All five not only show off the versatility of the Australian indie scene, but have had a great 12 months.
Brisbane based smooth R&B singer Airling, aka Hannah Shepherd, released the single Stallin’ in the wake of a collaboration with Japanese Wallpaper on Forces. She toured nationally with Vance Joy and Pieater label mates #1 Dads, and more recently performed at Splendour in the Grass with Japanese Wallpaper.
Bad//Dreems are up this year for Best Independent Single / EP for Cuffed and Collared. With veteran rock producer Mark Opitz they recorded their debut album Dogs At Bay about their relationship with hometown Adelaide, releasing it in August through Ivy League. They played Splendour, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival and Groovin’ The Moo and were to open on The Black Keys national tour which got cancelled.
This year was a cracker of a year for Dead Letter Circus during which they won acclaim for their live show and expanded their profile. Their third album Aesthesis through UNFD debuted at #1 on the Carlton Dry Independent Music Album Chart. It also entered at #2 on the ARIA chart, following similar feats by their first two albums This Is The Warning and The Catalyst Fire, both which have sold a combined 100,000 units. They also toured with Linkin Park, Muse, Judas Priest and Karnivool.
The honesty and rawness of Central Australia’s initiated Pitjantjatjara man and singer songwriter Frank Yamma has seen his album Uncle nominated for Best Independent Country Album at these independent awards, as well as the National Indigenous Music Awards. Performing since he was nine and singing in his native tongue and English, the album was produced by David Bridie and out through Wantok Musik Foundation.
Multi instrumentalist singer songwriter Harts’ fiery guitar approach to rock and funk once saw him invited by Prince to jam with him at Paisley Park. His current single Breakthrough follows on from previous single Red & Blue and the 2014 debut album Daydreamer (A&R/Shock) on which he played all the instruments.
More announcements will be made in coming weeks, In the meantime, the full list of 2015 nominees are at their website. The awards are also supported by Rdio.
