K MAK INDULGES TIME-OLD TABOO ON DARING NEW SINGLE “BE MY LADY”

From celebrity crushes to holding a flame for your boss, your neighbour or your best friend’s Dad, we’ve all lusted after someone off-limits at some point. Daring to turn this guilty pleasure on its head and embrace its sensuality comes K Mak’s dreamy, tongue-in-cheek and rebellious new banger “Be My Lady”, out April 30th. Her classical cello roots and appreciation for mainstream pop shine through on “Be My Lady”, where sparkling string arrangements combine with electronic beats, thick bass lines and alluring vocals to match the song’s day dreaming hook.

Co-produced with Stephen Carmichael and recorded at Alchemix Studios by Marly Luske before being sent to Matthew Agoglia in New York for mastering, “Be My Lady” has an electro-pop pulse that beats in tandem with contemporary artists like Björk, Lorde and Ladyhawke. It’s the latest track to be lifted from K Mak’s forthcoming debut album, scheduled for release in August this year. Boldly addressing private thoughts, feelings and fantasies in public, “Be My Lady” is a liberating anthem for a world often struggling with matters of expression.

 “Be My Lady fantasises about someone off limits asking you out,” says K Mak. “It’s about playing it cool even though you’re exploding inside. Eventually it just gets ridiculous, spiralling into a fantasy that the whole world wants you. The verses are very honest, but the chorus is where the passion explodes. It’s also a bit of a laugh at what the love bug can have us do to ourselves.”

“Like most of the album, [it] was born of not knowing what to do with matters of the heart, and was written from a deep need to express some feelings I was otherwise unable to express. If it enables anyone else to do the same then that’s great.”

As a cellist with the Queensland Youth Symphony, Queensland Theatre and Opera Queensland, Kathryn McKee – the force behind K Mak – has toured Australia, Europe and Asia, and played onstage with Kanye West, Eminem, Archie Roach and Vera Blue. She’s plumbed the depths of her career to package A-grade musical elements into ballads and bops that delve into matters of the heart with a tongue-in-cheek twist. As K Mak, she’s been nominated for a Q Song Award, the International Songwriting Competition and an Independent Music Award, and has played Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, the Woodford Folk Festival and at a Tedx Youth Forum. Daring and disruptive, “Be My Lady” is a scrumptious sample of her enigmatic forthcoming debut album. K Mak’s new single “Be My Lady” is available 30 April on all digital platforms. Details and tickets for the launch show at Alchemix Studios on 27 May to be announced soon.

“BE MY LADY” IS OUT NOW

B.C. TAYLOR GIVES SECOND TASTE OF FORTHCOMING ALBUM WITH RELEASE OF “SO MUCH LEFT TO GIVE”

Hailing from Sydney, B. C. Taylor lands somewhere between Dylan, Oasis, and Green Day. His vocals, bending from winding sneer to Vedder-esque warble, allow profound access to his distinctive story-telling ability.. Blending his skills through acting, writing, and songwriting, B.C Taylor describes the confluence of his various creative abilities as “some kind of triad, that each inform each other and ultimately unite towards the final goal- to tell stories, in whatever form”.  Having kicked off the year with the release of “In Lights”, Taylor now releases “So Much Left To Give” from his forthcoming album.
 Taylor explains that “So Much Left To Give” relates to a lack of direction in life, stating that it “came from a time in my life when I was looking around, wondering… where do I go? How do I get there? Is it easier to walk away from it all? We’ve all been there, at different points. Feeling as if we can’t take another hit. The truth is, we always can. I was sitting in my room, thinking- what do I need now? What would someone in this situation need, now? And the answer was this song. …now, kid, don’t doubt yourself… you’ve got so much left to give…It’s about getting up off your knees, however you can. Letting yourself believe again that there’s hope- through love, through kindness, through self-belief— out there for us all. But it starts with you. You acknowledging that you’re in a rough spot, you acknowledging that you can, and you will, get up again- however long it takes, however much help you need. It’s that imaginary hand reaching back down to you. I got you. You got you. If you need me, we’ll do it together. If you don’t, I’ll be there when you’re ready.” 

Recorded at One Flight Up Studios in Sydney with Tim Carr, B.C Taylor explains “This was one of those beautiful sessions where it all just falls into place. We got three tracks done, completely finished. One take each for the guitar, one take each for the vocals. Mixed. Can bet I walked out of there feeling like a pro. This song, along with the others, was written across a single afternoon. A burst of warm songwriting. A blessed session. This one feels lucky.”  A more subdued track than his previous release, the power of “So Much Left To Give” lies within its simplicity, with Taylor believing “to do too much with it would take away from that. A simple backing track that moves as the song does [is all that was required].” It is likely the track will hit home with Taylor’s audience, and have the impact of being comforting in an immediate way, as he desires.

“SO MUCH LEFT TO GIVE” IS OUT ON NOW

BLUES-ROCK GROUP THE BASE COATS RELEASE PUNCHY DEBUT SINGLE “WILD CARD”

The on-stage chemistry and powerful, sultry, soaring vocals of The Base Coats has propelled the newly-formed band to record their debut self-titled EP. Their infectious personalities, dirty, gritty riffs and resonating, packed-with-a-punch lyrics, combined with jaw dropping four-part harmonies demand audiences their full attention. Mackay’s own blues-rock quartet is set to release their first single “Wild Card” on April 19th.

The raw and punchy track was recorded in Heliport Studios in Buderim with mixing and recording by James Russell. On lead vocals are Angie Smith and Cheryl (Fez) Peppin with Angie also on drums, plus Josh Notting on backing vocals and guitar and Andrew Obst on backing vocals and bass. Influences from The Divinyls, The Baby Animals, Royal Blood, Violent Soho, The Dead Weather, Kingswood are evident in the high energy tune. According to the band, “Wild Card” “was written as a bit of a line in the sand on the conventional, old school male and female expectations in relationships. It’s a song about accepting a person for who they are and not an idealised picture of who you want them to be. It’s about breaking the mould and embracing the wild side we all have within us.”

The Base Coats formed when the four members and close friends were having a couple of nectars as part of their weekly get together in the backyard one Sunday afternoon. Josh and Andrew were jamming on acoustic guitars when Fez and Angie started punching out some melodies and harmonies. With the help of Fez’s lyrical magic, this jam track would evolve into “Wild Card”. The band started their campaign after winning the Regional Passport to Airlie Beach Festival of Music in 2019. Since then, audiences have seen them perform at festivals, clubs, parties and corporate events and when the planets aligned, The Base Coats ignited a spark that could not be ignored. In 2021, the four have already performed at the likes of Wintermoon Festival and Party Bands in Paradise where they were invited back on stage to sing with Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows and had the crowd dancing in the rain. And no doubt the year holds a lot more for this explosive four-piece!

“WILD CARD” IS OUT NOW