Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Things of 2014

It's the annual "Things of [Whatever Year It Is]" post. This year was 2014, and here are some things of it.

The heat of the remainder of summer, post a several-week trip to Europe; during a changing of medication, and still pre-surgery.
I Break Horses - Denial 

Sitting on my aunty's spare bed post-surgery for a week. Much of this record would influence new Sissysocks material that was put together this year.
Trust - Are We Arc?

Trust - Icabod

Listened to this record countless nights once firmly tucked into bed.
Marissa Nadler - Drive

One of my favourite artists.
iamamiwhoami - Vista

Had to pick a couple from this record, which I would listen to as easy throwaway stuff on my return trip to Europe. This is the poppiest and therefore an easy standout for mine. Happy I bought tickets for my parents to see him in London (Mum in particular likes his stuff).
Morrissey - Staircase At the University

This one stops me and halts my breathing for a moment.
Morrissey - Mountjoy

Zola Jesus again claims the honour of being the artist responsible for the last song I listened to before falling asleep on Grand Final Eve.
Zola Jesus - Go (Blank Sea)

Thom Yorke - Nose Grows Some
   

 Heard this (via the video) for the first time the night after the John Curtin show, immediately after watching/listening to "Thin". Also a good example of the kind of thing that increasingly influenced new Sissysocks material this year.
iamamiwhoami - Chasing Kites

I always like an anthemic piece that's been tempered just enough.
Recycle Culture - AYA
 

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Denim Owl / Lux Ovarye's Weird Time / Sissysocks / Hero at The John Curtin


To temper the unstoppable vacuum that is the week after Grand Final Day, I'll be preparing to not entirely disgrace myself next Saturday night at the John Curtin. I'm going to be playing for the first time with my old friend Luke, who plays as Lux Ovarye's Weird Time (read appropriately kind words about and listen to his song "In the Rain" here), as well as headliner Denim Owl.

I'll also be playing with Hero, which is Genevieve's ethereal looping vocals. I played with her at Longplay in February, which was my first show for the year - I played one two weeks later, and none since.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

"Every day's a curse, and the curse just gets worse."
 

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Live on 3CR, 7th December 2013

As probably none of you would know, a few months ago I recorded a live set and was interviewed for 3CR's Saturday evening program Let Your Freak Flag Fly.

The host of the program is the wonderfully decent Michael Smith. I sent him the first two records late last year (under the very safe assumption he hadn't heard them) as a long shot that he might play a track on his program. He played all 17 minutes of "Because We Have Things In Common" and invited me on the program for an interview and to record a live set.

I decided to record it all on the preceding Thursday before it went to air, just so I could do a re-take if I wasn't happy with anything, and it allowed him to cut it all together and just let it roll come Saturday afternoon instead of me and him moving around between songs and chatting as the program was going to air.

He met me at the door on a wet December evening and was incredibly accommodating. He was taking out his Thursday night to be there for someone who was too insecure and probably, essentially, not professional enough to do it all on the fly.

I was a disaster. I think I ended up redoing each song a couple of times because I tightened up and wasn't happy with how I was sounding. Realistically, I sounded bad. And I know that because that's I have on all the takes I did that night on my computer, and what was broadcast.

I don't think I want to "release" any of it, except for Slink Away, which I've uploaded to the SoundCloud to accompany the interview. On the whole, my vocal performance is too bad.

This will go down in the annals of forgotten Melbourne music history. I remember 10 years ago the cassette recordings Danny and I had of Danny's early demos recorded on the four track, and I'd put some bass over the top of it. And we'd have these recordings, maybe several of the same song, across several cassettes. We knew these specific recordings were never really for anyone, but I loved having this document of these moments and periods of optimism and development.

I feel like I let the station down too, and I felt like I let down Michael too. The vocal takes overall are too off, and the levels I set the vocals and backing tracks in relation to each other are either too high or too low and inconsistent throughout the tracks, and I let down all the effort Michael put into recording and accommodating me. Sometimes some things you just have to do for yourself if no one else. Sometimes you have to do something for someone else though. Sometimes you do it for both. For all the preparation and rehearsals I did for this, I really don't think I honoured either.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Creeks - Dog Show

Well, it's finally happened. Nina and I have been doing this Creeks (née Creaks) business for more than two years now, and we now have something to show you from our forthcoming EP.

The song is called Dog Show and an earlier version of it appeared on our old Bandcamp (which will come back closer to the EP release date). For now listen to it on our SoundCloud:
 

The song was one of the first we came up with, when our dynamic was quite archaic compared to now. Nina essentially had a few basic bits and pieces and some lovely vocal melodies, and I recorded all of these separately in the rehearsal room and over the following week would cut up the vocal and instrument tracks. I looped a whole lot of her tracks with Julianna Barwick-type ambience in mind, but maybe with the idea the song overall would be just a little poppier. I really wanted to do something with Nina because of her voice, and it was an obvious arrangement to look for early on.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Saturday, February 22, 2014


I will be supporting my very old friend Will's band The Shards at Bar Open on Wednesday, March 5th. One million bonus point to Will for his event poster, which is a shot of Barry Breen kicking inaccurately at goal for what would ultimately tumble through for the winning point in the 1966 Grand Final, to date still the day St Kilda won their only premiership.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Sissysocks live at LongPlay, 13/02/14



Genevieve's brother Christian took some amazing shots on Thursday night of ours and Erica's performances. More here.

Thursday, February 6, 2014


Very excited to be playing with two very talented people in one week's time. Erica Dunn will be performing solo as Palm Springs and Genevieve Callaghan will debut her new project Hero.

Friday, January 31, 2014

Parading album tour 2013 - Nether Regions leg

Tom Barry checking out the boats

Ah, Sydney. My debut there confirmed all my suspicions about me not liking it, but those mostly revolved around the fact that footy (as in, Australian Rules) isn't the main code there. Also, it's the entire city's apparent attitude to sport and music overall, but mostly just footy.