Interviews

Alfie Templeman

Interview: Alfie Templeman on Forever Isn’t Long Enough, getting experimental and Kid Harpoon

Alfie Templeman, the 18-year-old prodigal British musician, has released his first mini-album Forever Isn’t Long Enough, following the success of previous collections including Happiness in Liquid Form, Don’t Go Wasting Time and Sunday Morning Cereal. Featuring producer collaborations with UK electronic duo Jungle and music mastermind Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes, Maggie Rogers), Forever Isn’t Long Enough draws…

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Interview: Zoe Wees on “Ghost”, Lewis Capaldi and German music.

Zoe Wees was Apple Music’s global ‘Up Next’ artist for April with only three singles to her name and at just 18-years-old. The German-born singer-songwriter has wowed international audiences since her debut track “Control” in 2020, went viral on TikTok with her next release “Girls Like Us”, and has recently backed it up with “Ghost”….

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San Cisco

Interview: San Cisco on losing teeth, audience reactions and their upcoming tour

  In 2020, San Cisco released their strongest album to date, but with travel off the cards, the band was restricted to playing Between You and Me solely around Western Australia. The album debuted at the number five spot on the ARIA Album Charts and features hits such as “Reasons” and “When I Dream” which have…

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Interview: Tash Sultana on invincibility, validation and MTV Unplugged

Tash Sultana is set to perform on MTV Unplugged Melbourne on May 4th, following in the footsteps of some of Australia’s greatest artists. Joining the ranks alongside Amy Shark, DMA’s, Gang of Youths and Courtney Barnett, Tash gearing up for their first performance of their Terra Firma chapter, teasing that the performance will be littered with…

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Sayah

Interview: SAYAH on “Fruit”, Cosmos Midnight and self-discovery

SAYAH has returned after a two-year hiatus with her latest single, “Fruit” – a collaboration with Sydney producer Taka Perry about a toxic ‘situationship’ she found herself in a few years back. The track is a pop bop that plays on the duality of wanting someone and getting them out of her life. Taka brings an…

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Interview: Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull on recording at Sound City with “genius” Ethan Guska, film composition and growing up in Toronto

This Friday marks the release of Manchester Orchestra‘s 6th Studio Album, the highly anticipated The Million Masks of God. You may have already heard the single “Bed Head”, watched the concert film (you’ll see the both later down this article), or even watched the video for the beautiful “Telepath”, which was released yesterday. Ahead of…

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Interview: Layla Kay on returning to Australia & writing her new single “I’ll Be Lonely” in lockdown

Hot off the heels of releasing her latest single “I’ll Be Lonely”, we caught up with Australian singer/songwriter Layla Kay. Kay has just returned to Australia amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic, after spending three years in the UK. While in quarantine, we spoke about what it’s been like returning home, writing her aptly named single while…

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Yb.

Interview: Yb. on “DANCE WITH ME TODAY”, type beats and Tom Misch

Yb. is Brisbane’s next big thing. And considering the track record of the city, he’s about to be huge. The recent writing rooms and nods of industry are a testament to his trajectory, with Touch Sensitive, Winston Surfshirt and Stevan all jumping at the chance to collaborate and the likes of Tom Misch sliding into his…

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Interview: Ashley Kutcher on “If I Could”, TikTok fame and buying a house

Introducing another member of TikTok’s Class of ’21, Ashley Kutcher – the Maryland artist going viral for her brilliant and beautiful songs crafted from comments and Tweets. Prior to her Internet fame, the American was graduating her nursing degree while performing occasionally at a local restaurant. But since her skyrocketing rise through the social media…

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Interview: Max Leone on “untitled”, Los Angeles and his upcoming EP

Max Leone has been making waves since his bold decision to drop out of Berklee College of Music and pursue his artistry in Los Angeles. The Portland-native draws from a vast pool of influences: from Jack Johnson inspiring his love of guitar, Tom Misch’s experimentation, Frank Ocean who he drew his pseudonym from, to his…

