Eighteen months later the band has totalled 2 EPs, received regular airplay behind songs Paris Collides and We Left, bootleg remixed Elizabeth Rose’s Stars Ago and Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know, and put together an exclusive triple j mix-up.

Fresh off tour to promote their latest single This Summer from current EP Blue, RüFüS’s Jon George is revelling in every moment of the band’s continued momentum as he tries to pick a stand-out show.

“Sydney was one of my favourites, just coz’ of the home crowd and it was just absolutely packed,” George recalls.

“Canberra was definitely up there as well, and then Brisbane on Saturday was amazing. It was like a really good celebration of the whole thing. We did a shot on stage with Polographia that we’ve been touring with and got them all up for a percussion breakdown as a sort of encore…so it was really good fun.”

RüFüS was committed to keeping the good times rolling while out on the road, often following up a gig with an after-party DJ set.

“[In] Sydney we went to an FBI Social afterwards and did like the last set that was broadcast on radio… So it’s pretty fun doing that because you get to keep the party going and playing music you like.”

“It involves me and Tyrone (Lindqvist) basically jumping on the decks and we don’t play heaps of our own stuff, it’s more just the stuff that we’re digging at the moment. I suppose rather than just a normal party DJ set we like to try and make it all flow and put in some deep house to something a little more harder than that, a little bit more banging,” George explains.

‘Banging’ is RüFüS’s business. This Summer’s captivating beat and hypnotic lyrical mantra is a prime example of RüFüS’s ability to create tracks that are danceable from start to finish and build to the familiar crescendos that make electronic music so enjoyable.

“That’s what we’re in it for… I’ve always loved that tension and release… We really like to play on that eerie vibe…that darkness with lightness we draw on heaps. Then keeping like a dancey factor, having something a bit more somber, then all of a sudden it’s banging and really to be danced to. I think people really enjoy that part of it.”

“Sometimes (onstage) we…start singing or playing something that is a little bit different to what we’d usually do and we sort of just run with it from there. It really can amp things up for ourselves and get the energy really high. There’s a couple of points where we’re building to crescendo and sometimes we’re just having a cheeky laugh at each other onstage just seeing how big we can build it,” George happily reveals.

“There’s a lot more to manipulate I guess. I don’t know if I’d like to be in a band without any access to that sort of manipulation because there’s so much to do and so much to emote from people with the amount of sound that you can sort of draw off.”

With so much achieved in under two years, you may be wondering why RüFüS has still kept relatively secret. Part of the reason begins with the band’s ethos that places an emphasis on music rather than marketing.

“We’re always told you’ve got to have your image, you’ve got to have a marketing side to it and that’s how you’ll get people on side rather than just having a good sound. I suppose for us it wasn’t…really (about) having our faces plastered everywhere trying to show how cool we were. It was just about…our music and I think that’s really helped us grow fans,” George considers.

Now as the secret continues to get out, RüFüS look to capitalise on their grassroots-built notoriety. Tracks This Summer and Selena have been commissioned for remixes by ‘top secret’ artists, while RüFüS is currently holed up in-house tinkering away on their debut LP.

“We’re going down the coast for a month to start writing our album or piecing it all together from what we’ve got already. I haven’t been this excited about anything in awhile. It’s a pretty awesome feeling just locking yourself away and making tunes.”

RüFüS’s debut LP is tentatively slated for release late 2012/early 2013.

Watch: RüFüS – This Summer

Nika Roza Danilova goes by the alias of Zola Jesus, and whereas her Florence counterpart bellows over soaring anthems, Danilova’s powerful voice is set against a more brooding industrialised sound, with equal cinematic effect.

From early childhood Danilova studied and trained in Opera. In an interview with ABC, Danilova explained that it was a discipline that helped her develop a formidable voice and strong work ethic but ultimately disconnected the young singer from the expressiveness of music for the sake of ‘technical accuracy’.

Danilova’s increasing distaste for opera began to corrode her zest for music, and as she revealed to Music Feeds, temporarily left her wondering if she’d ever reconnect with her passion:

“For a while I couldn’t maintain that passion because it just felt like opera was so clinical and so sterile that it wasn’t allowing me to feel that sort of strong colourful emotion and that was scary for a little bit”, Danilova discloses.

“Once I started making my own music I regained that expressive tool so I quickly healed. Well, I didn’t quickly heal, but I quickly learned how to get it back.”

