You might have heard that living legends Cyndi Lauper and Debbie Harry (with her band Blondie) are hitting Australian shores in a few short months for A Day On The Green, where they’ll perform with homegrown hard-hitters The Clouds, Montaigne, and Alex Lahey. In a climate where festival lineups are all-too-often found lacking in terms of representation from women – and more specifically, queer women – this lineup feels like a pointed, intentional statement. Boasting arguably two of the most important women in musical history (one a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, the other an avid supporter), a couple of incredibly laudable up-and-coming femme talents in Australian music in Lahey and Jess Cerro (Montaigne) and late 80s/early 90s Sydney legends The Clouds (co-fronted by Jodi Phillis and Trish Young), this celebration of women’s contribution to the greater musical landscape is as impressive and timely as they come.
We don’t need to say it, because it’s been said ten million times before: music was, and remains to be, a difficult industry to manouevre for anyone who isn’t a straight white dude. There’s no doubt that it’s better today than it was, say, forty years ago – but there are still challenges. Women still get assaulted while performing. Women’s creative visions are doubted. Their agency is called into question. They’re glorified as figureheads and sex symbols, their music falling firmly into second, third, fourth or fifth place behind other attributes such as physical appearance, dress, how much she smiles, how “nice” she seems, or the way she moves onstage. Sexuality has always been a minefield for femmes to navigate – and while there’s a long way to go before that statement seems outdated and irrelevant, it’s thanks to the unapologetic brash sexuality and outspokenness of artists like Harry and Lauper that women in music today are able to navigate that minefield with aplomb. We eagerly anticipate the day where an all-femme lineup with myriad queer representation is common enough to not be remarkable – and to the credit of the organisers of A Day On The Green, this event is not marketed in a tokenistic or pandering manner. But until that day comes, events like this, and the organisations and musicians involved with them, deserve praise.
For Harry’s part, her incredible musicianship, commanding stage presence and unrelenting sexual agency propelled her to the forefront of punk in the mid 70s to early 80s, when Blondie gained commercial success after cutting their teeth as regulars at New York’s now-closed iconic CBGB venue. Harry herself is bisexual – and her refusal to allow anyone to turn her into a sex symbol without her permission helped pave the way for women in and out of the music industry to gain control over their own sexual identity/ies. She understood and lamented the way that patriarchy prioritised (er, prioritises) a woman’s appearance first and foremost, but she used it to her advantage even while lamenting the reality that “Regardless of what I say about trying to be better at what I do, I rely on looks a lot. Women’s calling cards, unfortunately, are based on their looks.” There was never any doubt about her philosophical leanings, though – she firmly and outspokenly believed in herself as an artist, and once stated she simply didn’t understand how “one could be a woman and not be a feminist”. And, “sick” of the way many women sung about being victimised by love, she set out to create music that traversed genres, diffusing pop snobbery while being inherently feminist. In doing so, she helped set off a ripple effect that has echoed through the industry ever since. Artists like Garbage’s Shirley Manson, Madonna, Talking Head’s David Byrne, REM’s Michael Stipe, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O, Lady Gaga, HAIM, and Cyndi Lauper herself all cite Harry as having inspired or had a creative influence on them.
It’s fair to say, without hyperbole, that Cyndi Lauper has long been one of the most prominent supporters of the LGBTQ+ community in music, working tirelessly as an activist to promote the safety, visibility and agency of queer and trans people inside and outside of her art. The way she presents herself to the public – all outlandish bright makeup, layered clashing prints, and punk rock hair – was boundary-pushing and fuelled by a refusal to be sexualised without her permission, or to subscribe to gender norms that dictated how a woman “should” dress.
