“Slow Club present these songs in easy listening costumes, but below the surface, One Day is seething with disconnect and sorrow… Though they aren’t singing together as much, it sounds like they might be singing to each other more than ever,” Pitchfork (pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22215-one-day-all-of-this-wont-matter-any-more)
“One Day All of This Won’t Matter Anymore is, in many ways, a step away from the upbeat melodies of their older work, though this is not necessarily a bad thing. Instead, it offers uncomplicated insight into some of the perhaps darker emotions that accompany romance. It is sleepy easy listening at its very best,” Curieux (curieux.com.au/featured/album-review-one-day-all-of-this-wont-matter-any-more-by-slow-club)
We got Trav the drummer to take a few moments and chat with us-
Foghorn Media: What inspired you to become a musician? Who were your early influences?
Trav: I was personally inspired by all the bands I used to watch as an under-ager in Perth/Freo. Whether is was the local bands, like Beaverloop, NIL, Cinema Prague, or some unknown band rocking out to 20 people. I was also particularly inspired when I got to see great live bands on tour like RATM, Smashing Pumpkins, NIN, Fugazi. I still get inspired today by great new bands.
FM: Tell us a little about how you write; how do the songs come? What gets you going creatively?
Trav: We really aren’t so formulaic with how we write: sometimes it comes out of a jam, sometimes someone will bring in just a riff, and sometimes even a whole song which we will all just add an influence on. I think we all come from such different places musically, that no matter how things start it always takes a few twists and turns creatively. We really like demo’ing our ideas now too, and in the recording process I feel like the songs evolve even more, as we usually pick up a few things we want to add or take away.
FM: Your bio mentions that the band is named after a band members Grandmother? Tell us about how that came to be.
Trav: Yeah, our singer’s Grandmother’s name was actually “Vida Cain,” We trialled a few names in the early days, but nothing really did it for us. We thought “Vida Cain” had a bit of a ring to it so we went with that. Sadly, Vida is no longer with us, but I’m told she absolutely hated rock music and would probably be mortified to know that there’s a rock band named after her.
FM: What is the first record you bought and why?
Trav: The first record I actually bought for myself was RATM. I was at 78s in Perth and I remember just being blown away by how much I could feel the emotions in the music. And as a drummer back in the day it didn’t hurt that I loved the rhythm section.
FM: What current OZ acts inspire you? International acts?
Trav: I can’t help getting inspired by little bits of everything I hear. I have heard great songs by Tame Impala, Kingswood, Ball Park Music, Pendulum and Calling all Cars have certainly have inspired me. I know we play in a rock band, but internationally I would say Kendrik Lamar, Alabama Shakes, Arctic Monkeys.
FM: Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect at a live show.
Trav: A lot of people describe it as riff rock. I guess it’s melodic with some pop elements, but really high energy, rock music made to be played live. We put in a lot of energy into our live shows and the crowd usually gives us that energy back.
FM: Favourite artists of all time?
Trav: Foo Fighters, RATM, Beastie Boys
FM: Favourite film?
Trav: Pulp Fiction. I like a good quirky intertwining storyline, be it in a song, movie, or a shady drunken tour incident. Pulp Fiction did that pretty well.
FM: Favourite food?
Trav: Anything you can buy at a bakery. Nothing like a bit of gluttony and gluten.
FM: You are backstage with Chad Kroeger; what do you say?
Trav: Why? Just…why?
FM: Where do you see aussie music heading?
Trav: Into the depths of hell until 4 rock super heros come to it’s rescue with nothing, but an instrument and a drink rider. Either that or it’s just scheduled for a bit of a cycle of something different. I enjoyed the first tastes of skip hop and psychedelic pop that had a long run here, but now it’s spread a bit thin and I can’t wait to see what pops up next. There is certainly plenty of talented musicians around playing so many styles- it’s just a matter of what get’s picked up. We’d love it to be our music!
