ADELAIDE’S THE WINTER GYPSY ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO ‘TOOK ME BY’ + DEBUT EP ‘PAGE I’ + EAST COAST TOUR
Indie folksters The Winter Gypsy have today announced their soaring new single and video for Took Me By (out July 8), the first taste of the band’s debut EP, Page I which is set for release on August 5. To celebrate their new tunes, the Adelaide six-piece will be heading out on the road in August, kicking off in Melbourne on August 28 and moving through Adelaide, Sydney and Canberra, before returning to Adelaide for another home town show to end the tour at The Exeter on September 17.
Took Me By is a drifter, progressing through ambience to defiance and charactarised by delicate vocals and a strong pulse. Deliciously reverberous and subtle electric guitar riffs magnetise to the folky environment in which the song exists, meshing genres with effortless ease. Of the single, lead vocalist Tushar Singh says, “The song itself is also about the uncertainty and fragility of situations that are out of your control. Despite the minimal lyrics, the song resonates this message through the specific choice of words.”
To accompany the track, the The Winter Gypsy have also announced a breathtaking video clip that was directed by Gerard Wood (Timberwolf) and filmed in Mount Barker, South Australia, providing a magnificent backdrop to the quirky eeriness that charactises the visual. A group of young people congregate at an abandoned railway, moving only in slow motion and partaking in behaviours as yet unexplained by the band. Singh describes, “I wrote this song about a period of time wherein my mum was battling cancer – I felt helpless because there was nothing I could do to make her better. I wanted to portray that thought into having a visual of someone restrained and ‘crying out for help,’ but having everyone run past me through the tunnel because there’s nothing they can do to help me. I also wanted to place these random ideas into the video so that other people can depict their own story. Is everyone running away from a train? Do I get hit by a train at the end? Where did the live chicken come from? Who knows.”
Took Me By is the first single lifted from The Winter Gypsy’s debut EP. After garnering praise and play from Triple J, the group have pulled out all the stops to harvest this stunning collection of songs. Produced by Hugh Atkinson, and in the works since 2012, the EP encompasses all that is great about indie folk music in 2016; it remains true to the acoustic origins of the genre, yet embraces a varied array of different sonic influences. Page I deals with themes of friendship and community, as Singh explains, “We aren’t just a band; we think of ourselves as much more of a family. The six of us recording together brought us even closer, and we all motivated one another to keep reaching for new heights.”
The Winter Gypsy will be hitting the road to celebrate the release of Page I, heading up the east coast of the country in August/September. Excited to play for new audiences, Singh says, “We love performing live and fans can definitely expect a lot more energy compared to what they might usually hear on our EP or other recordings. There is a much greater build-up to either the intro or outro of our songs which really creates a fuller sound. We feel as a band that not only do we enjoy jamming these instrumentals, but it really pulls our audience together and draws them in for each song that we play.”
The Winter Gypsy is Tushar Singh, Max Lambert, Dave Thompson, Isaac Kerr, Jonny Kotts and Sean Helps.
THE WINTER GYPSY EAST COAST TOUR
SUN 28 AUG | BAR OPEN, FITZROY MELBOURNE | 18+ | Tickets available at the door
SUN 4 SEP | THE JADE, ADELAIDE | AA | Tickets available at the door
THUR 8 SEP | PLAYBAR, SURRY HILLS SYD | 18+ | Tickets available at the door
SAT 10 SEP | SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE, CANBERRA ACT | AA | Tickets available at the door
SAT 17 SEP | THE EXETER, ADELAIDE | AA | 18+ | Tickets available at the door
MONTAIGNE ANNOUNCES ANTICIPATED DEBUT ALBUM ‘GLORIOUS HEIGHTS’ SET FOR RELEASE ON AUGUST 5 + NATIONAL TOUR THROUGH SEP/OCT
Thrilling, unconfined songstress, Montaigne has today announced the greatly anticipated release of her debut full-length LP, Glorious Heights set to drop on August 5. She will be celebrating with her extensive BECAUSE I LOVE YOU national tour, set to kick off at The Brisbane Festival on September 13, moving through Toowoomba, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Port Macquarie, Caloundra, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle, Geelong and finishing up at the iconic Corner Hotel in Melbourne on October 15.
The new single released earlier this month, Because I Love You offers an electrifying perspective on pop music and an exciting taste of the debut album. Ever the innovator, Montaigne collides an impossible variety of influences on this track. Catchy piano chord progressions and sparkling string arrangements are sculpted to perfection around the anchor of her stunning vocal. The woman behind Montaigne, Jess Cerro, says of the release, “Because I Love You is a look back at what you’d known to be a healthy and fulfilling relationship whilst experiencing it, but with a little perspective discovered was pretty bad.”