Formally creating an alter-ego during her late teens, it was only a few years later that Zola Jesus released her 2009 debut record The Spoils. Since that time two more Zola Jesus LPs have followed: 2010′s Stridulum II and 2011s Conatus, along with a few EPs.

Despite the freedom found in Zola Jesus, Danilova at times still feels the meticulous urgings of her formal training:

“I think perhaps now making my own music and having complete control over the outcome of the music has allowed me to be less stressed about the precision or perfectionism, but of course it’s something that I’ve always struggled with, so I do still feel that pressure on myself”, Danilova concedes.

…And surprisingly, she also suffers from a continual bout of stage fright:

“I just kind of have to psych myself into going on stage, and then I just push myself on stage and I just kind of pretend I’m not there. Most of it has to do with the challenge; I’m kind of obsessed with challenging myself and so I just see it as a good challenge to push through.”

“I think that, that [obsession with challenging herself] will make it very easy for me to constantly…never be comfortable…so I’m constantly going to be trying new things, and I have been and it will probably continue that way.”

Zola Jesus Australian Tour

Thursday 31 May – Vivid Live Festival – Sydney Opera House.
Presented By FBi Radio and Penny Drop.
Tickets on sale Monday 19th March, from Ticketmaster, online at www.ticketmaster.com.au

Friday 1 June – Alhambra Lounge – Brisbane.
Presented by Wild Parlour, Lost Race and 4ZZZ.
Tickets on sale now from Oztix, online at www.oztix.com.au, and by phone 1300 762 545.

Saturday 2 June – The Toff In Town – Melbourne.
With guests Light Asylum (US) and Forces.
Presented by Triple R.
Tickets on sale now from Moshtix, online www.moshtix.com.au, by phone 1300 Get Tix (438 849) or Moshtix
outlets including Polyester (Fitzroy & City).

Sunday 3 June – The Toff – Melbourne.
Presented by Triple R.
Tickets on sale now from Moshtix, online www.moshtix.com.au, by phone 1300 Get Tix (438 849) or Moshtix outlets including Polyester (Fitzroy & City).

In true great Aussie spirit, there was a sudden uprising by these buskers to try and overturn these bans on amps, accompanied by the people of Sydney, who enjoy travelling to Pitt Street Mall not only to shop, but to witness some of the greatest unearthed musical talent Australia has to offer. In light of this, and the last big push to lift the ban, the buskers, JackManFriday and Joe Moore, alongside some unsung heroes, have organised a small event (which will feature a special international busker) to show that their wonderful music can work in harmony with the giant shopping centres that have flooded the city.

We caught up with Jack to see what his side of the story was:

“So at the moment the council is deciding whether or not an amplifier ban will be placed upon Pitt Street Mall in Sydney. Buskers have been a mainstay of this iconic landmark for over 20 years, and complaints from the 18-month-old Westfield have pushed the council to a decision. I could say a tonne of reasons an amplifier ban would be a backward step, but I’ll suffice to say three things.” [Since this interview, the ban has been lifted and amplifiers are now allowed in Pitt Street Mall with a restriction, according to Joe Moore, fellow busker.]

“First, a ban on amplifiers is discriminating against artists using modern technology, such as loop stations or keyboards. In addition, a percussionist and vocalist could not match each other’s volumes”, Jack said.

The noise levels produced by traffic and construction within Pitt Street Mall would make it nearly impossible for most instruments to be heard, and as such amplifiers are almost essential for all buskers.

“Second, communication with the buskers has been non-existent, instead we simply have fingers pointed at us”, continued Jack.

Busker Joe Moore added to this, saying: “We haven’t really been told anything, they’ve just pointed the finger at us”, referring to Westfield.

“Thirdly, we buskers bring in Westfield’s customer base. This is proven the world over and right here at home”, stated Jack.

Recent statistics have placed retail shopping in quite a depressing state, with some figures suggesting that retail has dropped nearly 60%, which raises the point as to why Westfield do not endorse these buskers. They would surely attract more customers as witnessing some amazing musical talent, both Australian and International, adds another dimension to shopping.

To celebrate the concept of busking and to raise awareness of the ban that was nearly imposed, all the buskers of Pitt Street are coming together to push for greater acknowledgement, along with putting on an awesome show for all to see.

“We’re also putting together a special performance this Saturday, 19th May, involving an act, now internationally recognised, who grew from busking on the streets. Folks will have to check them out on the day in Pitt St Mall”, Jack explained.