FM: What are your future plans for the rest of 2016 heading into 2017?
Trav: After our release at Badlands Bar in Perth, we will be going on an East Coast tour of Australia. We have plans for a trip to USA in 2017. Other than that, we plan on just getting back to playing live a whole lot after all that time in the studio.
Joel Sena is a Sydney saxophonist and producer with his debut self-titled EP expected for release 11 November, 2016. The first single off the EP, “Be With You,”Featuring Female Vocals from Phoebe will be available 7 October, 2016.
Foghorn Media: What inspired you to become a musician? Who
are your early influences?
Joel Sena: I’ve been playing and writing music from a very young age. It has always been a great emotional outlet for me, being someone who is quite shy and reserved. Sharing an emotional connection with others through music is something really special and that’s why I try and write songs that are honest and direct. I’ve always thought the saxophone to be a uniquely lyrical and compelling instrument when played well. Mastering that instrument and its potential has been a long term pursuit of mine!
FM: Tell us a little about how you write; how do the songs come? What gets you going creatively?
JS: I write songs in the strangest of places. More often than not I’ll have an idea in the car or on the train. I’ve learnt to jot down ideas quickly and then unpack them when I have some time to be more creative. I produce my own music and the pre-production phase of putting songs together is really helpful in developing them further. I love finding something compelling – whether it be a melody, groove, or set of chords – to expand upon bit by bit. I’ve always found that experience drives creativity. Travel, relationships, and life’s struggles have all spurred me on to create more and more music.
FM: What is the first record you bought and why?
JS: Miles Davis – “Kind of Blue,” I bought it because my sax teacher told me to! It took me more than a decade to really appreciate all of the nuances of that album but it inspired me from the start. It has remained one of my favourite albums of all time.
FM: What current OZ acts inspire you? International acts?
JS: I’m loving the current resurgence of soul inspired music in Australia. Artists like Hiatus Kaiyote, Daniel Merriweather, and Chet Faker are pushing the boundaries and creating some incredible stuff. I’m inspired by international acts that are fusing the spontaneity of jazz and soul with modern production and contemporary songwriting. Artists like Robert Glasper, Kendrick Lamar, and Jill Scott have been huge inspirations to me. I’m also a sucker for a great female vocalist – Melody Gardot and Lianne La Havas come to mind.
FM: Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect
at a live show?
JS: The music is groovy and engaging. It’s for people who love a well written song and a great sax sound. It’s music with an infectious groove. Those coming to a live show can expect a fair bit of spontaneity within a seriously tight sounding band. They can expect soaring instrumentals with wailing solos to soft, delicate and contemplative ballads. There may or may not be a dose of my dry sense of humour in there too! I always feature at least one world class vocalist at my live shows to sing several of my songs.
FM: Favourite artists of all time?
JS: Miles Davis, Jill Scott, Robert Glasper, Kenny Garrett, Michael
Brecker/Brecker Bros, Toto, Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder,
Book: The war of art (Steven Pressfield) – helped me
so much with getting over myself and making the music happen!
Place:I love the hustle and bustle of big cities like NYC. When I was there I met and jammed with some killer musicians who were some of the most welcoming people I’ve met. I turned up unannounced to a funk jam run by one of Lauryn Hill’s horn players. I had a play and slotted right in. It was a great experience. They value music there and are so accepting of people from any walk of life. It’s a great place for art to thrive.
FM: Favourite food or drink and is there a story associated with that?
JS: I’ll go to great lengths to find a perfect coffee. Whenever I’m traveling I’ll be sure to suss out where the best coffee spots are with a little help from Google Maps. Unfortunately this obsession has oft taken me on wild goose chases and long detours.
FM: You are backstage with Miles Davis; what do you say?
JS: I don’t think I would have to say much. From what I hear, Miles had a knack for imparting years of wisdom in a single phrase. I’d be quite happy to be on the receiving end of an MD one liner!
