TIA - INTERVIEW

You may remember her from 'Young Talent Time 2012' with her spellbinding cover of Alicia Key's "Empire State of Mind (Part II)," but the matured teenager is back and this time she's ready to take Australia by storm. After winning a silver medal in the Sydney Eisteddfod performing arts competition, and featuring on 'Young Talent Time', Tia Gigliotti enabled herself to blossom into a young-pop-sensation.

Following the release of her much anticipated new single "Stranded", TIA was able to make some time to talk with us here at The Optional E. This is what she had to say!

TIA, you rose to prominence after featuring on Young Talent Time 2012, how did that help you grow as a performer?

Being able to perform on YTT every week was an absolute pleasure! I got to work with many many professionals such as John Foreman (musical director), Rob Mills, Tina Arena and more. I learnt so much from being on the show, not only my voice strengthened but my confidence and performance skills did too! Being on the show allowed me to have an idea about what kind of artist I wanted to be due to the various genres we got to perform and it was great to entertain Australia while I was at it.

Who are your main musical influences?

Rihanna and Rita Ora are my main musical influences. I not only love their music but I love the way they perform! They are so confident on stage and have a unique aura about them. Their outfits are amazing

Your new sound is more techno-electric, will we be hearing any more acoustic sounds anytime soon (like your famous Empire State of Mind cover)?

My music is mainly pop dance, but as I'm writing my album I'm finding I'm doing a lot more acoustic based tracks. I play piano so that's how I start each piece I write. I am a massive fan of Alicia Keys so hopefully I can do a song influenced by that type of music.

We, at The Optional E, love your single "Stranded" - but where did the idea for the song come from? And we're most curious as to "who" you left stranded? *giggles*

THANKYOU! I like to describe 'Stranded' as a song about breaking the shackles of control! Moving on from a relationship positively... Hahaha - well, a past relationship with a guy... That was very controlling sparked the inspiration for the song, it wasn't serious but it was enough to have an effect on me!

After your recent single-release, whats next for TIA?  

After the single release it's more writing writing writing for me! I am planning on releasing an album at the end of next year so I'm busy putting my pen to paper and getting my music produced! I'm also planning to be gigging all the time at different venues around Sydney so I can't wait to be performing again. 


The Optional E would like to wish TIA great success in her music career as it starts to take her off into stardom and fame. Take a look at her new single - "Stranded" - here:

EMILY HARLEY - INTERVIEW

Emily Harley is a young teenager from Victoria who is looking to make it big in the music industry. Her enchanting voice along with her serene guitar playing provides us with a relaxing and peaceful musical atmosphere. Her fruitful covers as well as her broad and anthemic original songs will truly take her far in the music business.

We, at The Optional E, were fortunate enough to catch up with Emily, and this is what the young superstar had to say!




Emily! You have quite an angelic voice, when did you start to realise you could sing like that?

Thank you! I’ve been singing since before I can even remember, although I remember winning a school talent show in grade 4 (9 years old) and falling in love with performing. Since then I’ve been involved in everything I can, whether it be school choirs, bands, musicals, and I’ve received a good response from that, which helped/helps me believe in my singing ability.




Who are your musical influences? 

My biggest musical influence at the moment would be Daughter. I listen to a wide range of music, from bands like Northlane and Being As An Ocean to artists like Matt Corby and Snakadaktal, I find that I can draw inspiration from concepts within the ‘heavier’ genres and combine that with the sound of the other music I like to create my music.



We, at The Optional E, love your original song - "Lost Soul" - when will be able to hear a more detailed mp3 version of your brilliantly-written original songs?


I’m still in high school, so I currently don’t have the funding to produce any of my music properly, although I’m looking into getting some help recording some of my songs for the future.



The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?

Probably The Beatles, they were quite revolutionary and, although I don’t know their music well, I have a lot of respect for the songs I do know.



Will there be any gigs or live performances any time soon for your 500-odd fans to go and see you play?

Nothing that I know of yet! I’m focusing on completing my Grade 8 AMEB and VCE before I start doing gigs.



Lastly, what's next for Emily Harley?

