DAHLIA RAY SHARES NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘BONFIRE’
Evoking endless summer days and bubbling warmth, the new single Bonfire out today from singer-songwriter Dahlia Ray blends buoyant indie pop with 90s sentimentality. Driven by optimism and demure effervescence, Bonfire is also accompanied by a nostalgic music video, complete with a key childhood staple: the humble trampoline.
Billowing with soft textures, creamy vocals and propulsive beats, Bonfire is a raw bundle of gloss and confessional lyricism, with Dahlia Ray equally drawing to mind the likes of Amy Shark mixed with soft flourishes from her current musical crushes Sia and Portishead. Teaming up with Michael Paynter and Michael Delorenzis at MSquared Productions, as well as her uni pal from JMC Academy, Johnny Grant, to ultimately bring Bonfire to life, Dahlia Ray also drew on a deeply personal memory to heighten the track’s rose-coloured sonic soul, as she explains, “Bonfire is about being optimistic about the future. It’s also about my mum’s best friend, Jan, who was a friend that became family. Jan is the oldest survivor of cystic fibrosis in Australian history. Her funeral was a big party because she outlived all expectations of her and fought right through until she was 65. Her attitude is something that has inspired us all and inspired this song.”
Fittingly accompanying the bouncy nostalgia lying in wait on Bonfire, the track’s accompanying music video saw Dahlia Ray team up with Aria Award-winning photographer, stylist and videographer She Is Aphrodite, conjuring a sparse yet sharp aesthetic that perfectly echoes Bonfire’s playful charm. “The concept was that I’d be having as much fun as possible while having memory flashbacks which we just used stock films for,” explains Dahlia Ray of the Bonfire music video. “I came up with the stock film idea but that’s definitely all I did. She Is Aphrodite came up with the idea of me jumping up and down on the trampoline. We used her neighbour’s back yard, so nice of him, lol. But yes, She Is Aphrodite is definitely the brains behind this clip.”
A self-confessed geek obsessed with chess as well as sharing and creating good times in a live setting, Dahlia Ray has been steadily weaving sonic magic over the years, culminating in this stunning new addition to kick off the new year. And while the release of Bonfire has been a long time in the making, the track is a seamless extension to Dahlia Ray’s ever-growing repertoire and her ultimate passion for her craft. “I love that music unites people by the shared experience of the songwriter. I’ve sung since I can remember and so it’s always been my only real outlet.”
Bonfire is out today, Friday January 20.
PIERCE BROTHERS TEAM UP WITH TASH SULTANA FOR NEW SINGLE ‘HIGH AND UNSTEADY’
Indie-folk staples of the Australian music scene Pierce Brothers have teamed up with platinum award winning, producer, engineer, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tash Sultana to write and record their new single High and Unsteady. An energetic folk track that permeates waves of clean electric guitar tones alongside the upbeat tempo we’ve come to expect from a PBs tune. Accompanying the new single is an equally impressive animated music video joining 35mm analogue and digital footage, directed and edited by Patrick Pierce himself.
A bouncing summer single, High and Unsteady’s upbeat tempo is underscored by a much darker tone that explores the nature of the emotional pain associated with addiction and its strain on a relationship. Recorded and produced at Tash Sultana’s Melbourne studio, High and Unsteadypossesses both the energetic charm of a Pierce Brothers’ single, with the unmistakable rhythm that accompanies Sultana’s electric guitar riffs. “I really enjoyed working with the guys.” says Tash, “We’ve been working together for years on the road, so I had a great idea on how to capture their sound.” With additional engineering by Richard Stolz and Jan Skubiszewski, and mixed by renowned producer and mixer Dann Hume (Tones and I, Tash Sultana, Matt Corby), High and Unsteady is the first collab between Tash Sultana and Pierce Brothers.
Having started out busking on Bourke St together back in the beginning of their careers, the brothers and Tash have been friends for over a decade now, touring all over the planet together. It was halfway through 2021 when Tash had the idea to explore a collaboration, opting to produce the track themselves. “We’ve loved everything that Tash has done over the years, and when they had the idea to collaborate, we jumped at the opportunity!” says Jack. “Pat and I put together the bones of the track so when we got into Tash’s studio we had a base from which to create and explore new sounds. Tash is one of the most talented producers we’ve had the pleasure of working with, they brought so many new sounds to mix that we would never have even thought of. I didn’t know what a mellotron was before that day!”
The monumental music video was a labour of love for one of the brothers Patrick Pierce who had had a clear vision of the concept since its inception. “About 12 months ago I found a video featuring this rare Japanese film camera from the 90s. It has 16 separate frames across two rows on it, and was used for things like shooting a golf swing. I was searching for about 8 months before I could find one and start testing it out.” Says Pat. On top of the unique filming style, the editing process was done entirely in-house over a painstaking summer of carefully rotoscoped images. “Easily the biggest hurdle in this music video was the edit. I had to develop, scan, separate and animate over 3,000 individual images. It took months, and I’m certain that the response from the general public will be “huh… nice filter.” That said, I’ve had this idea for ages now, so I’m really happy I’m finally getting it out of my head and onto a screen.”
High and Unsteady marks the end of a run of collaboration tracks for the Pierce Brothers, who plan on getting started on their next record in 2023. With an Australian, South African, and European tour on the cards for 2023, Pierce Brothers show no sign of slowing down.
