Two years ago Welsh journalist and author Jon Ronson published a book titled So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, addressing the growing issue of (sometimes justified, sometimes not) social media outrage and what some people refer to as “trial by public opinion”. Since then the discussion has moved into specific spheres such as the music industry,…
Read more
Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley saw out one final day and night live music and conferencing on Thursday, with BIGSOUND entering its last round, sending hundreds of musicians and delegates throughout participating venues to witness some great emerging artists, buzz bands and established favourites. The SA Music showcase in the afternoon took place at Ric’s Backyard, bringing together…
Read more
Night Two of BIGSOUND brought some huge voices out to The Valley on Wednesday night. Split between heavy hitting vocals and fleshed out bands, we were spoiled for choice; when you have the likes of Total Giovanni and The Belligerents rolling alongside buzz artists like Body/Type and Willaris.K, you know that the Australian band scene is heaving. We made sure…
Read more
It’s not just all showcases at BIGSOUND, some of the most important and crucial days of the year for Australia’s music industry. Issues facing the industry are discussed and picked apart through various panels, keynotes and informal mixers, and it’s the results of these talks each year that have a big impact on how the…
Read more
Over the next few nights Australia’s music industry will come together with musicians and fans to not only celebrate, but evolve and progress. In addition to endless showcases of homegrown talent across Brisbane’s best live music spaces, BIGSOUND will be brimming with keynotes, masterclasses, and industry events where some of the biggest issues behind the scenes…
Read more
Set to fire up in Brisbane this week, Perth’s Scalphunter have got BIGSOUND well and truly in their sights; with two hectic shows lined up, best believe this group is ready to shake things into submission ahead of the release of their debut album Lies. From it comes new single “Life Sucked”, which we are stoked to…
Read more
With BIGSOUND just around the corner, many showcasing artists are kicking off their campaigns with some pretty cool single releases this week – enter Wild Honey. Arriving with new single “Messed Up” ahead of their BIGSOUND appearances, the band continues to explore the indie pop foundations they’ve already built a solid reputation upon through previous releases….
Read more
Horace Bones are fast gaining a reputation for their live shows; vocalist Oisin Kelly emanates a kind of fascinating instability, the band at once formidable and so, so enjoyable. Today, we bring you Horace Bones contained in a recording, an exclusive premiere of their third single for 2017, “The Rats”. Danny Cockburn‘s grinding and gritty bass riffs underlie…
Read more
With more than 130 acts spread out over four days, across 18 venues, Brisbane’s BIGSOUND festival definitely earns its name. Even glossing over the expansive program of artists for this year has gotten us a bit light headed, but there have been a group of artists we’re keen to be checking out below – if…
Read more
BIGSOUND is coming up in just weeks now and as Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley continues to prepare itself for the biggest music conference and festival this side of the globe, the crew who make all the wheels turn have done attendees a solid in launching their official app for 2017. Start planning your nights out in the…
Read more
BIGSOUND has bolstered its 2017 artist list with a stack of new names being released today, taking the official count to 133 (so far). The list sees some BIGSOUND debutantes in the mix with some returning names and a block of Australian favourites set to mix it up in Fortitude Valley this September 5th – 9th….
