Amy Shark | Regional Tour

With tickets already selling fast - extra shows having been added to both Wodonga and Hobart - Amy Shark's upcoming regional Australia tour is proving yet again why she's lauded as one of the country's most impressive exports.

Bringing her emotive pop to all corners of the country, Shark is ready to impress with her repertoire of infectious tracks. Now in high radio rotation with latest tune, I Said Hi, Shark is showing no signs of slowing down. Instead, she continues her takeover of the Aussie pop scene.

Having recently been featured on the "Love, Simon" film soundtrack, performed on the Late Late Show with James Cordon, and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Shark still proves she has all the time for her fans.

'So many parts of regional Australia have backed me since my first Night Thinker EP. I'm really looking forward to travelling around this beautiful country and repaying everyone who's supported me from the start,' she says.

Tickets are on sale now.

Fluir on removing stress and happy coincidences

Fluir's latest track Higher Ground is the culmination of learning to relax about lyric content and a whole bunch of emails.

After reaching out to multiple producers, it was renowned producer Sam Littlemore (whose work you may recognise from Aussie group Pnau) who took the bait. Working on three tracks together, Fluir credits Sam for helping her "nut out the direction I wanted the songs to go". 

Logistically her then-Melbourne home meant the process was mostly done via email, with Fluir flying to Sydney to spend time in the studio. Having since relocated full time to Sydney, thanks to her partner's new job, Fluir says she's less likely to have to create her next project over an email account. "I guess that is the benefit of electronic music though!"

Having a folk background, Fluir has always spent time on lyrics. "I came from a background where I always thought I had to write to tell a story," she says. "Sometimes when you're writing you have the melody and you try and capitalise on this. I didn't want to get tied down on what I was saying more than the melody."

Having learnt her audience, she explains she's learning to give them what she wants, too. "And you'll notice if you're out, you know people clubbing and that, they'll only really sing the hook line." For someone who wants to focus on melody over lyrics, the club is perhaps the most obvious place to aim for. 

"I kind of wanted people to just hear the music."

Higher Ground is available now.

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Allegra in Three Parts by Suzanne Daniel | Review

 

Title: Allegra in Three Parts
Author: Suzanne Daniel

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Source: Review copy from the publisher

I can split myself in two...

Something I have to do because of Joy and Matilde. They are my grandmothers and I love them both and they totally love me but they can't stand each other.

Eleven-year-old Allegra shuttles between her grandmothers who live next door to one another but couldn't be more different. Matilde works all hours and instils discipline, duty and restraint. She insists that Allegra focus on her studies to become a doctor.

Meanwhile free-spirited Joy is full of colour, possibility and emotion, storing all her tears in little glass bottles. She is riding the second wave of the women's movement in the company of her penny tortoise, Simone de Beauvoir, encouraging Ally to explore broad horizons and live her 'true essence'.

And then there's Rick who lives in a flat out the back and finds distraction in gambling and solace in surfing. He's trying to be a good father to Al Pal, while grieving the woman who links them all but whose absence tears them apart.

Allegra is left to orbit these three adult worlds wishing they loved her a little less and liked each other a lot more. Until one day the unspoken tragedy which has created this division explodes within the person they all cherish most.

I expected this to be a simple, coming-of-age in the 70s style novel. 11- and then 12-year-old Allegra is a seriously smart kid whose navigation of an absolutely adult world is both impressive and worth the admiration I feel for her. But this isn't really her story so much as it belongs to those around her. Sure, she's a fantastic protagonist and I wouldn't have wanted to read this story through anyone else's eyes, but the emotions of this novel really belong to Joy, Matilde, and Rick.

I really felt for Ally, she had clearly accepted her mother's death but it was never spoken about and you never got a sense she could truly understand what had happened or why it was so secretive. Of course, an adult reader will pick up the nuances of what is going on, but for the child that Ally is it appears to go straight over her head.

