Shadowqueen Q&A

Your name: 
Alex Deegan.

Where are you from?
Melbourne, Australia.

Name of band:
SHADOWQUEEN.

Who else is in your band?
Robbi Zana - lead vocals - bass guitar
Si Hopman - guitar - backing vocals

How would you describe yourselves?
We are a three-piece rock band that plays music that is diverse, dynamic and melodic.
We love music and we have a good sense of humour.

Who are your main influences musically?
So so many, a few that come to mind are Muse, QOTSA, RATM, Bowie, Prince, Led Zep, Queen, Midnight Oil, Kate Bush, Skunk Anansie, U2, Jack White...heaps more

What do you hope to achieve in music?
A healthy fan base worldwide so that we can write, record albums and tour the world.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Getting to support Shihad (NZ). And getting to support The Butterfly Effect (AU). Why? Because we all love and respect those bands.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Wasting time, period.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
That's a tough one because our new album hasn't been released and it's quite diverse, but I'll say our latest single: 'Waiting On You' it's a good representation of where the band is currently at; powerful, melodic, funky, playful and brash.

Where can we listen to it?
https://youtu.be/iXTvkyoIdos




Where can we find out more about your music?
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/sha...
Merch: http://shadowqueenmusic.bandcamp.com/...
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B009M56H4W
Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/2J1DmV...
Subscribe to SHADOWQUEEN's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Shadowqu...
Like on Facebook: https://facebook.com/shadowqueenmusic
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SHADOWQUEENband
Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/SHADOWQUEEN_
Official site: http://www.shadowqueen.com.au

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?
Our new single and video 'Waiting On You' is out via all good digital distributors, and the video is on our YouTube page, check it out we hope you like it! Our sophomore album is due for release in early 2017! We hope to see you at a show!

Juliana Q&A

Your name:

Juliana.

Where are you from?

I’m from Melbourne, Australia - The Great Oz as I call it.

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

My genre is very ‘bitter sweet’; I do not limit myself by writing exclusively ‘pop’ songs. I like to bend the rules and experiment with my song writing so that every song is diverse, but remains within my “genre”, if that makes sense. My songwriting is honest and from the heart because I write only from a place of experience. Everything my music is, I am. You could say I’m a bitter sweetness, and I most definitely honest. I thrive of the connection music gives me to people, it’s why I don’t want to seek a 9-5 job, it’s just not me haha. 

Who are your main influences musically?

All forms of music inspire me, so it’s so hard to narrow that down. One of my favorite lyricists however is definitely Anthony Kiedis. I’m a huge RHCP fan, which may sound strange but true. My favorite voices to listen to are Sia, Chris Cornell and Rihanna; another odd mix I guess, but I can’t help it. Generally speaking, my musical influences go from, The Beatles to Imogen Heap, Sia, Nirvana and Beyonce and of course those I mentioned previously. The list goes on and on. I try and expose myself to all types of sounds; you never know what you’ll be inspired by. Creativity sparks by having had lots of experience with different types of music, so I do my best not to limit myself.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I always aim for the best possible result in anything I do. So the same goes for music. Anything is achievable if you work hard at it. Nothing is ever enough for me, so there won’t be a point where I think, “Yes I’ve achieved everything”. But for now, it would be to reach a point where I can push past the point of being an “establishing artist”, even though you can never be fully established, but to build a “tribe” around me who can help me get my feet off the ground and run with it.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

I’m still in bloom; I’m at the very beginning of a long journey ahead. But to have finally released my art after so much preparation- whether that be writing or designing album covers- has been the most rewarding so far. Having people listen to your music is like opening the door to your soul, which may be cheesy, but true because it really is quite confronting. There is nothing that I love more though, and being able to share it with people and have them connect with what I’ve created is what I find so exciting and in most ways, liberating. That’s the best part about being an artist, entirely…well I think so anyway.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

That’s a great question haha! Embarrassment will be the death of me. There’s nothing more that I hate, except for like bananas or something. But in all honesty, I think everything that has happened or will happen to me along the way isn’t worth forgetting, because it helps shape me as a person and prepares me for what’s to come. There’s not enough time for regret in an industry like this and quite frankly, I don’t at all believe it regrets. Things happen because they’re supposed to and it’s how we learn. So no, I don’t want to forget anything.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Perfect Dream. It’s the most recent one written that is featured on the EP and I think that’s because it’s the song when after I wrote it, I thought, “Wow I’ve really got a shot at this” and I knew exactly what I needed to do next. It’s the song that completed the EP. The entire notion around who I am, not only as an artist, but personally is “a bitter sweetness” and I tried to mirror that through the songs I had chosen. Perfect Dream just screamed “bitter sweet”, both lyrically and musically, and it screamed “me”. The idea of a something that isn’t easily defined or even tangible, something that is perfect because it isn’t, is what spoke to me most.

