SUMNER ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE PICTURES + EP ALL THAT I AM
There’s something very special about the enigmatic electronic duo Sumner, consisting of Jack McLaine and Chloe Wilson. The underground newcomers have already played alongside Vera Blue, The Smith Street Band, Montaigne, graced the Falls Festival stage and are a part of the upcoming Party In The Paddock…but in 2018, it’s about to get a whole lot bigger with the release of their exciting new single, Pictures, on February 9. This dark RnB track examines solitude, and is the first taste of Sumner’s upcoming debut EP, All That I Am (out Feb 16), a release that explores illness, diagnosis, personal struggle and catharsis, all within Sumner’s own very cool little world.
Pictures plays with a wide variety of elegant influences; the duo embrace the production style of Lorde’s first LP, while adding their own distorted pop/RnB stylings reminiscent of Frank Ocean and heavy bass that feels like something off an Arctic Monkeys record. It’s a potent combination that particularly shines on this single, as the duo have skillfully pieced together some seriously eclectic moments to create this one intelligent, mature, hooky song. Reflecting on the inspiration behind the track, Jack and Chloe agree it’s definitely about feeling very alone, “The song was inspired by the feeling of being alone in a packed club full of people. Feeling distant and out of touch with the people around you laughing, dancing and having a generally happy time.”
The EP All That I Am is further proof that Sumner are one to watch. This collection of songs is perfectly unique and completely self-assured, and not only is that very rare for such a young project – it’s precisely what makes them special. All That I Am is effortlessly cool and refreshing, with open vulnerability within the lyrics that overflow atop consistant beds of glowing, pulsating, dexterous production. Jack and Chloe share a little more about the process and the team behind it all, “The EP was entirely self-produced and recorded. We worked with some mates for particular parts such as Shanice Osita Chuku on additional vocals in 45 Roses and Pictures, and Billy Bennett (Save The Clock Tower) on additional guitar for Lover. We also worked with Ross Irwin (The Cat Empire, The Bamboos) for the horn parts on 45 Roses. The EP was mixed by Kevin ‘KD’ Davis (Rihanna, TLC, Destiny’s Child, Tupac) and mastered by Grammy Award winner William Bowden (Gotye, Hermitude).”
Music is the constant thread shared between Jack and Chloe, as they reflect on the theme of the EP and what it was that brought them together, “We used music as a catharsis, with the EP following a story from illness to a cleaner, healthier mind with a change of perspective through the process… We met living in the small town of Launceston and finding each other’s music through mutual friends. We decided to link up to play a one off gig as ‘Sumner’ and we haven’t stopped making music since.”
Pictures will be out on February 9 and All That I Am is set for release on February 16.
DONNARUMMA ANNOUNCES DEBUT SINGLE + VIDEO LOVE YOUR MAN + NEW EP BILLY BILLY + EAST COAST TOUR
Donnarumma have today announced their raucous debut single Love Your Man, a horn-bouyed heavy hitter that leaves little to the imagination, out June 2. The trio have also dropped a spectacularly menacing clip to accompany the track, directed by Lewis Brideson (Last Dinosaurs, West Thebarton Brothel Party). Love Your Man is the first taste of the upcoming EP from the guys, Billy Billy, due for release on June 30. Donnarumma will be hitting the road to celebrate Love Your Man and Billy Billy throughout July, hitting up Adelaide, Melbourne, Wollongong and Sydney along the way.
Love Your Man is undeniable in many ways; those drums, those horns, that hook – you better love your man, love your man, delivered with just the right concoction of desperation, frustration and bubbling, tenuous anger. With hints of jazz influences that filter through the likes of The Cat Empire, and notable production and arrangement references to Gang of Youths, Donnarumma have devised a unique and innovative composition in Love Your Man. The accompanying clip, with its scorned female conceiving cruel and perilous circumstances for her unfortunate lover, reflects the frenzied nature of the song perfectly. Speaking on the song and its unforgettable, ominous video, lead singer Louis Donnarumma says, “Love Your Man is about the jealousy that warped my perception of a relationship I was once in. The song travels back to a time where I felt betrayed by my partner – what an innocent boy I was! The video shows this toxic relationship where the girl goes insane, kidnaps her partner and tries to kill him – then it is revealed that he’s been cheating on her the whole time and he ends up getting what he deserves. Sounds ridiculous I know, but we tried to be as over the top as we could be. It’s like those moments when you’re so angry you picture the most outrageous stories in your head. We find it amusing and love the irony; there’s this man singing how he doesn’t feel loved, but does nothing but betray her!”
Billy Billy, the EP that Donnarumma have been honing and crafting for a year, provides a fine example of a band that understand how to express the highest highs and the lowest lows of the human experience. Not only do they express, but they communicate with the listener, through punchy horn lines, irresistible rhythmic turns and hooky lyrics. Drawing from a wide net of influences cast as far as Nina Simone to Arcade Fire, Billy Billy was engineered by Tom Barnes (The Shaolin Afronauts) and includes guests Paige Court (MANE), Maggie Rutjens (Timberwolf), and Ollie English on backing vocals. Reflecting on the record, Louis remarks, “Firstly, the main message in these songs is one of feeling lost as you’re growing up. I imagine Billy as being a general name for anyone that’s feeling lost with the whole business. I feel like not many songs nowadays tackle this issue and it’s one that hits close to home, so I had to share it. The other biggy is love, but not the way most people go about it, we have no rose coloured glasses so all of our love songs are about loves that have been lost.”