High and Unsteady by Pierce Brothers and Tash Sultana is out today, January 20 via Ditto
Listen & Watch High and Unsteady – HERE
HIGH & UNSTEADY SINGLE TOUR
SAT FEB 4 – MUSIC IN THE VINES, MACARTHUR, VIC
https://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/miv2022
SAT FEB 11 – HELLO SUNSHINE FESTIVAL, SCORESBY, VIC
https://hellosunshinefest.com.au/tickets/
SAT FEB 25 – TUMBAFEST, TUMBARUMBA, NSW
FRI MAR 10 – CAMBRIDGE WAREHOUSE, NEWCASTLE, NSW JUST ANNOUNCED
https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/ba077afa-e0a1-45b0-a317-807370514bac
SAT MAR 11 – LIGHTHOUSE FESTIVAL, CENTRAL COAST, NSW
https://lighthousefest.com.au/shop/
FRI MAR 24 – MARLO HOTEL, MARLO, VIC JUST ANNOUNCED
https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/pierce-brothers-marlo-hotel/148664
SAT MAY 27 – TROPIC SOUNDS, TOWNSVILLE, QLD
https://nafa-tsv.com.au/special/tropic-sounds-2023
WED JUL 5 – BIG RED BASH , BIRDSVILLE, QLD
https://bigredbash.com.au/buy-2023-tickets/
SAT AUG 19 – MUNDI MUNDI BASH, BROKEN HILL, NSW
https://mundimundi.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/4ab390db-c553-4486-bec2-2391046bf496
THE MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW – THE BIGGEST RIFF ’N’ ROLL SHOW IN AUSTRALIA IS SET TO RETURN TO THE CAULFIELD RACECOURSE ON MARCH 4 & 5 #MGS2023
The Melbourne Guitar Show is ready to make its rockin’ return in 2023, set to storm Caulfield Racecourse on March 4 and 5, with tickets on sale today from www.melbourneguitarshow.com.au. It’s been 3 long years since the last show was devoured by over 5,000 guitar and music loving punters, but we’re breaking open the cases, dusting down the show, oiling its neck, setting its action and tuning it to perfection for a grand return in 2023.
Proudly presented by the Australian Music Association and Australian Musician, sponsored by Marsh and supported by Triple M, PBS and Mixdown, the show dedicated to celebrating the world’s most popular instrument, will once again feature Australia’s largest pop-up guitar shop, and an axe-ellent lineup of guitarists from Aus and around the world. It will offer the chance to see, try and buy from the biggest range of guitars seen in Melbourne under one roof for the first time since 2019. Plus, the opportunity to see and meet the finest local and international exponents of fretted instruments across three stages.
This year’s lineup features performances and up close and personals from some of the world’s most talented guitarists, including Eric Bibb (USA), Nick Johnston (CAN), and Aussies; Steph Strings, Hussy Hicks, Simon Hosford plays Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Kathleen Halloran, Lloyd Spiegel, Kyran Daniel and heaps more to be announced. #MGS2023 will host a monster gear expo with over 50 exhibitors that will feature a huge variety of electric and acoustic guitars, effects pedals, amps and more state-of-the-art guitar technology, both home-grown and from around the world. It will host information seminars, demonstrations, and live performances.
Executive officer of the AMA, Alex Masso says, “The association is pleased to be able to announce the re-birth of our iconic show in 2023. The industry has missed the chance to meet face-to-face and talk to guitar enthusiasts about our great products.
“There has been a huge interest in the guitar over the past couple of years, with a big spike in demand during the pandemic. This is an instrument for everyone and the old stereotypes of shredders and being a male dominated instrument are fading away. Even as music changes over time it remains the most popular instrument, Melbourne Guitar Show is a showcase for the wide range of guitars and guitarists we have in Australia.”
Thrilled to present #MGS2023 once again, MGS organiser, Rob Walker says, “It’s exciting to see the show back again adding value to the live music industry after the unusual times of the last couple of years. We are proud to present such a broad range and quality of guitars, amps and gear from the big brands to local artisans. And each year we get to put together a program of live music featuring the considerable talents of our guitar community. It’s a great weekend for anyone into music, particularly guitars, and we encourage you to bring the kids to inspire our next generation of guitarists.”
“And not only will the #MGS2023 provide a hands-on chance to see and play such a broad range of gear, there’ll be bargains a plenty”, he added, “All the guitars you can eat in the biggest buffet of gear you can imagine!”
The Melbourne Guitar Show will be held at Caulfield Racecourse on March 4 & 5, 2023
Tickets are on sale now from https://melbourneguitarshow.com.au/tickets/
Visit the new Melbourne Guitar Show site at www.melbourneguitarshow.com.au for the latest show announcements and information.
Check out the 2023 Promo video and Highlights Video from the last show CLICK HERE
SATURDAY March 4 | CAULFIELD RACECOURSE |10.00am – 6.00pm | TICKETS
SUNDAY March 5 | CAULFIELD RACECOURSE | 10.00am – 4.00pm | TICKETS
Early bird online ticket prices when purchased before February 14:: Adult day pass $25, adult weekend pass $40, concession day pass $15, concession weekend pass $20. Tickets after February 14 are:: Adult day pass $30, adult weekend pass $45, concession day pass $20, concession weekend pass $25.