a genre, Bedroom Pop is about the blessing we have now to show ourselves in all our authenticity, not only within music but in all of our artistic and expressive forms. The sensation of the ‘overnight success’ and dreams of being randomly scouted are dissipating. We as young people have everything we need to become who we want to be, from our comfort zones and the four walls of our homes.

This is Bedroom Pop. It’s creating whatever you want, whenever you can, however you dream.

Contents. 6 10 12 14 15 16 20 22 28 30 32 36 38

Letter from the Editors Embracing Your Creativity in 2022 Getting here: The Lazy Eyes Shower thoughts on time When Katie Met Design Concrete Road Reverie ‘A Love Letter To My Bedroom’ series A Tribute to Her’s The Cowboys of Rock Doing it Ourselves Top 5 Comfort Films Kate Keenan: Bedroom pop

Rosie: Opportunity for Feminist Writers

Album Review: Big Thief’s ‘Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You’

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You just need to start Calendar

Contributions Catalyst Issue 1 2022 Established in 1944 Contact catalyst@rmit.edu.au RMIT Media Collective, RMIT City Campus, Building 12, Level 3, Room 97 Printer Printgraphics Pty Ltd 14 Hardner Road, Mount Waverley, Victoria 3149 Australia Photographers: Erina Hoque Shriya Sudarsan Rao

Editors: Beatrice Madamba Savannah Selimi Jasper Riley Designers: Brianna Simonsen Cherry Lin Vivian Dobbie-Glazier Editorial Committee: Juliette Salom Stella Thompson Mia Gregor Siena Taylor-Gibson Julianna Rajkowski Jean Wenjing Zhang Claudia Weiskopf Rafael Gerster Daniel Car Ruby Edwards Zoe Perks

News Officers: Mia Gregor Rafael Gerster Entertainment Officers: Siena Taylor-Gibson Ruby Box Vivian Dobbie-Glazier Ruby Edwards Culture Officers: Stella Thompson Nishtha Sharma Creative Writing Officers: Juliette Salom Claudia Weiskopf Julianna Rajkowski Zoe Perks

Catalyst and RMIT University Student Union acknowledge the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands we contact the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past, present and future. Catalyst and RMIT University Student Union also acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where it contacts its business.

Felicia Nguyen

Letter from the Editors Savannah Selimi - Bachelor of Communications (Media) I think there’s something magical in calling yourself a writer. With other titles, like labelling yourself an accountant or an actor, there’s a level of achievement to pursue before you really become it. There are steps and motivations, degrees or accolades to flaunt. I only know the slightest about mathematics and Shakespeare. But what gravitationally pulls me and excites me wholeheartedly, is words on a page, scripts, poems, mellifluous syntax and esoteric meanings. I wrote short stories as a kid; melodramatic teen poetry fuelled by an affinity to Sylvia Plath; neverfinished screenplays; articles that’ve been highly-edited and rejected and praised and published. In 2021, I wrote for T-Rex Musiq, Forte Magazine and SYN Media, as well contributing for Catalyst and being Culture Editor alongside Beatrice. My role as Editor in 2022 is an opportunity I’m incredibly, genuinely grateful for. The Catalyst team we have, and are continuously growing, is so truly inspiring to me. Catalyst - as a magazine, podcast, and media platform - is a space for RMIT students to express their authenticity, angst, love and art. In our 78th year, Catalyst is a time capsule into what youth care about, are inspired, infuriated, excited and enthralled by on our campus and in the world. I’m excited and I’m here for it all. Happy reading, writing, creating and existing. Love, Savannah

Beatrice Madamba - Bachelor of Communications (Media) If there is one thing that I am certain of, it is that my fervour lies in writing. In highschool through to uni, we’ve all written a stream of interminable essays on books we never read or reports we never cared about. But what of the stuff that speaks directly to you? It’s a whole other story when we write about the things that matter to us, the things that make our hearts beat. Writing can be so much more than mere words on a page; it is a liberating form of selfexpression.

Because Catalyst is so much more than a magazine. It is an open storytelling platform of boundless creativity, a safe space for RMIT students to elevate overlooked voices and stories. We have extended our reach to online spaces like our website that now functions as a regularly active blog, not to mention our podcast with new episodes soon to come… But of course, we are first and foremost a printed publication. After two years of online issues, I am beyond ecstatic to be able to hold our first printed issue, tangibly in my hands.

Last year in my role as Culture Editor, Catalyst pushed me to write with unwavering honesty; to not shy away from the uncertainty of untouched waters; to write from places of vulnerability. I am grateful to be back, only this time with a new role and slightly bigger shoes to fill–and I could not be happier to be here.

So, I extend this magazine to you, dear reader. Our little passion project for these past couple of months is now yours. Read it, savour it, enjoy it–and expect more magic to come in 2022. Love, Beatrice

Jasper Riley - Bachelor of Communications (Media) There is a sickness to writing but a cure to a finished page. Through spoken tongue to language on paper, the lyricism of one's soul comes out in stories of today and tomorrow.

Youth are owed a voice in every generation, and the fourth estate plays the largest role in the solidified vision, politics and breaking the structure. Catalyst 2022 will uplift the student voice.

Writing is therapeutic, writing is the skill to be sunken in your chair so the reader is at the edge of the seat. Catalyst 2022 is provocative, imbalanced and a byproduct of staring out of the bedroom window.

Welcome to the Magnum Opus of angst, across the board of music, film and art from the bored generation. Embrace the words, and keep on living as the grassroots Gen Z. Love, Jasper

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Hello Everyone, My name is Adam Steiner, and I am excited to introduce myself as your RUSU president for 2022. A little something about me… I am a fourth year International Studies student, trying my best to get through my degree unscathed. I have spent my time at RMIT throwing myself into uni life and experiencing all that I can as a young student in the city. I’ve been involved in the executive of a few clubs at RMIT, and I have organised and attended countless events. Outside of uni, I love my footy, my cricket and my Aussie music, with my bedroom wall evolving throughout the years from hosting posters of my favourite sporting heroes to my favourite local bands.