Where can we listen to it?

The EP came out October 16 and is available across iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, YouTube etc. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel, relax, sing along and find out more details there!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kei9ZzFWPoX-Ekdg9eCcQ

Where can we find out more about your music? 

I make sure I’m present on all socials as much as possible! So here is where you can find me!

Official Site: http://julianaofficialmusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julianaofficialmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kei9ZzFWPoX-Ekdg9eCcQ

Instagram: @julianasworld_

Twitter: @julianasworld

Tumblr: http://abitter-sweetness.tumblr.com/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/julianaofficialmusic

iTunes/spotify: Listen to my debut single, ‘Waterfalls’ here: http://juliana.lnk.to/FJPnj

  

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

No that was great, thank you so much for the chat! J.

New single from Calling All Cars

CALLING All Cars have released the video for new single Standing In The Ocean with the band's album Raise The People out on Monday.

Lead singer and principal songwriter of the Melbourne outfit, Haydn Ing, said the song was "one of those that just came to me, almost like it had to get out and be heard".

He wrote the song in just 15 minutes and the band recorded a demo in three hours the next day at Ing's small home studio, with blankets and pillows over their makeshift drum kit and amp-less bass so as not to annoy the neighbours.

Ing added: "The finished product is literally the first time we ever played the song, so there's a desperation and an excitement captured in there that can sometimes be very hard to reproduce. And if you listen carefully, you might even hear my next door neighbour's dog."

You can watch the video below and for more on the band visit callingallcars.net

Calling All Cars line up album release

AUSSIE rockers Calling All Cars will release their album Raise The People on July 28th through Cooking Vinyl.

The album was recorded in the band's home town of Melbourne with producers Steve Schram and Tom Larkin and mixed by Grammy Award-winner Tchad Blake (Pearl Jam, The Black Keys).

The band have since relocated to the UK and plan more shows in the country soon.

The first single from the album will be Standing In The Ocean, but you can get a taste of the band from the video Werewolves below.

Raise The People can be pre-ordered through ITunes or Amazon now.

 

Free track Werewolves from Calling All Cars

UK-based Aussie rockers Calling All Cars have unveiled new track Werewolves, available as a free download.

The Melbourne band have spent the last few years building a reputation for themselves Down Under and have supported for the likes of AC/DC, Queens Of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Green Day and Biffy Clyro.

They are currently working on an album and to find out more about the band visit facebook.com/callingallcarsmusic

You can watch the video for Werewolves above and download the track below by following the instructions

Get Bateman's SMUT for free

AUSSIE metal five-piece Bateman have released their debut album SMUT as a free download.

The album was self-produced and recorded by drummer Gareth Leach, and mastered by Brad Boatright (Converge, Nails) at Audiosiege in Portland, Oregon.

On the decision to release the album for free, vocalist Gaz Williams told RealSoundsOK: "We made the choice to remove all barriers people may have accessing our music. SMUT is a statement of our personal bemusement at what people regard as the righteous way of life."

SMUT takes a more intense turn from the Melbourne group's 2012 debut EP Ultra Violence.

Bassist Joe Rullo said: "SMUT is a screwed up opus of nasty, sarcastic, relentless noise. It's something a little different, but fans of intense metal, heavy hardcore, and droney noise will feel right at home here."

Leach added: "We wanted the sound of the album to be natural and reflect how we sound live. We tried not to record too many takes, and I think we achieved that natural sound."

You can listen to SMUT below and download it at batemansuck.bandcamp.com

The Dead Elected Q&A

Your name:

Tim Paul.

Where are you from?

I'm from New Zealand, but the rest of the guys are Australian. We're based in Melbourne.

Name of band:

The Dead Elected.

Who else is in your band? 

Tony Phanvongsa is our lead guitarist, Dan Bretherton is our bass-playing chum and we have Pottsy on the drums.

How would you describe yourselves?

Our music comes firmly under the alternative rock umbrella, but we add things like grunge, funk, dream pop, electronic and spanish music in to the mix. It's a very hard-hitting, powerful sound, a recipe that we hide in a vault behind banks of lasers and CCTV cameras.

