SHEPPARD 'Christmas Without You' Interview

GERONIMO!!!

As we say Bombs Away to closing another challenging year, beloved Australian pop band SHEPPARD release their first Christmas song, 'Christmas Without You' a heart-felt sensation, for anyone not able to be with their loved ones at Christmas time. Brendan the blind guy was thrilled to catch up with the Sheppard trio to chat about the heart-felt single, plus their performance at the Lord Mayor Christmas Carols in Brisbane on December 11, the band's third studio album 'Kaleidoscope Eyes' and much more to free-dive into that'll make you go bananas!

Butterfingers 'Bad News' Q&A

BAD NEWS? HARDLY!

AUSSIE HIP HOP LEGENDS
DROP NEW ALBUM BAD NEWS TODAY
ANNOUNCE NEW OCT/NOV/DEC DATES FOR POSTPONED NATIONAL ALBUM TOUR

MEDIA RELEASE:: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, WEDNESDAY APRIL 8

Australia’s favourite musical misfits and legends of noughties Aussie hip-hop, Butterfingers are back with their outrageous and fittingly titled new album Bad News, out today, April 8.  Confident and with more rapturous energy and piercing lyrical wit than ever before, the band’s first album in 14 years is bold and adventurous, while still retaining that classic, clever, inimitable Butterfingers sound.  To celebrate the album’s release today, they have very kindly delivered another gold nugget of true blue entertainment in the form of a video for their new single – the album title track - Bad News, directed, filmed and edited entirely by lead singer and songwriter, Evil Eddie.
 
But wait, there’s more, Butterfingers have today announced their postponed national tour dates for later this year, set to kick off at the Prince of Wales in Bunbury (WA) on October 29 before moving through Perth, Scarborough, Fremantle, Hobart, Launceston, Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane, Burleigh Heads, Adelaide, Melbourne, Frankston, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and finishing up at Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns on December 12.
 
“What a time to be releasing an album called Bad News!” Jests Evil Eddie.  “It’s crazy to think it’s been 14 years since our last album, cause it doesn’t feel like it all. We are super pumped to finally be getting it out there, but the actual process - eventhough it’s been so long - feels like it’s our regular routine, and it will be from now. The new album is out today and we’ve got waaaaaay more to come straight after, we’ve got a lot to say right now.” 
 
True to form, the Bad News album encompasses hip hop, punk, reggae, drum & bass, stoner rock, electronica and just about anything that makes you want to shake your bones, into a cohesive mash-up all of their own creation.  From potty-mouthed gutter rhymes to heartfelt crooning odes to love lost, this is an album that will keep old fans happy and will entice new followers at an alarming rate.
 
Inspired by the film Anchorman, the video clip for Bad News is downright bonkers and offers fans some further insight in to just how weird and hilarious the workings of Evil Eddie’s brain really are. “Being that the album and the single are both called Bad News, it made sense to us to dress up as news readers and deliver the bad news in a proper and professional manner, crazy timing too with everything that’s going on in the world at the minute. In a weird way it feels like somehow it’s meant to be,” explains Eddie. “Anyway, hopefully it can serve as a lighthearted distraction from all the gloom we’re drowning in within the media at moment. This really is the time that people actually need entertainment just to keep them sane. We’re probably not the heroes you asked for, but we’re the ones you’ve got!”
 
Having rediscovered their unified passion, and with an impressive haul of new material under their belt, Butterfingers are officially back to blow minds, bend genres and push the boundaries of good taste with their rare blend of obscenity, wit and charm on stages across Australia. “The great news is that we have rebooked the Bad News album tour to run over Oct, Nov, Dec, and your tickets are still valid in most cases and we are absolutely fanging for these shows,” Evil Eddie enthuses. “The silver lining with the Covid19 postponement is that now you guys will actually have a chance to get familiar with our new bangers before we show up on your doorstep. Keep your ears peeled folks, we’re coming to get ya.”
 
Butterfingers is Evil Eddie (vocals, guitar), Olly Thomas (keys, samples, percussion), Bradzilla Cochrane (bass) and Tony McCall (drums).
 
