ISLA NOON SHARES NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘BODY’
Lush, hypnotic and brimming with alt pop whimsy, the brand new single Body from Aotearoa New Zealand artist Isla Noon is an electrifying ode to growing up from one of the scene’s most exciting up-and-comers. A dynamic addition to Isla Noon’s ever-growing repertoire, Body is also accompanied by an enigmatic music video featuring the artist herself in a potent display against a fittingly eerie locale.
A single lathered in introspection and intelligent, dense pop sensibilities, Body was originally conceived by Isla Noon in her bedroom, with its early form veering towards ballad territory. Embracing inspiration from the likes of MUNA, Caroline Polachek, Wolf Alice and Troye Sivan, the end result for Body morphed from Isla Noon’s own private musings into a song with ricocheting relatability; and following Isla Noon teaming up with friend and collaborator Maude Morris, Body soon became a robust and vibrant affirmation for self-esteem, vulnerability and the ever-complex road to growing up, as she explains, “It was when I brought the song in to produce with Maude Morris that we realised we needed to embrace the chaos. We pushed the dynamics to the limit when it became clear that the song wanted to take up a lot of space – and so we let it. Growing up, it was always very important to me to be recognised for my ideas, for my creative work, for what I had to say. As I grew into a young woman, I became uncomfortable with the sense that my physical form was preceding those things, that the way I was perceived and treated seemed to hinge on how I looked, dressed, and carried my body. At times, this body felt like a risky vehicle to be in. From such an early age we are flooded with input and commentary on what is and isn’t ok about our bodies. It’s such an overwhelming intrusion on what is really a private relationship. Writing Body was a step toward excavating some of that unwelcome noise from my own mind and extending a quiet peace offering to myself. I think of Body as reclamation of self. I put it forward in all its messy self-contradiction and intensity, in all its cautious intimacy, in all its strength and light.”
With Morris on production and engineering duties, alongside Chris van de Geer, Body’s commanding holistic experience heightens further via its accompanying music video. Directed by Oshara Ardelean, a cinematographer and director also renowned for her work with fellow Kiwi indie artist Kiki Rockwell, the visual accompaniment to Body finds Noon’s raw lyricism and clever arrangement soaring to greater heights in one of the spookiest places Auckland has to offer, as Noon reveals, “I knew from the outset that I wanted to work with a female director for this video and approached Oshara Ardelean, who had co-directed the video for my previous single I Need To Go Home, with an idea for a follow-shot style video that I had in mind for Body. We heard through the grapevine about a mysterious location – a storeroom building at the now closed, and for the most part abandoned, Kingseat Hospital. It is considered the most haunted place in Auckland, and there’s a lot of history, so it was a pretty unforgettable experience shooting the video there. The building we shot in really shaped the final storyboard, which Oshara and I wrote together. Throughout the video, I wanted to play with the idea of making the psychological space physical. The camera functions as a reflection of self that I am at first curious about and questioning, then hesitant to trust, and later fearful of and trying to outrun. The building I travel through represents a headspace, a place where I am alone with myself and that doesn’t always feel safe. Ultimately, I find a way out of this place but instead of leaving, I turn back – thinking maybe it doesn’t have to be like this, maybe I don’t have to run from myself any longer.”
Emerging in 2020 with hit tracks Summer in August, Talk About Us and I Need To Go Home, Isla Noon has swiftly established herself as a dexterous and fresh songwriter. Weaving her unique, alt pop universe, Isla Noon’s releases have been described by Rolling Stone as “glistening dance-pop perfection”, while her musical journey itself stems back to listening to Boney M’s The Rivers of Babylon every night before bed; a core memory and key inspiration for this sharp and engaging artist. Embracing pop music as a vehicle for both physical and emotional release, Isla Noon’s foundational years saw her devouring her parents’ CD collection, with Boney M, Leonard Cohen and lashings of 80s pop morphing alongside her later influences, including Caroline Polachek, Muna, Wolf Alice, Lorde and Robyn. From starting guitar lessons at the age of 10 to studying music at university, Isla Noon’s pensive and vibrant style ultimately took full flight when she harnessed her post-graduate free fall into seeking creative fulfillment and breaking down her own walls as an artist and as a human. Thus, Islan Noon the artist truly arrived.