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EJ Worland

Interview: EJ Worland talks No One Left To Blame and recording and working in America

We’re big fans of EJ Worland here at the AU. His debut EP No One Left To Blame, which dropped earlier this month, was our Album of the Week. His single “Over The Pond” came in at 27 on our 40 Best Australian Tracks of 2020 too.  His is a sound firmly rooted in the…

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Interview: Bob Evans ‘enters middle age’ like Springsteen with new album Tomorrowland

Bob Evans, aka Kevin Mitchell, releases his sixth studio album, Tomorrowland, today but it’s also his first since parting with EMI Music. Mitchell calls it his “entry into middle age”, with shades of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and The Cure. Tomorrowland is a vision long held by Mitchell and with the “silver lining” that COVID-19…

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Pinkish Blu

Interview: Pinkish Blu on “Backward”, touring with Odette and music videos.

Pinkish Blu are an iridescent Adelaidean pop band that will have lyric-lovers falling head over heels for their romanticised intricacy.  Their debut EP, There’s no such thing as good people, had consistent airplay on triple j and earned them support spots with the likes of G Flip, The Reubens, Trophy Eyes and more. In fact,…

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JESSIA

Interview: JESSIA on “I’m Not Pretty”, TikTok and Ryan Tedder

2021 is the year of JESSIA. The TikTok phenomenon uploaded a semblance of a song hook on January 1st, only to have the Internet demand to hear more. Now her hit single “I’m Not Pretty”, birthed through the platform and its power for collaboration, sits at over 46 million Spotify streams, 10.9 million TikTok views…

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Interview: Mali-Koa on Hunger, her 5SOS family and social movements

Western Sydney-born, London-residing Mali-Koa is best known as the older sister of Calum Hood – the bassist of global sensations 5 Seconds of Summer. However, she’s been cutting through the industry and making a name for herself outside of her family ties. In 2020, she released her debut album Hunger, featuring collaborators such as Grammy-Award…

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Black Pumas band

Interview: Black Pumas on their GRAMMY nominations, “Colors” and busking beginnings

Black Pumas released their debut album in 2019, just two years after the band’s formation. They have since become four-time GRAMMY nominees and performers. And then there was that small matter of being invited to play at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, and having their music featured in a Super Bowl ad. Their rise has been…

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The Soul Movers. Credit: Dani Hansen

Interview: The Soul Movers on Evolution, Sherbet and life post-Wiggles

The Soul Movers are aptly named for their body-driven music that will have any seated crown writhing in their seats. Fronted by Lizzie Mack and Murray Cook (aka the original red Wiggle), the group combine electrifying guitar riffs with 60s soul groove and a sprinkling of pop to form a night that audiences could never…

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Lake Street Dive

Interview: Lake Street Dive on Obviously, writing styles and women’s rights

Formed through Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music in the 2000s, Lake Street Dive has been a staple in the soul-rock scene, distinguished by their jazz prowess and genre transcendence. They hit the big time with their singles “Good Kisser” and “Rich Girl” from their 2018 album Free Yourself Up, only to back it up…

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Thandi Phoenix

Interview: Thandi Phoenix on “Count Me Out”, creativity and staying inspired

Thandi Phoenix rose to international prominence with her feature on Rudimental‘s 2018 track, “My Way”. In 2019, she wowed her fans with her eponymous debut EP including hits such as “Say It” and “Cleopatra”, and now she’s following it up with her latest single “Count Me Out”. The Sydney artist places her silken RnB voice on…

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Today We're The Greatest

Interview: Middle Kids on Today We’re The Greatest, motherhood and putting yourself first

Middle Kids album Today We’re The Greatest is a triumphant follow up to the debut success of Lost Friends. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Lars Stalfors (St. Vincent, Soccer Mommy), the Sydney trio track the journey of frontwoman Hannah Joy and bandmate Tim Fitz’s marriage and budding family. Hannah’s sense of love isn’t romanticised…