Who are your main influences musically?

We love all sorts, Smashing Pumpkins, RHCP, Tool, St Vincent, Talking Heads, Land of Talk, The Smiths, QOTSA, Massive Attack and of course Radiohead. There's even some weird influences in there like Debussy and 90's video game music.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Realistically we want to be able to afford buying couches. But in the meantime we aim to create thinking man's music. We'd Love to play on Jools Holland one day too...

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

We recorded our first EP and got a gig at Melbourne's 'Rock the Bay' festival within the space of a week, which for a fledgling, young band is pretty terrific.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Our unending search for a bassist the wonderful Dan. We eventually got him, mind!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

'When I was a Boy'. It's a powerful, fuzzed-up opener to our EP that showcases our willingness to texture our music with things like harmonies, marching chants and acoustic guitar ensembles. But its very accessible.

Where can we listen to it? 

https://thedeadelected.bandcamp.com/

Where can we find out more about your music?

https://www.facebook.com/TheDeadElected
https://twitter.com/TheDeadElected

https://soundcloud.com/thedeadelected

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

Yes. If you play our music backwards on a record player, we recommend buying a new needle to replace it. Thank you

She Was Loud Q&A

Your name:

Diz.

Where are you from?

Melbourne, Australia.

Name of band:

She Was Loud.

Who else is in your band?

Jess Molenarr (Vocals), Chris Liesis (Guitar), Murray Lawson (Vocals), Paul Instance (Guitars/Vocals), Peter Hayden (Drums), diz (Guitar/bass/vocals).

How would you describe yourselves?

90’s grunge homesick aliens.

Who are your main influences musically?

We were teenagers during the 90s so pretty much all the bands that came along with that era, that’s where the heart is for this project.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Our music is a time machine for those 90’s kids that miss that old school grungey alternative music.

Also I think writing music is the easy part for bands and musicians, I think promoting yourself and getting your songs out there is the side we generally struggle with. We often joke that we would spend a lot of time on our tracks only to then just ‘put it in a draw’. A lot of us out there put a lot of heart and soul into what we do only to have it rejected by the majority who listen to it, but that’s the game, you got to have a thick skin, don’t take it personally and keep running up that hill. So for us just getting our music heard and out there and keeping it out of the draw is what we want to achieve. Now with the advances of sites like YouTube and social media it makes it a lot easier to be heard than it did when we were teenagers.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

We are just babies band wise, so creating a five-song EP that we are extremely proud of is our highlight to date.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Well this band only nine months old so I haven’t really had time to sleep with anyone’s girlfriend yet…just joking. But we all have a played together in other projects on and off for the last 10+ years. I remember I booked a gig in a venue that everyone thought we had outgrown, it was a dive, the PA was a piece of shit, the crowd wasn’t into our style and the guitarist had four of his ex-girlfriends there plus his current girlfriend making up 50 per cent of a 10 person crowd. Anyway the guitarist left his beer on his amp and halfway through the first song it vibrated onto his amp and short circuited the amp, he then had to plug in directly to the shitty PA creating an even shittier guitar sound, we had two singers in the band and one of their mics broke during the second song so they had to share a mic and during the third song the drummer broke his kick drum skin! That was the finale to the worst gig ever! But it did teach me to never think you are too good for a venue and always give it 100 per cent no matter how big or small the crowd is, even if half the crowd are psycho women wanting your guitarist head on a stick!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

All Along The Way – It’s heartbreaking and uplifting and sums us up nicely I think.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/she-was-loud

Where can we find out more about your music?

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/she-was-loud

Twitter - https://twitter.com/shewasloud

Instagram - https://twitter.com/shewasloud

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

Our self titled EP is free to download is free to download from our soundcloud page.

Beyond Vegas Q&A

Your name: 

Neil Miel (lead vocal, guitar, lyricist).

Where are you from? 

Melbourne, Australia.

Name of band: 

Beyond Vegas.

Who else is in your band? 

Darren Kestle, lead guitar. Our live band includes longtime musical colleagues - Steve Burns (bass, bvox), Craig Sayer (guitar, keys, bvox) and Jason Montgomery (drums).

How would you describe yourselves?

Unassuming, down to earth and very aware of the joy we have already given our friends and fans from around the world. We love creating our music and oversee every detail of our final product. We design our own artwork for our releases, produce and edit our videos and have complete creative control over everything we do. We self fund everything without any assistance from any record label. Having said that, none of them would know we exist, we are flying under the radar big time, which we actually don't mind.