Jack continued: “In Pitt St, most of us are making our living off busking, but I can honestly say that comes second to the love of performing to the public. The feeling of having people take time out of their day to watch, when they have no obligation to, is extremely humbling, whether it’s one or a hundred people. We play for that, and that is what we’ll fight for.”

To join the cause to support busking, an online petition is available here and tomorrow’s event will take place mid-afternoon.

Why did you go with the band name ‘Tracksuit’? You guys seem too well dressed…

In all fairness, you do see some good looking tracksuits around. What you could even do is design a tracksuit with a suit and tie in the design and then you could wear it with a top hat. For the hardcore classy Tracksuit dressers…you could even put on some 50s dance shoes, grab a cane and carry around a boom box blasting Frank Sinatra.

What inspired the theme to your latest single Beat Up Radio?

It came from hearing radio presenters and record label people telling songwriters a million reasons why they won’t play their songs. Basically, they want songs that scientists could have written. Then when I listen to the radio most of time, it’s absolute rubbish, so the song is about flicking through radio stations and not finding anything listenable and then putting on Motown records instead.

Why is Rock ‘n’ Roll and Soul your favourite kind of music?

Because it’s good. A lot of music nowadays is just awful. There’s so much amazing music coming out, but you have to do some searching! I love folk, country, punk, classical, jazz, blues, psychedelic and a bunch of weird stuff as well, but Beat Up Radio has that soul drum intro, so I thought I would pay tribute to it lyrically in the song.

How fun was it to bash radios with a cricket bat in your new clip?

It was awesome!!! Plus I got to ride around on that amazing bike for about 6 hours beforehand. So it was riding then smashing up radios…not a bad day out!

Is everyone in the band jealous of your guitarist Steve Hensby’s hair and mutton chops? (I hope I’m talking about the correct band member).

Good question! We will have to do an ask-around. We are a fairly hairy band, so I think any of us could pull it off, but maybe it’s more cool to know that you could do the hair/mutton chops if you wanted to, but not do it.

You’ve supported so many quality acts; who had the best rider?

Definitely British India!!! I saw it and my jaw hit the floor, and I didn’t see how between 4 of them they could drink that much every night, but they did! Good times, great band and great people.

Now that you’re doing a headlining tour, what will you demand in your rider?

Whatever we can get…and lots of tea.

How messy was triple j’s One Night Stand afterparty in Collie?

Lots of little parties ended up in one massive party! It was a great night and really awesome for the WA music scene.

Your 2011 EP is titled Where Have all the Good Times Gone (as I’m sure you’re already aware). Have you found them since?

Yeah, definitely! Lots of great shows with good bands and some tours along the way. That title was a tip of the hat to The Kinks.

What can we expect next from Tracksuit?

Touring… We are always constantly writing and playing new songs live, we just need to save up more money for more recordings. We are releasing more singles throughout 2012 and Beat Up Radio has had a bunch of plays on Rage, so hopefully that keeps going well. We just love playing music and I feel privileged that I get to play music with my best chums and travel around playing shows.

Will you forgive me for coming up with such lame questions?

Yes of course, and in all fairness they were great questions!!

“I’m still pretty happy writing pop music. I don’t see anything wrong with it, but I guess I kind of like fusing pop music with weirder stuff”, Jordy explains.

“For the next record, I’d actually like to do something not necessarily ‘poppier’ but sort of more listenable to a wider audience. But after that, I reckon I’ll probably swing back to something a bit weirder again. I think I just need to kind of react to the last thing I do all the time, whether that’s a full album or something I think I’d definitely like to do eventually, something that my parents won’t like.”

Along with swinging back and forth on a musical direction, Jordy also wavered when it came to deciding on a band name. In the end, Shady Lane was chosen as a way of paying tribute to the Pavement song of the same name. Coincidentally, Jordy learned after the fact that it also happened to be the nickname of his grandfather.

“I remember wavering over it for hours and hours and just gave up and went for something simple… It’s annoying that people talk about Pavement, which I really love, but it’s good to be as original as possible with everything you do. It doesn’t really bother me anymore, but I could have probably gone with something less with my name in it”, Jordy admits.

“Band names are a funny thing because it gets associated so much with the music, like there’s some really bad band names when you think about them but you sort of don’t think about it when you just associate the music with it.”

As it stands, the name Shady Lane is associated with the music of a ponderous and pensive nature. Where 2009 debut Here We Go Down The Black Hole concerned itself with existential matters of existence and purpose, Built Guilt is an introverted search through one’s psyche.