I’m planning on completing Year 12 this coming year (2014), my Grade 8 AMEB singing exam and then hopefully beginning to look into doing live performances and finding a university with an appropriate music course for me and my future as (hopefully) an artist.




We'd like to thank Emily Harley for taking her time to speak with us and we'd also like to wish her luck as she embarks on the final year of her school life as well as taking on her Grade 8 AMEB singing exam!


Check out her youtube channel here: Emily Harley's Music Channel

This is an Optional E favourite - "Lost Soul" - Emily Harley:

HOLY HOLY - INTERVIEW.

Australian prog rock duo Holy Holy caught up with The Optional E after wrapping their tour of the East Coast which started in Brisbane, went to Melbourne and finally finished in Sydney on Friday. This comes off in the wake of the brilliant reception of their debut single 'Impossible Like You' which we at The Optional E absolutely dig. 

Holy Holy - (L to R) - Tim Carroll and Oscar Dawson

Expertly welding together older prog rock influences with fresh, modern drum beats and provoking lyrical content, this Brisbane-meets-Melbourne duo of singer-songwriter Tim Carroll and guitarist Oscar Dawson is onto something remarkable. Here's our interview with their singer Tim!


What is the main inspiration for your band - do you have any musical visions?

Oscar and I come from pretty different backgrounds. He's played in some big indie rock bands  and I've done more of a country singer songwriter thing. We come together in Holy Holy to make music that reflects both these histories. We like to create songs that build and break - big full band instrumental sections that have a life of their own. We like to craft songs that create a a mood - when you hear them they make you feel something. It's a nostalgic kind of sound with a 70's guitar band feel at it's core.


Who are your main influences?

Neil Young, The National, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Bright Eyes, Band of Horses, Fleetwood Mac, Lower Dens, Here We Go Magic. 


How was it recording your debut release?

We recorded our whole debut record and then as an afterthought we recorded 'Impossible Like you' which ended up being the single. Recording is always fun. It's the ultimate luxury.  Matt Redlich's studio (Grandma's Place) is a great space in which to work and spending a few days playing amazing instruments though lovely valve amps, into vintage microphones onto two inch tape with a bunch of close friends is pretty unbeatable.


What's something about Holy Holy that nobody knows about yet?


10 years ago Oscar and I were living in a Buddhist monastery in Northern Thailand.



Thank you very much to the Holy Holy boys for the interview and their fantastic Sydney gig. Their debut album featuring their songs 'Impossible Like You' and 'The Crowd' will be released soon. Check out their songs below:

OLLIE BROWN - INTERVIEW.

Ollie Brown, who was crowned "Australia's Best Busker" in 2011, is no stranger to the road. He's toured with many famous artists including, Michael Buble, The Beach Boys, three SOLD OUT shows at The Sydney Opera House where he opened for Kina Grannis as well as performing at The Byron Bay Bluesfest in 2012 - his touring itinerary list goes on. 

After the release of his first E.P. "Moving On", Ollie Brown went on tour, travelling over 16,000 km's and playing 31 shows. The anticipated release of his latest E.P. "Weatherboard House" is in a matter of months and we, at The Optional E, are very excited for the 22-year-old.

A very busy Ollie Brown was able to have a chat with us and it was great to hear from the up-and-coming Australian singer/songwriter. 

When and how did you get into music?

I wanted to learn an instrument when I was 8 so my school music teacher handed me a Tuba and told me to start practicing.

What was it like being crowned 'Australia's Best Busker'? 

It was pretty surreal. I still don't know how so many voted for me... 

Who are your main musical influences?

Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ryan Adams, The Band, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, I could go on but I'll leave it there.

You've toured with many famous musical acts in the past few years , but who has helped you the most in improving as a performer and a singer/songwriter?

Well different tours have helped me in different ways. The main two would be The Beach Boys and my most recent tour with the Baby Animals. Every night on tour I'd listen to the Beach Boys and become more and more fascinated with their chord progressions and song structures. 'God Only Knows' is a great example and is also my favourite song of theirs.With the Baby Animals I learnt about stage presence and how to be more of a performer. If you're touring, no matter what music you play, you've got to have a presence on stage. So I watched Suze and Steve Balbi on stage every night and absorbed it all like a sponge.