The new album, Glorious Heights is an in-depth exploration of the world that encompasses Montaigne. 80’s inspired, but impossible to contain, Glorious Heights was written in close collaboration with Tony Buchen (Andy Bull, Spookyland, The Preatures) and recorded at Sony Studios and Studios 301. Montaigne’s voice is ubiquitous and soaring throughout; an earnest staple that empowers and inspires sincere emotion in the listener. Of the release, Cerro says, “Tony and I did whatever the hell we wanted without thinking about things we’re fans of too much, only using references to illustrate to one another what kinds of sounds we wanted. I want to preach empowerment by means of self-improvement; to be able to identify ones weaknesses, analyse them, and mitigate them. I want people to realise that the warrior of this age is the kind that combats evil by refusing to take part in the processes that sustain it.”
A Montaigne show must be seen to be believed, as the undeniable talent this young person encapsulates is truly something to behold. Pumped to be hitting the road to tour her new album for fans in September and October, Cerro enthuses, “I think this will be the most fun tour yet. It’s gonna be like a grand quest, and what we’ll be questing for is les frissons which come with live performance. It’s gonna be so nerdy and great!”
New single, BECAUSE I LOVE YOU is out now
Debut album, GLORIOUS HEIGHTS is set for release on August 5 (out through Wonderlick Records), available for pre-order now* *all pre-orders will receive BECAUSE I LOVE YOU as an instant grat track + the ability to enter a competition to win tickets to an intimate, private acoustic showcase with Montaigne, more info at www.montaignemusic.com.au
Tickets to the national BECAUSE I LOVE YOU tour are on sale now, excluding Brisbane Festival which will go on sale from June 30
MONTAIGNE ‘BECAUSE I LOVE YOU’ TOUR DATES
presented by triple j and music feeds
TUE 13 SEP | THE SPIEGELTENT @ BRISBANE FESTIVAL, BRISBANE QLD (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from www.brisbanefestival.com.au *On sale Thu 30 June
FRI 16 SEP | CARNIVAL OF FLOWERS, TOOWOOMBA QLD (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from www.tcof.com.au
FRI 23 SEP | FAT CONTROLLER, ADELAIDE SA
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 24 SEP | JACK RABBIT SLIMS, PERTH WA
Tickets available from www.ticketbooth.com.au
SAT 01 OCT | BEYOND FESTIVAL, CANBERRA ACT (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from www.beyondfestival.com.au
SUN 02 OCT | WILDWOOD FESTIVAL, PORT MACQUARIE NSW (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from www.wildwoodmusic.com.au
MON 03 OCT | CALOUNDRA MUSIC FESTIVAL, CALOUNDRA QLD (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from www.caloundramusicfestival.com
FRI 07 OCT | UNI BAR, WOLLONGONG NSW
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 08 OCT | OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY NSW
Tickets available from www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SUN 09 OCT | LIZOTTES, NEWCASTLE NSW (ALL AGES)
Tickets available from www.lizottes.com.au | 02 4956 2066
FRI 14 OCT | WORKERS CLUB, GEELONG VIC
Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 15 OCT | CORNER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC
Tickets available from www.cornerhotel.com | 1300 724 867
MELBOURNE’S KINGS. ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO (u) West Coast
Melbourne-based electro-pop newcomers, KINGS. have today announced their infectious new single (u) West Coast, a gem of a song that is soaked in seasonal nostalgia, set for release on July 1. The band have also announced the fittingly sun-kissed video for (u) West Coast, directed by Lawrence Phelan (Chris Watts, Reika).
(u) West Coast is a shimmering example of uplifting electro pop. Characterised by its sharp production and cyclic synthesisers, the song is intricate, dense and seriously satisfying. It transcends time and transports the listener into the haze of an Australian summer, intrinsically narrated by lead vocalist Hayden Jeffery’s honeyed, soaring vocal. The chorus is joyous, effortlessly cool, and buoyed by endlessly catchy hooks. Speaking on the inspiration behind the tune, Jeffery says, “(u) West Coast draws on the feeling of nostalgia, it’s one of my favourite emotions to feel; it sparks a very colourful and creative energy. The letter (u) in the title refers to a place where I once was and once experienced, it holds plenty of memories, stories and sentimental feelings.”
The lyric video for the tune is reflective of this energy, and consists of stunning, sparkling footage of beaches so picturesque they could have been plucked straight from a daydream. Rolling in and then receding, waves flow underneath the words as they flicker and fade, perfectly timed to emphasise the ebbs and flows in the music. Speaking on the clip, Jeffery explains, “We wanted the lyric video to tie in with the aesthetic of the artwork, as well as the themes of the lyrical content. The video is more or less a pleasing sight to envisage while listening to the song.”
With 80,000 spins across Spotify and Soundcloud, and 30,000 YouTube views for their last single, Whispers, KINGS. have the industry and music lovers’ primed and waiting for this anticipated second single and it will not disappoint. The skilled producers and musicians have a jam-packed year ahead, continuing to create new tunes for themselves and for other musicians, as Jeffery enthuses, “The unique thing about KINGS. is that all the music is DIY from home. We have a little rehearsal studio built in my garage and all of the records come together on my laptop. In our spare time we’ll be making more music and producing for other artists.”
KINGS. is Hayden Jeffery, Sam Buirski, Caleb Williams, and Tim Cox.
(u) West Coast is available for purchase on iTunes on July 1