ROBBIE BOSTOCK SHARES NEW SINGLE CRYPTIC LOVE NEW EP EXPLORATIONS OUT MAY 12
A striking collision of slick blues and uplifting retro hues, virtuosic guitarist Robbie Bostock is today releasing his new single via the jubilant instrumental journey that is Cryptic Love. Showcasing Robbie’s burgeoning craftsmanship and dazzling delivery, Cryptic Love also offers a glimpse into the Gold Coast artist’s upcoming EP Explorations, due out on Friday May 12, with local fans able to catch Robbie live in action across a number of shows this May at one of Australia’s largest free music festivals: Blues on Broadbeach.
Busting out slinky basslines, sizzling guitarwork and soaring 80s undertones, Cryptic Love is an oscillating declaration of blues and Robbie’s love for the likes of Phil Emmanuel, Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler and Hank Marvin, while ultimately also allowing the instrumentals to glimmer and shine. Self-produced, mixed and mastered by Robbie himself, Cryptic Love is a creamy and buoyant delight for guitar fans and beyond – and, as Robbieexplains, it’s equally a family affair, “For the single Cryptic Love I wanted to write a piece that incorporated a blues sounding verse but with a big uplifting chorus, with a bit of an 80’s flavour as well. Originally it was going to have vocals on it but my Strat guitar insisted on doing the singing! My sister Rachel Bostock also contributed a killer electric violin solo on it too!”.
Like a jet engine taking off into the atmosphere, Cryptic Love firmly opens the door for what’s to come on Robbie’s forthcoming EP Explorations. A wall-to-wall musical guitar journey, with Robbie helming the entire EP’s creation, alongside co-writing on final track Fading Off The Earth with his brother Brendan Bostock, Explorations truly lives up to its inquisitive moniker. Erupting with the toe-tappin’ Bostock Boogie, Explorations flits from blues and lush retro flavours (Cryptic Love) to hazy undulations (The New Rivals), surf-soaked doo-wop (Seashells), classic rock fare (In Guitar We Trust) and crystalline sonic fire and ice (Fading Off The Earth). With additional violins on the EP provided by sister Rachel, as seen today on Cryptic Love, Explorations is a overall a fascinating expedition, led firmly by Robbie and his trusty Stratocaster. “I do love to sing as well, but for me sometimes the music and my guitar can say everything I need the song to say without putting pen to paper,” shares Robbie of the ultimate decision to present Explorations as an entirely instrumental outing. “I decided to keep the EP all instrumental; I wanted the whole EP to be like an intriguing movie and take people on a journey”. Private stream Explorations.
Discovering music at a very early age, Robbie started playing the guitar when he was age 7, going on to form a band with his siblings, including Rachel on violin, Brendan on drums, and sister Sara Bostock on bass. With genres ranging from country to Irish, blues, heavy rock and more, the Bostocks performed into adulthood at pubs, clubs, festivals, weddings and parties, with their father’s work van transformed into an honorary tour bus for the siblings on weekends. But from competing with sister Rachel for the best solo on the night to Robbie himself branching out as a solo artist, Robbie has since gone on to turn heads across the industry, including performing with some of the greats from Tommy Emmanuel to Normie Rowe and the late Stevie Wright, as well as past appearances at Blues On Broadbeach and The Gympie Music Muster. Releasing a collaboration album with his mentor and long-time friend, the late Phil Emmanuel, via 2013’s Chariots Of Fire, Robbie also took home Instrumental Single Of The Year at the Australian Song Writing Awards in 2019 for his track The New Rivals. And as an accomplished session guitarist, Robbie has also recently contributed to a range of successful releases, including Amber Lawrence’s Living For The Highlights, which hit #1 on the ARIA Top 50 Chart.
Returning once again to Blues On Broadbeach in his home town in 2023, fans on the Gold Coast this May will be able to witness some of Robbie’s brand new musical creations live in action, with multiple performances across the festival locked in following the release of Explorations on May 12. And, as Robbie concludes, these shows are set to showcase his incredible guitarwork as well as vocals, originals, covers and beyond. “My shows at Blues On Broadbeach will be half singing and half instrumental, I do like to sing as well,” shares Robbie of his upcoming performances. “I’ll play my own stuff as well as some classics. 10 years ago, I released a collaboration album at the festival with Phil Emmanuel, so I will also play some songs from that album in honour of Phil’s legacy.”