She rose to prominence in the early 80s, when her debut solo effort She’s So Unusual made history by being the first debut female album to chart four top-five hits in the Billboard Hot 100. One of those hits was, of course, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, a song exalted for its liberating attitude – but there’s more to the track than meets the eye. Originally penned by Robert Hazard as a song about how girls really do want it no matter what they might say or do (yep – DISGUSTING), Lauper originally turned the song down, saying she didn’t think it was “good for women” – it hit especially close to home as she and her sister had spent their childhoods “dodging pedophiles”, including their stepfather. Then she had a change of heart. She reworked the lyrics and used her voice to turn the questionable track into a feminist anthem. “All of the sudden, the straight guy was the odd guy out, just for a minute — and that, to me, was justice,” Lauper has asserted. An early advocate for intersectionality, she made it her mission to create an anthem “for women around the world – and I mean all women. I wanted a sustaining message that we are powerful human beings. I made sure that when a woman saw the video, she would see herself represented, whether she was thin or heavy, glamorous or not, and whatever race she was”.
It doesn’t need to be said just how important Lauper’s True Colours was (and continues to be) as a touchstone for LGBTQ+ people – though it must be said that her allyship is much more far-reaching than simply, as she put it, “being a famous person singing about things”. She opened New York’s first permanent housing facility for LGBTQ+ youth in 2011, started the educational Give A Damn Campaign (the website currently houses a very enlightening privilege-checking quiz tool), and has continually, vocally pushed for legislation that will afford the community more rights. A survivor of sexual assault who has at times been displaced without a permanent place to live after leaving her parent’s home at seventeen, Lauper’s tireless advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community is fuelled by compassion and empathy. “…I’m not gonna stand by one of my best friends and watch them be discriminated against and have all their civil liberties stripped down — or my sister or my cousin or whoever — and just stand there and shut up. Up to 40% of the kids on the street are gay or transgender and they’re only on the street because they’re gay or transgender. We figured that is fixable. We could fix that. We could get that better.”
Catch Blondie, Cyndi Lauper, The Clouds, Montaigne and Alex Lahey at A Day On The Green this April
Bimbadgen, Hunter Valley, NSW | Saturday, April 1, 2017
Sirromet Wines, Mt Cotton, QLD | Sunday, April 2, 2017
ICC Sydney Theatre, ICC Sydney Theatre, NSW | Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VIC | Thursday, April 6, 2017
Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, VIC | Saturday, April 8, 2017
Leconfield Wines, Corner Main & Johnston Road, McLaren Vale SA | Sunday, April 9, 2017
Kings Park & Botanic Garden, Perth, WA | Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Image: Rebrn/Dr Phillips Centre For The Performing Arts
Parramatta’s premiere summer festival The Plot returned this year ready to bring Plotters some of the biggest up and coming names in Australian music. Part I features Gold Fields, Indian Summer, Ocean Alley, Polographia, Tash Sultana, Ivan Ooze, Ziggy Alberts, Dylan Joel, Montaigne, Vera Blue, Elizabeth Rose, Alex Lahey, Pierce Brothers, Confidence Man, Luca Brasi, Japanese Wallpaper, Allday and The Bennies. Check the action below.
Gold Fields
Indian Summer
Ocean Alley
Polographia
Tash Sultana
Ivan Ooze
Ziggy Alberts
Dylan Joel
Montaigne
Vera Blue
Elizabeth Rose
Alex Lahey
Pierce Brothers
Confidence Man
Luca Brasi
Japanese Wallpaper
Allday
The Bennies
Photos: Teresa Pham/Howl & Echoes
Melbourne Music Week is in full swing, celebrating the diverse and rich musical culture that this country (and this city in particular) has to offer. One of the standout events of the entire week is the Her Sound, Her Story exhibition, a collection of portrait photographs and documentary footage of some of the country’s most celebrated female musicians, music journalists and beyond.
As diverse and talented as this country’s music industry is, women have long been under-represented, and that diversity is rarely reflected to its full extent when it comes to festival line ups, award nominations, best-of shortlists, paid work and more. It’s this under-representation which photographer Michelle Grace Hunder found to be startlingly clear when she was working on her hip-hop photo-documentary, Rise, two years ago. The end result was an extensive photography book filled from cover to cover with Australian hip-hop artists and visionaries – but only a small handful of all the portraits featured in the book were of women. Enter the idea for her new collaboration with filmmaker and long-time friend, Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore, the launch of which helped to kick off the Melbourne Music Week events.
