Author: Philippe Perez

Becky Lucas talks coffee, her new comedy show Baby, and writing newsletters.

Becky Lucas has been as creative a person than any other creative person who creates for a living. If those creative things include tweeting away a storm, writing a comprehensive newsletter about life and ideas, or supporting every other creatively funny people on the planet, then she really is nailing it on many levels. She…

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The immersive theatre of The Boon Companions on anonymity, costumes and dancing.

While big-end productions like Cats rely on star power (even though the whole play is quite a boring production in itself), there are amazing little events who also conjure up those upcoming stars. But what is you had absolutely no idea on who was playing what was going to happen and only a smidgen of…

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The Boon Companions set to celebrate the feminism waves of the 70s (and beyond) at The Bella Union

It’s not often that we give you news about an anonymous art collective, but sometimes, the ideas they present are the most fascinating around in the art world. The Boon Companions are just that, and in fact identify as a “romantic anonymous art collective” which sure does pique the interest a little bit more. The…

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Anne Edmonds talks about touring her latest show That’s Eddotainment!

The sound of Anne Edmonds’ dog barks as soon as we start our conversation that – despite being on the telephone – brings a homely touch to our interview. Edmonds herself hasn’t been staying at her home of Melbourne too much. She just arrived from a bunch of stand-up dates in London where she toured…

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Sydney’s Spectrum Now Festival announces its full 2016 lineup of performances.

The Fairfax-run Spectrum Now Festival has announced a bombastic line-up of music and arts-related events that’ll embrace Sydney in the early days of March. On the artistic side of things, Robert Bose will display his work Balloon Chain for the first time in Australia. The installation has found a home at both the Coachella and Burning…

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Interview: Jenny Lewis (USA) talks collaborations, reflection and Anne Hathaway!

It has been six years since Jenny Lewis released any music is solely hers. That’s not to say that she hasn’t been busy – she recently contributed to new material by The Postal Service, released an album with Johnathan Rice under the Jenny & Johnny moniker and contributed a collaborative song with Vampire Weekend’s Rostam…

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Interview: Glenn Mossop from Bonjah (Melbourne) talks touring, videography and ‘Beautiful Wild’.

The long arduous road of touring life doesn’t phase Glenn Mossop. His band Bonjah has done it many times over before and intends to do it again in support of their latest album Beautiful Wild. As he tells Philippe Perez, it’s all part of the territory. The tour, which you’re in the middle of, is…

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Interview: Cafeïne (Canada) talks ‘New Love’ & his recent tour of Australia with The Strums

The bounciness of Xavier Cafeïne (or simply Cafeïne) on his album New Love was brought to Australia just recently with The Strums. The two outfits toured, partied and played to rooms that partied out into the night. The Montreal musician took some time out to answer a few questions about his time down here. Mainly…

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the AU interview: Toby Finlayson talks Song Nation, Desert Pea Media, and creating music in remote communities.

The remotest of communities in Australia can breed the most intriguing and insightful art about life in such area. Through collaborative processes, Toby Finlayson, through Desert Pea Media, has released Song Nation, a compilation of songs trying to engage catalysts for social change amongst indigenous people. Philippe Perez spoke with Toby about the project. Tell…

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Interview: Kathryn Rollins (Melbourne) talks new directions in sound and her single “Cut & Paste It”.

The music of Kathryn Rollins has taken a real right hand turn into a seductive tone with her latest single “Cut & Paste It”. While her previous work seemed focused on a few guitars and a rich booming voice, the paring back with this release allows a more delicate and dark style of songwriting. Kathryn…

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Interview: Jae Laffer from The Panics (Melbourne) talks ‘Unplugged Live: Portrait of An Artist’ at the NGV

While both music and visual art require a huge amount of creative talent, they both have polarising audiences at times. The NGV Ian Potter Centre is set to break all that down and explore further afield from the visual pieces that adorn its spaces with a new music, art and conversation series call Unplugged Live:…

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Interview: The Algorithm (France) on Big Day Out, video games, and Will Smith

Remi Gallego (aka The Algorithm) has been bringing a unique sound of harsh electronica and crunchy beats on a new album called Octopus4, being released on the back of his appearances at the Big Day Out. Here he talks about video games and Wil Smith. Both very much related to his own work. You were…

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Interview: Wax Witches (Australia) on Living In Brooklyn, Recording In Apartments, Studios and More.

Alex Wall has been living up the hip suburbs of NYC lately. More specifically Brooklyn, and flying under the radar with his latest project Wax Witches over there. There are new weird sounds, and grunt throughout the forthcoming release Centre of the Universe and slight departure from the ‘I just wanna have fun’ feel of…

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Interview: P-Money (New Zealand) on Multiple Releases, Travelling and NZ Hip-Hop Today

Twelve years is certainly a long time for P-Money. But during that time rather than looking for music work, music work looks for him. It all results in two releases with his name on it being released in quick succession. All the while, he expanded his hip-hop wings to take on dancehall with a collaboration…

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Interview: Tomas Barfod (Denmark) talks collaboration, Los Angeles and his second solo album.

