PERTH ARTIST ANNA O SET TO IMPRESS WITH DEBUT SINGLE AND EP
Exciting Perth newcomer Anna O is set to impress with her new single, Sleepless and debut EP, When The Winter Came set for release on March 21, ahead of her launch gig at Four5Nine Bar in North Perth on March 22.
Fans of artists such as Kimbra, Lorde and Jessie Ware should all keep an ear out for Anna O, as she bursts on to the scene with her edgy and catchy keys driven tune, Sleepless. With an instant hook and a notable melody, Anna O’s bold vocals draw you in and will leave you singing the song long after its end.
Written about insomnia, the lyrics focus on not being able to get to sleep and the frustration and mind chatter that goes on. “The chorus explores the idea of the ‘choir’ of mind chatter, basically touching on how crazy it is to think about all the people laying awake with their mind going crazy, and what we’d all sound like together,” explains Anna O.
Filmed on location at Perth City Farm, the video clip for Sleepless was directed and edited by Si Moore from Bayly&Moore and shot by Cameron Frost from Frost Productions. “The bare whiteness of the warehouse and me alone is representative of the feeling of isolation and frustration when you can’t sleep. And the slow mo wild party signifies the ‘choir of sleepless minds,’” explains Anna O.
Having studied at WAAPA and done some co-writing with local Perth artists, it wasn’t until recently that Anna O started writing her own songs and Sleepless was the second song she ever wrote. “I got into it because I didn’t just want to sing other people’s songs for the rest of my life,” she says. “From previous attempts I honestly thought I was rubbish at writing but knew it was necessary. As soon as I started, I couldn’t stop. My brain is always thinking in songs these days!”
With a hugely hyped live show, Anna O is amped to take to the stage and share her new material. “I can’t wait to get out of the studio and start playing my songs to people. I’ve got a DJ opening for me and I’m pumped to make it a slamming party,” enthuses Anna O.
View the clip for Sleepless.
Tickets to the EP launch at Four4Nine Bar in North Perth are available now through oztix.com.au
NEW SINGLE | SLEEPLESS | AVAILABLE ONLINE NOW
NEW EP | WHEN THE WINTER CAME | AVAILABLE ONLINE MARCH 21
TICKETS | EP LAUNCH | Four5Nine Bar| AVAILABLE NOW OZTIX.COM.AU
RÜFÜS ANNOUNCE NAME CHANGE FOR NORTH AMERICA
Ahead of their debut appearance at SXSW, RÜFÜS have announced they are changing their name and will be known as RÜFÜS DU SOL in North America, remaining as RÜFÜS across the rest of the world.
The change comes after months of strongly worded letters and colourful internal debate regarding an existing US trademark on the name Rufus. Jon, James and Tyrone from the band did not want to make the name change, but came to the realisation that they would be forced to in order to officially release their #1 ARIA and J award nominated debut record, ATLAS in North America.
The album will be released by Columbia records in the US and Canada, making RÜFÜS just the second Aussie export to be signed to the US powerhouse label since 80’s legends, Men at Work and indie rock darlings, The Temper Trap. “It’s pretty humbling being on the same label as so many iconic artists,” explains vocalist Tyrone Lindqvist. “I still have my Fugees CD with the big Columbia stamp on it…. not sure if they are gonna try to do that to ATLAS,” he jokes.
RÜFÜS will be heading over to tour the US and Canada in March to play a run of fifteen shows set to kick off in San Francisco on March 7, heading through Austin for SXSW, up north to Calgary and Vancouver, finishing off in Denver in early April (tour dates listed far below). Excited for the international tour and particularly looking forward to playing at SXSW in March Lindqvist says, “we’ve been told all the creepy stories about not getting sound-checks and it taking an hour to carry all your gear from venue to venue on foot because of the crowds…so we’re expecting it to be like that time you fell off your skateboard bombing your local hill as a kid – it hurt a lot but all you remember is how good it felt!”
In other exciting news on home turf, RÜFÜS managed to chalk up an impressive three tracks in Triple J’s Hottest 100 on the weekend, including Tonight at #91, Desert Night at #34, Take Me at #21 and an additional two songs in the top 200 including Sundream at #184 and Unforgiven at #191.
And be sure to keep an ear out over the next few weeks for some very exciting tour news on the home front.
NOTABLE AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS JOIN FORCES TO SAVE THE ORANGUTAN
Some of Australia’s most talented musicians and artists have joined forces to release the exquisite Nightingale Floor single alongside two distinguished short films in a bid to raise funds for the Orangutan Land Trust and highlight the plight of the orangutans whose habitats are being destroyed with the development of palm oil plantations.
Brisbane musician Sallie Campbell kick-started the project last year, enlisting a host of gifted musician friends to join her (including Kate Miller-Heidke on vocals and producer Daniel Denholm (Powderfinger, Australian Chamber Orchestra)) to help raise awareness of the impact unsustainable palm oil is having on the world’s orangutan population.
“Nightingale Floors were cleverly built in ancient Japanese castles to creak and sing when walked upon to warn of intruders. Similarly, we need be the ‘new nightingales’ who signal danger to our fragile ecology,” explains Campbell. “The situation is urgent, the last wild orangutans on the earth live in Malaysia and Indonesia and their habitat is being threatened by the development of Palm Oil Plantations. Unsustainable Palm Oil is in 50% of supermarket items and if people knew the food and products they were consuming everyday were wiping out forests and all the beautiful creatures there, they wouldn’t buy them.”
Campbell said the most important thing people could do to save the orangutan was to insist that the palm oil used in products was produced in a sustainable way, and not at the expense of orangutans and their forests. “As consumers we can do so much. We must demand proper labelling on palm oil products and tell companies that use unsustainable palm oil that we won’t buy them until they change to a sustainable source… there is even a free application being developed for smart phones, a palm oil scanner which will be such a powerful tool”
Dedicated to the original ‘people of the forest’, Nightingale Floor is being released as a three minute single and a twenty-minute string orchestra opus written for an 11-piece string section, featuring three soloists and exotic folk instruments including Nyckelharpa, Baritone Bowed Psaltry, Hammered Dulcimer and 5 string Violin.
Written and directed by David Barker (MiniSumo) and starring exciting new film talent Sarah Snook (Predestination, Sisters of War), the film clip encourages people to believe in the idea of natural wonders. “We want to create a sense of hope while at the same time creating an emotive artistic statement that people will want to purchase”,” explains Barker.
People can visit www.nightingalefloor.com.au to educate themselves on palm oil and donate and download either the full piece, the short film or the instrumental clip. All funds raised will go to the Orangutan Land Trust.
Nightingale Floor Music credits – Sallie Campbell: Composer, Mandolin, Five-String Violin, Nyckelharpa, Hammered Dulcimer, Baritone Bowed Psaltry. John Rodgers: Violin and banjo. Rob Davidson: Double bass. Keir Nuttal: Electric guitar. Vocals: Kate Miller-Heidke. Music producer: Daniel Denholm (Australian Chamber Orchestra, Powderfinger). Engineer: Chris Kneehause. Recorded at: Judith Wright Centre Brisbane