Her Sound, Her Story is a celebration of women in the Australian music industry and features over 40 female musicians all in different stages in their careers. A visual representation of the very diversity we need to continue to nurture, support and celebrate, the photographic exhibition features women of colour, of various sexual orientations and from a wide range of musical and cultural backgrounds and manifests. What connects them is their love for music, their support for one another (and other women in the industry) and the stunning portraits that light up Melbourne’s Emporium shopping centre.
Walking into Emporium though the side entrance to the official launch of the exhibition, there is an undeniable, palpable excitement in the atmosphere. Rounding the bend, the exhibition space, Emporium’s main entrance, is completely transformed. While it does often house art installations and sets, this one seems different. More special somehow in that it is placing some of Australia’s finest female musicians right in one of the busiest CBD locations. It is bold and unabashed; the lightboxes displaying the vibrant photographs at the front and centre of the room. The series features over 40 of the country’s most revered and renowned artists, from Kate Ceberano and Tina Arena, Missy Higgins and Julia Stone, Montaigne and Ecca Vandal, Sampa The Great and Mojo Juju.
In addition to hosting many of the faces immortalised in the portraits, the intimate launch event featured an introduction from the National Treasure and one of the featured portrait subjects, Ella Hooper. Having stressed once more the significance of the project, not to mention the fact that following the launch, it would launch Melbourne Music Week at the State Library the following night. Speeches from the creators made it very clear that from concept to conclusion, Her Sound, Her Story focused on not simply photographic the subjects, but getting to know them – quite literally, it marries music with narrative effortlessly. Ahead of the MMW launch event, guests were treated to the frankly (fittingly) surreal experience of a brief but no less soulful live performance by Nai Palm right in the middle of the Emporium Entrance. The Hiatus Kaiyote singer’s incomparable vocals filled the entire space accompanied only by her guitar as she closed the event out to awe and applause.
Her Sound, Her Story is not simply a reminder that we, as a community, need to focus on bringing greater diversity to the forefront. It is all well and good to have the conversation, but this exhibition, which features over 40 artists and tells their stories through their photo concepts and documented interviews, is action being taken. A testament to art, music, film, story-telling and sheer passion for all four, Her Sound, Her Story goes further than simply acknowledging the problem – contributes to the solution in a most bold and beautiful fashion.
Her Sound, Her Story is showing at the Emporium Shopping Centre in Melbourne until Sunday, November 19th. More details can be found at the official website.
It’s been a long time coming, but one of our absolute favourite Sydney artists, Montaigne, has just announced her debut album. It’s titled Glorious Heights and is set for release on August 5, 2016. With the announcement also comes the news of a massive national headline and festival tour, kicking off mid-September in Brisbane.
This is Montaigne’s debut record, and her first full bodied release since her 2014 EP Life of Montaigne. The thirteen track offering will feature singles In The Dark, Clip My Wings and the recently released Because I Love You.
In her own words, the artist explains, “Tony [Buchen producer] and I did whatever the hell we wanted without thinking about things we’re fans of too much, only using references to illustrate to one another what kinds of sounds we wanted. I want to preach empowerment by means of self-improvement; to be able to identify ones weaknesses, analyse them, and mitigate them. I want people to realise that the warrior of this age is the kind that combats evil by refusing to take part in the processes that sustain it.”
Montaigne has also released a short video giving some insight into the album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPIjCzKuL88&feature=youtu.be
Check out the artwork and tour dates below. You can preorder the album here.
Montaigne Tour Dates
Tues 13 Sep: The Spiegeltent @Brisbane Festival, Brisbane (all ages)
Tickets
Fri 16 Sep: Carnival of Flowers, Toowoomba (all ages)
Tickets
Fri 23 Sep: Fat Controller, Adelaide
Tickets
Sat 24 Sep: Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth
Tickets
Sat Oct 1: Beyond Festival, Canberra (all ages)
Tickets
Sun 2 Oct: Wildwood Festival, Port Macquarie
Tickets
Mon 30 Oct: Caloundra Music Festival, Caloundra (all ages)
Tickets
Fri 7 oct: Uni Bar, Wollongong
Tickets
Sat 8 oct: Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Tickets
Sun 9 Oct: Lizottes, Newcastle (all ages)
Tickets
Fri 14 Oct: Workers Club, Geelong
Tickets
Sat 15 Oct: Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Tickets
Image: Supplied
It has been another incredible good week for new music. As always, we try to share as much as we can throughout the week, but here’s a playlist of everything we may have missed, but it’s too good to leave behind. Enjoy!