Read more
BIGSOUND has added two new keynote speakers to their 2017 event in Brisbane this September, welcoming Sadie Dupuis and Kenny Gates to the fold. Both industry indivduals are coming to BIGSOUND with a wealth of experience; Dupuis, a poet, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist with US group Speedy Ortiz and Gates, the co-founder of internationally renowned indie label, PIAS. The addition of…
Read more
Hoo boy, BIGSOUND is coming out strong this year with its first artist announcement dropping today. 64 Australian bands and international visitors have been revealed to be heading to Brisbane in September for the huge music conference and showcase series, the event beginning to nip at the heels of its overseas cousins in standing strong as…
Read more
The BIGSOUND programming announcements have kicked off for yet another year, with some Aussie legends being announced as keynote speakers for the September music conference. Leading the announcement today, Archie Roach and Tina Arena will both be appearing in Brisbane for BIGSOUND – the two Australian music icons set to open up about their acclaimed and extensive careers. Says…
Read more
It’s only April, but the BIGSOUND train has begun generating steam for another year again, with the music conference’s first announcement dropping this week. In this first bit of news, BIGSOUND have announced the inaugural Levi’s Music Prize, offering BIGSOUND artist alumni the chance to land their share of $100,000. Supporting those artists who have surged forward in…
Read more
We’ve been loving following BANFF through 2016; going from an emerging talent on the east coast, to successfully showcasing his music overseas at The Great Escape earlier this year too. Back in Brisbane for BIGSOUND this year, the singer-songwriter (Benjamin Forbes) sat down with Larry to chat about his recent collaboration with Caitlin Park (and how BIGSOUND facilitated it), plus…
Read more
Clea has had one great 2016 so far. The Brisbane singer and songwriter has been drip-feeding new music to a growing fanbase around the country and as we approach the end of the year, she’s still got some surprises up her sleeve. At BIGSOUND this year, Clea sat down with Larry to chat about the opportunities the…
Read more
BIGSOUND brought Sydney’s Allan Smithy to Brisbane with a new live show raring to go, beers to be drunk, games of ping pong and Jenga to be dominated. His music has been a highlight of our year to be listening to and it was great to keep an eye on how well Smithy would go on to be received…
Read more
Full disclosure: I have been a huge Kira Puru fangirl for some time now. Her recent work alongside Urthboy in particular has brought the vocalist to the attention of more people in 2016 and rightly so. A powerful presence on stage and on record, Kira’s appearance at BIGSOUND was one I knew I had to jump on. Sitting down…
Read more
Meeting up with Sydney hip hop artist B Wise for a chat at BIGSOUND was a bit of a highlight for us. Having been supporters of this guy’s music back in the early days of his career, to be able to nab some of his time ahead of what would wind up being an extremely well-received live showcase in…
Read more
Sampa the Great has been an artist we have loved seeing go from strength to strength through 2016. As her music has spread to more audiences around the country and her live shows have continued to build, Sampa emerged as a frontrunner in this current crop of young artists stepping up to the plate with some brilliant lyricism…
Read more
BIGSOUND 2016 opened its conference stage for one of Australian hip hop’s most polarising acts to come through and, as Trials simply puts, explain themselves. For the Funkoars legend and Briggs, their 2016 collaborative project as A.B. ORIGINAL has woken the hip hop music community (and the wider music industry) up with some hard-hitting and unapologetic music that highlights crucial issues facing our…
Read more
West Thebarton Brothel Party have become Adelaide legends over the last year and a half, it’s pretty safe to say. Nipping at the heels of fellow South Australian rock gems Bad//Dreems, the seven-piece ‘hydra’ of an act have broadened their touring horizons considerably through 2016, playing to more audiences around the country as both headliners and…
Read more
This week in the music industry: Melbourne Music Week announced the main venue for 2016, BIGSOUND secured a four year funding deal with the Queensland Government, and the first round of showcasing artists were unveiled for the 2017 instalment of SXSW. BIGSOUND secures new funding After a successful run for the 15th year in a row, BIGSOUND have secured…
Read more
Catching up three quarters of FLOWERTRUCK in Brisbane last week during BIGSOUND mayhem, Larry found out some more about their recent recording process at the renowned Grove Studios and how the live shows have continued to develop over recent months. “It was good to get away for four days to The Grove,” Sarah Sykes says. “It was nice have the disconnect….
Read more
Last Thursday, Beach Burrito in Fortitude Valley hosted a special listening party for Remi and Sensible J‘s sophomore album Divas and Demons. With Brisbane sun shining down, BIGSOUND attendees crowded in to soak up the rays, listen to the Melbourne artists’ new material, all the while indulging in burritos and margaritas. All the pieces came together for one mint afternoon….
Read more
When Ceres hit BIGSOUND last week, their new album Drag It Down On You hadn’t been out a full week yet. Still, when we saw them at Crowbar on the Tuesday night and then again at The Zoo on Thursday, the way people were singing the lyrics of the new material back at the band, you’d be mistaken for thinking the…
Read more
Melbourne artist LANKS returned to Brisbane for BIGSOUND this year with a brand new single in “Holla” ready to be brandished and a debut EP in Viet Rose ready to be hyped. Ahead of his showcase, Larry sat down with LANKS (aka Will Cuming) to chat about the development of his music and his live show since this project began. “I…
Read more
Alex Lahey went into BIGSOUND this year as one of the festival’s most talked about artists and came away from it as one of the acts people continued to buzz about. Understandably, the hype is justified – after her B-Grade University EP brought her widespread acclaim, not to mention shows around the country and Splendour in recent…
Read more
Now that the BIGSOUND dust has settled and the industry has returned to some sense of normal; our on-ground team have been going back through notes jotted down on phones, ‘Definitely check out…’ style messages sent back and forth, in determining the selection of bands who stood out as strong winners across the board. With many of these…
Read more
