Alternative Indie | Musicosity

Alternative Indie

Jeb Cardwell

Jeb Cardwell, a guitarist, singer, songwriter whose music takes you back to the glory days when guitar-driven riffs and rich vocals were king.
A two-time winner of the SAMIA (South Australian Music Industry) award for ‘Most Outstanding Guitarist’, Jeb is also an experienced performer having opened for artists such as Steve Earle and Tony Joe White. He is also an accomplished songwriter collaborating with his sister Abbie Cardwell to co-write ‘Anchored’ which won them the American BMI Songwriting Competition.

After spending a lifetime in multiple bands and as a recording sideman for a diverse range of artists including Chris Altman (Que Paso), Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson (Wreck & Ruin), Van Walker (Celestial Railroads) and ‘Triple J Unearthed’ winner sister Abbie Cardwell, Jeb set out in 2017 to pursue a solo career. After a three year period of writing, recording, re-writing, and re-recording, his debut studio album My Friend Defiance is ready for the world.

My Friend Defiance, a bluesy, Americana, Beatles-esque lesson in guitar tones dripping with Southern swagger. Interweaving synth and piano melodies, slide guitar riffs, rich and soulful vocals and some of the best song-writing Melbourne has seen, Jeb Cardwell's attention to detail is evident in every step of this production.

Three singles have already been released with ‘Blood Moon’ reaching #2 on the AMRAP charts.

Written, recorded and mixed at Union St Studios and mastered by Grammy award-winning Brian Lucey (Black Keys, Lucinda Williams, Liam Gallagher), My Friend Defiance features the crème de la crème of Melbourne's recording artists: Roger Bergadoz (Lost Ragas, Tex Perkins, Jordie Lane), Tim McCormack (Stella Angelico, Downhills Home), Bernie McMahon (Tracy McNeil & The Good Life, Jeff Lang), Mic Hubbard (Spencer P. Jones, Eagle and the Worm) and the Wolfgramm Sisters. Special guests include Kasey Chambers and Butch Norton (Eels, Lucinda Williams).

Jeb’s debut studio album ‘My Friend Defiance’ is out now on iTunes and Spotify through ‘Blind Date Records’.

Tags: 
Alternative Indie
country
roots
folk
Rock
pop
Link: 
Website
  • 748 reads

Greta Stanley

Known for her remarkable voice, emotional honesty and ability to translate difficult subject matter into rich pop songs, Cairns-based artist Greta Stanley has been on a steadily rising trajectory over the past few years.

Unafraid to tackle themes of depression, anxiety, heartache and the challenges of transitioning from youth into adulthood, Greta's writing also explores the beauty of the natural world, the comfort of home and the importance of friendship.

Taken from her forthcoming sophomore album, new single 'Hope It Lands' is a collaboration with producer/co-writer Tristan Barton, who is best known for his acclaimed film soundtrack work. It's immediately clear that the combination of Stanley's warm, natural pop sensibilities and the textural depth of Barton's day job work is a winning formula.

She says of the song: “I wrote Hope It Lands when I was in a low headspace and struggling to be social. It’s about a kind of longing to be this person who went out and had ‘fun’ and what might come about if I did go to parties. At the time I was feeling really lonely, but I found it hard to meet anybody or build connections because I was struggling to put myself out there. So it was this kind of alter ego view of who I’d be or what kind of night I’d have if I could have had the courage to say yes to events and step out of this comfort zone or safe zone I was in at the time."

The song showcases Stanley's vulnerability and nous for storytelling. It's an exciting harbinger for her upcoming second album, which will also feature previously released tracks, 'Soak Into This' and 'New Feeling’, both produced by German heavy hitter Tobias Kuhn (Milky Chance, Dean Lewis).

With millions of streams to her name, numerous festival appearances and a list of support slots that reads like a who's who of Australian indie pop (Amy Shark, Tash Sultana, Eves Karydas), now's the time to get on board this truly exceptional artist, if you aren't already.

Tags: 
Alternative Indie
Link: 
Website
  • 506 reads

Shag Rock

Born in the depths of the high school band room, Brisbane’s Shag Rock have managed - through sheer determination, skill and plenty of shenanigans - to sell out multiple national and international tours and amass over 40 million streams worldwide.