Letter from the President

As we are finally released from our bedrooms into the world for the new academic year, we can dare to dream of the year that is to come. A return to campus is imminent, and we will once again have classes in person, as well as activities and events on campus, bringing experiences beyond the textbook to your time at RMIT. No longer will we students be contained by the four walls that have become our existence for the past two years.

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To stay up to date with everything RUSU has to offer, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and check out our website. And don’t forget that RUSU membership only costs $10 for the whole year, and grants you access to a range of exclusive competitions, discounts, merchandise and newsletters. Sign up now at www.rusu.rmit.edu.au/join

At RUSU in 2022, we have a jampacked year full of events, including the return of the beloved RUSU Welcome Bash, our weekly Chill N Grill free food events, and the legendary Boat Cruise! As well as some new events for students back on campus, this year we'll be hosting band nights and a treasure hunt, helping students to have the time of their lives at RMIT! There will be opportunities aplenty for all students to engage with and participate in student life at RMIT. Clubs will be back, better than ever… whatever your interests: political, academic, social, cultural, or creative, so make sure to sign up during welcome week to get involved with clubs and enrich your university experience.

Take care, stay safe and see you all on campus in 2022! Issue 01

Embracing Your Creativity in 2022 After being stuck indoors with nothing much else to do, many of us have started various hobbies. Another lockdown sees another attempt at another craft. For my fellow creatives, this meant our already-overflowing craft piles get ting more out of hand. I, too, am staring at my bags of yarn yet to be tufted, knitted or crocheted, boxes of magazines and loose papers, yet to be cut up, stuck in, and scrapbooked, with a sense of guilt. A sense of guilt for all the projects started with such high hopes and excitement that will remain forever unfinished after a few weeks of work. A sense of guilt for the disloyalty to and neglect of my main creative disciplines - art and illustration, graphic design, zines, piano. A sense of guilt that in two years of the pandemic, and twenty years of being an ‘artist’, I always feel like I haven’t done enough.

Writing stories, doing illustrations, and sewing felt plushies was what I did after I finished homework. Getting a break from science and maths and playing around with my creativity was my reward. Now, as a design student, being creative was the assignment. Having my identity, work and studies tied to my skills and originality was a recipe for burnout and imposter syndrome. Since taking art and design more seriously in the past couple of years, I’ve lost and found my passion countless times. I’ve gone months without drawing in between projects, finding myself in pits of artists block, frustration, and burnout. This year, I’m making an intentional effort to reignite my passion; to embrace myself as a creative, not because of my studies or work, but because I simply cannot live life being anything else.

As someone who studies and works as a designer, sells my artwork, and previously practised music to pass piano exams, it’s so easy to get lost in being productive and successful. Although I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, only my academic skills were celebrated.

Bedroom pop

Here are some tips for you (but mainly for me) to cultivate your creativity in 2022:

By Felicia Nguyen

1) Experiment. Play. Fail. Fail again. Both my metaphorical and literal craft pile has grown alongside me in my artistic journey. It’s easier to pick up a new skill than it is to master one when you feel stuck. The reduced pressure allows the freedom to experiment and fail as a beginner. Let yourself be that child who’s learning how to finger paint for the first time again. Give yourself space inside your practice to let your imagination and hands run free, simply indulging in the art of the process. Embrace the successes and mistakes, or as Bob Ross calls them, “happy little accidents.”

2) Redefine what it means to be creative. I’m trying to be more forgiving with how I perceive creative productivity, pushing it beyond the completion and scope of a project. I view my eagerness to play with different mediums and crafts as a lack of discipline and consistency where it’s a chance to learn and discover. This year I’m looking forward to taking on bigger and more ambitious projects, but also to embrace creativity in mundane everyday tasks and art that is just for me. Some of these include daily journaling, reading tarot cards, how I organise and tidy my space, and drawing my Yakuza fanart.

3) Realise that your eyes learn faster than your hands. A popular game among artists after they’ve finished making something that they’re proud of is to see how long until they hate it and themselves. Most days, it only takes a few hours for me to find flaws that make me question myself as an artist. Improvement within art isn’t solely determined by what you are able to create. Your tastes and ability to analyse grow alongside your concrete skills. Being able to spot mistakes in your work is a sign of artistic maturity, even if you’re not able to fix them yet. Celebrate this and use it to your advantage by being able to identify areas of improvement.

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4) Stop worrying about your “style” and just create. Create for yourself. Create for the sake of creating. Style isn’t just what the final results look like. Your style is how you see the world and choose, intentionally and subconsciously, how you draw upon your experience. Style is in the mediums you work in and what you are inspired by. Curation is another form of creation. Take pride in all your interests and allow the entirety of you to manifest in your style and your work. Your ‘style’ will naturally resonate just through being who you are and putting that into the world. At the same time, stop waiting for inspiration and just start. Now, go forth and create, and stay foolish.

Getting there. an interview with:

Being compared to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Tame Impala are no easy labels to carry, though Sydney band The Lazy Eyes do it exceptionally well. And the reason why — because they have all the cool, psychedelic lustre to do so.

‘Obviously we were into all those kinds of psych bands - the classic Aussie psych bands – so we started busking, in a very weird, alternate not-band set up.’

I had the pleasure of catching a gig of theirs in May last year, where the outfit offered an electrifying show packed with delectable synth and envious karate kicks from vocalist Harvey Geraghty. When the band play, there’s an atmosphere of genuine passion and love for their craft. It’s these qualities that add an infectious charm to their music — it’s like watching your mates band play, as they laugh over lyrics and just have fun with it.

Itay reflects on the beginning, adding that inspirations like King Gizzard ‘opened the flood gates for getting into heaps of other stuff’. When you listen to tunes like their most popular ’Cheesy Love Song’, you’re exposed to the elements of a King Gizzard banger, mixed with a humble resemblance to 60s psych. Yet, there is still a signature sound to The Lazy Eyes that is potently theirs — Harvey’s soft, falsetto vocals; the recurring instrumental climax that carries through every song; the magnetic combination of electric guitar and classic, punky drums.