Bad News is released today through Bewilderbeats
 
Tickets to the Bad News Tour are available now.  Hit up the band’s website for more information: http://butterfingers.info
 
STREAM BAD NEWS ALBUM
VIEW BAD NEWS VIDEO
 
DISCOGRAPHY
2003 – Everytime EP
2004 – Breakfast at Fatboys
2006 – Deeper You Dig
2010 – Welcome To Flavour Country (Evil Eddie solo release)
 
NEWLY ANNOUNCED NATIONAL BAD NEWS ALBUM TOUR DATES
 
THU 29 OCT | PRINCE OF WALES, BUNBURY WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 30 OCT | BADLANDS, PERTH WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 31 OCT | INDIAN OCEAN HOTEL, SCARBOROUGH WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SUN 1 NOV | MOJO’S, FREMANTLE WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 6 NOV | ALTAR, HOBART TAS | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 7 NOV | ROYAL OAK HOTEL, LAUNCESTON TAS | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 13 NOV | CAMBRIDGE HOTEL, NEWCASTLE NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 14 NOV | LANSDOWNE HOTEL, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
FRI 20 NOV | THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 21 NOV | MO’S DESERT CLUBHOUSE, BURLEIGH HEADS QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THU 26 NOV | CROWN & ANCHOR, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 27 NOV | HOWLER, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 28 NOV | PELLY BAR, FRANKSTON VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 4 DEC | RACEHORSE HOTEL, IPSWICH | 18+
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 5 DEC | NIGHTQUARTER, SUNSHINE COAST QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
FRI 11 DEC | OTHERWISE, TOWNSVILLE QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 12 DEC | TANKS ARTS CENTRE, CAIRNS QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.ticketlink.com.au | 1300 835 855 | All Ticketlink Outlets

Q&A With Evil Eddie

Q; What’s the inspiration behind your new single and album? 

A; As much as I hate concept albums, this is kind of a concept album and the concept is basically like a film of all the major things that have happened to me/Butterfingers between the last album and now. Every song is like a scene but it’s not super literal so if you didn’t know it, you could happily enjoy the record without being necessarily aware of the concept. I guess it grew from the fact I’ve been doing some study into script writing techniques of late. Can you tell?

Q; Who are your greatest musical influences?

A; The real base layer would have to be all the blues and heavy rock that my parents listened to when I was a kid (like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Black Sabbath and Led Zep). The next layer would have to be all my 90’s influences from Beastie Boys to Nirvana to NWA to RHCP. On top of that is all the stuff that’s circling around now. I put it this way because I feel that even when approaching newer genres I still filter everything through the lens of all my past influences and I think that serves to bridge some gaps which is really what this band has always been about. Bridging the gaps between old and new, rock and hip hop, underground and pop.

Q; What do you bring to the live stage? 

A; Energy and good vibes. I know that sounds super hippy and that’s not really the image of the band but I’ve always felt that creating that feeling of ecstatic fun is the goal for nearly everything we produce. Songs can have a positive or negative focus but laughing at all of it while you’re dancing, sweating and surging with energy is kind how I like to view it metaphorically.

A; How was the recording process? 

We’ve done it all ourselves with a little help from our friend Matt (from the band Loathing Sea) when it came to the initial drum tracking and it’s coming up really well so I’ve found the whole thing challenging but mega rewarding. I’m mixing the album as well the learning curves have been steep but it’s nice to have control of how your vision is executed.

Q; What was the inspiration behind the music video? 

A; I dreamed the whole thing. Start to finish. I just woke up and wrote the whole thing down then turned it into a shot list, bought some costumes, put it out there on Facebook that we needed extras and boom, it was happening.

Q; How would you describe your writing process? 

A; Feeling my way around in a dark room til I find something that feels nice. Sounds gross but it seems to work for me.

Q; Give us an interesting personal fact!

A; My regular job is skydive instructor. No deaths as yet so gimme a call if you’re keen to have a jump.

Cloning 'All Rise' Single Q&A

ALL RISE!

              CLONING ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE & VIDEO ALL RISE

+ LAUNCH SHOW ON MARCH 13 

Emerging WA band Cloning have today released their ethereal new single All Rise, an introspective track that questions morality and is influenced by Nordic mythology.  The group have also released an impressive self-made cosmic claymation film clip to accompany the song.  To celebrate the release of All Rise, Cloning will be playing an exclusive show at the Indian Ocean Hotel in Scarborough on March 13.

