Ten episodes ago I was stoked after having published the first ten episodes of my blogging series. Today, a few months on, I’m even prouder because I made it to twenty (20!!!). Thanks to all of you who have been following me here and on my socials. Especially for sharing your thoughts and pointing out topics worth covering. Let’s keep making it interactive.
In episodes 11-20 I’ve done some things slightly differently and shared more extended articles as well. Some of the posts have cost me sleepless nights, heaps of digging up stuff and perfecting my diplomatic skills. But it was worth it.
The last batch of ten has been published over a period of three months, so some important things related to the topics I covered have happened in the meantime. Which means a little recap is in order. I’ll leave you to it then.
PART 11: AUSSIE POLICE ARE MUSIC FANS, TOO
At the beginning of August I briefly mentioned here how police Down Under frequently incorporate music references in their social media posts. And the coppas from NSW (New South Wales) are still killing it. They’re pretty keen on “remixing” lyrics and always stay on top of catchy tunes, topping Australian and international charts.
Whoever is behind those IG and Twitter accounts, you got an awesome music taste.
PART 12: THE INTERVIEW WITH KIRKLANDD – MY FIRST EXTENDED FEATURE
I was right to spread the news about this rising hip hop artist from Canberra. Kirklandd is having an incredible year, with another single launch tour and Spilt Milk shows coming up.
I originally posted the feature article just when Kirklandd was about to release his yellow/orange project. “Knowbody” is an absolute banger, showcasing the young artist’s versatility as a rapper and lyricist. And if you factor in the flawlessly executed campaign leading up to the single release, 2019 can be definitely marked as a turning point for the Canberran musician.
Kirklandd – you raise the bar with every song. I can’t even imagine what you’re gonna do next. All the best!
PART 13: CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
In this post I named Gang of Youths (GOY) as the most “international” band in Australia in terms of its members’ ethnic backgrounds.
In the meantime, one of them, guitarist Joji Malani, decided to part ways with the band to pursue other adventures. The band announced it on their socials on 10 October 2019 and Malani’s last show was the following day. It was a bit of sad news both for the Gang and their fans – the guitar player was with the group since the very beginning in 2012.
I’m sure we’ll hear about his new project soon enough. But I’m anxious to find out whether GOY will try to find a new guitar addition to their team. If they do, hopefully it will reflect the band’s diverse character, too.
PART 14: THE “WAR ON FESTIVALS” IN NSW IS NOT A FIGURE OF SPEECH
And there’s, unfortunately, a disappointing update on my original post about it.
When I finished the story on positive developments from 28 August, it seemed that there was going to be a massive win for live music lovers. The unfavourable regulations, endangering music festivals’ future in NSW, were being disallowed by the State Government, based on findings of a public inquiry. And when music fans and artists thought everything was moving in the right direction, Premier Gladys Berejiklian struck again. Not even a month after the inquiry. And, again, without consulting the industry.
This time the biggest festivals threatened not to organise their usual legs in NSW if the government went ahead with the restrictions. As of today, 5 November 2019, it looks like Premier Berejiklian is not going to cave in, which would be a huge loss for the local music scene.
Follow my socials for more updates as they come in. And fingers crossed, the NSW Government will understand the gravity of their decisions before it is too late.
PART 15: HAVE YOU SEEN ANY OF THE AUSSIE MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES I RECOMMENDED?
As I mentioned in this post, the six movies might be difficult to find outside of Oz. But the good news is, two of them are now available worldwide.
From mid-September Her Sound, Her Story can be purchased on Vimeo. And it’s an investment you should really consider. Not only because the movie is worth it but because that way you can support independent female videographers, promoting female musicians. So a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Mystify – Michael Hutchence has toured European film festivals and is now (or will be soon) shown in selected theatres across the continent. The US is the next destination for the documentary. It is also going to be released on DVD and Blu-Ray in Australia in the near future. And you know what the worst part is? I still haven’t had a chance to see it myself…
PART 16: AUSTRALIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY CARES ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
When I posted about the green music initiatives in Australia mid-September, Greta Thunberg-led Global Climate Strike was a couple of days away. As we all know now, it was the biggest protest in the history of our planet.
