Another year around the sun, another Laneway Festival loaded with unforgettable moments we’ll be recycling until the next one rolls around. The 2017 edition saw another leading lineup take on 7 shows across 3 countries – quite a far cry from the festival’s humble beginnings 13 years ago. The Sydney leg of the tour started out with some choppy weather, which soon gave way to blue skies and sweltering heat. Rain or shine though, the weather wasn’t going to stop punters taking the day by storm.
First up on the main stage was Melbourne three-piece Camp Cope, setting the tone with some high-energy noise and 0% tolerance for rowdy hecklers. Next we moved over to Spinning Top for the always incredible/ completely hilarious Koi Child to take in our fill of that jazzy Hip Hop. This was shortly followed by the infectious NAO, who is all but the name to watch right now. The long awaited Whitney took to the stage afterwards, their gorgeous brand of country soul drawing an enormous crowd who were all too keen to experience the Chicagoans. All-time favourite Nicholas Allbrook wasted no time in jump-starting things – by jumping straight into the crowd that is. Legends Dune Rats on filler duties for an absent Young Thug came to the party and then some, with every single person chanting every lyric to every song that they belted out. Then, in stark contrast to the Dunies, the incredible Mick Jenkins took the the Future Classic stage and pelted us with some seamless lyrical finesse. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard followed back on the main stage – a consistent crowd pleaser and a sure mosh riot, they slay every time. Seattle native Car Seat Headrest followed up his sold out Sydney sideshow with a choice set at the Spinning Top stage, with Tash Sultana then rounding out a massive crowd as the sun sat over hill, lighting up the late afternoon. A.B. Original brought a resounding “fuck you” to their stand-out spot, and Glass Animals sowed some contagious fervour around with their star stage presence as the sun started to set. Mr. Carmack was next over at Future Classic, and things got weird when the crowd overran the barrier and started dancing in the photo pit and on top of speakers, even the stage – a testament to his music and infectious style. Grammy winner Tourist shortly followed with some face-melting tunes, and then it was a quick rush back to the main stage for the one and only Tame Impala, who sprayed the crowd with confetti and delivered a truly memorable live set. Wrapping up our Laneway experience was local psych-electronic guys Jagwar Ma, who brought a hypnotic end to an enormous day of amazing live music.
We managed to capture some of the vibes that went down. Peep the shots below.
Part II continues here, feat. Glass Animals, A.B. Original, Tame Impala & more!
Read our Laneway 2017 review!Camp Cope
Koi Child
NAO
Whitney
Nic Allbrook
Dunerats
Mick Jenkins
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Car Seat Headrest
Photos: Dani Hansen/Howl & Echoes
It’s cold this week and if you can’t tell, we’re not happy about it! To shake off those blues, we’re getting lost in some clips that emanate those good old summer vibes. Put your bikinis and budgee smugglers on in preparation and get clicking below!
Hockey Dad – Jump the Gun
Sit back and take a tour of the beach side suburb of Windang as the latest clip from Hockey Dad treats us to a behind the scenes look into the town that the foursome call home. A little patch of coastline on the Southern tip of the Wollongong peninsula, its suddenly very apparent where the lads lazy, sun drenched vibes originate. Inspired by surf classic Endless Summer II, drummer Billy Fleming says he started to pen lyrics when he heard the line: “on any day of the year, it’s summer somewhere in the world.” Radiating all that warmth, Jump The Gun is a scorcher, with plenty more to come from album Boronia, out August 12th.
https://youtu.be/mtNK4EI2XN8
Mac Miller– Dang! Feat Anderson Paak
The pairing of Mac Miller and Anderson Paak is about as smooth and splendid as you could imagine. The video for single Dang! off the upcoming album The Divine Feminine laments the struggles of holding on to that special girl, with Miller following his love interest across the city while .Paak forlornly watches as his counterpart packs her bags. But it’s not all doom and heartbreak, there is dancing that would make Pharrell Williams smile with the force of a thousand Happy videos and a hint at a happy ending after all. I think we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of this one.