All Rise pays homage to triphop auteurs Portishead while also evoking influences from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds to Radiohead.  Recorded and mixed by Dave Parkin (Gyroscope, Karnivool) and mastered by Brian Lucey (Cage The Elephant, Arctic Monkeys, Royal Blood), this atmospheric track is the perfect soundtrack to a warm, hazy summer, with shining synthesisers, ample mandolin, cinematic guitar and idiosyncratic vocals.  Speaking on the intricate meaning behind the track, guitarist and lead vocalist Felix Parker says, “All Rise is about how groups of people can think their intentions are purer than they actually are, and end up committing morally questionable acts in the name of their chosen cause.  It's also about what gets left in the wake of pursuing a goal and how noble intentions can be corrupted by the pursuit of this goal.  The imagery in the lyrics is influenced by Nordic mythology and stories about the Yggdrasil which is a mythical ash tree at the centre of the cosmos.  I read way too much as a kid and a lot of that just seems to naturally flow into my lyrics.”

Following the Nordic mythology theme, the video for All Rise was cleverly and masterfully worked in-house by the band, from conception to completion, excluding the editing which was completed by Jake Crawford (Psychedellic Porn Crumpets). From set making, to directing, to filming – the band did it all.  With over forty hours of footage filmed over one very long weekend, and after almost setting fire to Felix’s living room twice, the video was taking shape.  “We wanted to create visuals that complemented the lyrics and the myths they were influenced by. We came up with the concept first and were trying to think about how we could pull it off. We thought about hiring an animator to make an animation video at first, but we couldn’t afford it. Bevan made stop motion videos as a kid and does photography in his spare time, so we decided to make the video ourselves using Claymation,” explains Felix.  “And we are really happy that we decided to do it ourselves because we ended up making something that is way more us than if someone else had done it,” adds guitarist Bevan Green, “But it definitely pushed the limits of our sanity. We spent ages gluing fake leaves to sticks to make trees which is really finicky when you’re dealing with things this small. And we had to be careful when filming not to move the clay figures in the wrong way or knock the camera, because one dodgy photo would ruin the hundreds of photos we had already taken up to that point for the scene.” 

Cloning formed among friends Nic Rollo, Felix Parker and Jack Brett during their final years at school.  The untimely loss of a close friend and musician around this time drove them to invest heavily in their musical pursuits.  They were soon joined by guitarist Bevan Green, who grew up in the goldfields mining town of Kalgoorlie; joining the band when he moved to Perth.  Though in relative infancy, Cloning have already been notching up some impressive achievements - touring nationally and scoring a WAM Song of the Year nomination last year – it’s safe to say 2020 is set to be a big year for this talented alternative act out of Perth!  

All Rise is out February 3.

Cloning is Felix Parker (lead vocals and guitar), Bevan Green (guitar and vocals), Nic Rollo (bass and vocals), Jack Brett (drums).

Listen: ALL RISE

Watch: ALL RISE

CLONING ALL RISE LAUNCH GIG

FRI MAR 13 | INDIAN OCEAN HOTEL, SCARBOROUGH WA | 18+

Tickets from Oztix https://heatseeker.oztix.com.au/

 Q&A Interview With Felix, Jack & Bevan.

Q; What’s the inspiration behind your new single ‘All Rise’?

A; Felix - All Rise is about how groups of people can place a lot of significance on their beliefs, but be quite misguided in doing so. I was reading a fair bit about nordic mythology at the time and some of the lyrics are influenced by that. In particular the Yggdrasil which is a mythical Ash Tree was something I tried to incorporate into the imagery of the tune. 

Q; Who are your greatest musical influences?

A; Radiohead, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Portishead, The Doors, Everything Everything. 

Q; What do you bring to the live stage?

A; Bevan - I think theres something in there for everyone in our live shows. We like so much different styles of music and we try to make our music reflect that. 
A; Felix - We've spent a long time getting our live set tight so now we're just trying to have fun and give the audience a good experience. 

Q; How was the recording process?

A; Bevan - We recorded with Dave Parkin at Blackbird studios. 
Jack – Dave is great. He's so experienced and easy to work with. He fits in so well with our band band. The song took a couple days to record.
A; Felix - We spent the longest time getting the drum tones sounding nice before we recorded. They're the foundation of the song so once we're happy with how they sound everything else usually flows smoothly from there. 

Q; What was the inspiration behind the music video?

A; Felix - The video draws from nordic mythology like the lyrics. We tried to make a video which complemented the words in the song and gave some more life to the ideas they were influenced by.  