An avid lover of science and pop, Isla Noon’s carefully-crafted and crystal clear creations, alongside her seamless ongoing collaboration with producer Maude Morris, is now set to build towards a groundbreaking album on the horizon; and for Isla Noon, the continued transition from her solitary creating to sharing her creations with the world is one she is entirely ready for, with Body marking the perfect perpetuation of her incredible journey to date, as she concludes, “Writing Body was such a private experience but when I finished it I realised I just couldn’t leave it there. Almost like the song was saying “hey, I’ve turned into something so much bigger than just you! Release me!”. Playing early versions of it to friends, I realised very quickly that it took on a lot of varied meaning for different people. In that sense it feels like the song is already charting its own course in other lives beyond mine.”
Body is out today, Friday September 22.
360 ANNOUNCES PART 1 OF BACK TO LIFE REGIONAL TOUR & SHARES MOST WANTED FREESTYLE TRACK
Back and more potent than ever, beloved Australian rapper 360 is set to bring his electrifying stage presence and extensive touring chops to regional Australia this November for Part 1 of his 12 date Back To Life regional tour. Following the fully sold out first official run of shows in just under six years in June, 360’s extensive upcoming tour will kick off on Friday November 3 at Village Green Hotel in Mulgrave, before journeying through regional Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT, with more dates to be announced for Part 2.
Tickets go on-sale to the general public at 10am AEST on Tuesday August 29, and fans are invited to pre-register now at 360music.com.au to access pre-sale tickets from 9am AEST on Monday August 28.
Levelling up today’s exciting tour news is the new freestyle track Most Wanted featuring 360’s signature flow and earnest yet playful storytelling, heralding the revered rapper’s welcome return. Performed as an unreleased track during his capital city Back To Life tour in June, Most Wanted finds 360 baring his soul over dark melodics and sparse, glossy tones. A sonically matured yet conceptually tongue-in-cheek outing, 360’s freestyle prowess is on full display both on the track and also via its accompanying music video, consisting solely of tour footage from his June performances. And it was on this tour earlier this year that 360, aka Matt Colwell, was able to not only reconnect with his creative soul and flourish in his natural habitat on stage; it also offered him a chance to trial touring in new ways that would ultimately place his health at the forefront, thus the decision to split Back To Life’s regional adventures into parts, as 360 elaborates, “As much as I love touring, it’s always been quite taxing both physically and mentally in the past. So, since returning after a long break, I made sure to put my health before anything else. I kept the last tour to 1-2 shows per week, which isn’t a lot at all, just to ease into it and dip my toes in so to speak and see how I went. All went well, so this time I’m upping it to 3 shows per week. This will be more gruelling so I decided to do a month of touring through November, have a month off through December and then finish off part 2 early next year, rather than doing them all back to back. I used to never care about my health and wellbeing, at least not like I do now. Now I follow a strict regime, I have to hit the gym for an intense workout on show days, I follow a strict routine before each show to warm up too. I could achieve more if I went all out doing 5 shows a week and fitting in as much travel as possible over multiple months, but for me that’s a quick way to burn out.”
An ARIA Award-winning, multi-platinum pioneer, 360 has never been one to do anything in halves, with the rapper swiftly cementing himself on the Australian scene via his 2008 debut album What You See Is What You Get, before the game-changing 2011 release Falling & Flying catapulted him into a whole new stratosphere. Hailed for its emotive weight, authenticity and genre-fluid finesse, Falling & Flying paved the way for 360’s continued domination with 2014’s Utopia and 2017’s Vintage Modern firmly sealing his legacy. But amongst his renowned battle rapping dexterity, searing creative innovation and collaborations, 360’s path has simultaneously been lined with mountains, from an accident in 2010 that almost upended the release of Falling & Flying to his battle with addiction and mental health issues in later years; all moments in time that ultimately helped guide and strengthen 360’s resolve, leading him to new music as well as his triumphant return to performing in 2023, as 360 explains, “When I was working on these new songs I was still recovering after going through an extremely dark period of my life. I was still fighting my way through the darkness, now I’m in a much better place. There’s been no real agenda with the music, it’s been more about focusing on myself and getting happy/healthy and just releasing whatever songs we make in that process. I’ve been loving that plan of attack, So I’ll keep that same thing going and we’ll see where it all ends up.”
