KIT ANNOUNCES DEBUT SINGLE AND VIDEO ‘GOOD GUY’
An integral part of the beloved Australian group All Our Exes Live In Texas, Kit (otherwise known as Katie Wighton) has today announced her debut solo release, Good Guy. A gritty, guitar-led powerhouse of a single, Good Guy calls out every dude who’s ever gotten away with bad behaviour. Kit has also released a stellar clip to accompany Good Guy, created in collaboration with Gina Somfleth of Pop Candi Films (Merpire, Peach Noise, Press Club).
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, Kit has had to be creative with her single launch shows. After performing at ISOLAID on March 22 she was inspired to do her single launch show live on Instagram. With support from Bonnie Songs , Nancie Schipper & Hannah Blackburn, Kit will perform live from her livingroom on Friday April 17 at 7pm AEDT. She will have a Bandcamp set up with the idea that people can buy the single and donate what they may have paid to come to the show, and a percentage of the proceeds from the night will also go to Support Act to help those who are seriously suffering in our musical community.
“I find it very interesting that at the moment the things we seem to be talking about are our healthcare workers and hospitals, schools and universities and The Arts. In a crisis, these things become the most important and I hope that when we get through this awful time we will remember that.” Kit remarks. “Being creative can sometimes be a burden but right now, it’s our biggest asset. I’ve been doing the crossword on Instagram live and also have started an insta-choir – which is so much fun. I was sitting in my room playing a Hank Williams song and really missing the harmonies, so I chucked it up on my socials and asked people to send in their harmonies. The second week has really taken on a life of its own – we did Two Strong Hearts and had drums and bass and even a wine bottle solo! It’s so beautiful to connect with people safely and bring a little smile to people across the interwebs!”
Co-written with Ali Barter (also featured on backing vocals) and created with producers Dave Symes (Boy and Bear, Sarah Blasko, Missy Higgins) and James Seymour (Merpire, Eaglemont), Good Guy is a sharp, hard-hitting track with a vital message. One for fans of rockers Alex Lahey, Angel Olsen and Ruby Fields, Good Guy leads with its heart on its sleeve; with amps cranked and driving percussion alongside clever and playful melodies, this track is impossible to ignore. Speaking on the inspiration behind the track, Kit explains, “I wrote this song with Ali Barter last year after having one too many conversations with amazing women about men in the entertainment industry getting away with bad behaviour. There is a long and specific story behind it, basically I was tired of hearing sad songs by incredible women about other remarkable women who were wronged – I just wanted to get mad about it. The chorus is kind of a G-rated ‘fuck the patriarchy’. One of the lyrics is ‘it’s bigger than us both’. The conversations stopped just being about my own sadness, anger, disappointment and horror and turned into ‘What the actual shit is going on around us? How can we fix this?’”
The clip for Good Guy reinforces the message behind the track wholeheartedly. Reflecting on the video, Kit says, “It’s kind of alluding to the experience of someone seeming like a lovely person at first and lulling you into a semi-false sense of security. Then bam, they do something shit and you’re all confused. And I feel like it’s so common now. Sometimes it’s not even something that bad. Ghosting and not replying to texts, not going straight for a condom, not being honest and open about where they’re at. Anyway, it’s that. In a film clip. You’ll just have to watch it to get the full scoop! And it’s shot in Melbourne at some of my favourite spots! The patriarchy is giving me a lot of creative fodder, ha!”
Good Guy is a far cry from the exquisite folk stylings of All Our Exes Live In Texas that fans might know Kit best for, but it’s all a melting pot of influences as she explains, “I’ve been listening to different music – more rocky, raw stuff. We played folk songs for a long time and I got to a point where I wanted to yell a bit. Get my punk on! And have my own voice too. The band has definitely been a part of KIT, even if it isn’t conscious. Those women are a really important part of my music and emotional history and it would be naïve to think it hasn’t influenced KIT.”
Good Guy is out now through Believe.
FRIDAY 17 APR @ 7pm AEDT | LIVE ON INSTAGRAM WITH BONNIE SONGS, NANCIE SCHIPPER & HANNAH BLACKBURN
GRANT MCLENNAN FELLOWSHIP WINNER JACK BRATT ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘SPADES’
Hot off the back of winning the prestigious Grant McLennan Fellowship in 2019, beloved Aussie rocker Jack Bratt has today announced his brooding new single Spades, a study in over-thinking, out now, and accompanied by an intimate live video.
Spades is a dark, moody track, and will be an exciting release for fans of anthemic legends The War On Drugs, Kingswood, Holy Holy, The Rubens et al. Expert guitar reigns throughout, while Jack’s unique, cutting vocal sits within the bed of sound, with sharp, affecting lyrics. Speaking of the inspiration behind the track, Jack explains, “I’m a classic overthinker, and Spades is a bit of a snapshot of me over-analysing everything. It’s a lot about comparing where I’m at in my life to my friends and family, thinking about whether or not I’m where I should be compared to, say, when my parents were at the same age.”