A; Bevan - In the video a traveller is attempting to find ‘The Yggdrasil’, which is a sacred ash tree that features a lot in Nordic mythology. But on the way he has to face a series of challenges designed to stop him from reaching the tree. 

Q; How would you describe your writing process?
Felix - Usually a song starts with Bevan or I recording ideas at home. If we're vibing then we get Jack and Nic to come in to flesh out the song more. 
A; Bevan - Felix started 'All Rise' when he recorded a mandolin riff and some guitar chords on his computer one night so I came over a couple days later and wrote my guitar parts for the song. We thought it was sounding cool so we got Jack and Nic involved to finish off the song. 

Q; Give us an interesting personal fact!
A; We should win an award for most pizza eaten by a band. We eat a lot when we're together and if pizza could be a muse it would be ours. 

BEACHWOOD - 'God Only Knows/Marbles' Listicle Feature

GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT THIS HOLDS!

WHO ARE BEACHWOOD / HOW THEY STARTED OUT?

Beachwood are a Melbourne-based electropop duo of multi-platinum producer/writer Jarrad Rogers (Charli XCX, Lana del Rey, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Icona Pop) and indie filmmaker/songwriter Angeline Armstrong. They met in 2016, when Angeline, new to the buzz of Los Angeles, found herself at Jarrad’s family Christmas party. Over lamingtons and pav, they were surprised to learn that they’d both grown up in the Western suburbs of Melbourne and had also, coincidentally, both chosen the Beachwood neighborhood in LA as their first port of call. They began writing together in Jarrad’s backyard studio, Angeline’s folk-heavy songwriting style colliding with the progressive electronic beats that Jarrad has become known for. It was two years later, at the very end of 2017, that electropop outfit BEACHWOOD was officially formed and the two began writing for the project.

SONGS THEY’VE WRITTEN AND THEIR INFLUENCES:

Beachwood have released four singles to-date. Since returned to the homeland (Australia) from their respective times in LA, the newcomers quickly found favour in both local and international markets. Their debut track, ‘Miracle’, attracted critical acclaim including several awards for their boldly artistic debut music video, winning out over Aussie legends The Veronicas, Guy Sebastian & Peking Duk at the 2019 Clipped Music Video Awards. Their second single, ‘Love Me Or Leave Me Alone’, found its way onto over 30 international New Music Friday playlists and is nearing on 1 million streams. ‘Marbles’ & ‘God Only Knows’ are the most recent ‘dual single release’ track. ‘Marbles’ features the eclectic MC Tray Haggerty from Texas, securing the duo’s trajectory of making waves across international borders. Where ‘God Only Knows’ is a bold take on the classic ‘perfectly written song’ by the Beachboys.

It’s hard to pin point a list of our influences tbh. I can say what we try and do!! We strive to make honest, lyrics that loads of people can relate to. We look to make music that makes you feel good. Helps you get through the day. We love electronic elements and using technology to create something unique. But at the same time we both love organic elements. We try and combine them as often as we can. We also try and make a bunch of the elements that create our beats ourselves. Sampling ourselves hitting things for rhythmic colour etc. Oh and there’s the vocal. That’s the most important thing. That has to be front and centre and be the best it can be. Ange does a great job at that!! I guess you could look at people like Louis The Child, Flume, Drake, The Beatles, Beachboys...something like that!

PAST/UPCOMING NEWS:

Beachwood recently played a sold out show at the Gasometer in Melbourne and are currently finishing their debut EP set for release early next year. 

FUN FACTS:

• Though spending most of her time growing up in Australia - Angeline is actually half-kiwi and half-filipino, and calls all three countries home!

• Beyond the Beachwood act, Jarrad has collaborated around the world as a producer/writer with renowned artists such as: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Lana del Rey, Charli XCX, Montaigne, Luke Steele (Empire of the Sun), Icona Pop, Bea Miller, Andy Grammar, and Rachel Platten.

• As well as being a musician, Angeline is also a filmmaker whose career was kickstarted by a mentorship with Aussie legend Baz Luhrmann and a debut short film made alongside Baz & NIDA that premiered at the Sydney Opera House while Ange was still at university!

• If Jarrad wasn’t a professional musician he’d probably have a crack at being a professional athlete!! Or a baker…or maybe a swim coach. Basically he’d be lost if he wasn’t a musician!