Re-energised by his return to stage, 360 is primed to bring his exhilarating live show to regional Australia, with his Back To Life Part 1 tour guaranteed to satiate past, present and future fans of the magnetic rap maverick. Expect unapologetic and heartfelt storytelling from an artist who can tackle any style and make it his own. And, as 360 reveals, there are plenty more surprises lying in wait for fans across Australia starting this November: “It had been about 6 years since my last tour, so there were a few cobwebs to shake off but once it got going it was super fun to be back up there. I’m keen to see how the new songs go down in each town we play, to see what connects the most. Also, it will be nice to get out of the Melbourne cold for a bit! Expect a banging set chock full of new songs, old classics, mixtape bangers, forgotten bangers and more. I’ve got a few tricks up the sleeve that people won’t be expecting.”
Tickets to the Back To Life Regional Tour Part 1 are on sale from 10am AEST Tuesday August 29 from 360music.com.au.
The past few years have been extremely tough for people who work in music, and for many, continues to be so, so 360 is jumping in with Support Act on his Mulgrave, Frankston, Ipswich, Noosaville, Gladstone, Airlie Beach, Townsville and Cairns shows. Simply purchasing a ticket to these shows will result in a donation of $1 matched by a further $1 from Live at your Local being donated to music industry charity, Support Act. That’s $2 for every ticket sold going directly to Support Act and the amazing work they do with music workers, artists and crew. For more information, visit ausmusictshirtday.org.au or supportact.org.au
360 – BACK TO LIFE REGIONAL TOUR PART 1
Tickets available from 360music.com.au
FRI 3 NOV | VILLAGE GREEN HOTEL, MULGRAVE VIC | 18+
SAT 4 NOV | PIER BANDROOM, FRANKSTON VIC | 18+
MON 6 NOV | LAMBYS TAVERN, GEELONG VIC | 18+ (CUP EVE)
THU 9 NOV | RACEHORSE HOTEL, IPSWICH QLD | 18+
FRI 10 NOV | V ROOM – VILLA NOOSA, NOOSAVILLE QLD | 18+
SAT 11 NOV | HARVEY RD TAVERN, GLADSTONE QLD | 18+
THU 16 NOV | MAGNUMS, AIRLIE BEACH QLD | 18+
FRI 17 NOV | DALRYMPLE HOTEL, TOWNSVILLE QLD | 18+
SAT 18 NOV | EDGE HILL HOTEL, CAIRNS QLD | 18+
THU 23 NOV | BEER DELUXE, ALBURY NSW | 18+
FRI 24 NOV | THE BASEMENT, CANBERRA ACT | 18+
SAT 25 NOV | WAVES, WOLLONGONG NSW | 18+
MADI COLVILLE-WALKER SHARES NEW SINGLE YINYARR MULANA WINYARR AS PART OF SINGING OUR FUTURES PROGRAM
Marking the third sublime single released in conjunction with the Singing Our Futures program, aka The Archie Roach Foundation’s mentoring experience helping emerging First Nations artists on their songwriting and recording journeys, the glistening new track Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr from Yorta Yorta artist Madi Colville-Walker is a warm and calming ode to home and country, and it comes off the back of Colville-Walker picking up the coveted Archie Roach Foundation Award at the NIMAs, alongside a performance of the single at the awards, accompanied by Allara Briggs-Pattison on double bass.