- Azad Right – Enough Of You (Prod. Sango, Atu & Dpat)
Azad may not be a familiar name, but as VPrecord label Mind of a Genius (ZHU, Gallant etc) you may well be aware of his influence. This is the first track which features his own vocals, and it’s immediately clear that his talents stretch far beyond label prowess. Understated and smooth, with a low, seductive tone and emotive instrumental layers, this is a sentimental, sensual track, reflecting on a recently ended relationship in an intimate way – the kind of conversation you have with yourself once you’re starting to see straight and think clearly. - Montaigne – Because I Love You
Okay, so this track came out at the end of last week, but I couldn’t let it slip by without writing about it. Time and time again Montaigne proves herself to be one of the best Sydney artists around. This one’s a lot more synth-pop-y than her previous tracks, showcasing a brighter, and I suppose, more straightforward sound to what we’ve heard before. Admittedly it isn’t my favourite of hers (I’m such a sucker for the big, sweeping dramatic numbers), but it’s all relative – this track still rocks in many ways. - NYNE – Bad Trip (Prod. CHIEF)
This is a really cool electro-pop track from Melbourne’s NYNE, noted for her OVO connection – the resident producer of which, Sevn Thomas, worked on her previous single Can’t Sleep Alone. The lyrics of Bad Trip essentially say it all – this is a pretty damn relatable song about making bad decisions late at night, at a time when you really shouldn’t be texting back. The rhythm and atmosphere can totally put you into that mindset; it’s great hearing more stuff like this coming out of Australia. - Hanni El Khatib – Miracle
I have all the time in the world for Hanni El Khatib, and I truly adore everything he releases. Earlier this year came three new tracks in the form of a three-track EP Savage Times Volume 1, and now a fourth, Miracle, is upon us. Drunkenly emotive and melodically gorgeous, not many people can make bluesy tunes this raw and this enjoyable in 2016. Although originally intended for a full band, he absolutely made the right decision keeping it stripped back with just voice and a guitar. I’m hoping there’s a Savage Times Volume 2 on its way! - Torii Wolf – 1st ft. Dilated Peoples (Remix) (Prod. DJ Premier)
Smooth, so so smooth. I’ve been listening to a LOT of Dilated Peoples lately, so this is a really exciting new addition to the DJ Premier-produced collaboration. The verses are engaging and excellent, all the while backed by gentle piano and a driving beat. Upcoming Mass Appeal artist Torii Wolf’s voice is really special, with a really unique, wavering, breathy tone that seriously works so well with the verses and Premier’s production. I’m really excited to hear more. - DΔWN, Serpentine Fire
Serpentine Fire is the third offering in Adult Swim’s weekly singles releases for 2016. Each has been remarkably different, and this week’s, from Dawn Richards, is a floaty electro-house track with heavenly vocals and a pumping beat coming together for a bouncy, dance-floor ready rhythm. Although only two minutes long, it’s hard not to start bopping along. I’ve avidly followed the Adult Swim Singles Series for a long time now – check back next week for week four! - River Tiber, Heart of Stone
This is an incredible new single from one of my favourite new discoveries. I love how Tiba has taken a well-done sound (ie, rich electro-R&B) and injected it with something totally fresh and totally seductive. The way that his vocal melody plays with dramatically lengthened phrases and stark instrumental layers kind of reminds me of James Blake here. After about two-and-a-half minutes the track drops, adding a really nice synth rhythm, intricate percussion and a deeply satisfying bass line. This is certainly my favourite track on this week’s playlist, and I’m really, really looking forward to his upcoming album Indigo, due out on June 24. (not on the playlist below – listen here) - Tourist Dollars, Ageless
Anyone who knows me knows that tracks like is aren’t my usual fare, but last night while I was lying in bed, trawling through my alarmingly full inbox, I found this song and it made me smile. Ageless offers a floaty warmth with backing harmonies that kind of sounds like a woozy, slow-mo barbershop quartet. It’s tropical sure – just look at the Hawaiian shirt artwork and the ocean sounds in the outro, but it lacks the corniness that typically makes me cringe. The Melbourne trio’s debut EP is out this week – take a load off, and enjoy. - BLYDVS, Pressure (ft. Jace XL)