Since that day, heaps of good things related to the music business have happened in Australia. More festivals every day pledge to reduce their carbon footprint and make an enormous effort to encourage punters to go green.
It’s also encouraging to see that other business partners take this matter seriously. For instance, Green Music Australia recently partnered with one of the biggest event and ticket management platforms, Eventbrite, to put together a quick guide to a plastic-free festival. Check it out here.
PART 17: NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR LOVE FOR MUSIC
In this article I wrote about three Melbourne-based musicians that I’ve been following for the past few years. The reason I chose them is their exceptional ability to dive into new projects without compromising their passion for music. And since the date I published the post, all of them have proven my point again.
Ben Stewart has been playing shows both as his solo project, Congrats, and with his band, Slowly Slowly.
Memphis LK dropped a new single mid-October and made a cool vid for it.
And Will Cuming (aka LANKS), Ladies and Gents, is moving to… NYC! Yep, the one in the States. It’s a mysterious move (but so very like him) and I can’t wait to see what he’s got in store. But for now, he needs to clear all his merch in Oz. So, go snatch yourself something reduced by 50% on his website.
PART 18: HOW MUCH AUSTRALIAN MUSIC IS PLAYED ON AUSTRALIAN RADIO?
This post was meant to show that there are more radio stations in Australia than just Triple J. And there are. But for some reason there is always something happening in the Triple J world.
One important update is that (my faves) Ben and Liam have chosen to go back to Adelaide, thus leaving their Triple J Breakfast Show days behind. Which means they won’t be presenting Like A Version anymore, either (I wrote about this segment here).
For a brief moment everyone (including me) thought it was another one of their stunts. But no. The boiz have officially packed their shit and left back to the Wine Country:) They will be greatly missed.
And a new era of Triple J Breakfast is upon us. With FEMALE HOSTS! Erica and Sally are not only radio personalities. They also have a band called Coda Conduct. And this is the part I’m most excited about. Since they’re musicians themselves, fingers crossed they will shine some more light on Aussie bands.
PART 19: A PLEA TO THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC BUSINESS: MOVE OUT OF SYDNEY
If you look at the update for part 14 above and my original post about Sydney, you’ll know what I mean.
On the other hand, a friend of mine (a Sydneysider who’s also lived in Melbourne) challenged my claim that nothing original and fresh is coming out of the NSW capital these days. And he threw some interesting band names into the mix that – he reckons – should be receiving much more attention. Like ONEFOUR – a hip hop crew from Mt Druitt (a Western Sydney suburb) that has racked up over half a million monthly listeners on Spotify since they surfaced in 2014. A pretty dope result, I’d say.
So, Jay – point taken. Even though I stand by my original claim, I’m definitely going to dive into the Sydney music scene a little deeper.
PART 20: BRIGGS HAS SOME THINGS TO SAY ABOUT HIP HOP AND ABORIGINAL ARTISTS IN AUSTRALIA
Since I published the interview last week, one of the Bad Apples’ artists, Alice Skye, has released new music. And because it’s the only woman on the label’s roster for now and Briggs himself said that female underrepresentation in the music industry is a big issue, this news is especially welcome.
On the day of the release, Alice admitted on her socials that the new single “I Feel Better But I Don’t Feel Good” is important to her. That’s exactly why you should have a listen.
Last time I ran a recap I said I wasn’t done with this blogging series. And I’m still not ready to call it quits. Aussie music scene keeps giving me reasons to discover new stuff. Expect some cool things happening soon.
Oh, and I’m sure you noticed that I post on Wednesdays now. So turn them reminders on!
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Silly McWiggles. A blog about Aussie music. 
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