Tomas Barfod has been working hard on his second album Love Me album while spending his time on two different continents and playing in his primary band Whomadewho. He spoke to Philippe Perez about the process of going solo a second time (while still doing many other things as well). You seem to like to…

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Interview: Bruno Brayovic & Ben Chamie from Peabody (Sydney) talk 20 years of music makin’

It seems like only yesterday that Peabody strummed through small venues like The Hopetoun Hotel with over-distorted guitars that rush through the eardrums like a steam train. They intend to be as energetic all again this month in celebration of twenty years in existence. The only difference now is there’s more a chance to develop…

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Interview: Ma Petite (Melbourne) talks about her new album “The Road That Led Me To Fall”

It’s slowly becoming the norm – or has it always been the norm? – for Australian artists to head overseas to get more exposure or relish opportunities for themselves, but Indiana Avent’s solo project Ma Petite took the slightly different path away from either the UK or US. Indiana found herself in Canada and developed…

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Interview: Katie Noonan (Brisbane) talks Love-Song-Circus

Katie Noonan has performed in many guises. Whether it is with her jazz ensemble of Elixir, collaborating with the Australian Symphony Orchestra, or recording albums with her mother Maggie. She’s made her next step in a fascinating career by coordinating Love-Song-Circus, a piece of cross art forms that envelops Australian history, circus performance and song…

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Festival Review: Soundwave – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (28.02.14)

Much of the music being played at Soundwave was something that did not say “tepid”. It sure was hard, fast, strong, and at times, weird. Everything that happened at this festival was metaphorically going straight into the depths of the audience’s chests, whether they liked it or not. Not being too sure what to head…

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Interview: Elizabeth Rose talks recording, her dancing career and CMJ!

Elizabeth Rose is more than just a voice singing over beats. As per her conversation with Philippe Perez, she reveals a hidden former career in the dancing world, the notion of musicians being politically active, and much more. Oh, and she has a new self-titled EP out as well that contains some real throwbacks to…

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Interview: Sally Seltmann (Sydney via LA) talks moving to America, her new album and more.

Sally Seltmann is a busy lady. After her touring with Seeker Lover Keeper (her collaboration with Sarah Blasko and Holly Throsby) she has found herself travelling and basing herself in a new country, but also writing consistently – both in a musical sense and a an actual, writerly, sense. Here she speaks to Philippe Perez…

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Interview: Kevin Cameron of I Killed the Prom Queen (Adelaide) talks ‘Beloved’, Soundwave and more!

After a while away from any recorded material since 2008 (although everyone in the band has their own band outing in the quiet piece), I Killed The Prom Queen have recently found themselves with a different approach to constructing songs on their new album, titled Beloved. Guitarist Kevin Cameron from the band chatted with Philippe…

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Interview: Julia Holter (Los Angeles) talks collaborations, her upcoming tour inc. Perth Festival and more.

After doing things solo for her first two albums, Julia Holter has enlisted a much wider scope for her latest release Loud City Song. Julia talks to Philippe Perez about her new discovery of collaboration while making of this new album as well as the other extra-curricular activities she does outside of music. Your latest…

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Interview: Deez Nuts (Melbourne) talk Soundwave Festival 2014!

We’re weeks away from experiencing the wonder that is Soundwave Festival around Australia, and one of the local bands to be a part of the bill are Melbourne’s Deez Nuts. Philippe caught up with the band to talk about the festival, their latest album and more… There were a lot of guest spots that appeared…

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Interview: Ryan Grieve of Canyons (Perth/Sydney) talks 100 Million Nights at Sydney Festival and Perth Festival 2014!

Canyons are willing to get up, about and all crazy in a live setting most of the time (as are most bands on the Modular label), but the last year has seen a different type of performance from them as a group. Throughout this year, the outfit has performed 100 Million Nights – a slightly…

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Film Review: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (USA, 2013)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a film, which thrives in the visual first, and the story second. But the story is a very close second. Based on a short story in the New Yorker magazine by James Thurber – but not completely following it – we see Walter Mitty – played by Ben…

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Live Review: Battleships + Vancouver Sleep Clinic + Bnash – The Workers Club, Melbourne (29.11.13)

The Workers Club has this strange way of gathering crowds. Sparse people saunter in and out of the bandroom with everyone wanting to socialise while an ear was eagerly kept on alert for when the music will begin. It’s very strange, but this venue has a way of bringing in fascinating crowds, if previous gigs…

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The Festival Diaries: CMJ Day Five Ft The Preatures, Bored Nothing, Hermitude + More – New York City (19.10.13)

The last day is here. I write this in a state of both sadness and joy, because I have seen so many great bands perform in front of pretty enthusiastic crowds. NYC really likes to cheer and woo for their entertainment, and it’ll be something I really miss from this city. Then again, I’m sitting…

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The Festival Diaries: CMJ Day Four Ft Teen, Total Slacker, NGHBRS, Sol Cat + More – New York City (17.10.13)

It was a day of redemption today. I am not going to stay up any later than 1am. I am not going to fall asleep during gigs. I’m not going to be that insane bottle of a person who lies in the corner writing tour diaries in the press centre corner for two hours fixing…

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The Festival Diaries: CMJ Day One Ft. Glasser, Kirin J Callinan, The City And Horses + More – New York City (15.10.13)

Let’s get to the serious stuff first though. The conference part of the CMJ conference starts us off – a cavalcade of talking heads and absorbing insight talking about a wide array of issues plaguing the music industry today. The first of these panels was “Music Journalism in the New World”. We at The AU…

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