MAYA ANNOUNCES DEBUT SINGLE & VIDEO ‘SINNERS’
Fresh from recording sessions in the Hollywood Hills, MAYA has today announced her debut single Sinners, a punchy, soulful reflection of the darkness and light within relationships, to be released on August 5. MAYA will be celebrating the fiery tune with a string of shows hitting Paris Cat on July 29, The Evelyn on September 2 and The Athenaeum (with Jim Steinman) on September 17.
Sinners is a steamy track, full of fierce expression that is articulated perfectly by MAYA’s mature vocal. The band warmly percolates underneath her soulful melody, and strings stab and sweep expressively throughout. Written alongside powerhouse team Smash Bros (Cheryl Cole, Cee Lo green, Flo Rida) and Aussie singer/songwriter Shelley Segal (Carl Cox, Adam Levy, Josh Abrahams), Sinners is a thrilling taste of what’s to come from the diverse artist. Excited about the release, MAYA says, “I have been working hard to reach this moment and am ready to release Sinners to the world. The single is a representation of relationship drama, it looks at the two sides of love and desire.”
Directed and produced by Zachary McSweeny (Deja, Maribelle, All The Colours), the accompanying video for Sinners is dark, artistic and seductive. As the song focuses on two sides of one person, the video portrays MAYA as both; devilish and angelic in an abstract, smoky world. As MAYA describes, “The music video for Sinners is a thematic display of brooding fierceness, sexual chaos and liberation…I sat with Zach and we decided we wanted to make this video tastefully artistic and experimental. All of the shots were conceptualized to gain insight in to the way I have felt when experiencing hypocrisy in relationships.”
MAYA’s brand of soulful pop is a welcome offering into the Australian music world. The charismatic woman behind the name, Maya Weiss has been working in the music industry for years, enthusing, “I adore music above all things and have felt this way since I could speak. Growing up playing blues with my father and singing any chance I had… I am more than ready to share my sound and story with anyone ready to listen.”
MAYA SHOW DATES
Fri 29 JUL | PARIS CAT JAZZ CLUB, MELBOURNE VIC
Tickets available from www.pariscat.com.au
Fri 2 SEP | THE EVELYN, MELBOURNE VIC
Tickets available from http://evelynhotel.com.au
Sat 17 SEP | ATHENAEUM THEATRE, MELBOURNE VIC (with Jim Steinman)
Tickets available from www.ticketek.com
RESIDUAL ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO ‘ALL FOR YOU’ + EP ‘HAUNT’ AND AUGUST RESIDENCY AT THE WORKERS CLUB MELBOURNE
Alt-rockers, Residual have today announced their explosive new single All For You (available on July 15), the first taste off their new EP, Haunt, which is set for release on August 26. To celebrate their new tunes, Residual have announced a Monday night residency through August at The Workers Club in Melbourne.
All For You is a raw offering, embracing classic Aussie rock influences while remaining sharp, contemporary, and exciting. Swelling and receding in all the right places, lead singer Sam Burtt’s voice carries confidently atop the intense, driving guitars and pounding drums. Riffs abound, All For You is emotive and compelling, as Burtt describes, “All For You is about a relationship I was in – we had both recognised that the end was nigh, but loved each other too much to ever call it a day. However, that day came a day before we started tracking vocals. I remember sitting in the courtyard at the studio and giving the lyrics a pretty substantial re-write. This song is really about giving yourself to someone, despite the knowledge that it will soon end.”
The video for All For You reflects this madness in stark, black and white fashion. It appears as though Burtt is the main character in a play he did not ask to be in; a series of scenarios are thrust upon him by indifferent stagehands, he eventually rebels as the song crescendos and everything comes crashing down. Working with young director Jesse Leaman (Lorne starring Guy Pearce) of Leaman Films, Burtt explains the inspiration behind the clip, “We had presented a few conditions to him. We knew we wanted it black and white, long shots and an aspect of violence…In reality, the actor onstage is really breaking out of the play itself; he goes rogue and trashes the set. It’s like Inception, only I’m a much better actor than Leo.”
Residual have been hard at work on their new EP Haunt (their first release since signing with Sydney-based management ArowAgency), a diverse and thoughtful release that is set to propel the band onwards and upwards. Haunt boasts energetic guitar-driven jams, with just the right amount of piano-balladry to ensure ultimate balance – held together by Burtt’s relentless and skillful vocal. Produced by Malcolm Besley (City Calm Down, Northeast Party House) and recorded in part at the renowned Sing Sing Studios, Haunt is one well-crafted collection of songs. Burtt enthuses, “There’s a real theme of the unobtainable that has seemed to filter through the EP. The songs really all focus on wanting what you can’t have, whether that’s love, happiness, or acceptance. The diamond, crystal-esque artwork is representative of something precious that as much as we may desire, we may never possess.”