Who are your main influences musically?

Well for me, I grew up on a cocktail of Sex Pistols, Bowie, Iggy Pop, Beatles, Smithereens, Del Amitri etc. and could go on forever about the bands I admire. I probably take a little hint of each of them subconsciously in performance and in my songwriting. Darren's influences (which he's just texting me) are U2, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Sex Pistols and Simple Minds. (That's funny, I wouldn't have picked him as a Pistols fan).

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We really have no preconceived ideas of success. Darren and I reunited as musicians after 20 years of not having spoken or meeting up. We had previously played, recorded and performed together in an obscure and long forgotten Melbourne guitar pop band, which did not progress any further than recording some demos and playing gigs in small hotels and the like. The fact that we have come together some two decades later to record songs released on iTunes, together with three videos on YouTube, and the release of our debut EP before Xmas surprises us in itself.

It is why we decided upon the name Beyond Vegas - we have no expectations yet the sky is the limit.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

The release of our second single Love Me Blind and subsequent release of the accompanying video on YouTube. It is exactly how we would like to be seen and captures our style and (often) dark lyrics perfectly (see below).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3j-4Rv6yP0&feature=youtu.be

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

So far we have had none, tee hee!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Lie for Me. It was our first release on iTunes earlier this year, and was a benchmark for the quality of our songwriting and production abilities. I drove across outback Australia and listened to it about 150 times to ensure we had it right! It was a labour of love and a song we are immensely proud of.

Where can we listen to it?

www.reverbnation.com/beyondvegas

https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/lie-for-me-single/id591313124

Our latest release Love Me Blind is also available on iTunes.

https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/love-me-blind-single/id685751256

Learn how to get your music noticed at ReverbNation.com

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.facebook.com/BeyondVegas

www.beyondvegas.com.au

https://twitter.com/VegasOp

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

Essentially we are a duo - we either write the music together or I write on my own, not a bad combination.

The other guys I've mentioned earlier are longtime friends who I've played with over the last 20 years in various musical outfits and combinations. They appreciate what we're aiming for and love being involved in our videos and live performances. They are crucial to Beyond Vegas and are professional musicians in their own right. 

New single from Aussie folk artist Woody Pitney

THIS is the new single by Australian singer-songwriter Woody Pitney.

You Can Stay is taken from the 22-year-old Melbourne artist's forthcoming EP and is described as "an upbeat pop/folk song about a conflict between friends".

For more information on Woody, visit www.facebook.com/woodypitneymusic

Heaven The Axe Q&A

Your name:

Phoebe Pinnock.

Where are you from?

Originally from Wagga Wagga now based in the thriving musical metropolis Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Name of band:

Heaven The Axe.

Who else is in your band?

A bunch of hairy scary metal heads. Steve Watts is my main musical collaborator he is the Axe man.

How would you describe yourselves?

Australia's toughest female fronted hard rock metal band. '

Who are your main influences musically?

Pantera, Slipknot, Tracy Bonham, Napalm Death, Aborted, Britney. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We are writing and recording our second release currently and would like to tour overseas and connect with other cultures. I'm a storyteller with my music and I hope to inspire and entertain through song, albeit a very heavy sound. I want to be a shining light from a dark place.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

I would imagine touring with Rosé Tattoo was a great experience for us, but we are now currently touring with our own personal musical idols Frankenbok, King Parrot, Dreadnaught and Abreact and I would say that the friendships there are definitely the highlight. Always the friendships that are forged through musical respect and an unconditional personal acceptance by people you share a passion with are the greatest elements of my career.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I don't regret any of it. It's all a journey and any mistakes made are just opportunities to create a new possibility of excellence in all areas of your life through focussing on music.

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

It would have to be Enemy, which we made a video clip for with our great friend Thanassi Panagiotaros and our fans helped out too! 

Where can we listen to it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADZwIXbYGAA

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.heaventheaxe.com

www.facebook.com/heaventheaxe

www.twitter.com/heaventheaxe

www.facebook.com/sonirvana

www.facebook.com/phoebepinnock

www.facebook.com/steveaxe

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?

Our new single we are recording is nothing like you've heard before from us. It will be out in about a month so jump on us and wrap your digital legs around us like a bunny on the Hefner.

Aylin Eser Q&A

Your name:

Aylin Eser.

Where are you from?