What should we be expecting in your new E.P. 'Weatherboard House' ?

Weatherboard House is kind of like a teaser for the album which will be out a few months after. It draws from much older influences than my first EP. Some people have said it's very 70's sounding. I just tried to keep it honest and natural sounding. I'm really happy with it!

What's next for Ollie Brown?

Well the 'Weatherboard House' EP is out in Feb next year and my debut album will be released a few months later so there will be a lot of new music and touring over the next 12 months. 2014 is looking like its going to be a very big year.

You can catch Ollie Brown throughout December as he continues to tour! The dates are as follows:

Saturday 7 December

Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

Friday 13 December

Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Currarong

Thursday 19 December

Lizzotes, Newcastle

"Bedford Avenue" by Ollie Brown is an Optional E favourite! Check it out!

THE RED LIGHTS - INTERVIEW.

The Red Lights are a super snazzy indie rock band from Melbourne who have won fans over with their catchy hooks, warm harmonies and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. They've supported and performed alongside major acts such as The Rubens and Hunting Grounds, and we were very happy to catch up with drummer Davin Johnston after the release of their new EP 'Neighbouring Patterns'.

What's in a band name?


(I) don't think there is any particularly great story behind it. I'm pretty sure the other boys (Dean Valentino and David Liistro) had just started doing shows and were thinking of names- Dave suggested it and it just stuck! For us; a lot (on its importance) - our band name is pretty synonymous with who we we have become. We have built a reputation with it and it has built our outlets for connecting with fans via Facebook, twitter, Instagram etc.

Who are The Red Lights?

A healthy dose of 3 piece Indie/Rock, full sound and warm harmonies.

When did you guys start playing music?

We really spent a lot of time honing our debut EP and finding a sound that was just us on a record for 'Not In This Town'. It was raw and in some ways lo-fi. By the time we hit the songwriting stage for the second record we had matured a lot as a band and had gone through some life changes personally. 'Neighbouring Patterns' has our signature sound but there is a lot more substance- there are some songs like our lead single 'Chaperone' that is crisp and has warm harmonies which breaks away from what we have previously written in the past.

Biggest influences?

We have a mutual love for bands like Phoenix & The Kooks- but we have a lot of different other influences too, some of my personal favourites still to this day are bands like Death Cab for Cutie and early 90's rock like Jimmy Eat World. (the optional e loves these band to bits as well.)


What are you guys working on at the moment?

We are just really getting back into some shows after taking a little break to recoup - some ideas are starting to float around for some potential new tunes, looks like we will be booking in some time soon to get back in the writing process!

Any final comments and/or cool stuff?

I do believe David is set to be married (arranged) in Laos early 2014 so it will be nice to fly up and make a speech for that, maybe we can play as his wedding band, hmmm that could be pretty nice.


Thank you so much to The Red Lights for talking with us. Grab a copy of their fabulous new EP 'Neighbouring Patterns' or their fantastic 'Not In This Town' EP. We're so pumped for when these guys (hopefully!)  release a new full length album, and congratulations to David (ladies: AWW).

Check out 'Chaperone', the lead single from 'Neighbouring Patterns' and an optional e fave:

TOM PLANT - INTERVIEW.

We at the optional e caught up a while ago with Sydney act Tom Plant.


Tom is a solo act, crafting heartfelt lyrics with emotional delivery and acoustic intimacy. His song, 'Endless', peaked at number 33 on the Triple J Unearthed High chart - it's a beautifully poignant song with understated subtleties reminiscent of personal memories.



When did you get into music?


I first became interested in music when my dad used to play the didgeridoo to me to help me sleep. Funnily enough the didge used to calm me to sleep, however when he started playing guitar I became increasingly interested. I have grown up listening to all kinds of music, mainly from dad introducing me to his collection of music. I then started playing the saxophone when I was about 10, which eventually made me pick up a guitar and start playing. From then on I have also developed a knack of singing, which has also developed an increased interest in the art of song writing and producing. 