The writing here is beautiful, it's a debut but so self assured you know immediately Daniel is one to watch out for in future. To weave so much into a novel - family, fractured relationships, domestic violence, death, female empowerment, and the compulsory school milk program (which made me very thankful to have missed out on) - can often be a fine line between telling the story and overwhelming the reader. Daniel manages it with ease, and allowing Allegra to observe as a child would, rather than give her too much of an adult take was refreshing.

Allegra in Three Parts is available now.

Disco Shrine | Everyday

Described as a "pop spark plug" LA based Disco Shrine has continued to live up to her moniker with latest track, Everyday, an ode to the hard work that goes into pursuing the American Dream. Having spent years curating her sound from the safety of her bedroom, Disco Shrine has established herself as an artist who isn't afraid to play with hip hop inspiration, and synth punches, while letting her vocal range do the talking for her lyrics.

Disco Shrine, real name Jessica Delijani, has used Everyday as a follow on from her highly acclaimed single Up In The Air. The two tracks together, first exploring her parents' immigration to America before delving into the American Dream, Delijani has created a moving look at how taking opportunities is the best thing a person can do. Matched with her trademark party vibe, Disco Shrine has delivered another successful track with Everyday. Available everywhere, Disco Shrine is the gift that keeps on giving.

Scope EVERYDAY here.

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10 Influential Female Tracks | Deanna Devore

"I'd like to be known for my versatility and love to write in various different genres, while still maintaining a consistency."

A multi-instrumentalist, multi-genre, singer, songwriter, and producer, Deanna Devore continues to more than one-up anyone who aims for triple threat status. Based out of both Chicago and Toronto, Devore has recently released her seven track strong EP half and half offering fans a deeper dive into "the darkness and light of love and life".

Today, Devore has stopped by to share her 10 Influential Female Tracks. While she is far too modest to ever add herself to the list, number eleven could easily go to Seven Eight, the opening track from half and half.

half and half is available worldwide on Spotify now.

Mahalia - Sober (Jarreau Vandal remix)
This is the remix of the track not the original, but I just love the vibe. I heard this song on the HBO show "Insecure" and had to immediately know what it was. The beat with her vocal phrasing is so great, I had it on repeat.

Amber Olivier - When It's Over
I love the haunting, pretty melody in this track. [It had] great production.

H.E.R - Avenue
Another great minimal, downtempo RnB track. I listen to these type of tracks for their production.

Lianne La Havas - Ghost
Lianne La Havas is not only an amazing singer but what really strikes me is her guitar playing. So many people artists don't play guitar with such complexity. Her jazz roots come through and that's something I appreciate as I'm also more of a jazz guitarist. This song showcases her guitar work.

Daughter - Love
This song broke my heart when I first heard it. I had it on repeat - the lyrics and the outro gave me goosebumps.

Jorja Smith - February 3rd
Another song I heard on HBO's "Insecure". (They play the best music.) I remember when I first heard it, the track had apparently not been released yet. It's out now, however, and just a great RnB tune.

Maggie Rogers - Alaska
This song is all about that chorus; it pulls you right in. I like how she puts a bunch of genres into one track. I can relate to that with my own music. This song launched her career and I'm not surprised - the chorus is a great one.

Esthero - Lounge
This track off her 1998 album Breath From Another is probably one of my [favourite] albums. It introduced me to that trip-hop, jazz sound and I loved it. The production was fantastic and every song on the album is good. This album stands the test of time.

Lucy Rose - Shiver
A great acoustic song. I love songs that make you feel something. [It is] such a pretty song - I loved it so much that I brought it into my guitar classes to teach my students.

Laura Veirs - Fire Snakes
I love Laura Veirs because she's so unique. She has a very distinct singing voice and her songs don't sound like every other female singer/songwriter.

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Work Like That album | YoWo Music Program

YoWo Music is a Melbourne-based music program for young women and gender non-conforming youth. In their own words, YoWo is changing futures by highlighting 'viable pathways to a future in music'. Through semester-long programs, with mentoring from a range of industry professionals, Melbourne teenagers are taught skills in music and performance culminating in a gig to showcase what they've learnt. Ultimately though, YoWo shines a light on the need for more gender diversity in the contemporary music scene and is delivering candidates to fill this gap.

