JESSE REDWING
What are your earliest musical memories/experiences? Dancing to Michael Jackson and La Bamba in my living room… naked
How would you describe your sound and how has it developed over time? Classic Blues and rock’n’roll. I’ve always been obsessed with the ’60s, ’70s era in music but I started off playing a little more
hard and fast and rough around the edges…so call it punk. I think my sound is just a little more polished now.
What do you love about the Australian music community? We actually do a really good job supporting up and coming musicians. Unlike USA where you’ll see amazing jazz musicians who are lucky to play for tips. People love to bitch about the scene (especially in Sydney) but from my experience, it’s pretty darn good. I get to see so many great musical acts every week.
When did you decide that music was going to be more than a hobby? There was never any other option for me. I’ve always been a bluesman. I guess I’m a hopeless romantic and the language of the blues is the best way for me to express myself.
What do you hope listeners take away from/feel when they hear your music? A lot of people think
the blues is about making yourself feel better through the power of song. It’s actually about making everyone else miserable (and making a few bucks while you’re at it).
What inspires or drives you through the creative process? All the legends that have come before. My blues idols. Muddy, Howlin’ Wolf, Albert king etc… I can’t put on one of their records without being inspired.
What has been your greatest achievement so far? Recording an album that I would actually listen to. It was a lifelong dream and took several attempts but my boy Stephen Mowat (producer) came through with the ballin live sound I was after.
Who are some artists we should be keeping an eye out for? Wallace, WILSN, Sloan Peterson, The Teskey Brothers.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given and who was it from? Albert King told me (in a video) that you should never be satisfied. A lot of people are going to tell you that you’re so great after gigs etc but you need to block it out and keep pushing yourself.
If you had to introduce yourself with one of your songs, which would you choose? ‘Crawlin’ up
the walls’. It was featured on Netflix TV show Shooter and therefore has the most plays online, therefore it’s the first thing everyone listens to…and I’m not upset about it.
What can punters expect from your live show? A bucketload of energy and a rollercoaster of emotions. We gonna let it alllll hang out.
JADE IMAGINE
What are your earliest musical memories/experiences? I went to see The Church play in my hometown, in the Sunshine Coast. After the show Marty Wilson-Piper came up to me and said I looked familiar… I think he thought I was a long-lost daughter of his… don’t tell Dad.
How would you describe your sound and how has it developed over time? “A hit in the ’80s” or “Futuristic Nostalgia”. I don’t know how its developed over time, but I’d like to think I’ve hopefully become a little bit better at shreddin’ the axe.
What do you love about the Australian music community? Australian musicians and artists are really clever and unique storytellers. I think they ‘keep it real’, and aren’t afraid to be a bit – or a lot – tongue in cheek.
When did you decide that music was going to be more than a hobby? Music is always a hobby and always more than a hobby…that’s the beauty of it.
What do you hope listeners take away from/feel when they hear your music? I’ll have to leave that one up to the listeners themselves, but at the very least I hope they feel something that they’ll want to feel again. And again, and again…
What inspires or drives you through the creative process? If i knew that, id distil it and bottle it and market it as “inspiration juice”.
What has been your greatest achievement so far? We just finished recording our full-length debut album to come out early next year. That is definitely up there on the achievements list.
Who are some artists we should be keeping an eye out for? Jess Ribeiro, No Local, Real Feelings, Jess Cornelius’s new solo project, Poppongene, 808’s & Greatest Hits, White Vans, Angie McMahon….maybe for the next Beat interview we should just talk about this. I got too many thoughts on this subject.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given and who was it from? Jess Cornelius said to me a couple of years ago “Don’t judge what you create. It’s not your job. Leave the critics to do that for you….” It’s stayed with me, that one.
If you had to introduce yourself with one of your songs, which would you choose? ‘I’ll Take You There’. It’s a new song, it’ll be out soon. I’m v proud of it. Its a song that feels like home, if home was a song.
What can punters expect from your live show? Lots of big hair.
WALLACE
What are your earliest musical memories/experiences? I remember being the entertainment at parties when I was younger. Usually singing something from Annie or imitating Cher (I thought I could imitate her autotune in ‘Believe’ perfectly).
How would you describe your sound and how has it developed over time? I’ve recently been describing my music as future soul cause there’s so many influences going on. I started out as a jazz and soul nerd then fell in love with hip hop along the way.
What do you love about the Australian music community? There’s so much bad arse music happening over this side of the world, it’s a really exciting thing to be a part of.
When did you decide that music was going to be more than a hobby? It’s never really been a hobby, to be honest. I was a very serious, determined child. I started performing in musicals when I was seven and knew from that moment that I wanted to be in the biz.
What do you hope listeners take away from/feel when they hear your music? I want people to get lost in the mini-worlds I create. I tend to write about bizarre places and characters that amuse me.
What inspires or drives you through the creative process? I usually come up with a concept first. I tend to always spring-board off an interesting word, quote or character.
What has been your greatest achievement so far? Gilles Peterson playing one of my tracks on his show was pretty damn exciting.
Who are some artists we should be keeping an eye out for? I’m really vibing lots of local acts at the moment like The Goods, Fortunes, 30/70, Danny Barwick and Kaiit.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given and who was it from? My year one teacher at primary school Ms Hughes told us that whatever we created should be big, bold and beautiful. That’s always stuck with me.
If you had to introduce yourself with one of your songs, which would you choose? Ahh tricky. I think ‘Negroni Eyes’ because A. I love me a drink and B. it samples one of my favourite jazz standards, ‘Nardis’.
What can punters expect from your live show? Colour, Hips and Fairytales
CABLE TIES
What are your earliest musical memories/experiences? It’s probably my parents’ CD collection which involved a lot of Daddy Cool, Eric Clapton, Janice Joplin and Steeleye Span. I used to know all the words to Steeleye Span’s ‘All Around My Hat’ and Mum would wheel me out to sing it to her friends cause I was so damn cute.
How would you describe your sound and how has it developed over time? You decide
What do you love about the Australian music community? The fact that everyone can pick up an instrument and be in a band. Music gets so boring when people think they have to ‘know how to play’. That attitude makes music stagnate in some horrendous bro-rock, guitar solo wasteland. Everyone should be able to express themselves through music whether they’ve got a jazz PhD or they’ve never picked up an instrument. Nothing makes me happier than someone telling me they saw me play and thought “I could do that” and started a band.
When did you decide that music was going to be more than a hobby? When I tried to write an honours thesis, keep playing in Wet Lips and Cable Ties about three times a week, work my day job and record two albums. Full credit to panic attacks.
What do you hope listeners take away from/feel when they hear your music? Rage and hope.
What inspires or drives you through the creative process? Rage and an attempt to fight feelings of complete despair and powerlessness.
What has been your greatest achievement so far? Probably our album and the fact we still love each other heaps.
Who are some artists we should be keeping an eye out for? Oh hell so many…Hexdebt, Kaiit, Mod Con, Kandere, Miss Blanks, Street Hassle, SIMONA Castricum, FRITZ, Eat Man, LOOBS, Lazertits, Swim Team, Callan and that’s not the even scratching the surface of this place.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given and who was it from? “Just do the next thing” – Nick Brown.
If you had to introduce yourself with one of your songs, which would you choose? ‘Say What You Mean’ is a pretty good statement of intent for us. It’s fierce and it has no interest in being pretentious. But really you need to introduce yourself to us at a live gig. It makes more sense when you see it.
What can punters expect from your live show? Loud noises.