Melbourne, Australia.

Name of band:

Aylin Eser is also the name of our band.

Who else is in your band?

Will Larsen is the other half of the band. He writes the music and plays the instruments on the tracks. I write the lyrics and then sing them.

How would you describe yourselves?

I would describe us as being charismatic, funny, good-looking… Ohhh you meant the music.. Whoops! :) I would describe our band as being a bit like Sara Bareilles and Rumer and yet very very different. We have a retro influence in our songs also.

Who are your main influences musically?

There are many musicians who have influenced our music. These artists include Nina Simone, John Lennon, Burt Bacharach and Jeff Lynne, just to name a few.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We want to connect with people all over the world and give them something new and different to listen to. If we are able to spread positive energy and love in the process, that's all the better!! Making and performing music is our passion and we want to share that with people all over.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Recording our first EP has to be up there. Part of it was recorded in Australia and we finished it off in New York. And then it was such a good feeling to finally release it and have radio playing it.

And whatʼs the moment you want to forget?

Hmmmmm… I really don't think there's been any regrets so far. Music is all either of us wants to do - singing and performing songs we've written. Most people donʼt like their job. Most people hate the thought of having to get up in the morning to go to work. Then they canʼt wait until 5pm everyday (or whenever it is they finish), just so they can go home. Then through every single working week of every single year for their whole working life, most people canʼt wait for the weekend. So thereʼs a lot of people in the world who spend their whole lives being miserable, either dreading going to work or waiting to go home from work. We get to travel and play music for a living. Itʼd be a bit rich if I ever start to complain there are too many green M&Mʼs in my dressing room!! :)

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Arrows of Desire (the title track from the EP) has so many influences in there. Will's classical training comes through (he's played for the New York Ballet among others) because he's using a chord progression very like Beethoven. But then he has these guitar and harpsichord parts in there that are very like The Beatles' "Because" and "I Want You" from "Abbey Road." If you listen carefully, you can probably also pick out some Harry Nilsson and Jeff Lynne influences in there to. We've even had one very prominent music exec say he thought it sounded like Radiohead - which is fine with us!! :)

Where can we listen to it?

You can listen to our EP and watch videos of the tracks on our website at: www.aylineser.com

Where can we find out more about your music?

You can find us at all of these links:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/arrows-of-desire-ep/id582437920

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/aylineser

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/aylin-eser

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aylin_eser

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AylinEser.Official

Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/aylineser

Anything else youʼd like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?

What's next for Aylin Eser? Will and I are currently writing for our next EP, but at the rate we're going, we have already written enough songs for an album!! It's creating a bit of a problem in how do we decide which songs to record, but I guess it's a good dilemma to have!! :)

Dead Star Renegade Q&A

Your name:

Alan Leslie.

Where are you from?

Melbourne, Australia.

Name of band:

Dead Star Renegade.

Who else is in your band?

Jimmy Van Zeno (Vocals)

TIm Dobie (Bass)

Vik Kundra (Guitar)

Jay Pizzey (Drums)

How would you describe yourselves?

We are a hard rock band who are taking rock and roll by the throat and smacking it right into the here and now!

Who are your main influences musically?

All things rock and roll! But if we REALLY had to pick a few, then there are definitely flavours of Alice In Chains, Black Sabbath, Skid Row, Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We want to continue to make the best music we can, and keep getting out there to get heard by as many people as possible.  

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Releasing our debut album and receiving such a positive set of reviews globally. We really think it's a world class recording of some great hard rock songs.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Not too much, but our singer Jimmy Van Zeno can be a bit crazy on stage at times - one time in the middle of a gig he blew up all of the effects on Vik's pedal board by chucking water all over the place!

If you could choose just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Blackwing.  It shows all the different things that fuse together to make the Dead Star Renegade sound.

Where can we listen to it?

http://deadstarrenegade.bandcamp.com/track/blackwing

Where can we find out more about your music? 

Website: http://deadstarrenegade.com.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dsr.melb

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DSRENEGADE

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/dead-star-renegade/id428786895

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/deadstarrenegade

Bandcamp: http://deadstarrenegade.bandcamp.com/

Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/deadstarrenegade

Anything else you’d like to say about your band that I forgot to ask?

Our album is currently available on FREE download from http://deadstarrenegade.bandcamp.com/  Have a listen and let us know what you think!

We also have a brand new promo video out for a documentary about the band which is due to be released very soon, so check this one out too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu3ULZ4-jdo