Nick Van Breda

Nick Van Breda is a fantastic Aussie singer songwriter who has been in bands and now doing the solo thing. I wanted to know more so he answered my questions so read on.

http://www.facebook.com/NickVanBredaMusic‎

1. How are things different for you now being solo and not being in a band?
The big difference is that all the decisions are mine now. This adds to the pressure of it all and means a lot more work for me but it’s also a really good thing. It also means I can get to a gig on public transport!

2. What did you learn from being in a band?
I suppose the big thing is interpersonal relationships with other people and how important they are. Playing music with someone else can be a very intimate thing and you are forced to spend a lot of time together. This brings out the best and worst in everyone.

3. Are you happy how people have received your music?
I guess so? It’s always hard to tell isn’t it. People keep asking me to play shows so i suppose you could say it’s been received well!

4. What inspires you now when writing music?
Inspiration can be anywhere and in anything. You just have to pay attention to what’s going on around you. Sadly, my guitar is all too often out of arms reach when inspiration strikes!

5. What does it mean to connect with your fans?
It means a lot. It’s always great to connect with someone who considers my music worth listening to. I’m always a little surprised when it happens as well. At my recent show at The Workers Club in Melbourne, a bunch of guys who had seen me play in New York nearly 2 years ago came and saw me and told me how they hadn’t stopped listening to my cd since that show. They braved a cold Melbourne sunday night, just to see me play and say hi.

6. How does social networking help you?
It’s a great way to get my music heard and to keep people up to date with my upcoming shows and releases. I get a lot of inspiration from listening to other music and social media has made it easier than ever before to find bands. The other day, I spent all morning listening to a band from Philadelphia called The Hundred Acre Woods i’d discovered that morning. This kind of thing wasn’t possible all that long ago. I still remember making mix tapes when there was no irony involved!

7. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Jen Buxton. She’s an amazing singer/songwriter from Newcastle who i’ve had the pleasure of sharing the stage with a few times recently. We’re heading to Brisbane together so maybe something could happen!

8. What does 2013 mean to you?
Write, record, release, tour, repeat.

Deja

http://www.dejatheband.com/

Deja are an exciting Melbourne band that consist of Haxx & Rromarin. They do future-pop/electronica music and they do it very well. With a publisher behind them, a booking agent and some incredible tunes and video clips. These two are doing well.  How they get their ideas for their songs are from songs that inspire them. Haxx listens to a lot of music and that where Haxx will get firstly his production ideas and often starts by making a beat and then shows it Rromarin and then if she likes it then they will write everything together from there.  They have their own home studio, so making music is easy for them and they love having the freedom of being able to make the music in their own studio under their control and making the song the way they want it. They are always writing songs so when they are not recording, new songs are always happening.

Haxx starting producing and recording music at a real young age and what was he using when starting out. Cool Edit Pro. So it began his love of recording and having his own studio where he is in total control of making the magic happen when Deja is in the studio.

They say having a publisher helps them under the complexities of licensing music and protected and take care of and having a booking agent means that they can focus on the music and let someone else take care of getting gigs and getting gigs that they probably couldn’t get if they were still booking the shows themselves. They hope the EP when all the songs are will give people a good idea of who Deja are and what they are all about.

If they could have anybody in a video clip it would be Thom Yorke from Radiohead who would also be in their ultimate festival line-up. They are surprised that they have some fans of their music in Brazil of all places. They also think soundcloud has been a huge help as well as bandcamp and of course Facebook in getting their music heard.

They think it is important in connect with your fans and are grateful for the support they are getting  and a lot of it coming from overseas, which really surprises them and that what the beauty of the internet has done for them. Deja are a band to watch out for, why good songs, a good live show and two people who just love making music.

