Julia Jacklin Archives • Howl & Echoes

It’s that time of year again when rain, shine and music collide to bring us the ultimate summer experience at Falls Music and Arts Festival. One of the largest events happening across the New Year period, Falls has been going strong for a quarter of a century and still never fails to amaze. The bill for the 2017/2018 tour included a bunch of stellar international names including Fleet Foxes, Run The Jewels, Vince Staples, Liam Gallagher, Foster The People, Glass Animals and The Kooks, as well as homegrown favourites like Flume, Angus and Julia Stone, Methyl Ethel, Allday, The Jungle Giants and Julia Jacklin. And that’s just a preview.

Of the four idyllic locations the festival plays, we made our annual pilgrimage to Byron Bay which delivered its usual medley of hot, balmy weather, rainy afternoons and… mud, lots of mud. Clearly it’s our favourite way to ring in the new year.

Day II saw sets from WAAX, Alex Lahey, Manu Crook$, Camp Cope, Julia Jacklin, Allday, Dune Rats, Glass Animals, Fleet Foxes and Run The Jewels.

Photos by Dani Hansen.

Check out our galleries for Day I and Day III!

WAAX

Alex Lahey

Manu Crook$

Camp Cope

Julia Jacklin

Allday

Dune Rats

Glass Animals

Fleet Foxes

Run The Jewels

Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes

It’s that time of year again: the denim jackets are peeled off, the BBQs begin to sizzle in backyards across Australia, and we’re suddenly hit with a veritable cornucopia of incredible music events to signal the march towards the end of the year. There are festivals being announced left right and centre, sure, but not all of us are wallet-endowed enough to skip from fest to fest just to catch our favourite acts for a paltry 30 minute set. Thank god for the Spring headline tour. But, you might say, there are so MANY tours being announced! I feel overwhelmed with choice – how can I make sure I won’t miss the best of the bunch? Shhh. We got you. Credit cards at the ready, fam, let’s dive into the creme de la creme of upcoming tours over the next few months.

NGAIIRE – Inside Blastoma tour

Ngaiire’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric and we are bloody stoked as hell about it. Her album Blastoma climed to #41 in the ARIA charts, #6 on the Urban charts, and is shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize. Ngaiire is fresh off touring with Listen Out festival, before that she absolutely SLAYED at Splendour in the Grass (I should know, I was there). She’s insanely talented, a phenomenal live performer, and even has Grimes‘ stamp of approval. Oh, and the incredible Woodes and Wallace are supporting. Literally what the hell other reason do you even need to pony up the dough and head along to her last headline tour of the year?

Tickets for Ngaiire on sale now via www.ngaiire.com.au

Fri 25 Nov | Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Fri 2 Dec | The Factory, Sydney
Fri 12 Dec | The Zoo, Brisbane

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYmbZkP3LfU]

Polish Club – Beat Up tour

I’ve been on the Polish Club train for a very long time now and it warms my heart to see that they are finally embarking on their very first headline tour. The thing about seeing Polish Club live is that you will feel very euphoric, then utterly confused as to how the fuck two people can make such a glorious racket, and then very euphoric again. You’ve probably heard their rock banger Beeping, because it climbed its way up into triple j’s 15 most played tracks for a while there. They played BIGSOUND this year and have racked up a laundry list of supports featuring music’s who’s who: Courtney Barnett, Northeast Party House, Gang Of Youths… it’s a little bit ridiculous actually. Oh, and they’re releasing their debut album next year. Why are they so talented? I bet you they’re really nice guys, too.

Tickets for Polish Club on sale now via www.polishclub.co

Horrorshow – If You Know What I Mean tour

This one has actually already kicked off, so if you’re a fan of not missing out on cool things then you might want to jump on tickets very, very quickly. Horrorshow are touring the country – yes Perth, you included! – in support of their super-tight track If You Know What I Mean. To add onto the pile of very good reasons to catch the Sydney duo, rapidly rising MC B Wise will be joining Solo and Adit across the run of dates. Watch the Harry Hunter/ENTROPICO (Hayden James, Touch Sensitive, The Meeting Tree) directed video for If You Know What I Mean below and get keeeeeen.

Tickets for Horrorshow on sale now via HORRORSHOW.COM

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rRAc7_Z4G4]

Julia Jacklin – Don’t Let The Kids Win tour

Julia Jacklin seemed to come out of frickin’ nowhere (although, of course, this is never the case) to dominate the back half of 2016. The accolades are stacking up faster than you can say “fuck, I missed out on tickets” – with BBC 6, LA Times, Uncut and Mojo all heaping praise on the alt-country singer and her raw, stunning debut album Don’t Let The Kids Win. There’s only one other Aussie artist whose rocket-fuelled trajectory has taken off this fast in recent memory and her name rhymes with Schmourtney Schmarnett. So you should probably catch Jacklin on this tour before she starts playing her tunes on the US late night television circuit and appearing on Ellen.

