BULLY HAY SHARES STIRRING NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘BUSHFIRE MOON’ + DEBUT ALBUM ‘BLACK DOGS AND SONGBIRDS’ DUE OUT OCTOBER 30
Embracing Australian rock with swooning acoustic adornment, the brand new single Bushfire Moon out today from Tasmania singer-songwriter Bully Hay is a stirring new cut taken from his forthcoming debut album Black Dogs And Songbirds, due out on Wednesday October 30. Also accompanied today by a striking music video reflecting actual events, Bushfire Moon is a reflective yet charming outing from this gifted Australian creative and storyteller, with production courtesy of the legendary Jeff Martin of The Tea Party fame.
With each song on the upcoming full length album Black Dogs And Songbirds channelling their own unique sonic flavours, Bushfire Moon effortlessly, and inadvertently, found its way into semi-country-meets-singer-songwriter terrain, with some classic Australian rock undercurrents also flourishing in the steady hands of Bully Hay, aka Jonathon Coleman. Taking inspiration from some of the greats, including Paul Kelly, Bruce Springsteen, Crowded House and Eddie Vedder, Bushfire Moon was also ultimately motivated by real-world events in the aftermath of the bushfires that devastated parts of Bully Hay’s home state. “Bushfire Moon came to me after the Dunalley bushfires in Tasmania a few years ago,” shares Bully Hay. “The fire wiped out most of the Tasman Peninsula and caused a lot of damage and disruption. It ended up cutting off a lot of people from the rest of the island to the point where people could only get on and off the peninsula by boat. So, the community had to band together to get help to those that needed it. It felt like just about anyone that had a boat was ferrying supplies and people back and forth for days because the roads were all blocked with debris from the fires. I had this fictional story in my head inspired by those events of a volunteer firefighter right in the thick of it, fighting the fires and totally exhausted. At some point he knows it’s a lost cause. The situation is hopeless and too far gone and he needs to get out of there. All he can think of is finding his love and he sets out, determined to find her amongst all the chaos.”
Produced, recorded and mixed by Jeff Martin (The Tea Party), who Bully Hay will also support on his Australian tour starting tonight and closing out in October, Bushfire Moon is ultimately “at its core, an acoustic guitar ballad that builds with layers of electric guitars and subtly intertwines a touch of violin”, brought together Bully Hay himself on guitars and vocals, Martin on guitar, Hellhound Brown on slide guitar, Drew Castles on drums, Ben Conicella on bass, and Luke Moller on strings. And also teaming up with Thomas Roach of Roach Media to bring the accompanying visuals for Bushfire Moon to life, the new music video snapshots the unique reality of bushfires in Australia, as Bully Hay elaborates, “We kept it simple with this one and just took the Australian landscape, lit it on fire (not literally, just found footage of it on fire!) and projected that onto me playing through the song. As traumatic as bushfires are, there is something quintessentially Australian about our country where fire is both the great destroyer and creator. So, we wanted that to be a focus of the video.”
Joining earlier singles Wash Off The World and the upcoming new album’s title track, Black Dogs And Songbirds, Bushfire Moon furthers the core notions of change, self-reflection and life’s highs and lows in general beating at the heart of Bully Hay’s debut full length. Along with Bully Hay and Jeff Martin’s incredible fingerprints across the entire album, Black Dogs And Songbirds also brought onboard Paul Pilsneniks (Silverchair, Dope Lemon, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard) on engineering, and Grammy Award-nominated Joe Carra (The Teskey Brothers) on mastering duties, as well as sonic inspiration spanning Soundgarden riffs, Rage Against the Machine basslines, Jeff Buckley, Paul Kelly, Powderfinger, Crowded House, The War On Drugs and, fittingly, Jeff Martin’s own band The Tea Party. Opening with buoyant empowerment via Wash Off The World, Bully Hay bursts into vivid view with heartrending melodics, acoustic flourishes and a glistening sonic reflection of the ocean itself in all of its cleansing and naturally wild beauty. From here, Bully Hay flits between wistful twangs (Breathing Out and I Can Be Your Lover), pensive, stripped-back ruminations (Black Dogs And Songbirds), swooning country hues (Bushfire Moon), an indie love ballad that melts and charms with measured simplicity (The World Is On Fire But You Look So Great), potent storytelling set against swelling textures (Cinnamon Perfume Cabernet), as well as injections of Aussie rock, both upbeat (Flinders Street Station. And whether diving headfirst into woozy and heavier territory (Arrest The Youth and Such Confidence) or buffeting across the album’s gossamer closing track (I Know What You’re Saying Love), Bully Hay not only showcases his dexterous abilities across a sea of different genre elements; he also effortlessly captures the entire gamut of the human existence in 11 powerful tracks.