A gentle yet passionate outing, Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr, which translates as ‘Free Spirited Woman’, is coated with lush textures draped in bright acoustic guitar and Colville-Walker’s ethereal vocals. Mentored by Emily Wurramara, also one of the key initial inspirations behind the single, Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr also nods to fellow Blak artists, including Tiddas and Kutcha Edwards guiding the bright and visceral end result, as Colville-Walker explains, “When I sit and listen, I feel there is this strong wave of warmth and calmness that resonates back to me, it reminds me of the feeling I get when I spend time out on my country. At the time I was in the process of writing Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr, I was listening to lots of Blak artists, and many of these artists sing and tell stories in language. As a young artist and storyteller myself, hearing and recognising how powerful and sacred these songlines are gave me a huge influence in growing my knowledge for my language (Yorta Yorta). I wrote Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr about my connection to my Woka (Country), and how I feel when I come back home. Being in the music industry has allowed me to travel throughout Australia, I’m honoured I get to see so many beautiful places; but I can get homesick every now and again. When I arrive back on country, I feel as if a weight gets lifted off my shoulders, I don’t have to worry about anything, I can just be calm. It’s almost like my Ancestors are welcoming me home. The title of the song translates into ‘Free Spirit Woman’, this also is a name that many of my family and community have given me.”
Under Wurramara’s mentorship and produced by Colville-Walker and Candy Suite, Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr may be Colville-Walker’s first official single under the Singing Our Futures program; but it isn’t the first time she and Wurramara have crossed musical paths, with the pair meeting back in 2020. And it was a moment that would go on to spark Colville-Walker’s eventual involvement in the Singing Our Futures program, as Colville-Walker elaborates, “It was at the end of 2020, myself and a few other artists were approached by Uncle Archie’s Foundation along with Culture Is Life, it was the anniversary of Uncle’s Charcoal Lane Album. We had been asked to curate a song in response to Took The Children Away, and this was such a beautiful moment to be a part of. I was then approached by Candice Lorrae, and I was put in contact with my mentor Emily Wurramara, I was so excited to work with Em, I have always admired how she presents her songs. I have made so many amazing memories and gained so much knowledge during this journey with Singing Our Futures. It has allowed me to grow and become more confident as an artist and performer.”
Armed with a lifelong passion for music, Colville-Walker hails from an extremely musical family; although her own musical journey would not fully ignite with gusto until the age of 16. A shy and quiet teen, it would take Colville-Walker learning a handful of guitar chords from her mother to jubilantly open the floodgates, with the talented artist swiftly going on to play a festival in her hometown of Moama alongside the headline act, and one of Colville-Walker’s own pivotal musical inspirations, Archie Roach. Armed with her guitar and effortless stunning vocal prowess, Colville-Walker has only gone from strength to strength, attending the CMAA Junior Academy of Country Music in Tamworth, and named in 2018 as one of 15 emerging young artists at the inaugural MAV Songwriters’ Camp. And from her first ever official live performance to recently performing with her fellow Singing Our Futures peers, Colville-Walker’s passion and intrinsic ability for music continues to shine ever brightly, as she concludes, “When I was around sixteen years old, I asked my mum to show me a few guitar chords; since then, I haven’t stopped playing. This led me to a gig called Three Rivers Festival in my hometown. The headline act for this show was Uncle Archie Roach and all of my family was sitting front row. I can still remember how nervous I was before I stepped on the stage. In 2022, the Singing Our Futures Mob had the opportunity to perform at Port Fairy Folk Festival, and I had the privilege to be a part of Uncle’s Kitchen Table Yarns; a memory I will cherish forever. I remember we spoke about family and how music came so naturally to me, it must flow through my bloodstream. I am beyond excited to share my song Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr with the world. To have this opportunity to be a part of the inaugural Singing Our Futures Program, is an experience I will hold very close to my heart forever. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
A meaningful and culturally safe songwriting program that supports young First Nations artists to tell their story through songwriting, Singing Our Futures was devised pre-COVID and was one of the leading programs of the Archie Roach Foundation. Led by Candice Lorrae (The Merindas), an established singer-songwriter and music producer with Jawoyn and Torres Strait Islander roots, Singing Our Futures has evolved into an impactful and ever-growing initiative for emerging artists and storytelling that spans genres and generations.
Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr is out today, Wednesday August 23.
The Singing Our Futures EP will be released later this year.