Tickets for Julia Jacklin on sale now via Oztix

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fua9nrkUYew]

LANKS x Hein Cooper – Co-headline tour

Q: What’s better than one innovative Melbourne musician embarking on an 8-date tour? A: Two innovative Melbourne musicians embarking on an 8-date tour together. You likely don’t need an introduction to either of these dudes. LANKS, perennial striped shirt-wearer and top notch human being, just wrapped a national support with Vera Blue and released his second EP Viet Rose, and I honestly have no words for how good it is. Basically, he’s been busy dominating and it really doesn’t seem like he intends on stopping. Hein Cooper is like Ed Sheeran if Ed Sheeran was cool and made good music (there I said it). To hear his gorgeous singles Art Of Escape and Rusty (together they boast over 3 million streams on Spotify) is to feel feelings. They’re gonna make a formidable duo and if you don’t go see them you’re dumb.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQNvaGJyraA]

Good Boy – Plum EP tour

Hi, have you been living under a rock? Good Boy are a band that are, as their name suggests, very Good. They are also all Boys I guess. They’re touring in support of their EP Plum, aka one of the best, most self-aware snapshots of the Aussie youth zeitgeist we’ve seen in recent memory. Their set at BIGSOUND was so packed I had to stand on a chair and triple j are smashing their tunes basically on the daily, like new single S.O.G.K. They put on a bloody good show. Get your butt to one of them.

Tickets for Good Boy available from Oztix

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rm6zVEsvXc]

There is something distinctly, uniquely normal about Australian indie. It doesn’t try to dazzle you with theatrics, it keeps its parts simple and the songs are often characterised by the experiences of everyday life, as opposed to the hypothetical fantasies.

The same can be said about Julia Jacklin‘s debut record Don’t Let The Kids In, with each song reminding the listener that despite all our dreams and aspirations, life just takes its natural course, and that’s fine. Opening tracks Pool Party and Leadlight capture this sentiment, with the former echoing a sentiment that is all too relatable for many; “My heart is heavy when you’re high, so for me why won’t you try?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qvTPxUlxg

Jacklin doesn’t try to dazzle on her first outing. Rather, she attempts to win the listener over through simple, honest songwriting. Elizabeth comes after the bombastic Coming Of Age and sits beautifully within the scope of the record, stripping away her backing band and leaving Jacklin exposed and unfiltered- a bold move in her opening statement to the music world.

Jacklin’s willingness to pull away the covers and present herself as she is, is really what characterises most of Don’t Let The Kids In. Motherland begins with Jacklin casually strumming an electric guitar and crooning reflective lyrics of nostalgia and regret, before the song slowly builds around a steady drum groove, somehow amplifying the effect of the vocals. What Jacklin does well on this song and the album as a whole, is avoiding the trap of cramming too much instrumentation into the arrangements, often used to overcompensate for being a solo artist. Small Talk shows the effectiveness of a simple structure, with the song built around two simple guitar chords, steadily marching towards a solitary end rather than building unnecessarily.

Admittedly, Jacklin’s take on alternate country won’t please everyone. The middle section of the album may feel repetitive to some, with soft, sparse ballads making up the bulk of the record. However, focusing on how the album sits together can cause the listener to miss the true highlights, found within the dynamic awareness and vocal control of each song. Sweet Step takes a plucked guitar line and combines it with the folky delivery of Jacklin and tender electric leads, resulting in a beautiful cascade of tender sounds. Hayplain, on the other hand, centres around a rhythmic shuffle, leaving space for the electric guitar and atmospheric build. The song reaches its climax with multilayered harmonies singing tales of travel and the uncertainty it brings.

The song would have been the perfect note to end on, with just a hint of triumph, but as I mentioned at the start of this review, Jacklin isn’t in the game for theatrics. The title track closes out this record, serving as another solo cut as if to remind the listener that Jacklin is focused on being perceived how she is; as a single entity, no musical extras attached.

Don’t Let The Kids In is a tender, whimsical collection of stories and thoughts on the ups and downs of life. It is a down-to-earth examination on what makes us feel things that we don’t always want to feel. Feels man. It’s hard to digest in one sitting, but when pulled apart, each song here serves a purpose and displays the enormous potential if an exciting new talent putting Australia on the map.

Check out what has inspired Jacklin over the course of her career so far when she shared with us which three albums that changed her life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fua9nrkUYew

Image: Supplied

Hailing from the Blue Mountains, Julia Jacklin is one of our favourite artists on the come-up right now, and we can’t wait to see where she’s going next. Her gorgeous melodies and magnetic storytelling lyrics make for a wonderfully interesting, engaging listen, which is great news considering she’s just announced her debut album, Don’t Let The Kids Win. The record is to be released on October 7, ahead of which has come first single Leadlight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fua9nrkUYew

Ahead of international tour dates that’ll see her travel through the USA, UK and Europe, Jacklin will be performing at Newtown Social Club in Sydney on Thursday, July 28 and at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on Friday, July 29 (tickets here).

We wanted to get to know Jacklin a little better, so we asked her to share three albums which shaped her life.

Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine

My first love introduced me to this album when I was about 15. I’d just never really heard anything like it before. I think it was the lyrics that really got me. She talks about love in such a unique way, I appreciate it even more now that I’m older. Not About Love was the first song I ever performed on stage with guitar at an open mic night in Glebe. I sang Parting Gift for a yr. 11 school performance and I covered Extraordinary Machine in my first band. It’s been with me for a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u09s0uz0tEU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP869swP2po

Radiohead, KID A

I was at my neighbours house when I was about 12 or 13. He was a few years older than me and had a very ‘cool’ taste in music. At that age I was just kind of pretending to like things and pretending to hate things based on other peoples opinions. I didn’t really know what I liked. Then I heard Idioteque and my mind was forever blown! A lot of teenage angst was soothed by the songs on this record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7hvGPLexL0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZq_jeYsbTs

Anna Calvi, Anna Calvi

I haven’t listened to this in ages but it came at a perfect time for me a few years ago. I had trained as a soprano and I guess I had always thought I had to sing like a little girl or something, that I had to play pretty, non confrontational music in order for people to like me. Then I heard this and it just gave me some strength, to get a bit louder, sing a bit lower, not worry too much if people didn’t like what I was doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo267BTLnZk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKVy0EVu2ZI

Image: Supplied

It’s Friday and that can only mean one thing: here’s your weekly playlist, featuring some of the best new tunes from across the globe. We try to cover as much as we can throughout the week, and here’s the best of anything we may have missed. We’ve got a slightly longer playlist today than usual – Enjoy!

Promises Ltd., Days of Lavender
This is a really cool new collaboration from Chrome Sparks, aka Jeremy Malvin, and Charlie brand of Miniature Tigers. Days of Lavender is their first single and I adore it. A riveting, driving rhythm and an interesting, kind of psych-y melody lead the way. I’m looking forward to hearing what’s next.
Woodes, The Thaw
Brisbane’s Woodes has returned with a slinky electro-R&B offering, blending a soft percussive rhythm with sensual atmospherics. All the while, a seductive, breathy melody carries it along. Stellar work from both Woodes and Lanks, who co-wrote and co-produced the track.
ALTA, Plans
ALTA have just shared the exciting news that they’ve signed to Melbourne label Soothsayer, and with the news comes new single Plans. I love how interesting, funky, and most importantly, how unique this sounds. There are so many cool sounds coming together to create a great rhythm and vibe.
Ady Suleiman, Running Away (The Social Experiment Remix)
Chance the Rapper affiliates the Social Experiment have left their mark on Suleiman’s track, which was already amazing to start with. This is a perfect song. Catchy and incredibly lush, we hear a sublime marriage of organic and electronic, of synth and trumpet, soul and electro.
Moonbase Commander, Greyhound
Moonbase Commander are back, and how. This is a frantic beats-heavy track that’s begging to blast out at an all-night warehouse party. Drawing influence from drum ‘n bass and jungle, it’s really cool to hear new tunes coming out of Australia like this.
Elysia Crampton, Flora’s Theme
This week’s Adult Swim single comes courtesy of Elysia Crampton, and it’s certainly the most unique and obscure that we’ve heard so far. Crampton seeks to explore and to experiment, toying with a myriad sounds and samples in just over two minutes.
Machinedrum, Angel Speak ft. MeLo-X
Machinedrum has always held a special place in my heart, and this track is just so much fun. There’s a lot going on around the rhythm, interesting percussive sounds and spacey effects, samples and more. I’m looking forward to hearing what’s next.
Feki x St Albion, One of a Kind
This is a wicked collaboration, absolutely one of my favourite electronic tracks this week. The beats are huge and the atmosphere is really hazy and warm – it’s a really interesting combination of each artist’s sounds, as it takes us through a number of variations on that core melodic loop.
Dreller, A Signal That Comes Back
Since first hearing about Dreller earlier this year, he’s quickly become one of my favourite upcoming artists to watch. A Signal That Comes Back is Dreller’s third single, and it might be my favourite yet. There’s something so sneaky and seductive about the melody, while the instrumental layers blend so many kinds of sounds that every listen uncovers something new.
Julia Jacklin, Leadlight
Julia Jacklin has just announced her debut album, out October 7, and this week released its first single, Leadlight. This is a really beautiful, emotive track, one that really showcases her stunning voice and lyrics, atop a bluesy rhythm that lazily swings from beat to beat. There’s something so real about this sound and this song. I love it. It might just be my favourite new Australian track this week.
Running Touch, Levitate (It’s All Too perfect)
Running Touch’s new track is deep, dark and smokey, the scene is set with a late night house vibe, before a rich, velvety smooth vocal melody comes in. It continues to be chopped and spliced throughout, becoming something of an instrumental layer in itself. Listen here.
Harts, Power
Finally this week we have a new track from Harts, who among other accolades, has been personally endorsed by the late, great Prince. This is a big, bright, festival-ready song, with huge riffs and a stompy beat, showcasing his incredible guitar talents through a funkier filter than some of his earlier stuff. Listen here.