MODERN CURE - Q&A.

Modern Cure are a five piece indie pop rock band fresh out of college. Their vocalist is Victoria Geale, playing guitar is Will Smyth and Oliver Marshall, playing bass is Joshua Keddie and keeping the band in time is Alex Quigley on the drums. The band formed for a High Schools Battle of the Bands and after finding success decided to continue playing together. 

With their fresh indie rock sound and quirky, enthralling vocals, Modern Cure are an exciting new act. Their track 'The Streets' features strong, anthemic rhythm section and an upbeat beat that is a perfect summer tune. The vocals are endearing, with light harmonies and Victoria Geale's distinctive voice lending the track a lighter side.


We caught up with Modern Cure recently!


When did you guys start playing together?

We formed halfway through 2011 to play in our school's battle of the bands. We had all been in other bands before, but we wanted to play together. We won the junior section at Rock Challenge Tasmania, so we've kept it together since then.

How would you describe your music?

Our style instrumentally is inspired by bands that we listen to like The Wombats, The Kooks, The Strokes and Two Door Cinema Club. If anyone asked us how we would describe our music we would say enjoyable to play.

What are you working on right now?

We're currently working on getting a substantial original set written and rehearsed, as well as recording for future release. As we continue to write music we like our previous songs less, so we find it kind of hard to have a forty-five minute set that we're all happy with. It's great that we think our music keeps getting better though, so there is a positive to it.

What will Modern Cure be up to in 2014?

We've been working on an EP for nearly nine months now, but we keep on changing our minds as to what should be on it, and also write better music that we then have to record. Hopefully we will have it out both digitally and physically by the end of the year. We also want to play a lot more live shows and establish ourselves as a prominent force in the local music scene here in Launceston, which is why we're working hard on getting a strong set together.

How did you get your band name?

Choosing a band name was pretty difficult, it took lots of brain storming and terrible ideas before we came up with Modern Cure. We thought it sounded cool, but like a lot of band names its just a play on words and doesn't really mean anything.
Listen to Modern Cure performing 'The Streets' at Breath of Life festival!

THE CITIZENS - Q & A.

The Citizens are an up-and-coming indie pop rock band hailing from Bondi, Sydney. They've played some exciting shows - winning Bondi's Battle of the Bands and competing in YouthRock finals - and recently released some new tracks, the aptly titled 'The Table's Not The Place' and 'Fishing In The Drought'.

Their funky new track 'The Table's Not The Place' has punchy, rhythmic - almost popcorn-like - guitar work influenced by Two Door Cinema Club and stylistic features and lyrics reminiscent of the ever-clever Isaac Brock. It's a cool, sassy track that's neat, clean and altogether pretty fun.

We caught up with the cool kids from The Citizens recently!

Who are The Citizens?

The Citizens are Lewis Clark (vocals, guitar), Sachin Burns (Lead Guitar), Joey Reinhard (Bass) and Ben Munro (Drums). We are an indie pop band from Bondi, and we were formed in 2011. 

What do you guys do at band practice?

We write our songs with strong structures and we rehearse them endlessly, for a really great live show. 

How did you guys start playing together?

We started playing together when we entered a band workshop where we were placed together and wrote good songs, so we wanted to stay together as a band. 

Best thing you've done as a band?

Our best experiences would have to be supporting The Cairos at the Metro Theatre, for All Ages Concerts Sydney's Christmas Party.

The Citizens at YouthRock

Check out their music at their Triple J Unearthed page and listen to their track 'The Table's Not The Place' below:

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:

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!

WE ARE THE BRAVE - EP LAUNCH.

Australian synth-pop act We Are The Brave will be launching their new EP on Wednesday 11 September at Good God Small Club in Sydney's Chinatown.

The act consists of singer-songwriter Jess Chalker (featured on recordings with Passenger) and underground hip-hop producer Ox Why. Their sound is quite Bat for Lashes, although at times it felt like a fresh Florence remix. They craft together the catchy nostalgia of the 80s with funky modern vibes, as seen in their first single 'All Good Things Must Come to an End'.

 

Their debut EP 'Noctua', which was produced, mixed, written and performed by the pair entirely at their home studios, will be launched September 11. Come down and check out this fresh new act - but if you can't we'll still fill you in on the (hopefully) epic happenings of the night!

Get your tickets here at: www.wearethebrave.eventbrite.com

Here is their first single, 'All Good Things Must Come to an End'.

In light of their exciting new launch we caught up with Ox Why for a Q & A.

What's in a band name? 

Both Jess and I are really inspired by a lot of youth films from the '80s dealing with teenage angst. We wanted a name that sounded like one of those cheesy, but sort of life changing films you grow up watching and quote from your entire life. The Breakfast Club was a big inspiration - watching that final scene where Judd Nelson freezes in the air mid frame, We are the Brave felt like it could have been an ironic, alternative title. We both pissed ourselves laughing at first, but the name We Are the Brave kinda stuck.

 

How did the band start?

Jess was putting her studio together and came into Billy Hydes, where I was working at the time, to get some advice about gear. I always think it's cool when a girl knows her stuff. Once we started talking about Peter Gabriel and Fairchilds, I knew straight away this could be a great working relationship. Jess and I fight like siblings, but I think it's that wanting to kill each other kind of passion that helps us create our landscape musically.

 

 

Who are the members/music history?

I've been a hip hop artist and producer in the Sydney underground scene for a while now. Jess had actually never sang in front of anyone until she posted some of her original tunes on Youtube a few years back, which went mental overnight. She started getting all these emails from around the world, from people like Norah Jones's manager. I think it freaked her out, as she stopped posting tunes, and went to uni instead. Jess has been in the Sydney folk scene a few years now, focusing a lot on playing/writing, with everyone from Passenger to Lior. We're also really lucky to have some amazing musos play live with us, including Pat Taylor on guitar, and James Hill on drums.

 

Who are your main influences?

We're both into artists like Kate Bush, David Bowie, David Byrne, Bjork, Bat for Lashes, Tears for Fears. I'm really into a lot of the old school hip hop stuff like Pharcyde, Hieroglyphics, Wu Tang, DITC and Boot Camp.

Jess and I are also massive Prince fans, and Jess is also heavily into Springsteen, Dylan, Paul Simon, and Joni Mitchell.

 

What motivates you to make music?

There's a huge amount of potential in a single sound, so many ways you can tweak and manipulate and alter its original shape to create something new and exciting. We're both really fascinated by that, and the range of emotions that sounds can create.

 

 

Where to from here?

We're just about to release our debut EP, Noctua, and with it our sophomore track, Sparrow and a music video. We're also really excited to have been invited to join the incredible Ngaiire for some of her national Lamentations tour, so if you're in Sydney, Melbourne or Canberra, come and say hi at one of our shows in September!

So catch We Are The Brave at any of their gigs and make sure to grab a copy of their EP!

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.