A quick glance at some of Built Guilt’s song titles — What Future?, Stretching Mr Meds Over A Spit, Eraser Brain and Happy Without Controls — along with the album name itself, gives the glimpse of a continual theme revolving around mental health. Shady Lane’s latest video for the single Convenient Face Hinge visualises this concept, depicting a puppet that loses the plot and is fed prescription drugs, to no avail.

“It (Built Guilt) kind of naturally follows on from the existential thing. Wondering about the big, big things and then kind of having an actual personal existential crisis, I guess. It wasn’t for me a conscious decision, it just sort of happened naturally that way.”

“After the first record, I took a bit of a break from music and then sort of started to get back into it. I definitely wasn’t enjoying myself and definitely fell into a black hole of despair for a while… I guess something that I’m proud of is (because I was really not in the mood to be writing music) the fact that I went through and did it anyway, even though it was kind of painful and unenjoyable”, Jordy reveals.

“I’ve been pretty up and down in the last couple of years and I guess it’s a fairly self-indulgent reflection of that, to be honest.”

Shady Lane’s Built Guilt is slated for release Friday, 18th May.

Watch: Shady Lane – Convenient Face Hinge

That’s the question raised by vocalist Bethany Cosentino in the latest single and title track from Best Coast’s second record The Only Place due out this Friday, May 18, 2012.

Given Best Coast’s alluring brand of surf rock/pop and the lacklustre climate of our recently passed Australian summer, it’s difficult to argue with the the young songstress.

However, for Cosentino The Only Place doesn’t function as a platform to simply brag about her homestate, but rather serves as a conduit to expand upon her capacity as a singer.

“I wanted to perform better then on the last record since we were recording it in Capitol Studios where they have these infamous echo chambers that were used on everything from Frank Sinatra to like the Beach Boys… Making this record was definitely a bigger process and because of that I wanted to go harder with my vocals and just go to the best of my ability.”

“I wanted people to hear my voice better than on the last record”, Cosentino simply states.

As you might expect, Cosentino’s preparation consisted of numerous vocal exercises, but the youthful songbird also decided to digest an assortment of ‘weird drinks’ intended to strengthen her voice.

“I drank a lot of tea called Throat Coat, which is just like a peppermint licorice tea that’s good for your throat.”

“Then I drank this drink that was like lemon juice with cayenne pepper and ginger and agave syrup and it was disgusting, but it would help clear out all the mucus that I had. So it would make it easier to sing, but it was truly the grossest drink, like it burned really badly to drink it”, Cosentino giggles.

Cosentino’s commitment to bettering her craftsmanship extended the writing and recording time frame of The Only Place. Whereas Best Coast’s debut record Crazy For You was recorded in a matter of weeks, The Only Place was carefully constructed over several months.

Usually shooting straight from the hip in regards to the creative process, it was producer Jon Brion who opened up to Cosentino the idea of revisiting and reworking certain elements of songs that may have otherwise fallen by the wayside.

“I’ve never revised anything and that was something that John had suggested I do… We were working on this song (Why I Cry) and I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t like this, I don’t think it’s good’ and he was like, ‘No, I think it’s good, I think you just need to rework the lyrics a little bit’. So I took it and worked on it and then that inspired me to do the same thing on a couple other songs and it’s inspired me to do the same thing on some songs I’ve written, like post-making the record.”

“I don’t know if I’ll continuously do it on every song, but I’m sure it’s something I’ll carry along with me and do every once in a while; but I definitely have the belief that when you create a piece of art it comes out of you the way that it comes out because it’s meant to be that way. I think that if you fuck around and try to change it a bunch, it just ends up losing some of its emotion and value”, Cosentino suggests.

With a focus on vocal quality and lyricism The Only Place sees Cosentino explore aspects of her lifestyle and personality that aren’t immediately definable.

“This record was definitely like I’m trying to figure out who I am and what interests me and what kind of sparks my fire as a person because I spent the last three years on tour and I was growing up kind of in a spotlight. It’s not something that I ever really imagined happening for myself so I think that those songs all kind of like question who am I; but I think this record is a lot more existential than the first record.”

“It’s definitely asking a lot of questions that I think a lot of…people probably wonder to themselves like…just sort of like that mid life crisis that everybody seems to go through at some point. I think that was what I was experiencing while writing this record. Even though I’m not mid life, I’m quarter life”, Cosentino jokingly admits.