Such a close, vulnerable track requires careful treatment when it comes to live performance, and the accompanying video for Spades will give goosebumps to anyone who presses play. Directed by Clint Lewis of Red Tape Pictures (Tim Rogers, The Church), the black and white, artistic video depicts a solo rendition of the track, which allows Jack to accurately portray the significant nature of the subject matter in this song, as he says, “I just wanted the video to be simple. Playing this song solo, not in a band setting, is a pretty vulnerable thing. When I walked into the room for the first time and saw the pillars and the stained-glass windows, I knew it was going to be perfect for the song.”
Jack Bratt, who still hopes to head to New York City in June for a three month artist residency thanks to his recent Grant McLennan Fellowship accolade, also holds high hopes that he’ll be able to play a run of intimate shows while over in the US. With a lot of uncertainty around Covid19, Jack’s plans are a little up in the air, but he’s got a great attitude about his year ahead, enthusing, “While this is obviously a pretty distressing time for all of us, I’m using the time wisely by writing a lot of music which I’m excited about. And I’m planning on still heading to New York as soon as the travel bans have been lifted.”
Spades is out now
GAUDION ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO ‘TV SHOWS’ + LIVESTREAM PERFORMANCES
Newcomer Gaudion has today announced his clever, indie pop single TV Shows, a wistful reflection upon love and loss written during a period of deep change and development for the artist, out April 1. Gaudion has also revealed a sweet, adventurous video to accompany the track, directed by Guido Pezz. In light of COVID-19, Gaudion is unable to perform regular gigs – so to celebrate the release of TV Shows he has announced two YouTube/Instagram livestream performances on April 2 at 7.30PM AEST, and April 30 at 7.30PM AEST.
TV Shows is one for fans of guitar pop and brilliant Australian songwriting. Evocative of Dean Lewis, Ziggy Alberts, and Ben Howard, TV Shows would feel at home on the soundtrack for a coming of age romantic film, or perhaps it’s that track that you’ll play over and over on your next summer roadtrip. Catchy and affecting, this song features Gaudion’s lovely vocal performance front and centre. Speaking on the inspiration behind the track, Gaudion explains, “TV Shows is a small part of my life. I began writing the tune when I was working on a small farm in a rural area in Canada’s Saskatchewan. In this place I was turbulent. I never knew what I wanted to do. So I taught myself to play guitar and sing inside a grain silo every day after work. I was also going through a difficult stage of adolesence; through this song I was aiming to express my current feelings with music. Every time I’d think of the things I was going through I’d write a little bit more of the song. It’s not the first song I ever wrote, and definitely not the last, but it holds a long journey of my emotions, my memories and my thoughts.”
The film clip for TV Shows is open to interpretation, allowing the audience to incorporate their own meaning into the clip, which is a very special feeling. The video follows the story of a couple who part, while Gaudion watches on on a television set. The performance is serene, indicating a sense of acceptance of life’s inherent challenges and curveballs. Speaking on the clip, Gaudion enthuses, “The music video for TV Shows has been one of the funnest journeys ever. Guido Pezz is a fantastic director, new mate of mine and creative genius. It’s literally a video of me watching TV Shows which follow the emotions of the music. I’m very happy with the process, the beautiful actors we worked with and laughs we had along the way.”
Although disappointed that he won’t be able to perform in person for the foreseeable future, Gaudion is excited to present two intimate performances via livestream, as he says, “All we have seen happen to the world over the past months due to COVID-19 has been devastating. In our industry, all shows have been cancelled, jobs have been lost and artists are genuinely scared of the carryover effects that this virus will have. I feel the need to keep moving forward and I’m also in a position to brighten peoples’ days through sharing my music, so I feel very fortunate. I am excited to be performing two Youtube livestream performances to celebrate the release of this song.”
Talented in more ways than one, Gaudion is a keen carpenter, and even made his own guitar, as he says, “I love building and creating things with my hands, I find it very rewarding and exciting. A few years back I built an acoustic guitar from scratch. She’s a medium sized dreadnaught made from Tasmanian blackwood (back and sides), sitka spruce (top), mahogany (neck) and Indian rosewood (features). Her name is Grace, and I play her every day! Everything happens for a reason, and after building this guitar I became a lot more interested in playing.”
TV Shows is out April 1.
GAUDION ‘TV SHOWS’ LIVESTREAM PERFORMANCES
THURS APR 2 | YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM LIVESTREAM | 7:30PM AEST
https://youtu.be/O3-W0QRGtr4 | IGTV @gaudion_music
THURS APR 30 | YOUTUBE / INSTAGRAM LIVESTREAM | 7:30PM AEST
https://youtu.be/gaDdbb4y9Ns | IGTV @gaudion_music