No music gathering in Australia is more important to local and international industry players than BIGSOUND. For up-and-coming artists, it’s a massive opportunity to hopefully be noticed during those four action-packed days in Brisbane, while music journos and bloggers (myself included) treat it as a goldmine for discovering acts that might soon be the next big thing in Aussie music.

2026 is the event’s 25th anniversary – both the conference and artist program reflect that celebratory mood. And there’s no better way to get the feel for it than chatting with some of the artists showcasing this year.

Here’s what two of them have to say about this cool break in their music career. 

PART 276 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE

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They couldn’t be more different.

Scratching hail from Perth (Boorloo), where the city’s geographical isolation gives the music scene a unique vibe. CATPISS rep Newcastle (Awabakal Land), whose local scene has recently been gaining more attention. Sonically, the WA duo operates in the realm of electronic alt-pop – the NSW crew’s sound is a blend of punk, hardcore and psych-rock. Scratching’s music journey is slightly longer, while the members of CATPISS approach their craft through a more comical lens.

Both projects have a distinct edge to their craft, unique enough to convince the QMusic organisers (who are behind BIGSOUND) to book them for the event. And because they’re on my “ones to watch” list as well, you should get to know their story. 

SCRATCHING

Scratching caught my attention a few months ago when I heard their song “Sanity” – one of the standout singles from their 2026 debut album, Desire Path.

The duo is composed of singer-songwriter Grace Sanders and producer/co-writer Ezekiel (Zeke) Padmanabham. Initially, the pair performed under Grace’s name, having released two EPs (GUMS in 2021 and nothing is personal in 2022). They re-emerged in 2024 with the new moniker, pushing their collaborative vision to bold new heights and gaining traction with triple j, NME, Spotify and Rage (the Aussie equivalent of early MTV).

Their sound sits at the intersection of pop, electronic, and indie-folk, drawing from artists like Dijon, Caroline Polachek, and LCD Soundsystem. It’s music that invites you to dance, cry, and question the world all at once. That playfulness and cathartic experimentation come to life on stage, where they have scaled back from a full live band to just two people. Their live show is a high-energy spectacle of maximalism done with a minimalist approach.

Lyrically, Scratching explores the mess of modern living, including themes of mental health, identity, family, religion, and social disparity, approaching it with candour, curiosity, and humour. Each track aims to try and make sense of the human experience in an age of information overload. 

And because they’re constantly building, shifting, and reshaping the world around them, I had a few in-depth questions about it.

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Silly McWiggles (SM): You transitioned from work released under Grace Sanders to your current creative identity, Scratching. Rebranding can feel like shedding a skin or stepping into a completely new chapter. What does the moniker ‘Scratching’ allow you to do creatively or on stage that you felt you couldn’t do before?

Scratching (S): While our working relationship has remained the same as it did under Grace Sanders, we felt having a name that was more ambiguous better reflects Zeke’s contribution to the project and took some pressure off me (Grace) from being the face of the project. I didn’t like feeling my name belonged to the character that exists within my music, and I think having separation from that has been liberating and also allowed me to lean in more deliberately as a writer. It has also allowed us as artists to use our music to more broadly experiment with tone of voice and themes because it feels less as if it needs to ‘belong’ specifically to either of us. As Scratching, we feel more so that we are building a whole universe rather than telling the story of one person’s life and perspective. 

Perth gets romanticised for producing acts that carve out totally singular sounds because of the city’s geographic isolation. But it can cut both ways: it gives you room to experiment without caring about trends, but it also means watching East Coast bands effortlessly network over coffee while you have to spend thousands on flights just to get in front of an industry rep. Do you view your Perth roots as a shield that kept Scratching pure, or a barrier you’re finally using BIGSOUND to tear down?

Perth’s isolation affords indie artists more opportunities locally because with less touring acts/industry representation, there is perhaps more room for smaller acts to occupy spaces that are at times left as an after-thought on larger touring schedules. We support our own because we want to, but also because there is simply less competition to see big artists in general. I think more so than exposure to trend cycles, this is what makes Perth artists formidable; we have a strong community to practise and hone our craft in, as well as simply less to do and see. The geographic limitations are certainly a big barrier to progress, however, and they’ve certainly hindered our access to larger industry support until now. We both feel this is really nice timing to go to BIGSOUND and be able to share our music and where we’re at with it.

Showcase events are notorious for fast changeovers, tight 20-minute slots, and industry crowds running between venues. For a band whose studio and live work relies so much on atmospheric depth and intricate texture, what is your game plan to ensure you hit the crowd with maximum impact from the start?