“All of the song themes are taken from real life inspiration and reflection,” shares Bully Hay of Black Dogs And Songbirds. “Musically, I’m definitely a product of my listening habits and these vary so much from classical and folk music to grunge and metal, rock and acoustic singer songwriters. So perhaps this is why the songs vary a lot in style and are tricky to pinpoint. It’s a very self-reflective album. Most of the songs are about change and dealing with those changes in different ways. That could be rejecting change, embracing change or just noticing that something is happening whether you like it or not. Being true to yourself and recognising your own flaws and unpacking them. The songs differ quite a lot in style and feel. So, the album itself takes the listener on quite a journey. One of the songs on the album (Cinnamon Perfume Cabernet) has a lyric in there: “You cannot have the light without a little bit of darkness” and this very much sums up the experience of listening to this album. There are plenty of moments of light and shade and a little in between. Sums up the highs and lows of life in general.”
A sixth-generation Tassie boy currently based in Southern Tasmania, Bully Hay’s upbringing saw him utterly immersed in music, with his musical family helping to ignite his lifelong passion at an early age. Ultimately sparking his desire to become a musician by his father, who introduced Bully Hay to some chords on the guitar at the tender age of 14, the rest well and truly was history, with the self-taught Coleman going on to learn music by ear, and performed in bands and as a solo artist for the years to follow. Settling on the moniker Bully Hay for his solo endeavours, the name was inspired by Coleman’s uncle who was one of “The Rats of Tobruk” in World War II.
Ahead of the upcoming release of Black Dogs And Songbirds on October 30, Bully Hay will perform some solo acoustic shows supporting Jeff Martin on his Australian solo tour, with Martin performing interpretations of classic David Bowie songs on his Aussie run. Kicking off tonight in Belgrave, Martin and Bully Hay will trek to Melbourne, Adelaide and Cronulla, before closing out on Thursday October 24 in Newcastle. For Bully Hay, the chance to not only tour with Martin but also strip back his own live show is the perfect complement to the origins and creative journey for Black Dogs And Songbirds, as Bully Hay explains, “I couldn’t be more pumped about these shows. Normally these songs would be performed as a 5-6 piece band. But I’m hitting the road first in reverse and supporting Jeff in a solo acoustic format. I love playing these songs solo. In fact, every single song on the album began with just me on an acoustic guitar so it feels very natural. You can expect these songs stripped back and distilled into rather intimate versions. Often, it’s easier to connect with the audience when it’s just you and your guitar. As for Jeff jumping on stage, I would say there’s a strong possibility, but you’ll have to come along and find out!”
And with a national tour with his full band also on the cards following the release of Black Dogs And Songbirds, the best for Bully Hay seems only yet to come.
Bushfire Moon is out today.
Black Dogs And Songbirds is due out Wednesday October 30.
BULLY HAY – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Acoustic Solo Shows supporting Jeff Martin
FRI 20 SEP | SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
SAT 21 SEP | CORNER HOTEL, RICHMOND VIC | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
SAT 5 OCT | JIVE, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from Moshtix
WED 23 OCT | BRASS MONKEY, CRONULLA NSW | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
THU 24 OCT | KING STREET WAREHOUSE, NEWCASTLE, NSW | 18+
Tickets available from Oztix
QUINNY SHARES JOVIAL NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘EVERYTHING YOU WANT’ TAKEN FROM DEBUT ALBUM ‘OUTER MONOLOGUE’ DUE OUT OCTOBER 17
A charming pop turn from Scottish-born, Melbourne-based artist Quinny, the brand new single Everything You Want, out today, expands Quinny’s indie folk sonic universe into buoyant new territory, also armed with an endearing accompanying music video. Following on from his recent singles Settlers and Found & Lost, Everything You Want also unveils yet another sneak peek ahead of Quinny’s debut full-length album, with Outer Monologue officially set for release on Thursday October 17 and available to presave now.
A track that took on many forms during its recording process, Everything You Want saw Quinny team up with Graham McCusker, a composer for BBC’s His Dark Materials and lead artist in Glasgow/Manchester bands KAZE and Marouli, as well as fellow creative Kieran Logan, drummer for Kassidy, to bring the charming new single to life. Mixed and with additional production courtesy of Nathan Cable and mastered by Neil Pickles, Everything You Want ultimately flourishes with balanced modernity and classic craftsmanship, drawing on some dazzling influences and real-life experiences along with performances from Quinny himself on vocals, guitar and bass, Marie Collins (from The Vegan Leather) on backing vocals, Graham McCusker on backing vocals and keys, Dan Drennan on guitar, and some integral drum work courtesy of Kieran Logan. “This song is fairly new, and it got changed a lot in the recording process, so I definitely still feel in our honeymoon phase,” shares Quinny. “Everything You Want is one of my poppier tracks, very upbeat with a good groove – and props for the groove goes out to Kieran Logan who played drums on this one. Once we got right into the weeds of this tune, we were really aiming for a 1975 feel. Bit of Bombay Bicycle Club, Biffy Clyro and Steely Dan in there too. It’s about us not realising how good we have it. I feel like when things are going well, we can create problems to justify ourselves and our struggles.”