I came across this gem on Soundcloud yesterday and have listened to it about 12 times since. This is the only song on BLYDVS (Billy Davis)’ page, and it’s gorgeous. Featuring guest vocals from Hiatus Kaiyote backing singer Jace XL, this soulful song is just gorgeous. Musically, it is sensual and intricate, evoking an intimate late-night atmosphere, complete with a soft trumpet and a melody and verse made of pure velvet. My one and only criticism is that there aren’t more songs to follow this up. - Braille Face, Backwards/Medicated
The second track from Melbourne’s Braille Face is luscious and confronting. From the song’s grounding of rumbling percussion, keys and incoming strings, comes a bulging, shuffling rhythm and a tender melody singing a stark story. “I’ve been here before, backwards and medicated,” it begins. Listen carefully and you’ll find something very real throughout this song, something intimate, and confessional. With this melody ringing out atop an instrumental that retains delicacy as it grows more frantic, it hits remarkably hard. Braille Face’s debut album is out later this year and if this is anything to go by, then I’m really looking forward to it.
Image: Hanni El Khatib – Supplied
Montaigne – In The Dark
I’ve long swooned over the upcoming Sydney artist, and already described this track as perhaps her best yet. The visual accompaniment is now upon us, adding yet another intriguing and beautiful element to the piece.
This is a really weird clip, and absolutely my favourite for the week. Totally surreal, it’s packed with physical and symbolic power. The clip almost exclusively features Montaigne in a bare, dark space. Soon, we begin to see gold liquid oozing from her skin, eventually enveloping her completely, burying her in a shallow grave.
This track was amazing on its own, and this video only makes it that much better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6c5daSKVRw&feature=youtu.be
Vera Blue – Settle
Just last month saw the release of a wicked BV remix of Vera Blue’s debut track Hold, which was first released late last year. Now, the 20-year-old artist is back once more, with a really stunning new track and accompanying video, Settle. The track was produced by Gossling and Andy Mak, while the video was produced by Sydney’s Paper Moose. The soft black and white clip has a really similar aesthetic to that for Hold, and the relatively simple concept sees Vera traipsing through tunnels, streets and stairways across the city, engulfed in a contemplative, pensive atmosphere.
Settle is the second track released from her upcoming debut EP, due for release some time later this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6BFbesATTU&lf=9510dd3fac4be7fc2219448cd0cee539
Kučka – Honey
Having just enjoyed a meteoric jump in recognition thanks to her feature on the explosive new Vince Staples-featuring Flume track, it could not be a more perfect time for Kučka to release something new of her own. This week saw the video release of her track Honey. The video, directed by Julia Ngeow, takes a really, really intimate look at the human body. Skin, fingers, eyes and lips are almost removed from their context and meaning as a body part, instead looking like strange landscapes and other unidentifiable shapes.
The artist will be releasing a series of Honey remixes on April 8.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLEP0ceIc88&feature=youtu.be
Indie-pop songstress Montaigne has just released a new single In The Dark. With its dark melody and an abundance of intertwining musical layers, In The Dark is a chilling, interesting and magnetic new single.
With its quirky Sia-like sound, the track’s electrifying atmosphere is immediately immersive, while her voice has a strong presence that forces you to pay attention. The lyrics tell a powerful story, using repetition to hammer the words into your mind.
Montaigne was a Triple J Unearthed finalist in 2012 with her single Anyone But Me, and we’ve absolutely adored following her career path in the years since. Her unique style and incredible presence has repeatedly made us stop in our tracks, and label her one of our favourite Australian artists emerging right now.