Who are your main musical influences?


My main musical influences are Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Dallas Green, Matt Corby, and Lakyn Heperi. Jeff Buckley has also been an influence in the way of giving me an insane appreciation of talent for his vocal and lyrical capabilities - I always aspire to one day having such an incredible vocal range. Justin Vernon and Dallas Green have inspired my writing acoustically, in terms of how to add different instruments and sounds into a song. Justin and Dallas both have incredible lyrical skills and because they are both in my most played I think I adopt the most from them... Matt and Lakyn are probably my biggest influences in terms of sound as their acoustic sounds influence a lot of the way I play the guitar, and the way I sing. 


What are the inspirations behind your songs?


Most of the songs I have written are about my girlfriend, she gives me the happiness and eagerness to write songs in the manner I do. However a few of the lyrics I have written have been about other things going on through my life, like any musician I guess! But my girlfriend mostly for the style of songs I have recorded. 


How did you become the musician you are - how did you become interested in your style of music?


I first started listening to acoustic music when I first heard Matt Corby on Australian Idol... since then I have been listening to acoustic and alternative music. I listen to a heap of different styles of music and I have made some songs in different genres such as rock and indie pop, however acoustic music seems to settle close to my heart and I feel it is my main style. 


Where to from here?


Well, from here I would like to record a heap more of my songs! I have a whole bank of lyrics on my computer which I am really keen to record, so look out; they will be on Youtube and Triple J's Unearthed page soon! I would love to start playing gigs around the place and start heading into the industry, which is my main goal. I would love to perform for a living, like any musician! 
Thanks to Tom for spending his time with us.
Listen to his song 'Endless' here and check out his Unearthed page.

His music rings of other successful Australian acoustic acts, such as Matt Corby and Whitley. It's very exciting for us at the blog to be able to interview such a promising young local act - here it is!

SWEET NOTHINGS - INTERVIEW.

There is such promising Aussie music talent out there to be discovered, and today we're lucky enough to have a short Q & A with psych rock band 'Sweet Nothings'.

'Sweet Nothings' are a psychedelic dream pop band from Sydney, made up of dynamic duo JC Murray and Katie B. They draw inspiration from an eclectic assortment of influences - from Pixies to My Bloody Valentine to Jesus and the Mary Chain - leading to a delicious variety of electronic music from swirling, heady pop to dark moody psych rock.

Their track 'Bad Boyfriend' is a heavy song with aggressive, loaded guitar and wafty, ethereal vocals. We're absolutely loving the exciting juxtaposition of hardcore guitar with shoegaze and synth pop. In fact, when the track begins the forward motion of the guitars actually catch you a bit off guard - I was expecting more of a Tame Impala-esque sound - but it oddly meshes rather well with the shoegaze. Definitely a hot track to rock out to.



We were very lucky to get an interview with these guys, so here we go:

 

What's in a name?

Katie and I used to play in a band called Bang! Bang! Rock n Roll. She always wanted to sing with us but we always felt that her voice was too sweet sounding for our brand of garage punk rock. When the band broke up we were feeling despondent and useless, we felt like we were nothing, nobodies, etc. Eventually Katie and I started making songs together again and decided to call it Sweet Nothings. Pretty lame huh?

 

How did you guys start playing music (together as well as alone)?

Katie has been playing guitar and singing since she was 14, and was always a massive fan of PJ Harvey, Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails. I've been playing guitar since I was 19 when I first saw the White Stripes on the MTV music video awards and knew that's what I wanted to do. We met on New Years Eve 2005 and bonded straight away. We started our first band 'The Vignettes', put out 2 EP's and a Vinyl album, then formed 'Bang! Bang! Rock n Roll' a few years later, and now this! This is the first time we've worked together on songs from start to finish and it's pretty amazing.

 

Who are your major influences?

Pixies are definitely a major one. Their mix of genius pop and dark, crazy rock is utterly sublime. We used to be very influenced by garage bands like Ty Segall, The White Stripes, Jay Reatard, et al, but at the moment we really love a lot of spacey stuff: Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Boards of Canada just to name a few.

