Five things with The Tongue

A pub bouncer asked me for my ID the other night… I’m a six-foot-one 31-year-old with facial hair, for fuck’s sake!

2. Inspirations

One of the songs on my new album is about my heroes. I realised they all had common personality traits; they were brave, determined, creative and stuck to their ethics. Some of the names I drop include Hunter S. Thompson, John Lennon, Nelson Mandela, Kendrick Lamar and Lauryn Hill. They are all inspirations who pushed me to want to be more, to lead and affect the lives of others in a positive way.

3. Your Crew

I’m now into my tenth year of rocking with Sydney label Elefant Traks. It’s been wonderful to see my labelmates Hermitude go from underground instrumentals to world-touring festival kings over that period. I’m also excited about the upcoming releases from Jimblah, L-Fresh The Lion and Horrorshow.

4. The Music You Make And Play

My new fourth album is called Hard Feelings. It’s the best record I’ve ever put together. It’s deliberately short and to the point, just ten great songs. Guests include Ngaiire, Jeswon and DJ Morgz (Thundamentals), Mataya, Thom Crawford and Ev Jones (from Jones Jnr).

5. Music, Right Here, Right Now

Let’s be honest; the music industry is a leaky ship and the war on venues/lockout laws isn’t helping. Times are tough for independent musicians in Sydney. Only those with pure passion for music would bother pushing through all these difficulties for years on end. However, when a song you write strikes a chord with people and the show goes mental, it always feels worth the sacrifice.

[The Tongue photo by Cole Bennetts]