Montaigne will be travelling around the country in April for her In The Dark national tour. Anyone who has caught the young singer live will know how incredible her performances are; this is not to be missed.
Tour Dates:
Fri, 8th April: Howler, Melbourne
Tickets here
Saturday, 9th April: The Foundry, Brisbane
Tickets here
Friday, 15th April: Newtown Social Club, Sydney
Tickets here
Friday, 22nd April: Pirie Social Club, Adelaide
Tickets here
Montaigne (Jessica Cerro) is sailing from strength to strength. They Sydney artist first turned heads last year with her debut EP, spawning the gorgeous singles I’m a Fantastic Wreck and I Am Not An End, and the momentum hasn’t stopped. Most recently, her latest single Clip My Wings has thrust her back into the spotlight – deservedly so. If you haven’t heard it, it is explosive, passionate and encapsulates all the power behind this young voice. At only twenty years old, she has been appropriately compared to Regina Spektor and Fiona Apple, producing the kind of music that makes you ache. It’s raw self reflection at its most honest and beautiful.
We recently caught up with Jess on the eve of her national tour amongst her busy schedule.
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Congratulations on the new single. How has the reception been so far?
Pretty much all positive. I think one person was like “this song sucks” but the rest of it has been very positive and you know, it’s Triple J’s number one most played for the last week. So it’s doing pretty well!
Every time I get in my car I hear it, so it’s obviously doing the rounds, which is great. For me it definitely feels like a song that’s about being your own person and standing up for yourself. It’s a bit of an anthem in that way. So what does the song represent in terms of changes in your approach to life since you released your EP?
It shows how much of a push over I am. I think I am less of a push over now, that’s pretty much it. My attitude towards life has been fairly consistent. And my attitude is that you should be good to people and you should also improve yourself wherever you can, so that’s remained the same. Something I’ve failed to do in the past is be a little bit more selfish. I think that’s what I have learnt – that a degree of selfishness will not hurt you. It may be offensive to other people, but those are the sorts of people you wouldn’t necessarily want to be around anyway.
Absolutely, I think that’s a really spot on observation. I mean, I think especially as a young woman, it can take a while to learn that, but once you do it’s a really eye opening experience and opens you up to do all these new things. Congratulations on taking that step.
Thank you very much.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNLfrai9dwk]
The video as well is really awesome. When I read that it came from a place influenced by Kingdom Hearts I could really see that. Do you play a lot of video games?
These days I don’t play them as much, simply because I’m the kind of person who feels like if I’m not doing something actively helping my life, that I need to be doing it. So if I’m thinking I should play Kingdom Hearts, I know I would enjoy it but I would also hate it because I’d be sitting there thinking I could be listening to a podcast, or working on music, or going for a run, or going for a bike ride. There is also a psychological thing where my TV is downstairs, and it’s really cold and dark downstairs so I don’t really want to be there. If it’s a sunny day I want to be out in the sun. In terms of video games I haven’t actually played that many. I’ve played Skyrim, Halo, Jack and Baxter, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. I used to play more video games than I do now. And I still love them, but I just love other things as well that I feel like I should prioritise in my life right now.
Yeah, it makes sense. I guess when you’re growing up it is such a big part of your life because there are so many other things you can’t do. I guess as you get older you change what your interested in.
Yes!
It made me think though, video games probably aren’t given enough credit for influencing people creatively. I found that an interesting statement from you in the release for the song, that it influenced much of your creative style. Can you tell me about how the game influenced you?
My creative style is less of “it’s these instruments that define me” and more of “it’s these feelings that define me.” And Kingdom Hearts always gave me this ineffable feeling, something I feel can only be described either through music or visual media. I don’t think it can actually be explained what the feeling I am talking about is, but the general idea is just key words like “abyss” and “transcendence” and “alternate plains of reality.” You know, like altered states of consciousness. I have never done drugs so I don’t know how that feels, but I think that’s what I am trying to describe in a sober way. Like that’s how I can get that feeling or intimation of feeling while being sober, whilst playing Kingdom Hearts. It inspires me with wanderlust, and to want to adventure, and to want to be a strong person, and be someone who can jump really high and fly to places with nothing but my body and yeah, it’s that feeling that I seek to replicate.