FM: Where do you see Aussie music heading?
JS: There are a bunch of highly motivated and talented artists that have been a little late to the self promotional internet age we’re in now. I think as more and more of these artists start coming to terms with the new tools we have to connect with fans we’ll start to see some really special stuff. I think that really well crafted songs and a high level of musicality will come to the forefront somewhat again.
FM: What are your future plans for 2016/2017
JS: After releasing my own EP, I plan to get playing live regularly. Live shows are where my music will really shine and inspire people. I love playing live and creating special moments with an audience. I’m really excited to return to the studio in 2017 and follow up my EP with another release. I’ve learnt an unbelievable amount over the past year and I can’t wait to put all of that new knowledge to use!
At this point in his ever evolving career, pianist and composer, Steve has taken it to the next level with the release of his stunning new album, “Dividing The Darkness,” To fulfill his creative vision for this project, Steve chose to work with one of the premier new age and contemporary instrumental producers in the world; the Grammy winning founder of the legendary Windham Hill Records, Mr. Will Ackerman. Along with Will’s roster of world-class studio musicians at Imaginary Road Studios, Steve has created an album that has garnered critical acclaim from highly regarded reviewers in the genre, who have described it as having “an astonishing level of sophistication, intensity, and heartfelt emotional expressivity,” In fact, the maestro Ackerman himself refers to the emotional range heard in Steve’s recording as: “a testament to the resilience of the human soul and the power of hope,” And in Steve’s own words: “When one’s talent is realized and pursued in a positive way, its limits may be nonexistent,”
QnA with Foghorn Media
Foghorn Media: What inspired you to become a pianist/composer? Who are your early influences?
Steve Rivera: I have always had a passion for music. I grew up with music in the home. My musical interests comes from several places. My family was and is very musical. My dad plays piano and sings, my older brother Robert (who passed away 6 years ago) was active playing piano, and one of my younger brothers plays piano and is a proficient guitar player. I first started playing music at a very young age. My dad often tells of a story that when I was about 5 years old he came home from work and I was really excited to show him a new song that I wrote.
FM: Tell us a little about how you write. How do the songs come? What gets you going creatively?
SR: Well in regards to how I write songs, it all depends on why I sit down and what I am trying to write. Other times I will just have a tune rattling around in my head and then I will sit down and work on it. I may just be moved by some emotion (happiness, peacefulness, anger or disappointment) and sit down and want to express those emotions through music.
FM: Your bio mentions “you took a break from music to work for a professional ice hockey team” us what went on there and more?
SR: Well back in the mid 90’s I had went to my first ice hockey game and fell in love with it. Growing up in Southern California I surfed and skated my whole life, but I had never ice skated before, let alone play ice-hockey. I started playing ice-hockey and shortly after that I had the opportunity to work for the Los Angeles Kings Hockey team as one of the assistant equipment managers. It was during the Wayne Gretzky years.
FM: What is the first record you bought and why?
SR: Oh wow. If my memory serves me correctly it was Iron Maiden’s ‘Number of the Beast,’ I really liked the album cover.
FM: What current Australian acts inspire you?
SR: Well obviously my current favorite Oz artist has to be Fiona Joy.
FM: Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect at a live show ?
SR: I describe ‘Dividing The Darkness’ as “retrained simplicity that is emotionally moving,” Being that I was classically trained I can easily move up and down the piano to “show off” how good I am. But with ‘Dividing The Darkness’ I wanted to create music that was moving, flowing, and open. Knowing that I was going to have award winning musicians included on the album, I really wanted to leave them room too. So while my album is definitely piano driven, I have always thought of ‘Dividing The Darkness’ as a musical whole, so much more than just piano.
FM: Favourite artists of all time?
SR: Mozart.
FM: Favourite film?