After experiencing Donnarumma through the speakers it’s pretty clear that this is a band that simply must be seen live. Luckily for audiences the trio will be hitting up a bunch of venues along the east coast of the country and in their hometown of Adelaide throughout July. Excited to be hitting the road, Louis gives audiences a taste of what to expect, “Loud guitars, a drummer that jumps around and a bass that looks like a huge violin is just the start. Armed with those, and a bunch of songs both from the EP and brand new, the live shows will leave you singing the hooks hours after you go home.”
Love Your Man will be available from June 2 and Billy Billy will be released on June 30.
DONNARUMMA ‘BILLY BILLY’ SHOWS
SAT 1 JULY | GRACE EMILY HOTEL, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
FRI 7 JULY | WHOLE LOTTA LOVE, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
THURS 13 JULY | RAD BAR, WOLLONGONG NSW | 18+
FRI 14 JULY | THE TOWNIE, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
Free Show
ALEX L’ESTRANGE ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE NOTHING TO HIDE AND DEBUT EP AUCHENFLOWER
Exceptional young songwriter, producer & multi-instrumentalist Alex L’Estrange has today announced his new single Nothing To Hide, a gritty mystery of a track lifted from his debut EP, Auchenflower, both set for release on December 16. Following several vibrant singles which have gained the attention from a bunch of large tastemaker blogs including DIY (UK) and Hilly Dilly (US), L’Estrange’s debut EP Auchenflower is a clear, confident collection of songs, named for the sleepy Brisbane suburb in which they were written. L’Estrange has just finished traveling around the country supporting Holy Holy on their Darwinism national tour and will launch his EP with a hometown show at Black Bear Lodge’s Last Party Before Lockout on January 28.
Nothing To Hide is hazy, evoking a nebulous feeling of early Tame Impala, or even The Beatles of Revolver times. L’Estrange’s voice sits defiantly atop an intoxicating, guitar-driven instrumental that pulls towards the magnetic, soaring chorus. L’Estrange reflects on the track, “It was written on one of those strange days that felt more like a dream. I’d been working away at this tune, I knew it had something about it that I’d never felt before, but I didn’t find out about what that really meant until later that night. That evening, a stranger visited me at the house I was living at in Auchenflower. I ended up going back to her mansion that she lived at alone. She divulged her life story. When I finally got back home, the song made sense. It was for her.”
The video for Nothing To Hide is a delicate gem, framing the track with finesse. Directed by Corey Donaldson (Cloudfall), the clip depicts a young woman living in a lifeless world, inhabited by mannequins. Eventually conforming, she transforms into a mannequin herself, leaving the audience to wonder whether she can maintain a sense of individuality in a world where everyone looks the same. Of the clip, L’Estrange says, “It’s clear that deep within her mind there is an original voice struggling to get out, she’s questioning her environment, and trying to understand why she feels so disconnected…(Lead actor) Cecilia Griffiths’ incredible expression really created the atmosphere of the clip and brought an air of mystery to the role. She has an innocence that is both charming and devastating.”
L’Estrange has arrived at a conclusive new juncture with the upcoming release of his debut EP, Auchenflower. The thoughtful collection of songs is natural, personal; the result of years of practice, years of listening, writing, and learning. Lurching guitars thread themselves around towering choruses, while quieter moments are buoyed by oblique acoustic arrangements and introspective lyricism. For the most part, Auchenflower was self-produced, however Australian music industry veterans Matt Redlich (Holy Holy, Ball Park Music, Ainslie Wills) and Andy Aubin (MTNS) both played a part in the production of the stunning debut. Reflecting on the ideas explored on Auchenflower, L’Estrange says, “Each song tackles a different thing. Some of the themes are focused inwards and concern feelings of fleeting love. Some of them concern others around me, like troubled relationships or exciting, enigmatic people. I’m often more interested in the listener’s interpretation of a song – A song like Nothing to Hide evokes a whole range of different moods and atmospheres within different people.”
L’Estrange has been on the road with Holy Holy on their Darwinism national tour this month, wrapping up at The Triffid in Brisbane on the weekend. Excited to be on the road playing live, L’Estrange enthuses, “Playing live has shed a whole new light onto the songs. I’m lucky enough to have some of my best friends (and some of the best musicians), play on stage with me. My line up at the moment usually consists of Sam Cromack and Dean Hanson (Ball Park Music) on guitar and bass, and Zac Moynihan (Mid Ayr) on drums. We try and recreate the feeling and atmospheres of the songs in a live setting without just replicating the recordings. We change stuff up and play off the crowd. Each show is different and unique.”
Auchenflower will be out December 16
SAT JAN 28 | ‘LAST PARTY BEFORE LOCK OUT’ BLACK BEAR LODGE, BRIS | 18+ | TICKETS http://blackbearlodge.oztix.com.au/?Event=68822