Negotiating the complexities of being a teenager in 2018 is a difficult task, but the debut album, Work Like That, is a nine-track is a celebration of the mess we all make getting through. From accepting yourself to navigating relationship drama, the girls and GNC of YoWo have pieced together an album that explores music as much as it does the personal stories behind each track.

Three of the voices behind Work Like That have stopped by to chat about their own influences. With this group of teenagers only just starting out, the future prospects of a diverse music industry are just fine.

Bridget O'Meara says...
Courtney Barnett is a singer/songwriter from Melbourne. She's an amazing artist who often bases her songs off her personal experiences. The way that she sings is so powerful, yet seems so effortless, and she tells stories through her punk/indie rock lyrics. I love that her songs sound so raw and free, and I find that so unique and inspiring.

Pearl Harnath says...
Sir Babygirl's vocals are slightly eerie but are so unbelievably beautiful. She is unashamed to be queer, which shows in her songs. Listening to Sir Babygirl feels like getting the advice you desperately need from your nonexistent bisexual, gender non-conforming, older sibling. I find myself always drawn to listen to Heels whenever it feels time for some personal reinvention. I imagine Sir Babygirl would play in the coming-of-age movie that is every young queer persons' life.

Abby Howes says...
My favourite LGBTQ+ artist is Adam Lambert; an amazing musician now touring with Queen in the place of Freddie Mercury. He has amazing vocal power and his personality and style is evident through his inspiring music.

The program's debut album, Work Like That, was released on November 23 and is available for purchase or to stream.

Find out more about YoWo Music here.

MAXON makes History

Fresh off the back of a "bloody special" single launch, MAXON's latest track History is making a name for itself. A pop rock anthem focussed on the dreaded, but often inevitable, cycle of grief. MAXON is the first to admit that her own songs can sometimes delve into only the healing, but History is as raw as they come. Born from a place of frustration, it's a headfirst diave into the hurt while also acting as a "first step...towards bravery and self-acceptance".

Available worldwide, the music video is a well honed visual accompaniment to the track. "I wanted the clip to mirror the song - keeping it raw, dark and brooding." As both a stand alone song, and as a music video, History is reminder to everyone that removing the burden of self-inflicted doubt is the best thing you can do. MAXON herself, and through History, is proof of this.

The diary entry feel of this track seems quite deliberate, how do you find the balance between personal and being relatable to an audience?
I don't really think about it to be honest. I write mostly from life experience and often when I'm pissed off or sad about something or someone. I suppose that's not the right answer. I guess I do feel like any story you're going to share will relate to someone somewhere in some way.

History is a powerful track but the emotions are obvious, too, is writing a song like this easier during the time it's happening or later with the addition of hindsight?
Ah I love this. It's different for me every time. I've written so many songs post history that reflect more on the healing rather than the hurt. Sometimes, it could be too soon to write about something and other times, like History, I was totally fed up with trying to help and understand the situation that it all just fell out then and there.

Now that it's out, how has the reaction been?
Good, I think. People have been really kind and generous to give the track [a] listen. I guess it's still early days so time will tell.

Is it more difficult to release a track so personal or are the emotions before a release similar no matter the track?
I'm always a nervous wreck with any song release. Your work is really like your children. I suppose it'd be a similar feeling when your child turns eighteen and enters the real world with high expectations. You develop this real fear of the unknown and it's hard not to put pressure on yourself to do well.

Why did you feel now was the right time to share History?
I've been sitting on this song for a while now, [I was] shit scared of releasing such a personal story and not knowing how to talk about it. I'm still struggling because I don't think it's okay to reveal the subject of your songs. It's a bit unfair and I would never want to shine a bad light on anyone. I think with this, I just wanted [to] express myself and a little of my history within the song itself.

The music video is so simplistic, why did you opt to do something so pared back?
Money. I also wanted to do something that felt raw and honest, just like the track. I think I'm at a point with everything where I just want to keep it really stripped back, real and simple. That could change for the next one. Some days I feel like getting my glitter on and other days I feel like sitting by a camp fire, having a beer and chilling the fuck out.

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