 

Who writes the songs and what influences them?

We both contribute to songwriting. 'Bad Boyfriend' was inspired by a few situations. We had some friends who were all in relationships with controlling, selfish boyfriends; and we had these horrible next door neighbours who had massive domestic fights every night, so that's where that came from. We wrote 'Feeling Better' after both of us went through massive phases of depression, and thought we'd try and write a pop song about getting through it. Usually one of us will come up with a riff, then another will do some lyrics, then we'll pull ideas together and structure it and voila!

 

Where to from here?

Well we just started! At the moment we're just writing more songs and putting them up as they're completed. If we get popular enough we'll tour them and sell EP's and such, but in the meantime it's just free music we're putting out there for people to enjoy.

 

Why do you love making music (if you do!)?

Music is self expression at it's finest. Creating something that's yours is an amazing and fun process, and having it validated by people always helps. Even if we never go anywhere we'll always make music to vent, to have fun, and just to express ourselves as music lovers.

 

Any final questions, comments, pearls of wisdom or random trivia?

We once played with party animal Andrew WK and stole all his liquor from the green room... and we once got drunk with the saxophonist from INXS (Kirk Pangelli, legend!) at Luna Park, which we got kicked out of for being too drunk. We were party animals, but I think those days are behind us now... maybe...

 

Check out this edgy duo on Triple J Unearthed and their Facebook page.

IMOGEN JONES/LUPA - INTERVIEW.

UPDATE - IMOGEN'S ACT IS NOW KNOWN AS LUPA.

We're very excited to be bringing fresh new indie artist Imogen Jones to the blog!

Imogen is a young fifteen-year-old musician from Sydney (don't you just love good Australian music?) who crafts delicate melodies with thoughtful composition. She comes from a 'classical' music background - she is currently studying at the Conservatorium High School in Sydney - and combines formulaic structure with artful indie vigour.

Her newest song,'Numb', is intricately crafted with catchy electronic chords and short punchy percussion. Her airy vocals elegantly waft over the accompaniment, which lilted back and forth under a deliciously adventurous quintuple meter. It is a clean, crisp song executed with a certain intimacy.

We were extremely lucky to catch up with this talented young girl! Read our interview while you listen to 'Numb'.

How did you get into music?

I got into music when I was in 7 years old in primary school- there was a "junior violin group" that a couple of my friends were in, and I begged and begged my parents until they agreed to let me start learning violin. After a few weeks of playing in that group, I began to find it boring having to play the same simple pieces over and over again, so my mum sent me to a real violin teacher. It was she who really got me into violin and music, and ended up helping me get into the Conservatorium High School (a selective music high school in Sydney).

 

How did you begin songwriting?

I had my first attempts at songwriting about 2 years ago, shortly after I had started listening to more 'alternative' pop/rock music obsessively. After learning how to play the songs I loved, I wanted to have a go at writing my own. However, it's only this year that I started writing songs seriously.

Who are your main influences and musical heroes?

Well, to be honest, I don't have just a few musical heroes, there's a huge variety- I'd be lying if I didn't include my favorite classical composers such as Beethoven, Bach, Stravinsky, Debussy, Shostakovitch (sic) (and the list goes on)- but in terms of pop/rock music, I'd say Radiohead, Grimes and Florence + the Machine are my current 'heroes'. Florence + the Machine is the first artist I listened to that began to really shape my personal taste in music.

The artists I'm currently listening to the most that are having the strongest influence on my own music are Grimes, Sarah Blasko, Radiohead, Alt-J, Daughter, and Alpine.

 

What do you think of all the younger musicians nowadays?

Well I go to a school full of young musicians, and the majority of them are pretty great people with their own unique way of being passionate about music. However, we're a very classical-music focused school, so that doesn't speak for the majority of young musicians. I'm actually pretty disappointed with the direction the most popular, mainstream music is heading in (don't get me started on One Direction and Nicki Minaj) but when I found Triple J Unearthed, I was really impressed at the huge number of young people on there making good, interesting music- especially how good some of the other high school kids were. Then again, this is just my personal taste in music.