We’re definitely conscious of the time limitations and putting our best foot forward, especially as our live setup is somewhat complex. At the end of the day, I think the best game plan is to have a really strong set of songs that are all good enough to represent the best aspects of your work. We have to hope that the music will speak for itself and the right people who are open to our sound will get a chance to hear it.

BIGSOUND attracts many international delegates and scouts looking to export Australian talent. If an international blogger or festival booker stumbles into your set having never heard your music before, what is the single biggest takeaway or feeling you hope they walk out of the room with?

Depending who it was, I guess we’d hope they’d want to work with us! But aside from that, I think we’re always just trying to make music that feels interesting, authentic and exciting. I’d love it if people heard our set and kept thinking about it afterwards. I get so much joy out of discussing music that I find fun or challenging in whatever way – if it was on people’s minds in any capacity, I would feel we’d done our job.

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A lot of artists treat getting booked for BIGSOUND like getting to the finish line. But the real work happens in the hours and days after the event. Once you’ve survived the creative chaos, venue-hopping, and networking, and you’re back home in Perth, what is your ultimate post-showcase goal or dream milestone? What would make you feel like the entire risk of Scratching and playing at BIGSOUND has paid off?

We’re actually looking forward to heading to Sydney and Melbourne for some shows after BIGSOUND, and we have some new music we’re working on that we’ll be locking into when we get home. So if anything, BIGSOUND will mark the beginning of a few new things in the pipeline rather than a finish line! For us, getting to play the showcase feels less like a risk and more like a reward, so just getting to be there already feels like a payoff and a really fun time. We have some goals with our team from an industry standpoint, but either way we’ll be releasing music and playing shows, so the best outcome will be to make connections, play some great shows and see some new artists play.

And now, a round of rapid-fire questions. Who takes longer to get ready before a show: Grace or Ezekiel?

Grace (of course).

Can you describe Scratching’s sound in one noise or sound effect?

Wilhelm Scream.

The hardest lyric on ‘Desire Path’ to sing out loud?

“Reading poetry to try and find creative ways to hide
I’ve said the same thing my whole life
I’m always scared, but not to die”

Or just anything in my lower register.

Your tracks like “Closer” and “Peter” are accompanied by heavy visual aesthetics with a cinematic feel. What movie universe does Scratching belong in?

We call it the Scratching Cinematic Universe (SCU).

The one word or expression every journo uses to describe your project, that makes you cringe?

We don’t find other people’s descriptions cringe; we find writing our own bio cringe.

Better for any band: 10,000 monthly listeners or 100 dedicated fans who buy merch?

Depends who’s looking at your profile, but overall probably 100 hardcore fans.

The first thing you sacrifice when your hold luggage, packed with your gear, is over the limit?

Nothing – we just wear all our clothes on the flight.

Best Australian venue for a Scratching vibe ever?

We’d love to play the ‘Forum’ in Melbourne.

The ultimate post-showcase de-stressor/reward?

Kebab 🙂 

And finally, the one place overseas Scratching needs to play first?

We’d love to play Tokyo, London or NYC. But literally anywhere would be awesome.

Fingers crossed for all those plans! And see you in Europe one day maybe?

CATPISS

I won’t lie – CATPISS landed on my radar because of their outrageous band name. But it turns out that – despite their lighthearted approach to the stage moniker – the band is not a joke at all.

Known for chaotic live shows, sharp songwriting, and even sharper riffs, the group is made up of five members. Lachlan Corrigan (drums), Ben Hastings (bass), Jacob Dewberry (guitar), Dylan Stipack (guitar) and Heath Turville (vocals) are “imports” from the city, coast, country and afar.

Interestingly, their beginnings are overseas, where Heath and Lochlan first met. After returning from their voyages, the two formed the band, which they humbly describe as “a bunch of idiots that have a good time and know how to play an instrument.”

They have been steadily gaining momentum after the release of their debut album, TASTE THE PISS, in 2025. With a growing reputation for tight delivery mixed with their humorous and chaotic performances, they’re not “DOGSH*T…they are CATPISS”, as their bio states.

They’ve broken it down a bit better below.

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Silly McWiggles: Newcastle is infamously labelled the Steel City and has a massive grit vibe and pub rock heritage. How much has that local identity shaped the chaotic, heavy edge in your music compared to other capital-city post-punk scenes?

CATPISS: Most of us came to Newcastle after we finished school, and we probably brought more of that grit from the respective rural towns we grew up in. We’ve definitely been shaped more by the city as we’ve progressed, always trying to one-up ourselves with chaotic performance and slowly getting heavier and louder the more tone deaf we get.