Cryptic Love is out today, Monday April 17.
Explorations is due out Friday May 12.
Stream CRYPTIC LOVE
Private stream EXPLORATIONS
ROBBIE BOSTOCK – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
BLUES ON BROADBEACH
TUE 9 MAY | OASIS SHOPPING CENTRE, GOLD COAST
FRI 19 MAY | THE LUCKY SQUIRE, GOLD COAST
SAT 20 MAY| SAGE RESTAURANT
SUN 21 MAY | SAGE RESTAURANT
Info available at https://bluesonbroadbeach.com/
Listen: CRYPTIC LOVE
KEL SHARES NEW SINGLE + VIDEO PARADISE
A lush and luminous journey draped in bittersweet warmth, the debut single Paradise from emerging Sydney singer-songwriter Kel is a feast for the senses and the soul. Accompanied by a self-directed music video also out today, Paradise marks a sublime introduction into Kel’s musical world, with the track set to launch tonight live in action at The Great Club (Marrickville) in Sydney.
An emotive, rock-inspired ballad, inspired equally by the soulful flavours of Finneas and Conan Gray and even Taylor Swift, Paradise was written and arranged entirely by Kel, with production courtesy of the legendary John Castle, whose previous work includes Vance Joy’s Riptide as well as work with Megan Washington, Angus & Julia Stone, and Cub Sport. Swelling between a softly euphoric ballad and a driving, dreamy anthem, Paradise also tugs at the heartstrings via Kel’s emphatic narrative surrounding lost love, as he elaborates, “Paradise is a song about a break-up. It’s a metaphor about losing something special about a place you might’ve shared with someone else, and how places and feelings change sometimes. It was inspired by a trip with my friends to a beach on the South Coast NSW. I wanted to write a song that felt like that place”.
With Kel impressively conjuring his debut track with John Castle remotely via phone calls and Zoom sessions, Paradise was then mastered at Studios 301 in Sydney by Steve Smart. But the track’s accompanying music video was ultimately a DIY and family affair, with Kel making the poignant music video for his first sonic release during a family holiday. “The music video was made by myself and some family on a holiday,” sharesKel. “As a current film student, I was keen to direct and film my own video. When I was writing the song, the opening lyrics stuck out to me. Sunrise and long hikes. So, I knew I wanted the main visuals to be central around a beach. The song is about a favourite place that doesn’t belong to you anymore. I’ve found that often we connect certain places with people, and when that connection’s lost, the place is not the same”.
Hailing from a musical family, Kel began playing multiple instruments and singing while in high school, going on to pen his first original compositions in year 12. After producing some videos of himself, Kel’s search began for a producer in earnest, ultimately resulting in his discovery of John Castleand falling in love with the talented producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist’s sound and catalogue. From sending his videos to John, the two immediately began working together. While Paradise may mark the first single unleashed into the wild for Kel, the future looks bright for this talented up-and-comer currently working towards his debut EP. And if you’re lucky enough to be in Sydney tonight, you may very well catch some of Kel’s unreleased material this evening alongside his brand new single at the Paradise single launch at The Great Club (Marrickville). “You can expect a large variety of different songs,” reveals Kel of the musical treasures lying in wait for his upcoming performance tonight. “A lot of the time when I’m writing, I pull inspiration from other genres, so my live shows are a mixture of exciting and vibrant songs with a huge band, as well as some slower songs where it’s just me playing and singing with a piano. It’s a mix of ballads, rock driven sounds, and acoustic storytelling”.
Paradise is out today, Thursday April 13.
THUR 13 APRIL | THE GREAT CLUB, MARRICKVILLE NSW | 18+ (Unless Accompanied by Guardian)
Tickets https://musicboozeco.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/b978e6a7-1da6-4b3c-8591-a6f13e0c5e78 | 02 1519 4826 | All Oztix Outlets
NICHOLAS BROWN SHARES NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘UP AND COMING’ + APPEARS IN NEW ABC SERIES ‘IN OUR BLOOD’
Travel headfirst back to the 80s with a bouncy, modern twist courtesy of the vivid debut single Up And Coming from singer, songwriter and actor Nicholas Brown. A playful, soulful and buoyant outing, Up And Coming is also accompanied today by a new music video, wielding sprawling psychedelic flourishes and Bollywood disco nods. Kaleidoscopic, warm and irresistibly inviting, Nicholas Brown’s new single also syncs up with his exciting lead role in the new ABC musical four-part TV series In Our Blood, which premiered on Sunday March 19.