When a musical artist self-reflects and attempts to tackle the ponderous themes of life, the music often reflects the weight of these universally elusive questions. However, for fans who are attracted to the breezy, upbeat spirit of Best Coast’s music, there’s no need to worry. The Only Place is still a sonically warm experience even if the lyrics at times take a more contemplative tone.

“I think it just happens that I write more upbeat music and then the lyrics are kind of more down. Crazy For You is the same way as well, a lot of the songs are melodically upbeat and poppy sounding and then the lyrics…if you listen them they’re a little bit more dark and sad. So I think it’s just organically that’s just kind of how I write. I don’t really know exactly why that is but I think it’s just something that happens with me,” Cosentino muses.

“Also I think about bands like the Beach Boys and The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac and bands that really inspire me and a band that had a very specific…like they came from this scene in the 70s that was like Southern California and that’s what people thought of. Most every Eagle’s song has down depressing lyrics except for Take It Easy or something, which is one of their more optimistic songs, but I think it’s like a lot of the bands I listen to do the same thing lyrically and melodically, so it’s probably just something that’s seeped into my subconscious.”

Best Coast – The Only Place – Out Tomorrow

Until then, the band will try their best to contain their success to some extent, playing modest venues across the nation. Having announced a handful of intimate dates at Sydney’s Factory Theatre, Brisbane’s The Old Museum and Melbourne’s SUB, and then crashing both ticketing sites within seconds, the popularity of the four, known personally to all fans by their names: Luke, Calum, Michael and Aston, is second to none.

1. Like the Music Feeds Facebook page.
2. Like, share and comment on the link to this interview on the Facebook page.
3. Wait until 7PM, Monday, 21st May to find out who wins!

Unsure what to expect as I entered the studio, to the warm sounding guitar riffs ranging from original tracks to an impeccable rendition of Stevie Wonders ‘Superstition’, I was met by four of the nicest people I have ever encountered. It seemed as if the modest, and slightly nervous group, had not completely realised the magnitude of their current success.

All right so first off tell us a little about yourselves.

“We’re a four-piece band from Western Sydney with myself our lead vocalist and guitar player, Calum Hood, on bass and vocals; Michael Clifford on guitar and vocals; and Ashton Irwin playing drums and percussion with some vocals. We’re all still trying to juggle this with school, but we’re making it work as best we can”. Laughed Luke Hemmings, who seems to be the heartthrob of the band.

So how did the band form?

“It all started out with just Luke uploading videos to YouTube, which pretty quickly started getting thousands of hits. After that, Michael and I, who went to the same school as Luke, just sort of fell together and started making videos together. It really took off when we covered Next 2 You by Chris Brown & Justin Bieber. It was our first video that got over two hundred thousand views and since then the channel, our Facebook and Twitter accounts, just sort of started getting heaps of momentum.”

The momentum of the band has taken them to a new level of success. Having accumulated their own personal army of fans, without releasing any original material they have racked up a solid 17,000 Twitter followers, nearly doubling the amount held by iconic Australian Electronic group Empire Of The Sun.

“It was a couple of months after that in December 2011 when we needed a drummer for a show that we were playing and we knew Ashton through mutual friends. After playing our first gig together we really liked him and everything just sort of fell into place and we asked him to join 5 Seconds of Summer.” Continued Calum.

You guys record covers of a stack of bands from different styles and genres, but haven’t done too much of your own material; can we expect some originals coming soon?

Quashing the dubious few who questioned the pop-derived style of the band, Calum emphasized the need for a “5 Seconds of Summer Spin” recognising the importance of originality when performing covers.

“We cover a mix of our favourite songs and bands that are a major influence on our original music and we also cover music that is popular, but at the same time putting the 5 Seconds of Summer spin on them.”

“YES!” He continued, excitedly. “We have been working on originals for many months now and are nearly ready to show our dedicated fans!”

The band will be exhibiting these originals for the first time as they take the stage on their small tour of capital cities, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

What about the prospect of an album or EP?

On the subject of original materials, all members of the band were quite excited about the prospect of an album or EP, hinting at their current plans to start recording after their tour finishes.

“Everything is coming together slowly but surely”. Stated Ashton, taking over from bassist and vocalist Calum. “We’ve only really been a band for four months, but we are hoping to begin working on our debut release of original stuff as soon as possible. We’ve got a bunch of writing sessions coming up and we’re rehearsing a few times a week and writing all the time. We really just want to get it right for our fans and give them something they want, we’re all pretty excited though. We’ll also be getting into the studio soon to record some of our fans favourite covers professionally and get them out on iTunes!”

