ANYA ALCHEMY RELEASES SUMPTUOUS NEW SINGLE ‘ICK’
A slinky and witty ode to empowerment, the sassy new single ICK out today from Melbourne singer-songwriter Anya Alchemy balances sleek production with tongue-in-cheek charm; a resounding reminder to know your worth, coated in fearless indie alt-pop.
A creative chameleon of the highest order, Anya Alchemy entrances with her raw and authentic energy, and her latest outing ICK is no exception. Channelling inspiration from Doechii, Tyler The Creator and Miss Kannina on her new track, Anya Alchemy embraces audacious yet endearing swagger, while also capturing some of the worst types of personalities in song form, as she explains, “ICK is all about not lowering your standards for losers. I work at a pub to help pay for my artist project and I regularly serve the same characters in their 20s and beyond. The types that don’t say please or thank you, the types that complain about the prices of steak. They’re the worst and I think that they deserve their own moment, in song form.”
Working alongside her producer brother Jay Ferriere (Pez, 360), a la Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, ICK ultimately found its origin after Anyapenned the song’s opening line “Gap teeth, mean streak”, with the sibling duo working through the night when magic struck. “Whilst at work I wrote down the line ‘Gap teeth, mean streak’ in my Notes app – thinking nothing of it,” shares Anya Alchemy. “Later in the week I went to my brother’s house to work on music, he played me this ridiculous beat and the words just kept pouring out. We spent the whole night tweaking the words so that they weren’t so ambiguous and by the end of the night we had our song. ICK is really different from anything I’ve ever written before.”
And while Anya teamed up with Matt Bartlem (Matt Corby, Jarryd James, Lastlings) for mixing, and GRAMMY-nominated Andrei Eremin (G Flip, Tash Sultana, Sampa The Great) for mastering duties, ICK was largely a family affair to bring to life. “I feel like Billie and Finneas are probably a lot nicer to each other than we are,” laughs Anya. “We’ve been writing together properly for close to 3-4 years and we work well in that I love words and melodies, and he loves beats and the sonic side of things. We both really want to make stuff that is iconic, either to other people or even just to us – our shared passion for music and creating is the driving force of this project. One day we’ll yell about how much we hate each other and threaten to leave the project and then the next day one of us will send the other a house that we’ll buy when we make it big. That’s the charm of working with family.”
An emerging singer-songwriter hailing from regional Victoria, Anya Alchemy has a diverse sound, bouncing between indie pop with country hues, hip hop and beyond, with her trademark rich, soulful vocals transcending and complementing the honest songwriting permeating at the core of her creations. From intimate acoustic ballads to soaring sassy hits, Anya Alchemy is as versatile and memorable as her namesake, both showcasing a depth of maturity far beyond her years and a commitment to her unbridled artistic integrity.
2024 has been a been a solid year for live shows for Anya, landing herself on the Hello Sunshine Festival lineup earlier this year alongside The Veronicas, Grinspoon, Bliss n Eso, as well as hitting the road to support Pierce Brothers and Boo Seeka amongst others, and with even more magnetic new material on the horizon, ICK marks the first of many new releases evolving from Anya Alchemy’s work. And if ICK is anything to go by; the upcoming new music is set to be nothing but pure musical alchemy.
ICK is out today, Friday December 6.
KATHLEEN HALLORAN SHARES COMMANDING NEW SINGLE + VIDEO FREE WITH ME SYD + MEL LAUNCH DATES BEGIN NEXT WEEK
Kathleen Halloran effortlessly closes the 20 feet between her storied career as a sought-after ensemble guitarist, and an exciting new solo chapter, today sharing her debut single, Free With Me – a self-assured and wide open declaration of liberty, channelled through Halloran’s expert feel for guitar-driven pop-rock.
If she seems a dab hand, it’s because she’s got the experience to back it up. “I am very excited about this song and what it says about my life as an artist,” she says. “I couldn’t be happier to be finally releasing something of my own into the universe after a few special years on the road, soaking up inspiration from some powerhouse artists.”
‘Powerhouse’ is right; Halloran has performed with the likes of Kate Ceberano, Katie Noonan, Felix Riebl (The Cat Empire), Ash Grunwald and Tania Doko to name a few. Her talents as a session musician have seen her guitar-playing feature on countless recordings, in orchestra pits for many musical theatre productions, and on major festival stages all around the country.
Free With Me displays the artist’s easy grace at the mic and on her instrument, and includes a stunning guitar solo which sees her fly across her Fender’s fretboard before assuring listeners she’s no “collectible, delectable memento,” but rather an emancipated spirit who won’t be pigeonholed.
“The song is for all those people, like myself, who have a strong resistance to being put in a box, and those who don’t come with a manual!” she explains. “It draws from past experience of being perceived as ‘too much of this’ or ‘too little of that’, which I believe is a pressing struggle for ambitious, passionate people in this current climate. The over-arching message of the song is inner and outer freedom: to be proudly comfortable with who you are and to quit having to prove yourself or try too hard to meet other people’s perceptions, views or limitations. Just simply to be you!”