I was lucky enough to interview guitarist Itay Shachar on the ride so far, from becoming friends in Year 7 over a love of music, to releasing their first EP in 2020 and joining The Strokes on their upcoming tour.

Bedroom pop

The band are still relatively early in their discography and experience, though are fast-becoming a recognisable name in the world of psychedelia. Their recent single ‘Fuzz Jam’ became periodically the number one song played on Triple J, which Itay tells me was ‘quite an honour’, especially moving from Triple J Unearthed to the ‘main stage’ of Australian indie music.

Savannah Selimi

Amid focusing on the standard pressures of being young, like ‘getting a good ATAR’ eventually the friends ‘wanted to play real gigs’, which meant adding Leon Karagic on bass, upgrading to a ‘real drum-kit’ and ‘learning how to record and mix’ to create the EPs. The Lazy Eyes are everything the vibe of Bedroom Pop encapsulates, creating their music from Itay’s home studio. On the creative process, Itay recounts what got the gang to where they are now: ’It’s very much independent, except for mastering, like, the entire thing, we kind of do ourselves.’

Jack Moran @jackmoran_76 ‘They [the songs] were all super challenging in their different ways, because we were all learning how to record, a fake-it-till-you-makeit type of thing. We didn’t really know what we were doing on any of them, but ‘Where’s My Brain???’ was actually the hardest to record because back then, we didn’t really record live as a band, me and Harvey would layer all the guitars and keys and stuff ourselves as overdubs. So capturing the energy of that song was really hard, but I think we got there in the end.’

The genre of bedroom pop typically encompasses lo-fi tunes, embedded with simplicity, and although the band fall under the label in terms of producing, making heavy psychedelic jams isn’t as straightforward.

With a fast-growing fan base, an upcoming album and tour plans in the works, The Lazy Eyes show how Gen Z creatives have everything they need to follow their dreams. And all it took was some good inspiration and a reliable drum kit. You can stream The Lazy Eyes latest music on all streaming platforms now.

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words by @mav.ew photo by Lauren Facci

Shower thoughts on time state, even the mundane makes an impression.

How do we perceive time? Not Einstein’s relativity, but rather the perceptual and experiential dimension of it. How do some months feel like a lifetime, and how can an entire year fly by feeling like a few weeks? Here are some (unscientific and statistically insignificant) correlations I found following an anecdotal analysis of the last few years of my life.

So how might one cultivate a habit of breaking routine? For me, it was almost a manifestation of feeling optimistic, and (excuse the cheese) full of life. Which begs the question - was I feeling good because I was trying new things, or the other way around? I found the flow to be bi-directional. They were just reflections of one-another. So... TL;DR? Seek to break routine and try things you’ve always wanted to try with an open mind and an open heart. You will literally extend the phenomenological dimension of time. And as a thank you, your brain will sprinkle some trusty dopamine. Noice.

Every chunk that felt longer than it actually was tended to be filled with new and novel experiences. Foods, people, hobbies, stepping outside my ingrained routines. Clichéd? Perhaps. But breaking routine is a superpower that will force you to remain engaged with your autopilot off. And in this

Bedroom pop

When Katie Met Design When I was little, I made PowerPoint presentations as a (questionable) pastime. You could find eight-yearold me with my head crooked upwards at the family computer, wearing my wonky glasses, three-quarter leggings, floral skirt, white tieup cardigan; the full getup. I can still hear the familiar wheezing of the computer fan struggling to keep up with my eager clicks. There was something I found so satisfying about making a slideshow presentation. Adding in a grainy background image stretched beyond width, inserting multicoloured text where I would change the colours of every individual letter, creating super cool slide transitions. While other children asked their parents to help name their toys, I would ask mine for theme ideas to base my PowerPoints on.

uniform on casual dress day. It’s easy to convince myself that every other designer has their Adobe game together. On one hand, I’d be scrolling through my Instagram feed that’s littered with beautifully crafted artworks while on the other, I’d be desperately googling what an ABN was. It’s a strange feeling – the duality of being in awe of so many talented individuals, while also feeling overwhelmed with pressure. What I often forget is that we all feel the same to some extent, because all designers started from knowing nothing. We’ve all watched that tutorial on how to move an object in Photoshop. Nobody truly knows what they are doing, and that’s bloody comforting.

This was the meet-cute between me and my love of design. Since then, my relationship with art and design has grown, as I’ve grown, countless hours lost to creativity. Joining a design course at RMIT, freelancing and selling my own products has made this relationship feel official and real. It has been amazing – the kind of amazing where you can’t fall asleep because you’re buzzing with excitement.

Working alone can be hard enough as it is, but adding Melbourne’s — I’ll say this in a hushed tone — lockdowns made it even more challenging. Having to be creatively fuelled became a challenge when being locked inside the four walls of my bedroom with my 10 plants as company. It was a struggle to muster up any sort of motivation which in turn made me feel guilty for not being more productive, because I seemingly had so much time on my hands, right? Wrong.

But my admission into this design couples’ club hasn’t all been smooth sailing. There have been many times where I’ve felt out of place, like that kid who shows up in their school Issue 01

Katie Zhou

While I’m still a huge newbie in the design world, these past couple years of designing have offered me a handful of lessons about productivity that have really helped me out. The first lesson is that creativity simply cannot be forced. No matter how hard I stare at my laptop screen with a deadline watching over my shoulder, if I am feeling unmotivated creatively, there is no point. What fuels my creative drive is distance. It sounds counterintuitive, but doing something completely different to my work like falling over rollerblading (definitely not my own weirdly specific experience) has helped to get my creative juices flowing. Rest periods are absolutely productive and needed. The second lesson is that work expands to fill the time available. You know when you’ve planned to spend the whole day working on a project and you end up spending two hours doing it and the other eight hours stressing about how you should be doing it? I’ve found that sectioning my days with fun activities and then blocks of time to work helps me to focus. There’s something about knowing you have two hours to complete a task before you head off to a dinner that just wakes up your brain.