SR: Wow. There are so many. A wide variety from, ‘The Usual Suspects’ to ‘Blazzing Saddles’ and ‘The Princess Bride’ to ‘Awakenings’ and ‘As Good As it Gets,’
FM: Favourite book?
SR: Les Miserable by Victor Hugo
FM: What are your future plans for 2016/2017?
SR: That is a really hard question that I don’t think I can give a knowledgeable answer too. I would really like to see my music move forward, but I realize that while I will do everything in my power to be present and do what I can to move things forward at the end of the day it is really not up to me. There are so many things that happen in life that I have learned no matter how much I plan or prepare life can and does take turns of its own. I am just really excited about finding out what the future has in store.
For the past 12 months Josh has been busy in the studio writing and recording his debut album ‘Call in Whispers’ with Eskimo Joe’s Joel Quartermaine Producing . The now completed album was released in April 2016 and is by far Josh’s best work to date. The first two singles from the album, ‘Rain Dancer’ and ‘Front Light,’ have been servicing radio and were added to various station playlists, including National and Local ABC shows.
Taking cues from the sounds of Boy & Bear, The Temper Trap, Matt Corby, and Bob Evans, Josh marries them with the pop sensibilities of acts like Foster The People and Empire Of The Sun. His experience writing for a range of stylistically different projects – as well as co-writing with Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe), Davey Lane (You Am I), Steve Parkin (Basement Birds), and Jen Chloer – has given him the perfect education to meld rock and pop together in sublimely diverse and catchy ways. Make sure to pick up a copy of ‘Call In Whispers’ today!
Heres a recent Interview with Josh –
QnA with Foghorn Media
Foghorn Media: What inspired you to become a singer/writer? Who are your early influences?
Josh Johnstone: I guess like many songwriters, it all began when you were growing up and maybe in the car going on family vacation and changing the words of popular songs on the radio to be about your own silly personal jokes. I come from a long line of musicians on my father’s side of the family. Making up silly songs around the lounge room fire was one of the most fun, interactive, bonding, and mentally stimulating things you can do with your family and friends. Early influences would be my parents record collection; Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones, Kinks, Lovin’ Spoonful, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Cream, Leadbelly, Taj Mahal, Traveling Wilburys, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, John Lennon.
FM: Tell us a little about how you write. How do the songs come? What gets you going creatively?
JJ: My writing comes in bursts. Often I’m on tour/playing five or more shows a week for most of the year. During this time you see so many other bands, amazing performances at festivals, you meet hundreds of interesting and inspiring people, you experience all these different cultures. So there is so much inspiration for song writing. However, with the hectic tour schedule, I don’t really feel like writing much. When I finish a long tour and have a week or two off, it all comes out then. I pretty much wrote the crux of my album in two separate week bursts. I guess its all about giving yourself a lot of great experiences and people to draw creativity from, and then allowing yourself the space and time to let those things come out.
FM: What is the first record you bought and why?
JJ: I was a 90’s kid; the first time I bought my own CDs was in my early teens. I got a five stacker CD player from Cash Converters and the nice guy there said “why don’t you pick five CDs from the rack to fill that new CD player of yours,” So I took ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magic’ by RHCP, ‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana, ‘The Real Thing’ by Faith no More, ‘Vs.’ by Pearl Jam, and ‘Gravediggers Union’ by Soul Asylum.
FM: What current OZ acts inspire you? International acts?
JJ: I really love Boy & Bear, The Temper Trap. But on an up and coming scale, The Elliott’s (Melbourne), Timothy Nelson (Perth), and Eli Schoen (Perth). We have a lot of talent out there. Go see a live a band, real music made by real musicians.
FM: Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect at a live show.
JJ: All I hope is that they enjoy themselves, the songs, the music, the band and the atmosphere.
FM: Favourite artists of all time?
JJ: Picking a favourite is too hard. It’s like asking a parent to pick a favourite child. I guess I would maybe say Tom Petty, John Lennon, or the collective works of the members of Traveling Wilburys
FM: Favourite film? Place? Animal or pet?