With your music…
And, in the plot line to Kingdom Hearts there are these characters who get separated from each other because one gets consumed by darkness and one gets swept away to another world and the other one is the chosen one who lands in Traverse Town and has to do a bunch of shit. This kid, all he is trying to do is find his friends and figure out why people are saying all these weirdly obscure things to him. I think that’s kind of the experience of being a child as well. Everyone is saying things to you that you don’t understand, and you are trying to figure them out and you take steps until you gradually figure them out. And in doing that you become that chosen one. You become that knowledgeable person who now understands what they once couldn’t, and can work at becoming the best at that thing. I think that’s true with anything, whether it be sports or music or whatever.
That’s an interesting way to look at it.
Yeah, I think the big thing about Kingdom Hearts is it’s aesthetic. I love all that sparkly bullshit and things that look weird, but in a pretty way. I am very much driven by beauty. I am a very superficial person in that respect. I like beautiful things. Not necessarily in a Kim Kardashian way, more things that have a delicate beauty. And I think Kingdom Hearts has that. The relationship between characters, and the way people talk in the game has that. I think because it is originally a Japanese game and it has been translated there is a certain weirdness.
Like otherworldly almost. It’s almost like there is an extra layer of meaning because of that weirdness?
Yeah, Haruki Murakami for example, actually writes books in English first then translates them to Japanese, which is interesting. But a person who is not writing in their native tongue will have different idiosyncrasies to the language, even in music, like Of Monsters and Men. They all have this really beautiful, poeticism. So there is that as well.
For some reason there was this character in the second game called Roxas who I strongly identified with and I couldn’t understand why because his whole thing is that he’s not a real person. He is the shell of a person who isn’t supposed to feel things and he doesn’t know that. He just thinks he is living in a small town with his friends and all these weird things start happening to him and he is like “What is going on? What is happening to me? I don’t understand. All these people are saying these really vague things that are mysterious. Stop it!” And for some reason I really liked him and felt for him on a social level.
Do you think musically that is kind of similar in a way for you? That your music gives you that outlet to free some of those emotions and make sense of things?
Yeah probably. There are many songs that I identify with where I used to make music videos from the cartoons in the games. For example, I’m Still Here by John Rzeznik is one song that I strongly identify with.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8nW-BlMcYg]
Note: This is not Jess’s video, but another with the same idea. A Youtube search has opened me up to a whole world of Kingdom Hearts fan clips.
There are things that go in my head… I don’t know what goes on in my head. I don’t think I ever will. And that’s what I am doing in my songs. My songs are never about one thing. I’m just so confused all the time.
But when you write the song does it help you process what’s going on in your head?
Yeah, that’s definitely something that happens, a few weeks after writing and reflecting on it. For a little bit, I’m like ‘Alright, okay, I got it.’ Maybe that’s why I identified with Roxas so much. Because I am just so confused about myself all the time.
So you’re about to go out on this national tour. Probably the biggest one you have done so far. What are your secrets going to be for staying sane on the road?
It’s actually a really different tour, because every show is on a different weekend, and they are all split, so I go home in between. I hate that. I like doing shows all in one run. I did that with San Cisco where we did four shows, then we had a week break, then another five. Same with Japanese Wallpaper, we had so many shows in a row. I prefer that actually. This one, you go to a city for a couple of days then you are back home for two weeks. It will just feel like taking a day trip – I prefer long tours. There is not really a secret to them, unless you hate waiting. I am a pretty patient person and I can occupy myself slash I just enjoy being displaced.
There are a lot of regional stops too. Is it really important to you to get the music out to those smaller places?
Totally. That’s how you make progress as a musician. You get the music out to more people, who show people, then you get sales which actually allows you to make money to do the job you want to do. As with anything growth is what makes something into a career and that’s what touring to more places is going to do for me.
It’s been a pretty incredible ride for you so far. What else are you hoping to achieve before your 21st birthday next year?