Bedroom pop

The final lesson is to close that Pinterest tab. I’m guilty of instantly looking at inspiration photos before starting a project. Before even thinking of my own ideas. It’s a paradox: while there is an endless supply of ideas on Pinterest, it’s also limiting and overwhelming; a point of comparison. Because now I’ve been looking at a bunch of ways people have interpreted something, making me feel like mine need to be similar but also different. Here’s a little proposition: I ask all of you to reflect on your journeys into the career path you are currently undertaking and think about just how far you’ve come. The simple fact that you’ve gotten through these past couple of years is worth acknowledging. You are doing so well. I think eightyear-old me would have pushed her wonky glasses up in disbelief at the thought that her PowerPoint presentations have come all this way.

Jasper Riley

Concrete Road: An Analysis of Ghibli’s underappreciated film magic is within the heart.

Whisper of The Heart (1995) is by far the most underappreciated film under Studio Ghibli's wing, as it doesn’t offer a sense of adventure within the spiritual world or nostalgia, but it does offer a sense of optimism to the struggling writer, in ways a Noah Baumbach film could never grasp.

The endearing portrait of a young Shizuku begins as she notices a familiar name across her entire collection of borrowed library books, in a mere chance that a boy at her school appreciates the same literature as she feels misunderstood in loving. The protagonist's crush lives above his family’s antique store, and dreams of travelling to Italy to become a professional violinist against the wishes of his school. This transaction of care for the world of the artisan is a sweet portrait that subverts the expectations as a viewer from a typical coming-of-age.

To myself, a not-so-writer with dreams beyond a pen and paper, beyond the minds-imagination, Whisper offers a glimpse into the well-respected universe of antiquities, subcultural battles against the uniform and a teenage love story beginning with the little slip at the beginning of a library book. Yoshifumi Kondou's masterpiece follows Shizuku, an aspiring writer, and the emulsion of adolescence. This is a film that doesn't abide by Ghibli's magical realism, but the

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Whisper of the Heart is currently available to watch on Netflix (Australia).

Bedroom pop

eam Every great dr eamdr a th begins wi er. an

-Harriet Tubm

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Beatrice Madamba

Sarah Walliss

Reverie I don’t know at what point you transformed from reality to a dream. Was it after you left or before we met? Maybe you never existed, only as a fantasy? Did I imagine the way you looked at me when we first kissed? The glisten in your eyes, the cheeky smile that played upon your lips. We lay on the bed and warmth radiates from your skin onto mine. You slowly, softly trace your fingertips along my thigh. The throbbing of our hearts reverberates into the other’s chest. Move closer, meet my lips, touch me on my belly, back and neck. I look at the photographs of you I took at Altona Beach. The one of you walking down the pier to the sea. Your black curls blow in the wind, a contrast against the blue water and grey sky. When we walked you reached out and entwined your fingers into mine. Driving home you played songs that you listened to in youth. We stopped, stuck in traffic, I didn’t mind, I just liked to be with you. It’s not that I was asking you to fall in love with me. Even though I was pathetically in love, I wouldn’t ask you to be. All I wanted was to hang and cuddle like when we first met. But you ruined it by losing interest, now I’m crazy, boy-obsessed. Why can’t you be the man who I’d imagined you to be? How dare you have thoughts and feelings different from my sweet reverie. I lived with you in make-believe, looking forward to sleep, see you in my dreams.

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A Love Letter To My Bedroom

collage by Beatrice Madamba

Sarah Hadeed

Over the years, I’ve been one of the lucky many to call several bedrooms home. I’ve had 7 bedrooms in the last 10 years, so I think it’s fair to say that I’m an expert on what makes a bedroom feel like your own.

Ava Rossi

I’ve cried my heart out listening to Sam Smith in some and danced all night while eating my body weight in lollies in others. I’ve left a trail of Justin Bieber and One Direction posters from here to Sydney because with every move, I could never decide which ones made my room look cooler.

I think the memories made in your bedroom, the ideas, the life-changing decisions, they have a major impact. But of course, that’s not to say how you style your room isn’t important. I’m a Virgo–yes, I just went there. I like my space to be neat and always organised, it helps me think clearly. So, when I had to give up half my bedroom for two months to share with my cousin when I was 16, you can imagine it wasn’t all smooth sailing. My messy, ‘leave it there ill pack it later’ cousin took over. Now this wasn’t some distant relative I see every 10 years, this was my best friend in the whole world. You’d think it wouldn’t be a problem, right? It’s fair to say that the stain from the cup of Ribena I asked her not to drink on my bed never really came out... I look back on all that’s happened in each of my bedrooms, the tears, each time I’ve had to pick myself up off my floor, being my own hero. These moments shaped me. Every room told a story, and every room is responsible for creating a piece of me. Our room–or rooms in my case–they reflect who we are in that very moment. Blink twice and I would’ve been swapping out my Diary of a Wimpy kid books for makeup. My point is, they’re ever-changing, just like us.

Ava Rossi Issue 01

To all my bedrooms and the ones I’ve yet to decorate, Thank you.

a retreat where I control the sunlight that comes through the blinds and the sounds I want to hear - birds chirping from the open window or Fleetwood Mac blasting from my Spotify. It’s been a classroom for the past two years. It’s been blank white walls slowly splattered with Polaroids and posters forever. It’s been a library, equipped with a growing accumulation of books I’ve devoured; ones that are yet to be read; and ones that never will be read.

I sleep; recharge; meditate; cry; FaceTime; write; scroll Instagram; get changed; dance around and pass the time in my bedroom. Pass the time. Me, my floral linen, my rows of hanged clothes, my colourful spines of books, my overheating laptop, my perfume collection, my bedside cup of tea turned cold. Mine, mine, mine. Passing the time, time, time.

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I recently entered my twenties, and my bedroom is serving as a reminder of the impermanence of all things. I’m thinking about the temporary everything of this room - books that have the endings spoiled; the bed I know all the comfortable positions of; the flowers dying in their glass vase; the concert tickets bluetacked to my wall, already attended, already passed, already gone. The temporary people or emotions or feelings or phases these walls have breathed in. I entered this current room at fourteen, fresh out of falling outs with friends and a Harry Styles obsession. I sleep in it now as a twenty-year-old with too many tote bags, anticipating my last year of Uni and wondering, pondering, deciphering and imagining who else I’m yet to become in this room.