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Maisie Peters

Interview: Maisie Peters on “John Hughes Movie”, Brighton and her debut album

Maisie Peters grew to Internet fame since launching her YouTube back in 2015. Six years on and she’s rising to take over the globe with the success of her latest single “John Hughes Movie” (her favourite is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off).  Touting Taylor Swift as a fan and her inspiration, Peters is the next generation…

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Interview: Raissa on HEROGIRL, Mark Ronson and sci-fi

When Mark Ronson‘s taking you out for macarons and tea while begging you to join his label, you know you’re onto a winning recipe. That’s exactly the story for Raissa (pronounced “rye-sah”), your newfound sci-fi pop fantasy and Zelig Record’s recent newcomer who’s touted to be the next King Princess. Growing up in London, Beijing,…

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Interview: Birds of Tokyo on Michael Gudinski, Rottnest Island and Human Design.

Birds of Tokyo are back in swing of things with 2021 already seeing the band jet across the country in an opportunistic symphony orchestra tour, Fremantle prison shows, and an upcoming gig on Rottnest Island for Cooper’s Live, Loud & Local series. Playing tracks from their latest album, Human Design, the Rottnest gig marks almost a year…

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Alexander 23 by Julian Burgueno

Interview: Alexander 23 on Oh No, Not Again!, DJ-ing and winning girls back

Chicago native Alexander 23 has released his second EP Oh No, Not Again! tracking the “cycle” of a relationship from yearning to falling in love, breaking up to recovery. His universally honest and easily accessible lyricism has him blowing up online, with his track “IDK You Yet” capturing the hearts of TikTokers and sending him…

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brent ii Jeremy Zucker Chelsea Cutler

Interview: Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler on brent ii, first songs and how they met

“Don’t fix what isn’t broken” is exactly the mantra Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler seemingly live by as they offer their latest EP brent ii as a follow up to their 2019 global success together. Through the 2020 summer of the pandemic, the pair retreated to an upstate New York cabin to continue the story of brent as they evolved…

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Interview: ‘People think we’re Geronimo still’, Sheppard returns with ambitious new album

Brisbane indie pop band Sheppard have never quite been wholly accepted by Australian audiences, despite massive world tours, top 10 hits around the globe and boasting more than 740 million streams across all platforms led by huge 2014 hit “Geronimo”. Sheppard – now a core three-piece consisting of siblings George, Amy and Emma – are…

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Julien Baker

Interview: Julien Baker talks Little Oblivions, songwriting, boygenius and creative freedom

Singer-songwriter Julien Baker is all set to release her forthcoming album Little Oblivions later this week. Officially released on February 26th, the album delivers a sound that is bigger, bolder and more expansive than the sparse intimacy that we’ve come to expect from Baker. Recorded pre-COVID, Little Oblivions might be a sonic shift for Baker,…

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Highline

Interview: “Staying Sane” with Sydney’s Highline

Sydney’s Highline haven’t let a little thing like a global pandemic throw off their hard earned momentum. The quartet are back with a new single, “Staying Sane”, and with the promise of more to come.  It was still early days for the band pre-covid. They’d released their debut EP and played their first ever shows…

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Bow Anderson New Wave

Interview: Bow Anderson on New Wave, songwriting and Elton John

Bow Anderson is the next biggest thing to come out of Scotland – you could say she’s the New Wave. At twenty three, she’s already familiar with hard work and setbacks, after her semi-professional trampolining career crumbled from a leg injury. It was through rehab that she found her passion (and talent) in music, singing…

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Interview: The D.O.C. on vocal rehabilitation, Tupac and mental health

The D.O.C. is one of the most important figures in hip hop’s history. As a founding member of the G-Funk style that was popularised by Dr. Dre, NWA, Eazy-E, Outkast and Snoop Dogg, The D.O.C.’s music legacy is undeniable. From penning lyrics for the greats like Dre at 18-years-old, to writing on one of the…

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