From your debut EP Blood, Sweat & Beers to the recent album TASTE THE PISS, you own an uncompromising, irreverent aesthetic. Is the shock-value naming convention and visuals leaning heavily into absurdism and body horror a deliberate filter to weed out listeners who take themselves too seriously, or is there a specific philosophy behind it?

Despite the profane nature of the name and the songs, we encourage everyone to give the PISS a go. I think anyone who has been to a show can’t deny how much fun we are having, which is how and why we started. Having fun, taking the piss and not taking anything too seriously was our philosophy, and I think that’s what’s made us appealing. Everyone needs a laugh, and we have the most fun being the silly buggers on stage, in our music and everywhere in between.

Your sound smashes punk, hardcore, and psych-rock together into something that feels like an unhinged live set recorded directly to tape. How difficult (or easy) is it to translate that raw, sweaty pub-energy into a polished studio recording without losing the live friction?

We definitely try to capture the energy and essence of our live sound in our recordings. A lot of it comes down to having a great producer that’s a good mate too; there’s never any pressure in the studio so we can relax and have fun with it. It’s become one of our favourite things to do; we usually take a week off work and bugger off into the mountains with a couple of cases 😉 which ends in us exhausted but still dreading having to leave.

BIGSOUND is full of suits, serious A&R scouts, and some pretty important industry delegates. What is the CATPISS approach to the event? Are you looking to play nice with the music industry machine, or are you planning on bringing pure destruction to Brisbane’s stages?

We’ve been known to throw on a suit for shits and gigs. We will definitely be bringing our A game along with our briefcases and planners hahaha, but on a more serious note, it’s a massive opportunity that we’re grateful to have. In saying that, we’ll still be staying authentic to who we are (a band who called themselves CATPISS). We love to put on a good show, and that’s the most important part of the event for us.

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As an overseas-based platform, I know that the UK and Europe are currently obsessed with heavy, energetic Aussie pub rock and post-punk exports. What do you think makes the Australian sound resonate so strongly on the Old Continent right now?

I think the tongue-in-cheek attitude, along with the energy a lot of Aussie bands are bringing right now, is really desirable for audiences. Bands that don’t take themselves too seriously, aren’t afraid to make mistakes, and are there to have fun just as much as any of the punters.

Now, let’s switch to some quickfire questions. What’s the worst venue smell you’ve ever encountered? And can you describe it using three feline-related words without using your band’s name?

Feral hissing litterbox. 

Your ultimate pre-show hype ritual?

Getting down early to check out the venue and the other bands, a beer altogether, then rip in!

The most absurd thing that’s happened in a mosh pit at your gig?

We’ve had a bunch of bruises and a dislocated knee. There’s also a video online where I jumped back on stage, tripped and smacked my chest into the corner of a foldback (great watch).

What’s most likely to happen at your show mid-set: a blown speaker or a broken string?

Broken strings for sure; we love to throw the guitars around and move on stage, but we sometimes treat em a bit too rough. Lachlan will go through half a dozen sticks too.

Weirdest item ever thrown onto stage while you were playing?

Maybe a shoe with a beer in it? But that’s not even that weird given the Australian context hahaha. Maybe BIGSOUND will provide some weird tributes/projectiles.

Cold VB or warm craft beer?

Cold VB over a craft beer any day.

One non-musical item every band must pack on tour?

Undies! I know it’s basic, but there’s nothing worse than getting all sweaty on stage and realising you didn’t pack enough clean ones. 

One song from another Aussie punk/garage band you wish you wrote?

I’m sure everyone has a different answer. But I’ll keep it in the theme of Newy, as I know all of us can agree we wish we wrote “Bound to Fall” by Resident. 

But there are so many more honourable mentions; “Leaving Home” by Jebediah. “Berlin Chair” by You Am I. “Friday on my Mind” by The Easybeats. Could really go on forever x.

Vinyl, cassette, CD, Bandcamp or streaming platform?

Big on Vinyl, love having an album in a large format so you can take in all the artwork properly. Physical media in general is just awesome; I wish cars still had CD players.

Best pub feed in Newcastle after a weekend bender?

Hmmmm, we’re lovers of the Hamo “Hamilton Station”, but I’d have to go off script and say a filthy Kebab or Snack pack from Cappodocia.

And on that yummy note, thanks for the chat!

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If you’re in Brisbane between September 1-4, you can still get a pass to see Scratching, CATPISS and all other showcasing acts.

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