JJ: Films: ‘The Big Lebowski,’ I’ve seen it way too many times. As I have with ‘The Castle,’ I prefer comedy to drama. My favourite place to tour is Eastern Europe (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania) and favourite pet is my parents’ dog, Millie. FM: Where do you see Aussie music heading?
JJ: I think the general public needs to support local bands a lot more than they do. Xfactor, The Voice, and Idol are all continuing to destroy the music industry and creating short term throwaway gimmic songs and artists. Something needs to change if you ever want to see classic artists with 20 year careers and countless hit songs again.
FM: What are your future plans for 2016/2017?
JJ: I have just completed all of the launches around Western Australia for my album. The regional touring was a heap of fun and the city shows were more like massive parties with new and old friends than anything else! I am now in Melbourne about to play a launch here, and then I head off on a 2 and a half month tour of Europe, USA, and parts of Asia. It also looks like another tour is already being set up for the USA in March next year. Aside from that, I am planning to make a music video for every song on the new album: five down, five to go. I will be releasing them over the next few months so keep an eye out!
Foghorn Media: What inspired you to become a band? Who were your early influences?
Halfwait: We all grew up in the 90s listening to bands such as Nirvana, Silverchair, Offspring and Blink 182 and always admired them. We looked up towards the thought of playing on the big stage and connecting with people through our music.
FM: Tell us a little about how you write, how do the songs come? What gets you going creatively?
HW: Depending on our moods and what is happening in our lives at the time can determine on the feel and direction of the song. Usually Chris and I have created a good balance of teamwork with structuring songs, but in most cases I write something on guitar along with a melody and bring that into the studio and we build a song around that. With the lyrics, I write about topics that mean something to me or are around me at the time. I’ve been writing poems from a young age so it makes it a lot easier for me to convert it into lyrics for a song.
FM: What is the first record you bought and why?
Jon: ‘Nevermind’by Nirvana. My brother was into it at the time and that’s the only CD we had in the house. I grew to like the sound of the recording and held it highly in sound quality.
Chris: ‘Follow The Leader’ by Korn.I wasn’t a big fan of Nu-Metal but I always admired people with long hair or dreadlocks, which ultimately drew me to the band. I also liked The Offspring which was my favorite band at the time.
Nathan: ‘Frogstomp’by Silverchair. I thought it was really well put together.
FM: What current Australian and international acts are inspiring you?
HW: The Deadlove and Violent Soho as they are bringing the 90s scene back to Australia and we dig and admire that. For international artists, we are inspired by and have respect for Mallory Knox for their journey and growth in the international music scene. But also bands that have been around for a while such as Metallica, Blink 182, Offspring, and Green Day.
FM: Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect at a live show.
HW: Because we have the 90s built into our style the crowd should expect hard hitting drums, strong bass lines, and scratchy guitars with clean vocals. There’s a lot of energy in our performance creating a really great atmosphere.
FM: Favorite films?
Jon: ‘Step Brothers’ Chris: ‘Pulp Fiction,’ because no matter how many times I watch it, I always find something new that I haven’t noticed before about the movie. Nathan: ‘Django Unchained,’
FM: Where do you see Australian music heading?
HW: With bands like Violent Soho on the rise, I think we will see the youth growing up listening to music similar to what we did. And with people who grew up in the 90s, like us, wanting the music that they heard in their youths back will revive the grunge scene.
FM: What are your future plans for 2016/2017?
HW: We will be finishing off this EP, which we are currently recording, followed by touring Australia, and in between that time we will re release our first EP and an acoustic EP. Then we are planning to go back into the studio in 2017 to record our debut album whilst playing various shows and promotions for a national tour after the completion of the album.
Foghorn Media: What inspired you to become a pianist? Who were your early influences?