Hey Geronimo

Hey Geronimo is a great Australian band doing good things. I chat to Pete Kilroy from the band about it all.  So read on.

http://www,heygeronimo.com/

 

1. Why write a song about Dan Kelly?

It’s actually not really “about” him, so much as the song is in the man’s style. It was called “Right In The Feelings” for a while, but somehow the name changed while we were on the road.

2. Why is he so totally awesome?

Dude just does his own thing. Rain, hail or shine. Gotta respect that.

3. What do you hope the tour with Strange Talk will do for you?

In the JFK style of things, we’re looking at what we can do for the tour, more than what the tour can do for us. We’ve had a couple months off so we’re pumped to be getting back out there!

4. What inspires the band now when writing music?

These days it seems to be a mixture of 90s weezer and 60s kinks.

5. What do you hope the song will do for the band?

Give us something to do for three and a half minutes onstage! But really, it’s turned into a great live number so the song is already pulling it own weight.

6. If you could collaborate with any one who would it be?

Someone asked us this the other day and we really couldn’t think of anything good. Maybe John Farnham. Just because it would be ridiculous.

7. Do you think the Internet has made it harder for musicians to stand out?

It’s definitely changed things a lot and in some ways it’s harder to stand out. At the same time there’s many more opportunities to get your music out there.

8. What is next for the band?

The tour with Strange Talk in a couple of weeks which should be a lot of fun. We’ll also be finishing off some recordings and releasing another compact disc of new songs before the end of the year.

9. What does 2013 mean to you?

Touring, recording and more touring. A year to get our music in the hears of as many people as possible. Just the usual!

Natalie Reiss

Natalie Reiss is a talented Aussie singer songwriter who I have interviewed a few times, love what she does so read on and find out more about what she been up to recently.

https://www.facebook.com/nataliereissmusic

https://twitter.com/NatReiss

http://www.youtube.com/natreiss

1.  What was the inspiration behind the new song?

 The lyrics came from a stream of consciousness I wrote, and I was spending a lot of time thinking about childhood and the places we create in our minds – all the perfect and whimsical wonderlands! Adults aren’t generally encouraged to daydream but this song is essentially a collection of all of my favourite places, real and imaginary – just trying to keep the inner child alive. I hear they call that Peter Pan syndrome, ha!

 

2. What do you think the song will do for your music career?

I have no idea to be honest – it was just a song I needed to get down.

 

3. What inspires you now when writing music?’

When I wrote ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, I was reading Rainer Maria Rilke and Patti Smith’s ‘Just Kids’ and I’ll often be inspired by books. Other times it can be something that’s happened to me, or a story I’ve heard and then there are moments when a melody will just pop into my head.

 

 4. How do you get your ideas for song structure?

I tend to write in a very typical pop structure (verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus), and I can only assume it’s because I’m obsessed with and listen to so much pop music!

 

5. Do you think going to London help you with your music career?

London has been great if only for exposing me to so many different people and ways of life, so musically speaking, I find it very inspiring. Career-wise, I have no idea – I write because I love it and anything else that stems from it is a bonus.

 

 6. Do you think the net has played a big part in your music?

Definitely, the world’s population is pretty in front of you when you turn on your computer and that makes sharing music a whole lot easier.

 

7. What do you think it means to connect with your fans?

It’s so lovely to get feedback on something you create and for me, I’m always surprised when people find my music and take the time to get in touch. It means so much to me.

 

 

8. How does social networking help you?

It’s a way to honestly express who I am without leaving my bedroom. Kidding! Well kind of… No, it’s fantastic to be able to chat with people from all walks of life and find like-minded people. Musically, it’s just great to see what people are creating – there is a mind-boggling amount of talent out there!

 

 

9. What does 2013 mean to you?

Hmm we’re already half way into it, crazy! I just want to keep creating work that I’m proud of and continually challenge myself.  

 

10. What next for yourself?

I’m off to London again shortly and I’ve got a bunch of new songs nobody has heard – I’d like to release at least one or two more before the year is out, hopefully with beautiful videos to accompany them.