The importance of digital media and other assorted sites has been an imperative aspect to their success. Without their impressive use of sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, the band may not be in the position that they are in today. Their social media sass has even grabbed the attention of American radio giant The Hot Hits, who called them “the band you should be obsessing over”.

So you’ve just announced two intimate dates in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne; can we expect any more concert announcements soon?

When asked about the prospect of another announcement of shows across Australia, the band was quite enthusiastic.

“Well we’re playing two concerts in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne at the moment, but we’re all really busy writing music and rehearsing to get our live show as tight as we can.”

Setting their hopes high, the boys continued, stating their desire for a national tour, and the hope of a handful of international shows arose.

“We’ll definitely be playing some shows soon though and then do a full Australian tour when we release our EP. We have so many fans in Europe and Asia too, so we hope we can do some shows overseas soon.”

You have a fairly committed fan base that spans across the globe from Australia to Brazil and even a stack of fans in Europe; how does that feel having so many fans across the world?

It became obvious within minutes that the quartet had big aspirations, but it took them a while to realise how big these aspirations really were.

“We really never intended to be known worldwide. We just thought a few of our friends would watch the videos, maybe their friends at best”. Chuckled Michael.

“We get fans coming up to us wherever we go now, we have fans sending us mail and doing drawings of us. It’s a pretty surreal feeling for all us boys because we’re still in school and still do all the normal stuff just like other teenagers. We love our fans so much though and we are so grateful to have such a dedicated fan base.”

Who would be a band that you would want to collaborate with in the near future?

“There are so many!” laughed Michael. “Some of our favorite bands are All Time Low, Mayday Parade, Boys Like Girls and New Found Glory so obviously we would love to collaborate with them! We also love heaps of Aussie bands and would really love to work with Tonight Alive.”

In the brief hour or two that we were together, it became clear that Michael, Calum, Aston and Luke maintain the essential characteristics that many artists lack as they progressively grow. Although it is only early days, it’s clear that the musical forecast for the next few years reads only one thing: Summer.

5 Seconds of Summer will be playing two extremely intimate and sought-after concerts in both Sydney and Melbourne in a matter of weeks. Crashing the ticketing website within seconds, and selling it out only seconds after that, it seems that there will be no chance to get tickets.

However, Music Feeds is lucky enough to have one double pass to their Sydney show (Friday 25th May) for one lucky fan and a friend. Winning is simple! All you have to do is follow these simple rules.

1. Like the Music Feeds Facebook page.
2. Like, share and comment on the link to this interview on the Facebook page.
3. Wait until 7PM, Monday, 21st May to find out who wins!

So when a musical act shifts direction from crafting off-beat challenging tracks and begins making inoffensive commercially viable tunes, listeners often assume the quest for dollars has overridden the assertion of self.

For Catherine Kelleher, now more commonly known as Catcall, it’s this kind of scrutiny that the young songstress has undergone even before the release of her debut LP The Warmest Place.

Having first come to people’s attention as part of the sonically messy Sydney punk trio Kiosk, Kelleher’s shift to a more digestible brand of potentially chart-friendly pop, full of catchy hooks and straightforward delivery, has certain sectors of the musical community second-guessing the motives of the fresh solo artist.

In a previous interview with Polaroids of Androids, Kelleher singles out one particularly scathing review, which suggests Catcall values currency over credibility.

When speaking with Music Feeds, Kelleher explains that, although she understands people’s apprehension, her transition to upbeat pop has nothing to do with money.

“I never think it’s going to be anything successful, I’m just doing this because I really love this music. I can understand that people get suspicious if they’ve seen the journey that’s gone from the EPs,” Kelleher admits.

“I can definitely understand it, but obviously I know my intentions and I know that I really genuinely love this music and have loved it for quite a while now. It’s just my project…criticisms will happen, but I know where it comes from…it comes from a positive good place, so that’s all that really matters.”

Where Catcall’s new music comes from is the most personal of places. The passing of Kelleher’s father informed not only the record’s title but also much of it’s content. Most would assume such a tragic event would lead to the creation of downtrodden sombre music, but Kelleher instead decided to emulate the musical refuge that sheltered her during troubled times.

“When my father passed away, the music that I retreated to was really fun escapist music. It was really bizarre – I mean I guess not really, it kind of makes sense – but I kind of listened to, for some reason, a lot of Kanye West and a lot of that Justin Timberlake record and that Nelly Furtado album that came out in 2006.”