Well I would like to be overseas at some point to do some work. I am not even sure what that would be, but I’ll definitely be overseas by February next year. Not necessarily to play public shows, but to play to labels, so that will be cool. I just want to get out of the country for two seconds. I am here all the time, and I don’t really have the money right now, but I’d just really like that opportunity. Also, I would like to be playing bigger shows. Baby steps all the time – which is why this tour has smaller rooms. I can’t be so presumptuous to expect that 800 people are going to show up to one of my shows, that’s simply not going to happen. But, I can’t wait until the day where I get to play big shows. Hopefully before my 21st.
And an album?
There is definitely an album. That will be out early next year. And I want to run like 20km. That’s something I want to do.
What are you running at the moment? Is it anywhere near there? Or are you just starting out fresh with big goals?
I’m pretty good. I don’t really ever measure my distances. I think right now if I wanted to, I could comfortably do ten kilometres. I haven’t tried anything beyond that, but we’ll see.
Well, I believe in you. And I will definitely be at your Brisbane show. So good luck with everything and I’ll will chat to you soon!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPK2PMGI86E]
Tour dates:
Sat 3 Oct: Jimmy’s Den, Perth WA
Tickets here
Sat 4 Oct: Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah WA (All Ages)
Tickets here
Sat 17 Oct: Lake Kawana Community Centre, Sunshine Coast QLD (All Ages)
Tickets here
Sun 18 Oct: Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton QLD (All Ages)
Tickets here
Fri 6 Nov: Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC
Tickets here
Sat 07 Nov: Goodgod Small Club, Sydney NSW
Tickets here
Thu 19 Nov: Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane QLD
Tickets here
Fri 20 Nov: TheGRID, Toowoomba QLD (All Ages)
Tickets here
Sat 21 Nov: Mullum Music Festival, Mullumbimby NSW (All Ages)
Tickets here
Sat 28 Nov: Gorgeous Festival, McLaren Vale SA (All Ages)
Tickets here
Sydney-based popstrel Montaigne has just released her metaphorically-avian single entitled Clip My Wings. Co-written, produced and mixed by Tony Buchen (who’s worked with the likes of Andy Bull and The Preatures), the track was recorded at Albert Studios.
Clip My Wings is Montaigne’s song about the value of being independent and standing up for what you believe in. The track starts off strong, with a burst of acoustic guitar before Montaigne strong voice calls out in exasperation. It’s a bigger and more lavish sound than what we’ve heard from the singer so far, who last year released her gorgeous debut EP Life of Montaigne. The dramatic melody is unfailingly catchy, and we’re excited to see what’s next for the young artist.
Speaking of her new track, Montaigne said that the song:
“Clip My Wings is about attempting to push back against your oppressors,” explains Montaigne. “I am resilient and have become more self-confident, I am less afraid to stand up for myself and my self-belief and I am expressing that through this song.”
Have a listen to the track below:
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She’s supported big homegrown aussie acts like San Cisco, Megan Washington and Japanese Wallpaper, embarked on a sold-out national headline run and made coveted appearances at Groovin’ the Moo and Come Together festival. Now, Montaigne and her band (Neil Anderson on keys, Gus Gardener on bass and Miles Thomas drums) will be hitting the road, touring some of their biggest venues yet, throughout October and November.
Check out the dates for her tour below
Clip My Wings is available for purchase now.
Clip My Wings National Tour Dates
Saturday 3 October – Jimmy’s Den, Perth WA – Tickets
Sunday 4 October – Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Mandurah WA – Tickets
Saturday 17 October – Lake Kawana Community Centre, Sunshine Coast QLD – Tickets
Sunday 18 October – Pillbeam Theatre, Rockhampton QLD – Tickets
Friday 6 November – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC – Tickets
Sat 7 November – Goodgod Small Club, Sydney NSW – Tickets
Thursday 19 November – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane QLD – Tickets
Friday 20 November – TheGRID, Toowoomba QLD – Tickets
Sat 21 November – Mullum Music Festival, Mullumbimby NSW – Tickets
Sat 28 November – Gorgeous Festival, McLaren Vale SA – Tickets