Savannah Selimi

‘Sun-drunk’ print @brianna.simonsen

‘ALL TOMORROWS PARTIES!’ print @Millkman

I had a friend tell me recently that my writing always follows a specific preset. She analysed my words as following the pattern of observations, then my thoughts on the observations, and a conclusion with a wrap up of past, present, future. A plethora of reflections and projections. It made me laugh because I had never noticed that before, but what it made me realise is that in some way I’m always thinking about the future, a halfanxious tendency and half-cling to optimism. And thinking about the future, I don’t know what this bedroom will be in five years. The physical manifestation of how I feel - messy at my worst and clean at my best. I wonder, will the walls be painted a different colour? Will I take the Flinders Photo Booth strips off my mirror? Will I change, rearrange, move and feel strange? Really, in five years my bedroom will probably my brother’s room. Then he can write a sappy, pretentious piece on permanence and who he will be and all that jazz. He’ll get to watch the sunset melt into a lilac rendition of Van Gogh’s Starry Night every evening, circa five pm in the winter and eight-thirty in the summertime. I wonder if he’ll miss the sunrise that his room provides. I wonder if I’ll miss the gift of the sunset from my bedside, forests of trees asserting dominance over a tired, big, bright, tangerine sun.

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I don’t know who I’ll be a year or five from now or what my bedroom will look like, or even if it’ll still be mine with a new look and new design, but even in the muddled, murky waters of unpredictability and the embrace of it all, I know I can return to now and think clearly. Think hopefully. Think and be born new.

LOVE LETTER TO MY The wooden bookcase that I found abandoned on a quiet backstreet in Preston remains to be my favourite bedroom piece. I had been wishing for a unit like this one to display my literary (and platform shoe) collection for a while, so as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to take it. I still think about how crazy it is; the way things fall into place like that when you least expect it. I have been living in my room much more as of late due to the pandemic and all, and so being surrounded by things that have meaning attached to them seems to conjure powerful memories which is what I believe makes a space feel not only welcoming, but that extra-bit yours.

My miniscule but ever-growing vinyl collection, consisting mostly of subgenres of rock and punk, decorate the floor, or shall I say: the dancefloor. I have a copy of The Cure’s Disintegration, a record that I cherish deeply and find myself listening to whenever I feel the dire need to romanticise my life when it starts to get even the slightest bit dull. I also have an early pressing of Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks soundtrack that I magically sourced at a vintage store, and I like to play it on those rainy, lonesome nights when being bored suddenly becomes entertaining. Bedroom pop

words and photos by Cassie Nikoloska

EVER-CHANGING BEDROOM A deck of tarot cards, a blue calcite sphere, and a red candlestick held by an old bottle of rosé rest on my bedside table as I dream each night, accompanied by other knickknacks such as red nail polish and a little trinket dish; things that I reach for almost every day. A velvet philodendron – which I make sure to water once a week – hangs nearby, and it sits next to my green notebook where I write down my spontaneous 2 am thoughts. I feel as though only the best writing comes at this time; when the world is fast asleep and everything is still.

I gaze at my bedroom at this very moment and think about how different it used to be; the thirty or so posters of One Direction that covered every inch of the walls, or the pink Hello Kitty radio and stack of pop CD’s that resided on the desk that I no longer have. Now it’s been years, and I observe how my bedroom has changed since then and how beautiful that is. A person changes as they grow, and, with time, so does the space around them.

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My room is a physical representation of my creativity, my motto of not taking life too seriously, and the level of relaxation that I constantly desire and yearn for. Nothing ever stays the same, because people don’t stay the same, and for that reason, I wonder what my bedroom will look like years from now... 27

A Tribute to “The pair bonded over a love of peculiar, sardonic humour and wide-eyed observations.”

I remember the precise moment that I heard the tragic news. It was March 2019 when I was sitting on my bedroom floor, my phone tightly clutched in my hand as I read the stream of incoming headlines. Initial shock and confusion were closely followed by an all-consuming sadness. But I write this piece as a love letter. Liverpool’s pop duo Her’s, made up of Stephen Fitzpatrick on vocals and guitar and Audun Laading on bass and backup vocals have always been one of my top favourite artists. With echoes of Mac DeMarco’s offkilter riffs and atmospheric tunes, Her’s combined dream pop and indie rock to create an innovative mix of sweet melodies that always left you wanting more. Their oddball pop sound arose from their own unravelling and understanding of the solitary worlds in which they lived. The pair came from sleepy coastal towns located on opposite coastlines, and later met as students at the Liverpool Institute of the Performing Arts. After having previously performed together in another Liverpool band, The Sundogs, Her’s was formed in the year of 2015.

Bedroom pop

reads their artist bio on Spotify.

Beatrice Madamba

What started as a fun feat that consisted of filming comedic music videos around Liverpool to upload onto YouTube, soon became something so much more. The band, newly signed to record label, Heist or Hit, released their first single: a hedonic bedroom pop song titled ‘Dorothy’ in April 2016. I found Her’s when their song, ‘Cool With You’ appeared on my Discover Weekly Spotify playlist. It’s a song about two lovers, first in a blooming relationship that brings them happiness, albeit at the cost of choosing to ignore the harsh reality of life. From that moment on, I fell in love. ‘Songs of Her’s’ was my go-to album and became the soundtrack of my mundane day.

It’s completely unfair, the nature of it all. The fact they were struck so suddenly and brutally has denied the music world of a band who were on the cusp of something great.

But the tragic news came too soon and hit with no warning. On March 27 2019, the band would not be able to complete their North American tour. Heist or Hit announced the passing of Fitzpatrick and Laading after a road accident which occurred on their way from Phoenix to perform a show that evening in Santa Ana, California.