“It made me feel happy, so I kind of got this appreciation for fun pop music…and I really wanted to make it I guess because it helped me not escape, I didn’t want to escape what was going on but it helped me feel better about everything. I could put in on and go for a walk and just really zone out about the really intense grief that I was going through,” Kelleher reveals.

All this talk of ‘fun pop music’ may give the impression that The Warmest Place has little substance; fortunately that’s not the case. The record opens up in a somewhat unusual way via an a cappella title track that displays the power of Catcall’s vocals.

“I kind of wanted the record to be instantly personal,” Kelleher explains.

“When I was sequencing songs, I just kind of thought it would be cool just to start something off like that and I like the way that it goes straight into August and it kind of connects to that song.”

August is titled after the month in which Kelleher’s father passed. The song is also a personal triumph for Catcall, one which signifies deep personal expression without being emotionally manipulative or overly earnest.

“For me writing August signified a personal milestone in writing. It was the first time I felt like I wrote something that was, I guess, emotional and personal without being kind of earnest,” Kelleher affirms.

“Earnest I think is a feeling I get when it feels insincere. Like…it’s trying too hard to elicit emotion from a listener, but there’s songs that can be emotional without being earnest…that’s what I felt like I achieved with August.”

Catcall’s debut record The Warmest Place is out now…

Watch: Catcall – The World is Ours

Watch: Catcall – Satellites

CATCALL – NATIONAL TOUR – MAY 2012

Fri 11 May Edinburgh Castle, Adelaide, SA
Sat 12 May The Toff, Melbourne, VIC
Thu 17 May Alhambra Lounge, Brisbane, QLD
Fri 18 May Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Sat 19 May Northern Star, Newcastle, NSW
Sat 26 May Amplifier, Perth, WA

From my analysis I gathered that the average Prince Show consists of a minimum of 19 to a maximum of 33 tracks, including up to 4 encores, depending on how generous he’s feeling. Here’s hoping his trip across the pond hasn’t tired him out too much! Whether you’re a diehard fan, or just another hipster jumping on the purple bandwagon, here are my predictions (in no particular order) to help you cram those lyrics.

Tracks that have been played without fail at every set, pretty much guaranteeing that we will hear them are:

• Let’s Go Crazy
• Delirious
• 1999
• Take Me With U
• Raspberry Beret
• Cream
• When Doves Cry
• The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
• Hot Thing
• Purple Rain
• Darling Nikki
• Kiss

Tracks that have consistently been played, very likely to be included are:

• Little Red Corvette
• Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough
• Nothing Compares 2U
• Cool
• Forever In My Life
• Alphabet Street
• I Would Die 4U
• Controversy
• Sign O’ The Times

Tracks that have been played multiple times, but on the whole not included in every set are:

• Nasty Girl
• D.M.S.R
• Pop life
• Musicology
• Everyday People (Sly & The Family cover)
• Shhh
• Dance (Disco Heat) (Sylvester cover)
• Baby I’m a Star
• A Love Bizarre (Sheila E Cover)

Every set seems to include a selection of choice covers. Only played a handful of times but worth particular mention are:

• Let’s Go (The Cars cover)
• Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan cover)
• The Bird (The Time cover)
• Jungle Love (The Time cover)
• Come Together (The Beatles cover)
• Get Down Tonight (KC and the Sunshine Band cover)
• Thank You (Flattinme Be Mice Elf Again) (Sly & The Family cover)
• Yesterday (The Beatles cover) – oh god I hope he revives this one for our listening pleasure!

I don’t know about y’all but this lineup has me feeling all Delirious. Although I’m not going to lie, the fact that Partyman and Batdance are nowhere to be seen really makes me understand what it sounds like When Doves Cry.

Born on June 7th, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to musician parents, Prince Rogers Nelson was destined for stardom. That’s right, Prince is his REAL name. Having an impressive career spanning almost 40 years with well over 20 studio albums, including 10 platinum and 30 top 40 singles in tow, Prince is well and truly one of the greatest performers of our time. But Wikipedia could have told you that shit. I am here to shed some light on the more obscure facts surrounding the Purple Prince.

So why the colour Purple? Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with Oprah, but is a homage to his hometown football team, The Minnesota Vikings, who sport the same team colour as our fair Prince. Purple has been a running theme throughout his career, and even inspired Paisley Park Studios – more popularly known as Prince Mecca. This is where the magic happens. Used as the primary location for his recordings, music videos and tour rehearsals, every room at Paisley Park is wired for sound – so if Prince decides to record a song on the can, Prince can do so, because that’s how a real Prince rolls yo!

