Sheppard Announce New Single 'Christmas Without You' Plus Brisbane Lord Mayor Christmas Carols

SHEPPARD

ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE

CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU

+ BRISBANE LORD MAYOR CHRISTMAS CAROLS

MEDIA RELEASE:: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FRIDAY NOVEMBER 12

Aussie pop superstars Sheppard have just released their glistening, heartfelt new single Christmas Without You, a poignant seasonal track that will hit home for those who are missing a loved one this Christmas, out today. The thoughtful song and spectacular video are landing just towards the end of an absolutely massive year for this powerhouse family group, with their 2021 album Kaleidoscope Eyes peaking at number 2 on the ARIA charts and their beloved hit Coming Home racking up over sixty million Spotify streams. Sheppard will be celebrating the release of Christmas Without You with a performance at Brisbane Lord Mayor Christmas Carols on December 11.

Christmas Without You is a truly appropriate Christmas song for a year like 2021; reflective, gentle, and emotive, festive piano and subtle bells lead the song as vocalist George Sheppard’s sweet voice floats above it all. The track reaches an expressive, cathartic climax, perfectly suited to the melancholy of a festive season that’s missing some loved ones. Evocative of Coldplay’s seasonal classic Christmas Lights, Christmas Without You is a sparkling triumph, as George reflects, “My sisters and I realised that there must be so many people who, for whatever reason, haven’t been able to see their families and loved ones for a very long time, and Christmas time can be particularly hard for people in those circumstances. We wanted to write a song for all of those people who might not be having such a great Christmas without their families, and to leave them with a little bit of warmth and hope.” The video for Christmas Without You, created by the band’s longtime visual collaborators, Polish graphic design firm Ars Thanea, is a stunning offering, consisting of gorgeous, pain-stakingly created CGI imagery that feels perfectly in line with the ebbs and flows of the song itself.

Excited to be performing the new single at their hometown Brisbane Lord Mayor Christmas Carols on December 11, George gives fans a taste of what to expect, saying, “We’ve been lucky enough to be invited to perform at a few of the big carol events this year, which is a huge honour. We’ll be playing this new Christmas song of course! It will sound huge with a full live band and possibly an orchestra, so we’re really hoping it will be a beautiful spectacle for families all across Australia.”

Sheppard’s anthemic, colourful, energetic pop has made them a household name in Australia. Boasting over 850 million streams across all platforms, a handful of number ones across the world, and just last year, a coveted half-time performance slot at the AFL Grand Final, during which they announced their 2021 album Kaleidoscope Eyes. The group, consisting of George, Amy and Emma Sheppard, guitarist Jason Bovino and drummer Dean Gordon, have already achieved more than most artists can dream of in a lifetime – but by all accounts, they’re only still just getting started.

Christmas Without You is out today.

Sheppard is Amy Sheppard – Singer/Keys, George Sheppard – Lead Singer/Guitar/Keys, Emma Sheppard – Back-up vocals/Bass Guitar, Jason Bovino – Guitar, Dean Gordan – Drums.

Stream: Christmas Without You
Watch: Christmas Without You

SAT DEC 11 | BRISBANE LORD MAYOR CHRISTMAS CAROLS –
THE RIVERSTAGE (CH9 QLD BROADCAST)
TICKETS AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY 1 DECEMBER FROM 10AM VIA BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL WEBSITE - REGISTRATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL
ENTRY $5 WITH ALL PROCEEDS TO CHARITY PARTNER FOODBANK

SHEPPARD - CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU (official video)

SHEPPARD - CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU (official single artwork)

MONTANA SHARP 'Greenhouse' Debut Single

MONTANA
SHARP 
ANNOUNCES DEBUT SINGLE & VIDEO GREENHOUSE

MEDIA RELEASE:: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, THURSDAY JULY 30

Mysterious newcomer Montana Sharp has today announced her breathtaking debut single Greenhouse, a theatrical pop ballad about the lengths humans will go to protect themselves, even if it ends up hurting even more in the long run, out July 30.  It’s a fascinating song and a wild debut – one which is accompanied by a showstopping film clip, directed by Majella Productions (Mo’Ju, Ecca Vandal, Birdz).  The clip sees Montana riding around on an endless carousel, cloaked in luscious red and gold, and watched on by spectators.
 
Greenhouse feels ready-made for a Eurovision campaign – definitely one for fans of Montaigne, Kate Miller-Heidke, Dresden Dolls, even Radiohead fanatics will find something to love here.  Montana Sharp successfully meshes fantastical, theatrical influences with modern, innovative pop sensibilities on Greenhouse; glorious piano marches valiantly alongside epic strings and the orchestral percussion arrangement, while Montana Sharp’s flawless, expressive vocal is the undeniable star of the show.  Speaking on the inspiration behind the song, Montana shares, “The metaphorical ‘greenhouse’ was once a fantastical sanctuary to seek refuge from the outside, but now it is safe outside and the protagonist is locked inside a madhouse.  I wrote this song at a very disturbed point in my life, engaging in a conversation with those self-protective mechanisms – but the song takes on a whole new meaning in 2020 with the coronavirus.  We’re all retreating to our ‘greenhouses’ to keep safe from the outside – but now we’re stuck inside!”
 
