Sweden, South Korea, the US. What do these three places have in common?

Despite being located on different continents, their music has found a way to expand overseas, creating prosperous market opportunities for their local talent. ABBA, BTS and Taylor Swift are all proof of that.

Apart from a few exceptions, Aussie artists have been struggling to make waves beyond their regional borders for a long time. But it seems to be changing, finally. And I have some thoughts on that.

PART 161 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE

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In the summer of 2022, I chatted with Larry Heath from Sounds Australia about Australian music overseas. We talked about the challenges and opportunities of “exporting artists” and how the perception of the scene from the Land Down Under has evolved over the years.

Unsurprisingly, “the tyranny of distance” is still one of the biggest obstacles. It’s not a big secret that it takes money, time and heaps of preparations to put together a tour in Europe or the US, for example. It’s a huge risk not every act or promoter is prepared to take.

But I come bearing good news. After spending a few epic weeks in the UK this summer, I reckon there’s real interest in Australian music there. And I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t have a few arguments to back up this claim.

DMA’S

I dedicated an entire post to the Sydneysiders and their gig in Newcastle that I attended at the end of July.

Aside from their music and the concert itself, DMA’S are killing the process of building a relationship with the UK fans on other fronts, too.

They’ve done that by extending it to other “British” aspects of life. The group member’s personal interest in local football teams, striking mutually beneficial partnerships with British companies, and visiting the country as frequently as possible have all contributed to why the Brits dig DMA’s so much. (On a side note – in 2023, tha band will have been touring in the UK on four separate occasions.)

And I just want to stress one thing here. I could be wrong, but my instinct tells me it’s not just some artificially-created marketing campaign. In all the recognition in their native land and the traction they slowly start noticing abroad, DMA’s have really stayed humble, relatable and authentic in their relationship with fans.

So what more can I say? Maybe that “the DMA’S way” could easily be a blueprint for any other Aussie act out there.

Nardean

At this year’s BIGSOUND (the Australian music industry’s biggest conference and showcase event), Georgia Maq of Camp Cope delivered a poignant speech.

Amongst many other thought-provoking things, she pointed this out: “I’ve learned the best thing you can do as a musician in Australia, at this point, is to leave. Hell, I left – I had to. This will keep happening until it’s possible for us to live off our art in Australia”. It sounds shocking, to say the least, but I’ve recently noticed a similar trend.

It is, actually, a completely new discussion about the need to move to another country to receive recognition for one’s hard work. Coincidentally, though, that was one of the topics in my interview with Nardean, an R’n’B/hip-hop artist from Sydney who currently resides in London.

Her decision to relocate was very much dictated by the lack of appreciation for the genre she creates within. According to Nardean, she finds more opportunities to grow and develop as an artist in the UK capital. She also thinks the British music scene is the real deal. And the UK musos are willing to experiment and innovate much more than their Aussie counterparts.

So let me put this controversial concept forward. Maybe the acts from the Land Down Under should build their careers the other, counterintuitive way round: by trying to conquer the overseas markets first?

Pub Choir

Let me clarify one thing to start: Pub Choir is not a music act. But it has heaps to do with music. The fact that the concept was born in Oz confirms the local scene’s potential to expand overseas to a certain extent, too.

Astrid Jorgensen (the New Zealand-born, Australia-based mastermind behind Pub Choir) didn’t reinvent the wheel when she started the sing-alongs. But she did capitalise on the fact that many of us, mere mortals, like this sociable activity despite knowing we’re rubbish at it. So, after hooking Aussies on the experience, she is touring the UK and the US with her concept in 2023 again.

I was at the show in Leeds. And my main takeaway is this: surprisingly, you can teach strangers a song from scratch in 90 minutes. Especially if it’s a banger everyone knows. That’s also true because Astrid’s approach to the whole experience is hilarious and super entertaining. Her instructing skills and techniques slap (maybe because she used to be a teacher?).

There are so many little details she has thought of that it’s impossible not to enjoy it. Even if you were dragged to the show by your partner or if singing is your least favourite pastime.

I don’t want to spoil anything here, so I’ll just reveal this: if everyone worked PowerPoint like Astrid, Microsoft would be the World’s Most Valuable company in no time. So if you haven’t seen it yet, go to a Pub Choir show next time they’re in town. You won’t regret it, I promise.

Amyl and the Sniffers

Where do I even start?