What I loved about Her’s was that despite their ability to maintain a recognisable and consistent sound, their discography still successfully transcended beyond the walls of one inherent genre. From the energetic timbrel tone of ‘Speed Racer’, to the smooth, lumber groove of ‘Cool With You’ and the sweet, jovial melody of ‘Marcel’, Her’s displayed their colourful craftsmanship and power to effortlessly caress all moods and sounds. As outsiders themselves, they reached the ears of many outsiders alike.

“We are all heartbroken...Their energy, vibrancy and talent came to define our label,” said the label in an official statement.

So, I write this piece as a love letter. An ode to a band that brought a lot of meaning to my life and many others. Their image will never fade so long as their honeyed vocals and meandering guitar riffs live on in our ears and in our hearts.

Issue 01

Juliette Salom

The Cowboys of Rock Melbourne’s newest band of innercity cowboys have exploded onto the scene with a debut single and three consecutively sold-out shows to blow your boots right off. Big Farmer, made up of a couple of pairs of brothers and mates, consists of Melbourne locals Callum and Declan Blackburn, Stephen and Shaun Bellew, and Jimmy Grant. Describing themselves as racing between angular guitar lines and huge synth tracks, Big Farmer assures that they’ve got what it takes to till your soil.

It was neither surprising nor shocking the ferocious response of love Big Farmer conjured from the crowd on that Friday in early November. Filled with relatives and strangers, old friends and new friends, it was impossible not to feel the undying support for these boys that emanated from below the stage. Communal love and communal live music may have been something of a rarity over those two and a half months of lockdown in Melbourne, and the many months before that, but Big Farmer’s debut headliner gig reminded us all, it’s still here.

One’s not to be deceived by their name; Big Farmer’s music lacks both farm vibes and references to the big pharmaceuticals. Big Farmer’s music does, however, explore the life and legend of Franco Bernet, kangaroo meal deals at the local pub, and whatever your Co-Star app is saying.

And now, after the band’s third official gig, the boys have secured a February residency at the Old Bar in Fitzroy. Playing every Sunday night, Big Farmer promise to weekly deliver the type of high energy rock show they know will till your soil.

Having played their second-ever official gig and first headline show at the start of November, The Workers Club in Fitzroy was ferociously unprepared for the explosion that these cowboys brought to their Farmer fans. New to the scene and new to the stage, these bandits of punk-rock could’ve fooled anyone.

Communal love and live music felt unsafe for so much of the last two years. Crowds and germs and unvaccinated sneezes meant Australian music, Melbourne music especially, was forced into a somewhat involuntary hibernation. But it’s summer now and February is just around the corner, and the farmers are back and, quite honestly, better than ever.

Cheers were chanted from the crowd and the whoos of knowing fans could be heard for miles on end as one of the band’s front men, Callum, begins addressing the crowd with a brief history of the titular character of Big Farmer’s debut song. Promising music that “will not only make you feel, but make you think,” Callum finishes his war-speech, and the crusaders begin. Bedroom pop

If opening up and leaving lockdown behind means anything this summer, it should be those two things: communal love and live music. And Big Farmer have both. Grab yourself a ticket to the Old Bar in February and grab yourself some heart, and we’ll see you as summer welcomes a year of gigs and great bands. 30

Jasper Riley

DOING IT OURSELVES AUTHENTICALLY We know no one outside of our small circle cares about this. The final edit that is uploaded will take up data on a server in a small corner of the Internet amongst an infinite sea of content. Who is really going to go searching for it? When it is all said and done, this question will not matter. A real peace of mind can be found from the ‘do it yourself’ attitude. What we make will only be as good as we want it to be. So why should we allow ourselves to be caught up in a quest to appeal to as many people as possible? Stamping and shouting can only get us so far. We should want to be our authentic self and put that into our film, even at the risk of alienation. This was something we wanted emphasised on that first day of production. Bedroom pop

It would be the mantra that guides the film from start to finish. With all this in mind, as we finished reading the final script in that little shed, we got down to work. The DIY spirit haunted the space. quipment spread out across a mattress. Costumes grouped together on hangers. Various prop material spewing out of a duffle bag. Minute by minute the characters and world manifested itself into the physical realm straight from the pages and sketches that had been locked away months prior. Shoot quick and don’t think too hard. Not everything can be controlled so all you can do is adapt. 32

Malleability was something we quickly learned to embrace over the production. The following days of production would be about using the environments we had to our advantage. Things are never truly what they seem. With the right angles, lighting, and a sprinkle of confidence – anything can be anywhere. Using two rolls of Coles brand alfoil and tape to cover up a small corner of a shed can make it a brand-new world. A backyard can now be converted into a crafting station for building spacesuits out of garbage bags and phasers out of funnels. Our space was a dollhouse we could play in and achieve that drive to put our authentic self into the film without being bound by rules or wpermits. When production moved to shootingoutdoors there was a loss of that control we had compared to when we started. There is a vulnerability you must succumb to when running around in public wearing silly costumes and carrying camera gear.

words and photos by Vivian Dobbie-Glazier

It did not affect us though. After being penned inside for months, we were restless. The idea of acting out scenes while random people pass by was not the most intimidating thing in the world. As it enters post-production, we can rest easy knowing that, however it turns out, it will be us to the core and nobody else.

The locations. The clothing. The people. Right down to the molecular level. Issue 01

Vivian Dobbie-Glazier

Bedroom pop

photographs from Savannah Selimi

Issue 01

My Top 5 Comfort Films

(and why comfort films are important) Are you ever in the mood to watch a film?

Perhaps you’re feeling the idea of watching a 2-hour, cut-anddry story that leaves an impact on you, but doesn’t that sound intimidating? On occasion, to me, the thought of watching a film that I’ve never seen before and have no prior knowledge of can be scary. Whilst it’s important to sometimes venture out and view films that offer a new experience for you, it’s just as important to treat yourself to a ‘comfort film’ - a film that makes you feel, well, comfortable, where you can be rest assured in already knowing exactly what’s going to happen but enjoying the film nonetheless, because it instils happiness in you.