A song like Greenhouse demands a bold, larger-than-life visual representation – suffice to say, the Greenhouse film clip is nothing short of spectacular.  A gorgeous palette of circus reds and theatre golds characterise the setting while we observe Montana going around and around on her own personal carousel.  Up and down, up and down, the cyclical motion reminds the viewer of the nature of obsessive thoughts, and how easy it is to become stuck in them.  In short, this film clip is a must-watch.  Reflecting on the meaning of the clip, Montana Sharp says, “The protagonist is chained to the carousel while onlookers gaze in awe, ride and dance on the carousel, and then are ultimately free to leave.  The protagonist wakes up and discovers she is also free to leave, but finds herself unable to – she’s stuck on the carousel.”
 
After watching this clip and hearing this brilliant song for the first time, you may be wondering, where on Earth did Montana Sharp come from? With a background in classical piano since early childhood and studying pop voice at Monash University, this highly trained, highly skilled musician has managed to marry complex chord structures and motifs found in classical music with modern pop songwriting conventions – and the result is incredibly captivating, catchy music.  Greenhouse is just the beginning – there’s so much more to come from the mysterious Montana Sharp.
 

Greenhouse is out today, July 30.

Listen: GREENHOUSE
Watch: GREENHOUSE

 

Montana Sharp - Greenhouse (official video)

Montana Sharp - Greenhouse (official single artwork)

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Grace Farriss 'All The People' Single

Photo credit: Jarryd Buckley

GRACE FARRISS

SHARES TIMELY NEW SINGLE 
ALL THE PEOPLE

MEDIA RELEASE:: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, THURSDAY JUNE 25

Boasting a rich musical pedigree, it’s no surprise that explosive newcomer Grace Farriss is sure to impress and set tongues wagging as she today shares her impressive debut single, All The People, a funky fireball of a track with a powerful and timely message - to celebrate the interconnection between the diverse cultures that shape the world.
 
In a nutshell, Grace Farriss is a poet, singer, songwriter, composer, producer, painter, artist, author and environmentalist. Born into an artistic and musical family and the daughter of rock and roll royalty, Grace grew up in the United Kingdom and Australia, her parents Shelley Farriss, a lead theatre actor and yoga teacher and Andrew Farriss, a farmer and the main composer and songwriter for INXS.  Having played guitar for most of her life after being gifted a nylon string guitar from her parents for her twelth birthday, Farriss explains, “I was always encouraged to play the piano and guitar growing up, we express a lot of music and art in our family and my Dad’s amazing writing style is genius and has inspired me beyond knowledge and so greatly.”

All The People was recorded and produced by Tony Buchen (The Preachers, Montaigne, G-Flip) in LA at his Lucy’s Meat Market Studio, and Valentine Recording Studios, and mastered by Leon Zervos (Amy Shark, P!nk, Maroon 5). It is a bold and soulful introduction to this exciting artist that oozes talent and fun with this effortlessly cool, 70s-inspired funky disco powerhouse track that is driven by crisp saxophones and gallant horns, balanced perfectly with a potently catchy, dreamy chorus – exceptional musicianship on full display here from the minute that drum beat, saxophone and bass groove hits.

“All The People came about while I was thinking deeply about the larger and more worldly aspects of life,” Farriss explains. “The chord progression and rhythm of the song came first, very strongly, and then I put the melody and the lyrics over the top at the same time. I ended up singing the All The People lyrics unknowingly and the meaning became more obvious the more the song took life.” 
 
Inspired by the world’s cultural diversity, Farriss says, “This song is an explosion of my heart and I feel in many ways at this time, the worlds heart. I have always had such a deep fascination with how all of the world’s cultures united and came to be and how we all interact with one another and interconnect through our wonderful cultural differences. What I feel other cultures teach you is that we are all one and the same, which I feel music and the arts certainly accomplish to bring this awareness to us all so intimately and so beautifully, internally and in celebration with one another.”

Currently studying her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine, Farriss is also an Ambassador for both the Jane Goodall Institute and SeaShepherd, and has founded her own environmental institute, The Grace Earth Organisation.  “I am an active advocate for the welfare of our earth and the environment we inhabit. I support environmental causes, as this is what feels most important to me,” insights Farriss. “I grew up with and have close relationships with Aboriginal people and Elders who have so much essential knowledge that have taught me a great deal about the land and world we live in, and I feel very fortunate to be a part of the movement towards us becoming more aware and conscious of our environment.”
 
Farriss is set to release her debut album Grace later this year, featuring performances from some of the world’s greatest musicians - The Section Quartet, Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley) on drums, Joey Waronker (Beck) on drums, Abe Rounds (Andrew Bird, Meshell Ndegeocello, Birds of Prey Score) on drums, Benji Lysaght (Adele, Father John Misty) on guitar, Ralph Carney (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello and the B-52’s) on saxophone, John Kirby (Solange) on keys, and Todd M. Simon (Angel City All-Star Brass Band) on horns.
 
And as if she’s not busy enough, Farriss is also set to publish her first book, Poetry, Sayings and Stories that is due to hit bookstores later this year.

All The People is out now.
 
STREAM: ALL THE PEOPLE 
WATCH: ALL THE PEOPLE
 

Grace Farriss - All The People (audio)

Grace Farriss - All The People (official single artwork - credit Billy Clare Reitzenstein)

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