In light of their anticipated new tunes, Residual will be performing every Monday night through August at The Workers Club Melbourne. Excited to be playing gigs again, Burtt says, “It’s been a while since we’ve been properly playing shows. We’ve done a lot of travelling whilst simultaneously preparing for this release, so there’s already a real sense of natural excitement for us – and if we do our job right, that will really rub off on the audience. We just want to show everyone how much growing up we’ve done.”
ALL FOR YOU is set for release on July 15, available for pre-order now
HAUNT is set for release on August 26, available for pre-order from July 15
THE WORKERS CLUB MELBOURNE RESIDENCY – MONDAY AUGUST 8, 15, 22, 29 | $3 ENTRY
DYNAMIC SYDNEY BAND LAZY COLTS ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE & VIDEO FOR ‘TWENTY TWO’ + DEBUT ALBUM ‘TROJAN’ + EAST COAST TOUR
Cinematic alt-folk group, Lazy Colts have today announced the release of their brooding new single, Twenty Two, the second taste of their debut LP, Trojan, set for release on August 5. They’ll be hitting the road in August to celebrate the new LP, kicking off in Melbourne on August 6 and moving on to Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney then wrapping up in Katoomba on September 4.
Twenty Two is a reverent and reflective ode to youth and the naivety that dictates the relationships formed during that time. Emphasised by the pulse of young blood that dictates the arc of the song, the organic nature of the drums, piano and violin resonate under lead singer Lacey Cole’s effortless vocals. Acoustic and raw, Twenty Two encompasses country and folk influences to illicit a rich blend of sound that is lush and satisfying. Of the single, Cole remarks, “Essentially, Twenty Two is about the grand ‘undying’ sentiments that hallmark your first cracks at a serious relationship. It’s about perspective, initially, the lack of it, and then the revelation that the reason you’re in your situation – however great or bad it is – is also the reason you will get through it: you’re only 22 years old.”
Directed by Sarah Adamson (The Preatures, Gideon Benson, Matt Corby), the video clip for Twenty Two is a filmic representation of both the vulnerablilty and the joy of being young. Starring Sydney-based model Evelina Milward, the film seeks to balance the song’s morose male dialogue with a feminine depiction of happiness and beauty. The tone is both nostalgic and immediate; an authentic depiction of youth’s resilience and wonder. Speaking about the clip, director Sarah Adamson says, “I saw this great opportunity to lovingly poke fun at the sincerity of the song. I had this picture in my head of a girl listening to this love song some boy had written her but not really caring as much as he thought she would. She’s doing all these other funny and weird things a 22 year old girl might do when bored at home by herself. She is only 22. She knows there’s nothing to really worry about.”
Lazy Colts’ debut album, Trojan is a fine example of the state of Australian songwriting. Broad, triumphant, and satisfying, yet devastating, emotive and raw, the group have put a mirror to the human experience and Trojan is the result. Mixed by renowned engineer, Mark Lawson (Arcade Fire, Timber Timbre), the release has been two years in the making and calls upon a variety of influences including The National, Nick Cave and Bruce Springsteen. Recorded in part inside a local church, Cole reflects on the process, “I’m not sure the songs would sound the same if they were written and performed in a living room or garage. There is definitely a reverence or awareness of the space and the mood the empty church sets which lives on in the album…Trojan is set against grand backdrops of religion, myth, violence and politics, but the songs themselves are more personal, focusing on relationships and the fleeting moments between people.”
Lazy Colts will be hitting the road on a national tour in August to celebrate the release of Trojan. Giving fans a taste of what to expect from the shows, Cole enthuses, “Audiences can expect energy, passion, dynamic arrangements and musicianship. The rest of the band bring an element of sophistication and skill which strikes a nice balance with my more unhinged vibe. All in all, it’s a good time, it’s like rays of light through storm clouds.”
Lazy Colts is Lacey Cole, Michael Bridges, Sinj Clarke, Craig Collier and David Keys.
LAZY COLTS ‘TROJAN’ NATIONAL TOUR
SAT 6 AUG | WESLEY ANNE, NORTHCOTE | 18+
SUN 7 AUG | LABOUR IN VAIN, FITZROY | 18+
SAT 13 AUG | SANCHO’s DIRTY LAUNDRY, CANBERRA | 18+
SAT 20 AUG | THE BEARDED LADY, BRISBANE | 18+
SAT 27 AUG | FRANKS WILD YEARS, THIRROUL | ALL AGES
SUN 28 AUG | THE OXFORD CIRCUS, SYDNEY | 18+
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SUN 4 SEP | HOTEL BLUE, KATOOMBA | ALL AGES
Tickets available from www.stickytickets.com.au