https://youtu.be/LR3GQfryp9M
Spookyland – Discipline
I’m not even sure if this is cheating, but it was hard not to include the official lyric video released by Spookyland this week for track Discipline, because the track itself is just so captivating. If affected lyrics and anthemic builds are your thing, then your going to be all over this. Think Gang Of Youths and DMA’s and you’re on the right track. Once you’re done memorising the lyrics with the video on repeat, you can grab their debut Beauty Already Beautiful here or check them out at their upcoming shows.
https://youtu.be/OlMmeWNj0G8
NAO – Girlfriend
Soaring and ethereal, the voice of London’s NAO is like being wrapped in a cocoon made up of the night sky. Single Girlfriend has been doing the rounds and making waves and the video to accompany is appropriately divine. The spacious, soulful funk of the track overlays visuals of feminine diversity and those little moments of domestic bliss that can twang even the most cynical heartstrings. NAO is a stand out new kid on the block of 2016 and you’d be doing yourself a favour to hear more from her 18 track mega debut For All We Know here.
https://youtu.be/sisOw0Y822U
Hanni El Khatib – Mondo and His Makeup
Shot in a Mexican restaurant that looks like a strip club with a mariachi player and some sequined dancers, how could we not watch this one through? It’s the kind of place you just wish you could stumble in after a few sneaky tequila shots before slithering into a booth for some solid people watching. The rocking track comes from El Khatib’s THIRD collection of tracks this year, but don’t fear, he’s got both the quality and the quantity boxes ticked. I’ll be spinning this to start off my weekend, thank you very much.
https://youtu.be/TGUFw4yo_YI
Phia – Open/Closed
A song for everyone who needs to check that the stove is off and the door is locked three times each before leaving the house, Open/Closed an anthem for the perpetually uncertain. The sweetness and fragility of Phia’s vocal sentiment is touching and when coupled with an African beat it’s infectious as hell. The singer/songwriter wears her heart on her sleeve as she swirls across a central Australian landscape with clouds spinning overhead. Stay tuned for news of her debut album!
https://youtu.be/nJE5zJm6xHw
Photo credit: Daniel Radburn
“I’m happy to see that people will want to listen and I’m proud of it.”
NAO buzzes excitedly (and nervously) about her upcoming album, which is finally upon us come July 29. I’ve been lucky enough to hear it early, and I reassure her that I’m certain fans will absolutely love the smooth melodies bursting with gorgeous little details and flowing around the beautiful words sung by her interesting sounding voice. I was given the opportunity to chat to her about For All We Know, as well as her musical journey so far.
Earlier in her life, she studied jazz and classical piano, and while this background provided her technical knowledge, it hasn’t specifically guided her sound. “I suppose jazz influenced it, but not so directly.”
She continues to explain: “I kind of left it behind after a while because I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to say musically. With my own music, jazz creeps in there in beautiful ways. I like improvising a lot before I write a song. I spend a couple of hours just jamming around on the piano […] and scatting.” She described her improvisation technique as “freedom in its purest form”.
She was also involved with a beat-boxing group, which adds another element to her back story. She described the experience as a lot of fun.
“When I was studying jazz, one of my good friends now is actually a wicked beat boxer, and being a vocalist I was astounded by what she could do beyond singing with her vocals, she could make really flat bass lines, do really wicked percussion and she just taught me a little bit,” she recalled.
I found this to be an interesting combination and took it as a reminder that it’s important to use the things we love to wind down and step away from our structured side of our work to keep our spirits high and the waterfalls of our passion flowing. Unlike jazz, she said she does use the skills she learned as a beat-boxer in her music. “In some of the tracks, I do a little bit of percussion with my vocals.”
While researching for this interview, I found that one of the most remarkable things about NAO was her determination and drive to be a musician. She didn’t try to push it aside and try other things to earn a bit of cash, she just went for it and decided to use music in her career. She didn’t, however, dive into the music industry to try her luck as a recording artist straight after school. “I just sort of floated around as a singer, as a teacher, as a backing singer.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O07VR9Twdt8
She said that she met a lot of people on the way who gave her a lot of great advice; many of them were busy creating their own music, which echoes her current life. Among all the pieces of advice she received, she found something that has stuck with her as she worked on this album. “I think that the best piece of advice I was given was ‘never put out a song unless you’re happy with it yourself.'”