The first single released by Nicholas as a solo artist, Up And Coming is a glistening love letter to the 80s and pop music Nicholas grew up adoring. Part Dead Or Alive, part Bananarama with lashings of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Wham and Kylie Minogue, Up And Coming was first penned by Nicholas a few years ago, at the time tirelessly working to tackle the entertainment industry while celebrating small wins. Resulting in a dancefloor delight that is simultaneously upbeat and poignant, Up And Coming initially grew its legs in Los Angeles before evolving into its glossy present state, as Nicholas explains, “I originally wrote this song with my music partner Justin Gagnon whom I was in a funk band with when I was living in Los Angeles. It was part of our funk set list with our band Knuckle Funk which later turned into Luck Now. I’ve always been very fond of the melody and the lyrics, so I collaborated with a DJ/Producer in Greece called Sakgra who does a lot of queer pop remixes on YouTube. He’s unofficially remixed many artists from Kylie Minogue to Kate Bush. I was stoked that he agreed to work on my song as I love so many of his pop remixes. When I wrote this song, I was tired of being considered up and coming and was hoping for a win. I’m hoping the lyrics resonate with listeners who keep striving no matter what. It’s a cheeky, fun song that celebrates the climb – rather than our goals be a struggle – why not dance through them?”.
Up And Coming comes vividly to life through its ravishing accompanying music video, perfectly enhancing the track’s luscious melodics and instrumentation through stylistic throwbacks and forward-facing technology. Teaming up with Zachary Lurje directing the immersive clip, with Juan Ledezma also joining to create the AI graphics, the track’s backstory journeying from Greece to Germany, LA to Bombay and, ultimately, back to Sydney also perfectly reflects Nicholas’ own creative journey to date, as he reveals, “The plan was to make a psychedelic 80s Bollywood disco clip. I wanted to experiment with animation and AI with the music video. I just wrote and co-directed a play at Griffin Theatre in Sydney called Sex Magick which was part of Sydney World Pride and we had an AI component to our visuals. Working closely with the video designer for my play, I realised that I wanted to create a music video for Up And Coming that took its viewers to a psychedelic 80s Bombay Disco. The hero of the clip is an avatar of myself – we used 3D animation to create this Bombay Romeo. I wanted the setting to be in a world similar to that of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s film Holy Mountain. You can definitely tell that a lot of the imagery is inspired by that film. We delve into the hero’s mind – into his head, mouth and ear – to see what’s going on in his inner world. It’s all pretty colourful and queer. The end of the music video is a tribute to Flash Dance. Told you it was eighties!”
While 2023 finds Nicholas embracing his musical pursuits as a solo artist, it’s entirely not this multi-disciplinary’s first creative rodeo. Recently playing a lead role in the second series of Tim Minchin’s Upright, Nicholas’s connection to Bollywood stems further back than his brand new music video for Up And Coming; having previously appeared in several acclaimed Bollywood films, as well as local theatre and some soap operas, Nicholas’ latest acting role plants him firmly – one of the leads of the brand new ABC show In Our Blood; a four-part musical drama inspired by the AIDS epidemic in Australia in the 1980s. From developing a love of musical films as a child, to being part of the professional boys’ choir The Young Sydney Singers, it was singing itself that would prove to be the gateway for Nicholas and his ongoing pursuits, with acting following once he went to Newtown High School Of The Performing Arts and, eventually, the prestigious halls of NIDA. Moving to Mumbai at the age of 27 and being cast in the most expensive Bollywood film ever made at that time, Kites, Nicholas has certainly experienced multiple highs along the way, including radio airplay, performing opposite Tim Minchin, and a burgeoning Bollywood career. But choosing to live his truth and return to Australia after being forced to live in the closet while living in Mumbai, Nicholas has snagged significant professional highlights via his recently penned play Sex Magick, drawing acclaim for its exploration of queerness, masculinity and South Asian-Australian identity – and he can also claim writing and appearing as a presenter on the hallowed ABC staple Play School.
Up And Coming is out today, Thursday March 23.