The Transformers: The Movie (1986) Comfort films can be anything, provided they’re a film that you watch when in need of comfort. So, it’s often surprising to some when I tell them that I feel genuinely comforted by the 1986 animated Transformers film. From the time I first saw the DVD cover at a local Video Ezy, I knew that this film would always be there when I just wanted to sit down and watch the most 80s, most cheesy and most dumb, but one of the most consistently entertaining, films I’ve ever seen. If I could describe how it feels to watch this film, it’s like watching a satisfying cooking video online. It itches my brain in the perfect way.

Finding Nemo (2003) I feel like a child at a museum whenever I watch Finding Nemo. I’m walking through the ambiently lit rooms of the ocean section and looking at the displays of all these colourful fish, with detailed and interesting descriptions accompanying everything. I could spend hours in this section and hours rewatching this film. Whilst I don’t think it’s Pixar’s best film, I do consider it my personal favourite, mostly since it brings back nostalgic memories of being a child pouring over books on marine biology and oceans and just wanting to soak up as much information as possible.

Bedroom pop

Malachy Lewis End of Evangelion (1996) I took the deep dive into anime in late-2020, and my repeat watching of Neon Genesis Evangelion and its finale film, End of Evangelion, had been a milestone for me. Evangelion is among the most famous and analysed anime of all time - a 90s classic - and the finale film is comforting in a completely different manner to the previous entry on this list. The second half of the film provides a deep dive into what it means to have an identity as a human being and how our experiences, relationships and selfreflection are what shape us more than anything else. The way the film presents this visually is astounding, and the sequence in which the film shows us the real world and what the story means after all this time is one that I cannot keep my eyes off and feel strangely comforted by. At the risk of sounding pretentious, no matter how many times I rewatch it, I can’t help but think as much as I can about what it’s trying to say and applying it to my own life.

The Iron Giant (1999) Much like Transformers, this is another Video Ezy DVD hire story. This film, about a little boy who befriends a giant alien robot, went under the radar when it was released in 1999 due to under-advertisement, despite the critical acclaim it received. In many ways, this film feels like a warm hug. It’s surprisingly uncommon to watch a film that makes you feel this good about human nature, now there are people in the world who are so incredibly kind-hearted despite what the social context of their life would have them believe. This film captures this on an emotional level so perfectly, leaving me in tears every time I finish it.

Mary and Max (2009) In much the same way as Finding Nemo, Mary and Max echoes feelings of going to ACMI in Melbourne, a film museum in which local and international films are showcased and their production detailed and documented. Mary and Max represents the epitome of this vibe for me; a stop-motion film about, mostly, a little girl in suburban Australia. I first watched this film late at night as an 11-year-old on free-to-air TV and was enamoured. I associate my childhood memories of this weird but beautiful film with the exhibition ACMI held of it, in which there was a detailed behind-the-scenes look at the production, which fascinated me. Sometimes, a feeling of comfort is merely the feeling of watching a weird local animated film on TV late at night.

Issue 01

Kate Keenan

Bedroom Pop I taught myself to animate unintentionally. I shamefully admit I used an app called ‘You Doodle’, which to its credit, was never designed for animation and frankly, shouldn’t be used for it. It was built to draw a moustache on your friend’s picture or edit flower crowns onto One Direction (a niche, artistic movement). I used it to make stop motions, saving to my camera roll as I went. Though I laugh about it now, it was an introduction to digital art and a community of other young kids doing the same thing. The past decade of Bedroom Pop couldn’t better describe that experience. Like music, art became digital, accessible and free to recreate from your desk. The apple store was our resource and apps with undignified names became our medium. The union of technological advances and kids with a scary amount of confidence hopping on the family iPad brought me here.

What I became inspired by was the creatives posting when they could and if they could. The weight of uncertainty, personal loss and longing for normality being managed, if only just to post a scribble. I felt the return of Bedroom Pop principles bleeding into the animation I was consuming and I was thankful. Anna Ginsburg’s short ‘Just the two of us’ became a routine watch for me. The nostalgia and gentle appreciation of suburban humanity felt so right to be retold in 2D, made with brushes on Photoshop, no less. I’ve only recently started posting my work again and hope to continue for a very long time. One sinister thing about animation is that it’s addictive. It’s a never-ending measurement of your improvement as an artist and I only want to get better. It’s thrilling just to make shit move, especially in recent times, when I felt I couldn’t do that myself.

Though I’ve since switched to the Adobe Suite, I’m still pursuing a passion from my bedroom; only now, it’s in and out of lockdowns. At times I felt incapacitated to make anything at all and I don’t have to tell you what a challenging two years it has been, we have all experienced this pandemic.

Bedroom pop

Savannah Selimi

Rosie: Opportunity for Feminist Writers From the intricacies of female friendships, practicing selfcare and highlighting the latest in youth activism, media platform Rosie ranges from a bunch of topics catered to young women. The blog is part of a national harm prevention initiative by the Dugdale Trust for Women & Girls, and reading through their catalogue of articles feels like having a conversation with an imaginary big sister.

Beatri

ce Mad amb

Rosie has a bit for everyone, publishing personal essays on feminism, race, LGBTQIA+ issues, family, education, sex and relationships, and even more topics, like entering the workforce and boosting self-confidence. An excellent opportunity to get your writing out there, one of the coolest things about Rosie is that they acknowledge the work of young writers, providing a $100 fee for all contributors. Keen to get your writing published? Check out Rosie at rosie.org.au to read work by other young writers and for details on how to submit your own!

Issue 01

Bedroom pop

photographs from Beatrice Madamba

Issue 01

Album Review: Big Thief’s

Bedroom pop

Savannah Selimi

You know a band is good when their sound is effortlessly alluring. When their music isn’t just singing with strums of guitar, but a cosmic translation into feeling and heartache. That’s Big Thief to me; the Brooklyn-based band mostly recognisable from their 2016 track ‘Paul’. Their latest album ‘Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You’ is a puzzle of love, grief and electric romantics, enwrapped in visceral prose and the silky vocals of Adrianne Lenker.