The most perfect piece of advice for anyone looking to pursue their dream of creating something wonderful. “You might fail,” she continues, “but at least you love it yourself.”
Her hard work and ability to learn as she worked obviously paid off because we see her as she is now, playing shows around the world for her adoring fans with her debut album on the way. “I really appreciated that journey, that I was able to do that and make a living from singing.”
I acknowledged how passionate she seems across her whole album, which she agreed was an important part of her that she needed to convey. “I feel like that’s who I am as a singer and musician. I can be quite passionate and quite intense,” she said with a laugh. “I feel like sometimes it should be more dance-y and more fun, but that is just who I am.”
Although she said jazz didn’t influence her sound, it still has an important role in the album’s story. I discovered this from learning the meaning of its title. “For All We Know is actually my favourite jazz standard. So perhaps jazz did influence me in some way.”
She mentioned the song was quite old, and has been sung by many artists over the years including Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. “But there was one singer who I loved most of all, that’s called Donny Hathaway,” she said. “I just think he has one of the most beautiful voices on earth.”
I hadn’t heard this song before, so I told her I’d check it out. I kept my promise, turning to Spotify the next day where I found so many of the versions she spoke about, including my favourite sung by Billie Holiday. Needless to say, there were a couple of tears shed while I sat at my desk listening to the beautiful music pouring through my headphones. I understood exactly why she loved it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEHRrMYqmI4
“The sentiment of the song is what I love. I love that it says ‘so love me// love me tonight// tomorrow was made for some// tomorrow may never come for all we know’. It’s that idea that tomorrow’s not guaranteed so what we should do is live for today and I feel like that’s what this album is about,” NAO explained.
In the production of her music, she goes by the simple mantra of ‘first thought, best thought’. It seems like a great idea for creatives, who tend to be perfectionists, spending long periods of time chopping and changing parts that might not feel good enough, often forgetting about the importance of rawness and allowing the natural processes of creating art that falls freely.
“When I’m improvising a song and just jamming along, it just kind of falls out and I just kind of think ‘oh it’s too cheesy I’ll change it later’, but soon you kind of realise that was always the right thing to say, it was always the right feeling in that word and that moment so usually I just keep it,” she said.
“One thing I did do for that record is little nods to other people. So [the] song We Don’t Give A, there’s a line in it that says ‘we’ve all got jungle fever’ which is a line from a Stevie Wonder, or in a song called Girlfriend, I have a line in it ‘when I’m your lady’, which is a little melody from D’angelo.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wer1i3CZ74
When you look at the album’s track list, one interesting thing that you’ll notice is that it is listed as having 18 tracks. That’s not exactly the case. “It’s actually 14 songs. I separate them with interludes and stuff.”
She says she didn’t want jam sessions and improvisations at the beginning of each song, which is why it comes across as having 18 tracks. Everything she put onto the album is there for a reason. It’s part of the story the album tells. “I just kind of put on the album what was right, flowed together well as a setlist and what told a good musical story.”
Aside from the album, it sounded like the rest of her year is fully booked with tours across the world. “I go to America in September and then I do the UK and Europe in October and November. So that’s pretty much the rest of the year.”
NAO also reveals that she’ll be in Australia for Laneway Festival 2017. As to whether or not some headline sideshows are on the cards? “Hopefully.”
For All We Know is out now.
Image: Pitchfork
In our recent interview, NAO mentioned the meaning of the title of her debut album, For All We Know. The sentimental touch gave me a huge insight into the person that she is and the story she wanted to tell through these tracks. After learning about her inspirational journey during my preparation for the interview, I was excited to hear exactly what she had in store for listeners.
She did not disappoint.
The first thing I noticed was the sheer size of the track list, with a huge 18 of them rounding out the final cut. It was immediately apparent that we were in for a treat.