Alexi Musnitsky: I chose piano at an early age, four years old. After seeing my sister play, I wanted to try and I just stuck to it. I was raised with classical piano, but I was never one to adhere to the rigors of “solfege.” I was lucky that my teachers let me explore my own way to express the music and they were pleased with the results. I am also a fairly quiet person, as some people say “still waters run deep.” I don’t express my feelings or emotions in words. But I do have experiences, good and bad, happy and hurtful. These feelings come out in my playing. This is why I switched from playing others’ music such as classical and began composing my own pieces. To me this is not songwriting, but a form of communication – a way for me to express the feelings I have and to let out some of the memories I keep inside.
FM: Tell us a little about how you write, how do the songs come? What gets you going creatively?
AM: This is a difficult question for me to answer because I do not have a method or process. There is no plan or template nor do I set aside any specific time to “sit and write.” Rather, I focus on my feelings. For example, a good friend was feeling a bit lost and going through something I went through myself. So, one rainy Paris morning I remembered my feelings at the time and sat down and played.
FM: Your bio mentions working with a French/Belgian project called Daybreak and then with Will Ackerman. Tell us about that.
AM: I was contacted by Will Ackerman and asked to go to his studio, Imaginary Road Studios, to record. This is a story I think other aspiring artists should hear because there is a real “dream come true” aspect to it. I simply started to compose at home on an upright piano with a digital system, an analog to digital converter, and a Mac with Garage Band. My father likened the style to his favorite Windham Hill artists. I posted some of the music on Soundcloud so my friends could hear it. Somehow the music caught peoples’ attention and this gave me the courage to write an e-mail to Will Ackerman. Will answered and, to me, that is the most amazing part. A cold call to world champion of my music style and he answers. It took the financial help of friends and family, crowd funding, borrowed money, frequent flyer mileage, and my Aunt and cousin in the US to get me to Vermont and the Imaginary Road Studios. I entered a studio with Platinum records on the wall and Grammy awards on the shelf and I sat down with Will Ackerman, Tom Eaton and Eugene Friesen and played.
FM: What is the first record you bought and why?
AM: My sister is 3 years older so I followed some her music, such as David Bowe. I had my own Classical piano training so I listened to Glenn Gould play Bach inventions and went to see Lang Lang and Krystian Zimmerman. And I am a big fan of ColdPlay.
FM: What current Australian acts inspire you? International acts?
AM: Well, I am still a fan of ColdPlay. However, since releasing ‘Zia’, I have gotten to know Fiona Joy from Australia – she won this year’s ZMR award for best piano solo album. When I listen to Ludovico Einaudi’s music, I sometimes think “I wish I wrote that.”
FM: Tell us a little about your music and what a crowd can expect at a live show?
AM: The crowd would not be what you would expect. When I was a young child I had played at some hotel resorts in Spain and even the Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam. As you could imagine, it was an older crowd and they seemed to appreciate the music from such a young person. But then I performed for a charity at a Paris university to a young crowd where other artists were definitely not my music style. The result was amazing. The place went silent and remained focused throughout my playing – and then wanted more.
FM: Favorite film? Book? Place?
AM: My favorite film is “The Green Mile,” Favorite place to be is on the ocean in a sailboat. I am certified as a French national sailing instructor and every summer I teach sailing on the Brittany Coast.
FM: Favorite food or drink and is there a story associated with that?
AM: Growing up in France really helped because I eat almost every kind of food. Right now I am thinking of Lasagna… Favorite drink comes from my American side and is Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry soda.
FM: You are backstage with Andrew Lloyd Weber – what do you say?
AM: I would really like to write music to be used in film (or stage). I think that emotions being portrayed through imagery and music is special. I remember seeing Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and I went home and started playing that night.
FM: What are your future plans for 2016/2017?
AM: I honestly did not know what to expect from releasing an album nor anticipated the reaction of people listening to it. I can say that the positive feedback has been a huge motivator and I am now composing new music and planning to play concerts.