‘Time Escaping’ is an example of the band’s new experimental endeavours, a haunting combination of rough strings and breathy vocals that leaves you feeling strangely unsettled. ‘Spud Infinity’ and ‘Red Moon’ further exhibit the venture into foreign musical territory, both inventive renditions on countryfolk packed with the sounds of a jaw-harp and fiddle. Contrastingly, songs like ‘Simulation Swarm’ and ‘No Reason’ mirror prior albums, warm and mellifluous to the ear, whereas ‘Flower of Blood’ plays like an angsty nineties tune, hints of grunge and shoegaze. There’s something new on every track, though they all somehow fade into each other seamlessly.

The record was produced over four locations – upstate New York; Topanga Canyon; the Colorado Rockies; and Tucson, Arizona – with four different engineers. Inherently Big Thief in its masterful sense of production and emulation of melancholic folk, the band strive to blur the lines of musical coherence, mixing and matching folk genres and fully bleeding into each tune unapologetically.

Big Thief thrives in juxtaposition. They’ve mastered the ugly beauty in not holding back, both lyrically and instrumentally. The record’s stellar track, the whimsically-convoluted ‘Little Things’ contrasts triumphant, overbearing guitar and drums with Lenker’s high-pitched, soft vocals. The climax, a vomiting of the bliss and venoms of love, captures the vulnerability Lenker pours into her lyrics, human and real.

Remnants of Lenker’s solo work are interwoven through every track, consisting of metaphorical takes on nature and love and how they’re practically the same thing. Opening track ‘Change’ enchants with soft instrumentals, embracing change as integral to life as nature, likening it to ‘the wind’, ‘the water’, ‘the leaves’ and ‘butterflies’.

More than an addition to your breakup and slow mornings playlists, Big Thief carefully construct a beautiful mess in this new record. It’s emotional, unique, honest and wistfully experimental, a poetic rumination into our own shadows, heartbreak and the optimism that can be found in the swaying of a beautiful tree or a cloudless sky.

It’s Big Thief and I love it.

Issue 01

YOU JUST NEED TO START

Bedroom pop means rocking out to the beat of your own drum; the strum of your own guitar; the rattle of your own tambourine; and the ding of your own triangle. It means following your dreams. Creating something that you’re passionate about. Experiencing rejection (very important)! Connecting with people in a beautiful way, and most importantly… finding purpose and growth within yourself.

In a roundabout manner, this could be the description of my creative journey in radio and the music industry thus far.

Amazing, hey!? At its core, this is what radio is. And as a presenter, the mere thought that I could potentially randomly impact someone’s entire mood, day, or even their whole outlook on life by one thing I say is what inspires me to tuck myself away within the four walls of my bedroom and create.

Hey… My name is Anika (rhyming with sneaker) Luna, and I am your radio gal! I am unconditionally obsessed with all aspects and types of music and am fascinated by how it can encourage affinity between strangers.

So where did I start? The year was 2018, and my sixteenyear-old self was promptly looking for work experience. After not hearing back from countless applications, one of my proudest moments to this day was following up my expression of interest at Triple R radio station in-person. Above all, if I never found the will power and courage to just start, who honestly knows where I would be or what I would have achieved today? Hence, after a week of work experience at the oldest and largest community radio station in Australia, I then joined SYN, a youth community radio station, as per recommendation. This is where a world of opportunity opened up for me and allowed me to truly discover myself as someone in radio, coin my university decisions and has since heavily contributed to my entire persona in the present day!

From my experiences, music and conversation can be so powerful and can incite an overwhelming sense of euphoria, especially when paired together. This is why radio is so magical! In an age of information, where society is so heavily influenced by social media and captivated by appearances and visual aesthetics, how lovely is it that a platform like radio exists? A platform that skips the superficial nonsense, and advocates for developing a true understanding of who people are. Understanding personality. A life-giving platform that gives a voice to the voiceless and provides listeners with substance… a three-dimensional portrayal of a seemingly twodimensional profile. Bedroom pop

Anika Luna

I was given the honour of being one half of the Executive Producing team for their under-18 program, ‘Amplify,’ and tackled this whilst simultaneously completing Year 12… all throughout a global pandemic! Since joining SYN, I have been equipped with the skills, experience and confidence to tackle lots of side projects; step outside of my comfort zone; and meet tons of incredibly talented and inspirational people, particularly young people!

‘The worst content that you create is already better than the best content that you never create!’

As the story continues, The Push then opened their doors to me, where I was involved in their record label program. This sparked lots of character development to which I welcomed with open arms, specifically as it nicely aligned with the commencement of my university studies in Professional Media and Communications at RMIT. Now at 19 years of age, I, like many of my peers, feel as though we have experienced and achieved so much, yet at the same time, many of these milestones and significant moments of being a teenager have been spent, worked for, and celebrated within the confines of our bedrooms. Job interviews, graduations, milestone birthdays, just to name a few! This is the simple reality of our current state of being, and a very surreal one, to be fair. In spite of this, possibly the most important thing that I have learnt from this whole situation is just how capable we as individuals are and just how capable young people are. In an age of technology and resources that are advancing quicker than what we can even fathom, everything that we need is quite literally at our fingertips, hence, in my experience, it’s honestly all about just starting. Obviously, it’s not going to be perfect on your first go and that’s totally fine! But ultimately one of the SYNners told me that, Issue 01

I always used to think that I was too young to be doing certain things, putting myself in various professional positions, and too young to be starting any sort of a… career. But what I have realised is that you’re never too young to be happy and do what you love. As cheesy as it sounds, if you let your happiness guide your decision making, you are bound to find people and spaces where you feel like you can express yourself in an authentic way, and ultimately find yourself amongst the series of chaos that we call ‘life’! Never underestimate the power of words, conversation, connection, the power that you as an individual can have on another person, and the weight it holds. Because who knows, you might just create something that could change someone’s whole life…

…you just need to start! 45

March MON

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Catalyst Oxford Scholar Event

International Womens Day

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Multicultural Festival

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RUSU chill & grill on city campus

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census date

collage by Beatrice Madamba

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