Beginning with Intro (Like Velvet), a track that sounded exactly as you’d assume: soft and smooth. As you listen, you can imagine running your fingers along some high-quality fabric and feeling the tingling sensation with every touch. The uniqueness of her voice commands you to listen and fully appreciate the fact that you haven’t heard anything like this before.
It’s the very definition of unconventional beauty.
The groovy sounds of Inhale Exhale gave us a little something to dance to. Seriously, check it out and try to stop yourself from getting on your feet. It’s fun and easy on the ears, with a structured melody that has just enough going on to be interesting, but not too much to prevent overwhelming the listener. Her soulful voice twirled around the clapping sounds of the percussion, allowing us to sing along and the words quickly get themselves stuck in our heads.
I quickly understood what some of the shorter tracks among the 18 were after listening to Voice Memo 161, NAO having mentioned that she had included little bursts of her jam sessions in the recording studio. It was really nice to hear something so raw that allowed you to imagine you were right there in the studio with her. It was a great personal touch to the album.
The soft and mysterious intro to Adore You set us up for the beautiful love song we were about to hear. Lyrics like “you’re making my heart sing” and “you’re making me weak” gave us butterflies as we remember what it’s like to care about someone. The feeling seems to be mutual as we hear a man’s voice sing the other side of the relationship. It’s a streamy track that allowed room for honesty as they told the sweet story of two lovers appreciating one another.
After such a sweet love song, it was a surprise to hear In The Morning straight away. It opens with a dark and sinister sound along with the heartbreaking lines of “he came there to leave me/in the morning”. As the song continued, we heard another passionate story about a love that has been lost with the hazy sounds of the melody symbolic of the confusion of the situation and we reflect on the times we have been hurt by someone we loved without a proper explanation for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuocmqLRgOM
We Don’t Give A gave me an insight into her ability to convey a confident attitude while maintaining a certain level of class. The smoothness of the track was brought to life by a melody filled with the sounds of the piano and percussion as NAO croons about ignoring what others think of her relationship. It’s a great confidence-boosting song with a lot of swagger and perfect for anyone struggling with the inevitable rumours that flow through the grapevine.
Girlfriend was the first song I ever heard from NAO and the reason why I asked to review this album. Within the first few seconds of the song, I was hooked. I loved her voice and the beautiful melody that came with it. The incredible harmonies of the chorus pumped through my headphones, embedding the words into my memory. It still makes me smile when I hear it.
As we finish the album with Feels Like (Perfume), we have our final chance to breathe in the amazing compositions she has given us. Although we are sad that this wonderful album is now over, we can’t wait to replay this musical journey once again.
For All We Know is available now.
Image: Evening Standard
It seems like we’ll be hearing more of the sweet sounds of NAO as she has just announced that her debut album is on its way – For All We Know is set to reach our ears on July 29th. Two of the tracks included in the release are Fool To Love and Girlfriend, the latter of which has just been released today.
'For All We Know'
My debut album
29th July 2016 ❤ pic.twitter.com/B7kA3S9cOA— NAO (@thisNAO) May 22, 2016
The interesting, gravelly hum of her voice rises over soothing guitars, a heavy R&B beat and the harmonising back-up vocals. The slow, steamy melody provides us with a matching atmosphere and a warm feeling on the inside. It’s the type of song that should be playing as you relax on a cold night, comfortable on the couch with a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate in your hands.
The forthcoming album is to follow the release of her last EP February 15, which came out back in May last year. In an interview with Billboard, she mentioned that the EP’s track Bad Blood was “a taste of [her] album”.
Speaking on the concept of the album, she explained, “I don’t know about concept but I think I’m trying to do what comes naturally to me. I’m a ’90s girl and that’s the sort of music I was listening to growing so naturally, when I’m writing, a lot of that comes out without me thinking about it. Before, I used to try and make things sound a bit different, maybe a bit more left. Now, I’m just a bit more comfortable with it. It’s actually just what I write down well.”
Listen to Girlfriend on Spin and check out some of her other tracks (including Fool To Love) on Soundcloud. Get yourself pumped up for the album by watching the video for Bad Blood below.
For All We Know will be released on July 29th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7vHqhRXZpY
Image: Billboard