Speaking of purple, arguably his most famous work, Purple Rain, has become a staple for music lovers worldwide. Churning out number one hits such as: Let’s Go Crazy, Purple Rain and the over-punned When Doves Cry, even Prince haters understand the cultural significance of this wondrous soundtrack. You heard correctly – soundtrack. What most people tend to forget is that Purple Rain is the supporting soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning film with the same name. In a lot of ways Purple Rain set the bar for a culture of film where the music trumps the actual story. But none have achieved the same level of success as Prince’s masterpiece. I can’t say I’ve come across any other soundtrack whose victory has near obliterated the memory of the film. If you get the opportunity before his show, I highly recommend watching the birth of The Revolution in Purple Rain. But NEVER watch its ill-fated sequel, Graffiti Bridge, unless you want to feel irrationally angry and scream “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS” at the TV. Over his prolific career, Prince has produced 5 soundtracks. Worth particular mention are: Parade: Music from the Motion Picture ‘Under the Cherry Moon’, responsible for one of his most renowned hits, Kiss; and of course the 1989 version of Batman. To me, Batdance is 80s pop perfection.

Another overlooked piece of Prince trivia is that many of his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Chaka Kahn and musical talent Kim Basinger *sarcasm alert*. Almost like an alternative Dolly Parton to Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, Prince wrote Sinead O’ Connor’s most acclaimed hit, Nothing Compares 2U. He is also responsible for Manic Monday made famous by The Bangles. However, his involvement in fostering Carmen Electra’s singing career somehow rains on his purple parade.

Now what Prince piece would be complete without the controversial name change of 1993. Sticking it to the man aka Warner Bros, Prince changed his name to the unpronounceable Love Symbol O(+>, which combined both male and female sex emblems. Over the next three years, the artist formally known as Prince struggled with the big bad Warner to release him from their chokehold. He finally succeeded in 1996 with the release of mammoth nineteenth studio album, Emancipation, spanning over three discs. One of his more self-indulgent releases, Emancipation yielded hits such as Betcha by Golly Wow! and Somebody’s Somebody.

With the Warner fiasco settled, the last decade saw Prince drop the Love Symbol, and in a strange twist of faith convert to Jehovah’s Witness – marking the end to his rumoured ‘self gratifying’ days. Although, to be honest, I never believed that particular story – if it was really possible for men to surgically remove their ribs for self-head, wouldn’t it be more widespread? Kind of like the male boob job? Back to Jesus, in a show of commitment to his new beliefs, Prince jumped head first into the Jehovah’s way by participating in door-to-door preaching. Now IMAGINE if Prince rocked up at your house! I’ve always said that I would never convert for any man, but I’m not going to lie…If Prince ever showed up on my front doorstep in guy-liner and stacked heels, looking at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world, I would change my name to Jehovah in a heart beat.

More recently, Prince approached screenwriter, actor and producer Kevin Smith (Silent Bob) to produce a documentary surrounding his latest album 20Ten, which celebrates his religious beliefs. Prince pitched it as a vision to change the world, destined for Cannes Film Festival. More inclined to dick and fart movies, even Smith thought he was a random choice for the job, but you don’t just say no to Prince! Despite his initial reservations, he spent a week at Paisely Park filming fan reactions to the record, followed by religious conversations led by Prince. However, in an unexpected twist, the documentary never reached the light of day. By the end of filming, Smith was informed by an intermediary that sometimes Prince likes to make films for his personal vault without ever intending to release them. To ease Smith’s understandable bewilderment, Prince’s personal producer consoled him with the knowledge that Prince has produced hundreds of large scale video clips that have never seen the light of day. I guess this is what it sounds like when hipster doves ugly cry. I highly recommend watching Smith recount the story, not only is it hilarious, but it sheds some interesting light on the eccentricities of Prince. I guess it’s true what they say – musical genius is inversely proportional to crazy, which makes me hope Prince brings all his crazy down under, it will no doubt make for one hell of a show. LET’S GO CRAZY!

Prince Australian Tour 2012

Allphones Arena, Sydney
Friday 11th May
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Allphones Arena, Sydney – SECOND SHOW
Friday 12th May
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Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Monday 14th May
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Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne – SECOND SHOW
Monday 15th May
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Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Friday 18th May
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Allphones Arena, Sydney
Friday 22nd May
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Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Saturday May 26
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Tickets on sale Monday 23rd April at 10am

Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne – THIRD SHOW
Monday 30th May
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