Recorded at Tpot Studios by Robin Evans in Quinny’s homeland, Scotland, Everything You Want’s cheerful wiles are perfectly matched by its accompanying music video. Centred around a wedding photo booth, the clip for Everything You Want follows the bride and groom and their guests posing, drinking and everything in between as the evening wears on, serving as a clever yet simple reminder to relish the good times when they pass your way. “We just wanted a fun vibe that fitted the feel of the song,” reveals Quinny. “The video features some people in the photobooth at a wedding, capturing the highs and lows of the evening as things get messier. The video was directed and produced by Eilidh Loan, known for her performances in ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘How To Have Sex’, and features an ensemble of performers including Anna Russell-Marti, a Screen International Rising Star, known for her TV performances in ‘Karen Pirie’, ‘Falling Into Place’ and ‘Annika’, and Reuben Joseph known for his run as Alexander Hamilton in London’s West End and TV roles in ‘Vigil’ & ‘Crime’”.
An artist capable of seamlessly harnessing jovial and moody overtones with unbridled relatability, Quinny’s fusion of innovation and fresh sentimentality is on full display throughout his forthcoming debut album; the aptly titled Outer Monologue. Opening with the airy melancholic beauty of Raining Monarchs, Outer Monologue traverses pulsating calls to action (Up the Dollar), wistful indie folk (Settlers), raw and plaintive rumination (An Act of Contrition and Astral Plane), Beatles-esque lush melodics (Darkness at the Door), crisp nostalgic odes (Friends and No Place to Die), as well as jukebox-ready swoon (Found & Lost), all helmed by Quinny’s captivating Scottish lilt lining his vocals while the additional acoustic version of Settlers brings in Marie Collins, Hannah Daman and Graham McCusker performing alongside Quinny. And while the overall album has been many years in the making for Quinny, nodding to his core influences of The Beatles, Biffy Clyro, Blink-182 and The Flaming Lips, as well as more recent nods to the likes of The Killers, Rufus Wainwright and Pixies, the end result of Outer Monologue is something that has been entirely worth the wait – and it’s one ready to resonate with new and old fans alike. “It’s been a long time coming,” says Quinny of his upcoming debut album release. “It’s sort of unbelievable that I managed to commit the time and money to it. I remember a lecturer of mine when I was 20 telling me it was time I wrote an album… so it’s overdue! I often can’t spot the themes of my songs until after the fact. Now that all of the creative part of the work is done, I can realise that the whole thing is me trying to look at things from other people’s perspectives, but I always end up just writing from my own. I can’t escape my own take!”.
A talented singer and songwriter hailing from Scotland, renowned for his tongue-in-cheek Christmas sonic creations, as well as frequently having strangers mistaking him for Ed Sheeran in public, Quinny’s musical endeavours has seen him fuse his burgeoning musical flair over the years with his four influential B’s, namely Biffy Clyro, Blink-182, The Beatles and Bombay Bicycle Club. With tours in the UK and North America under his belt, the multifaceted creative relocated to Melbourne in early 2020, with his newfound hometown sparking creative excitement that is now set to culminate in 2024 with the release of his debut album – and Quinny is certainly not bidding farewell to Australia any time soon. “I’m here for a while!” says Quinny. “I’m currently starting the hunt for somewhere to buy with my girlfriend. We met in London, did long distance once her visa ran out. I then moved here in 2020, got stuck… and never left.”
Alongside headlining shows at The Gaso, Last Chance, Retreat and Fitzroy Pinnacle since moving to Melbourne, Quinny also previously won the 2020 Darebin Songwriters’ People’s Choice Award shortly after moving down under, scoring the nod for his single Found & Lost that will also feature on the upcoming album Outer Monologue. Described by Tenement TV as “an enthralling mix of the raucous and sentimental with witty lyricism and poppy charm”, Quinny had also spent the past few years releasing older material and flippant Christmas songs, with One Foot In The Grave’s Richard Wilson making an appearance in one of Quinny’s infamous Christmas videos.
To celebrate the release of Outer Monologue this October, Quinny will host a special album listening party on Saturday October 19, with the free event set to take place at The Gem in Collingwood, before christening the album live in action this December. “I’ll play the album in full for the first time in December, followed by a set of my wonky Christmas tunes,” Quinny shares. “It’ll be high energy, and I’ll try not to derail the sombre mood of the songs by talking too much – though that seems to be half of what people come for now!”