 

Where do you want to go with your music in the future?

My ultimate dream is to play in an orchestra like the Sydney Symphony, and on the side release my own songs and do gigs around the place. I'm really keen on learning how to perform in the style of Grimes - using equipment such as a looping pedal and a sampler to create a huge range of layered sounds live. My next current goal is to record and upload a few more songs, and eventually make my own music video.

Check out Imogen's music at triple j unearthed here, visit her on Youtube and keep your eyes peeled for new releases!

COLORSTARR - INTERVIEW.

To start off I am extremely sorry my lovely readers for abandoning you for two weeks (!!) but all I can say is that I've been rather busy. But not to worry! We're very lucky to have had a little chat with the fabulous indie dance-pop act Colorstarr. Colorstarr are an infectious, summery band from both Sydney and L.A., consisting of Sydney based singer/songwriter Wilson O, L.A. based bass player/producer Kristian Attard as well as drummer Paris Jeffree and guitarist Marc Mallouf. Their music has been featured on hit TV drama Offspring and MTV UK's 'In The Crowd'. They actually have a gig tomorrow at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney, spreading their sunny vibes and promising some very good dancing. 



We're very pleased have had the wonderful opportunity of having a Q & A with Wilson from Colorstarr! Here is the transcript:
What's in a band name? - tell us where your band's name came from?

The band name came from a fairly interesting kooky friend of ours. He is quite the character & he has this project called Slicker Cities where it's a graphic novel about a Stock broker who time travels with this rock that looks like a star! It's a time traveling device called the "Colorstarr" & I jumped at the opportunity to ask him if we could use that name as it's dope & he agreed. Slicker Cities also has a remix on this EP, so we are all connected through this time traveling device!! We like to time travel a lot you see (lol).

Tell us who the members of the band are and how you came together:

The members are Kristian (Bass & producer), Marc (Guitars), Paris(drums) & myself on the vox & songwriting duties. Kristian & I have been friends for many many years, been through a lot and were signed in a rock band in LA 6 or 7 years ago... When that fell through we had a little bit of a falling out for a few years, then re-connected as we both valued our friendship (obviously) and then started getting back to what we do best which is writing and creating. Marc we have known for some time as well and played in a few bands together in the circuit over the years & knew that he is the only guy in the country for this band - and our prayers were answered when he said yes to joining us! Paris I met on a gig when she came to fill in for another drummer - and man, as soon as I heard her, I was like "this girl is special!!!" She knows hows to lay it down... and that's basically how Colorstarr was formed! The other drummer did get fired by the way ha ha...


Do you have any artists or bands that inspire you? Why?

We are definitely inspired by a lot of genres and artists. Kristian and I both came up in the Sydney music scene playing in Soul/R&B bands. We eventually started experimenting with rock, dance and French electronic music especially - that's how I think the sound of Colorstarr was created. Some of those artists that we are inspired by would have to be Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Terence Trent D'Arby, Donny Hathaway, The Beatles, Beck, Friendly Fires, Phoenix, Justice, Jamaica & Daft Punk. 

Who writes your songs?

Kristian & I wrote the material up till now. But on the next EP we will be getting the rest of the guys involved in the process as Marc is a fully fledged writer in his own right & it will be good to create some new music from the ground up with all of us jamming it out in the studio. Sometimes I find this process can also deliver some amazing songs that you never knew you could create!

Where do you want Colorstarr to go in the future?

I see Colorstarr doing a lot of touring, as that's what we love to do - it's one thing to create music in a studio and be locked away for ages, but man the feeling on the stage... you can never begin to comprehend how amazing it is! Lots of touring, lot's of record sales & lot's of happiness is what I see for us for the coming future!


Any last comments you'd like to leave us with...?

Yes thank you so much for having us & giving us the opportunity to share our new music through your channels - we are pretty much ready for you now world!!! So come in & join us for the ride, it's going to be one hell of a time travel!! 

Colorstarr's eponymous EP is available on iTunes now.