Produced by Ross Irwin (The Cat Empire, The Bamboos, Paul Kelly), engineered and mixed by Ben Edgar (Gotye, Angus and Julia Stone, Matt Corby) and mastered by Lachlan Carrick, Free With Me is accompanied by a video which makes Halloran’s performance prowess clear. “The video clip is my band and I performing Free With Me in my most favourite local cafe/restaurant, ‘Sorsi E Morsi’ in St Kilda!” she says.
“To say I love my local is an understatement. I am there every day I am home, and in spending so much time on the road, it’s actually one of the most grounding and calming routines I have when I get home from the busy-ness of tour! The idea came to me one night while I was enjoying a meal with some friends there. I really wanted to capture the local spirit and vibe that is a big part of my life, and also wanted to do something a little outside of the box! I love the idea of a world where we are engaged in our local communities, know each other’s coffee orders and share a friendly smile and wave in the street.”
The chance to see Halloran perform Free With Me is just around the corner, and the artist has some treats in store for attendees of these single-launching dates. “They can expect lots of epic guitar moments (drawing inspiration from some of the greats like SRV and Van Halen) in and around my new material, and a few covers as a tip of the hat to some idols,” she says. “I am so excited about the live band I’ve assembled, so audiences can definitely expect some pretty wild, ‘off tap’ jams as well!”
“I love being on the road,” she adds. “To me, making music and living life are the same thing.”
Don’t miss your chance to see Kathleen Halloran live for the launch dates of Free With Me, which announces Halloran as an inimitable and absolutely undeniable solo talent.
Free With Me is out now.
Stream Free With Me
Watch: Free With Me
KATHLEEN HALLORAN – UPCOMING SHOWS:
THU 5 DEC | THE TROCADERO ROOM, SYDNEY NSW
Tickets available from Moshtix
https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/kathleen-halloran-free-with-me-single-launch/173543
WED 11 DEC | THE GASOMETER HOTEL, MELBOURNE VIC
Tickets available from Oztix
https://gasometer.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/86410132-3105-4707-940f-31770ab56f35
BELOVED COMMUNITY EVENT SANTA FEST RETURNS TO WOLLONGONG ON DECEMBER 14 FEATURING KLP, LENNY PEARCE AND MORE
After a short one year hiatus, Santa Fest is back in 2024, with hundreds of Santas set to descend on the main watering holes of Wollongong for the mother of all pub crawls that will hit 11 local venues and feature 30 live music acts, bringing back this beloved community event in support of local charities Sahssi and Disabled Surfers Association.
Hailed as ‘Wollongong’s Christmas party’, the Santa-laden crawl will kick off at North Gong Hotel on Saturday December 14, before merrily ambling to The Illawarra Hotel, Towradgi Beach Hotel, Humber The Prince, La La La’s, and more, with tickets on sale now from Oztix.
After spreading Christmas cheer for thirty years and contributing over $2.5million towards charitable causes, Santafest had to sit last year out due to challenging conditions, but the spirit of the event has been revived as key figures in Wollongong’s hospitality scene step forward to ensure the tradition continues, albeit with a sustainable new approach, and with a full line up of live music at the forefront, featuring 30 acts across the participating venues, including sets from KLP, Lenny Pearce, Furnace and The Fundamentals, Fleetmac Wood and more.
With the blessing of the event’s creator (Neil Webster), Adam Murphy (Humber/Heyday/Halfway), Josh Hill (North Wollongong Hotel), and Ryan Aitchison (The Illawarra Hotel) have come together to save and rejuvenate this iconic event. Working collaboratively, they are poised to bring Christmas joy and charity back to Wollongong for another 30 years.
“Santa Fest’s humble beginnings started in 1993 with a group of mates coming together to celebrate the festive season and donating presents to the less fortunate. North Wollongong Hotel proudly became the spiritual home of Santa Fest, nurturing the event from one hotel to multiple venues, from a group of mates to 12,000 people coming from all over the world to participate at its peak,” explains North Wollongong Hotel venue manager, Josh Hill.
“This event is culturally important to Wollongong, I came from a Sydney venue, and every local I’ve spoken to has shared a story or two of their fond memories attending this event. The team at North Wollongong Hotel are proud and excited to continue the legacy that Neil started in 1993, continue to support local charities and continue to provide an event that creates fond memories for everyone who attends.”
To make the event future-focused, we know we need to make changes. What was once perceived as a day of intense drinking is now evolving into a Festival of Place. Our goal is to celebrate Wollongong—its people, its live music, its hospitality, its unique character and most importantly, its charities—by inviting people from near and far to Wollongong’s Annual Christmas Party,” says The Illawarra Hotel Publican, Ryan Aitchison.
Tickets to Santa Fest are available now from Oztix.