“I’m looking to do more recording next year,” Quinny concludes. “I’m currently trying to suss out dates and see if I have enough ideas left after this. I might be hitting up my pop punk roots for the next thing. They’ve been calling me a bit lately.”
But before Quinny’s pop punk roots return, Outer Monologue is primed to delight this October, and keep your ear to the ground for a new Quinny Christmas song this December, also.
Everything You Want is out today.
Quinny’s full-length album Outer Monologue is due out Thursday October 17 and is available to presave now.
QUINNY – UPCOMING SHOWS:
SAT 19 OCT | THE GEM (UPSTAIRS), COLLINGWOOD, VIC | ALL AGES
Album listening party – Free entry
THU 19 DEC | SHOTKICKERS, THORNBURY, VIC | 18+
Tickets available from Moshtix
J-MILLA AND YUNG MILLA TO BRING ‘SAME BLOOD’ TO BIGSOUND 2024
Off the back of their live debut at AMAZON Music’s extraordinary Blak Loud showcase earlier this month, First Nations rap lords, J-MILLA and Yung Milla are now primed to turn BIGSOUND on its head with their SAME BLOOD showcase at Sound Garden on Tuesday 3 September. Undeniably set to be the hip hop party of the year, SAME BLOOD is an explosive live collaboration of rhyme, dance and style between the Marranunggu bruthas who have forged their own unique paths to prominence in the NT and beyond. Following BIGSOUND, the bruthas will take SAME BLOOD to the general public at the LIKE A BOSS MUSIC FESTIVAL on Saturday 7 September, before heading to SXSW Sydney.
Born to the traditional owners of the Litchfield National Park, the Milla brothers grew up rough in the southern suburbs of Darwin, overcoming intergenerational trauma and hardscrabble street life to find powerful voices, explosive stage presence and phenomenal clout as inspiration to a legion of Top End youth.
J-MILLA found his salvation in storytelling as a teen hellbent on redemption, using his passion like a weapon to maintain a healthy mental state for himself and his younger brother, Levi. My People and Unlock the System forged a platform for First Nations justice and social awareness. His latest, Boomerang (watch BOOMERANG), samples the Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir, another intentional step in his deft mix of social comment and bangin’ club vibes.
Speaking about the AMAZON Blak Loud showcase, J-MILLA says, “There’s a dynamic between us bros that’s hard to define, but the crowd that night, they could see it and that’s gangsta. This is what we’ll be bringing to BIGSOUND and more.”
Yung Milla followed his brother’s lead, but not his footsteps. While J found new footing via a private school scholarship in Adelaide, young Levi continued to draw his resolve as an artist from the challenging urban landscape of Palmerston: ripe territory for a hip hop truthteller determined to right wrongs and rise via killer tracks Better Days, Land Down Under, They Don’t Know, and his new anthem of transcendence, Shine (watch SHINE). Yung Milla will also showcase his solo set at the INCUBATED showcase on Wednesday 4.45pm at JBL Live Stage at BIGSOUND.
Yung Milla says, “Not only are we blood brothers, we’re best friends, we’ve come from struggle and gone through a lot of things together that most people never see. Then to be on stage performing to industry VIPs feels pretty good, like a blessing.”
SAME BLOOD brings all this to the party and more: classic cuts remixed, re-energised and spiced with brand new collaborations from their sometimes-troubled crossroads. Stay tuned for the national unveiling of the brothers’ debut track early next year, inspired by the tragic murder of their cousin, and continuing an uncompromising rise from a world of violence and temptation to a righteous pursuit of justice and glory.
In four short years, J-MILLA has amassed a slew of awards, collaborations and media accolades, carving a path for Yung Milla to escalate thephenomenon dubbed in regional NT communities as “Milla-Mania”.
Earlier this month, the brothers showcased their solo sets at Live Nation’s Ones to Watch and now, for only the second time, SAME BLOOD brings them together with a handpicked posse of dancers and road-hardened energy to blow the hip-hop party fuse for 2024.
Happy Mag calls J-MILLA “a dominant force in hip hop”. triple j calls Yung Milla “hot shit”. We’re calling Same Blood the hip hop party of the year.
TUES 3 SEP | SAME BLOOD, SOUNDGARDEN | FORTITUDE VALLEY, BRISBANE, QLD | 10PM
WED 4 SEP | YUNG MILLA, INCUBATED SHOWCASE | JBL LIVE STAGE, BRUNZ MALL | FORTITUDE VALLEY, BRISBANE, QLD | 4.45PM
SAT 7 SEP | SAME BLOOD, LIKE A BOSS MUSIC FESTIVAL, THE STATION | SUNSHINE COAST, QLD