Maybe from the end, for a change. Never have I been so sweaty after a gig in my entire life. But Amyl and the Sniffers are not a band to listen to leaning against a pole – punk rock is a rowdy and messy music genre by default. On top of that, the way the crowd welcomed the Melburnians in Scotland was pretty wild. Amy Taylor’s charisma and stage presence are also to blame here.

I reviewed the band’s ass-kicking third album two years ago. And it seems like, after dropping it, they haven’t stopped touring. I mean – touring globally. I reckon they’re one of the most solicited Aussie bands in the world right now.

But one thing that got me at the gig was not the music this time. I know they slay on that front. It was their willingness to educate global audiences about their own country.

“Everyone thinks we’re just a bunch of ‘whities’. So I just wanna talk about the banner we brought with us for a minute”, Amy said after a few tracks. The banner read: “Australia has a Blak future. Treaty now.” She also briefly explained that Australians will soon vote on The Voice (an Indigenous representation to the Parliament). And that, Ladies and Gents, makes me respect Amyl and the Sniffers even more.

Royel Otis

I went to the Reading Festival this year for the first time. There weren’t too many Aussie bands on the line-up, but there was one act I was particularly keen to see.

The Sydney outfit Royel Otis has been popping up on my music radar for about a year and a half, maybe two. Which is pretty much in sync with their brief history as a guitar-driven pop music duo.

Funnily, though, what encouraged me to dig a little deeper into their music was an interview with The Vanns I listened to in June this year. In Tim Blackwell’s podcast, Jimmy briefly mentioned the band as an interesting new arrival on the local scene. All the more reason to check them out live, I’d say.

Reading has this weird way of scheduling only short appearances throughout the day. So it’s a shame Royel Otis played for only 30 minutes. I had the impression they were only just starting to enjoy the gig. Also, they were meant to appear in Reading on the festival’s last day, at a stupid o’clock. I mean, how many punters are ready to party again at noon (ish) on a Sunday?!

But the Festival Republic tent was pretty packed, regardless of their unlucky time slot. And people were genuinely vibing to their tunes. Besides, everything happens for a reason, right? So this short teaser has already encouraged me to add their music to my playlist. Once you listen to their tunes, I bet they will also end up on yours.

COTERIE

I rarely go to gigs now early enough to see support artists. I also watch and listen to so much music these days, it’s not easy to surprise me. But in this particular case, the main act, Lime Cordiale, chose their openers wisely. COTERIE had managed to awaken my interest even before I found out about the concert.

Technically speaking, I shouldn’t include this reggae/pop/indie rock group in this post. After all, it’s made up of New Zealanders and four brothers on top of that. But they grew up and live in Perth, so they definitely form part of the Aussie music scene.

I reckon they’re one of those outfits whose performances work to their advantage. I’d even say some songs sounded much better live than their original recordings. The members’ vibrant personalities on stage and the band’s enthusiastic approach to music just can’t be ignored in a gig setting.

You might argue that the venue was packed during their gig because everyone was already there to see Lime Cordiale. But I don’t think that was the case. When they asked how many people knew who they were, a few hands did go up. Plus, I definitely spotted some fans singing along to their tracks. So I’m pretty sure the gents were stoked by the warm welcome they received in London.

After this fun half an hour, I already know that I’ll be keeping an eye on COTERIE in the future. And if they are ever close to my location, I’m getting tickets to see them again 100%. Hopefully, next time, it will already be their headline tour.

There are two more Australia-related artists I’d like to honourably mention here.

Remember Jason Donovan (from Melbourne) and Peter Andre (a Brit who became popular in Australia)? I know they might not be hot acts right now. But their names still attract fans to the projects they participate in.

I saw them both in the “Grease” musical in London. And even though neither had the leading role in this production, you should hear the (especially ladies’) reaction when they performed their respective numbers. I bet some female punters were there just to see them rather than the musical itself.

So I’m going to repeat the statement from the beginning of this post: Aussie music is doing fine overseas. Really.

Sure, there’s still a long way to go before the market reaches the UK’s maturity or South Korea’s hype-making skills. But I, for one, am pumped to see more Aussie acts on festival line-ups around the world, sold-out headline shows in different places on the globe, and fans from overseas singing every word of their song lyrics.

And mark my words. The future is looking good for Aussie artists. We’ll definitely be seeing more of them touring all continents in the coming years.

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