1.Growing Up
No-one in my family was musical. My sister tried playing piano once but I stole it off her when I was like nine. Cold-blooded. Mum used to have a lot of dinner parties when I was young, and would only play four albums: Sade, Billy Ocean, Janet Jackson and Madonna. After that, party’s over. Get out of my house. I’ve got a big day at kindy tomorrow. Actually, I only found this out maybe two months ago, but it turns out my dad’s first job was as a jingle writer in New Zealand.
2. Inspirations
Prince. Anyone who can release hours upon hours upon hours of unlistenable shit and still have the best live show for 30+ years straight has got to be admired.
3.Your Crew
Well… I’m only filling in after the trombone player broke his tromboning arm. You do one show and they get you on interview duty. I could start making shit up. What are they gonna do, fire me? Pfft.
4.The Music You MakeAnd Play
As a previous audience member, I can guarantee you will dance. Expect solid dancehall, drum’n’bass, trap. High-energy! Amazing sonic landscapes with these ultra hooky choruses and bangin’ beats. One hell of a live show, messages of empowerment and unity, a freaky charismatic frontman, a totally babein’ frontlady, and the most stylish MF-ing eight-piece band. Think The Prodigy, Groove Armada, Major Lazer, Rudimental, and surprisingly Midnight Oil. Now that I’m onstage with them, I’m getting to live my dream of playing dirty stanky synths with a blazing hot band!
5.Music, Right Here, Right Now
I like to think of the term ‘future music’ when writing or playing, because it allows me to envisage our music as something that exists outside of current trends, yet still influenced by them. It is (hopefully) what music will sound like in one/two/ten years from now. In that way, I find it easier to deal with those feelings we all get as creatives, that our work isn’t good enough. It doesn’t sound/look like what everyone else is doing. It’s too weird. I know so many musicians that have battled with imposter syndrome. So, stop thinking about what triple j want, stop thinking about what will get you booked, and start writing for the scene you want to be in next year.
See Dubmarine atOxford Art Factory withBalkan Beat BoxonWednesday March 11.