Since the release of their debut full-length album Barefoot (2017), the indie surf-poppers have toured the USA, embarked on multiple sold-out headline tours locally and across the ditch, and toured with the likes of Ocean Alley, Lime Cordiale and The Rubens. With over 16 million streams alone on their single ‘Sunbleached Girl’ they’ve collected a passionately loyal fan-base.

What has kept the fans coming back? Jacob Reed (vocals and guitar) says it’s simple. “We’ve met so many great people and they always seem unbelievably stoked. We’d like to think our stoke is bringing their stoked-selves back.”

Over the past three years, the comfortably dishevelled group of Alex Wilson (vocals and guitar), Jacob Reed (vocals and guitar), Nick Cavdarski (Bass) and Max Beech (Drums) have had their heads buried deep in the lyric books trying to stoke things once more. The dedicated group of lifelong mates are now emerging into the glow after spending months on end in the recording studio.

Recently welcoming Brisbane via Townsville’s Tayla Young to the band, the lovable livers of life, are back with a taste of their most substantial body of work yet - a double album. With tracks written as far back as 2015, Double Overhead is the band’s huge 18 track, double sided ‘magna carta’.

Working with long-time friend and producer Ian Haug (Powderfinger, The Church) and signed to his label Airlock Records, the band have released a string of new singles including ‘Flicker’, ‘Golden Lungs’, ‘Creaky Minds’, ‘Blur’ and ‘Wild Thing’. Recent single ‘April Nights’ landed in Spotify’s New Music Friday and Rock Out Playlists as well as Apple Music’s New Music Daily.

The band have an ability to write music that spans generations. Recently selling out staple Brisbane venus such as The Tivoli and filling The Triffid four times over, they have lodged a special place in the hearts of Australian music-lovers, and hope to edge more feels with the release of their most profound body of work Forever, Whatever

This new era of shaggy groove is set to open a new chapter for the band and whilst remaining true to their well-known optimism and cruisey vibes.

Last.fm Tags: 
pop
Tags: 
Alternative Indie
Link: 
TicketMaster
  • 609 reads

Tommy Gun

South Sydney local TOMMY GUN slingshots straight to the main stage of the Australian music scene, sharing it with the likes of Thelma Plum and Winston Surfshirt. His last single played on Triple J's Home and Hosed and both of his recent film clips granted a spot on ABC’s Rage.

“Even When” is a song that demands to be heard. Speaking about the song in a press release, TOMMY GUN says “When I was writing the lyrics, I wanted to express the feeling of chasing someone who is emotionally unavailable. The song is about trusting that you will find the person that’s right for you.” Musically, the band pushed boundaries by experimenting with auto-tune, howling guitars and anthemic rock drums to convey the mixture of feelings one gains from offering their heart to a turbulent relationship. Recorded/ Mixed/ Mastered by George Georgiadis (Gang of Youths, Matt Corby, Last Dinosaurs and Ruby Fields) this Sydney super-group will be breathing fresh life into the Australian live music scene, captivating old and new fans.

Tags: 
Alternative Indie
Dance/Electronic
hip-hop
Link: 
Website
  • 529 reads

Casey Lowry

Pop singer known for his song "Roam," which has over 200,000 views on YouTube and "Slow Pace," which has over 479,000 listens on Spotify. He is also popular on TikTok where he has over 2.8 million followers and 52 million likes.

Before Fame
He first joined YouTube in February 2015 and joined TikTok in January 2020. He wrote his first song, "Trampoline" when he was only 14.

Trivia
He is popular on TikTok for making short song responses to trending videos. Along with producing his own singles, he has recorded covers of songs by artists like Lauv, which helped build his audience in the early part of his career.

Family Life
He is from Chesterfield, England.

Associated With
He is a big fan of the pop star Ed Sheeran.

Tags: 
Alternative Indie
indie-pop
Link: 
website
  • 809 reads

J.P Shilo

J.P. Shilo is actually the birth name of former Hungry Ghosts member John Brooks. An Australian slowcore instrumental group similar to fellow Australian group the Dirty Three, Hungry Ghosts broke up following the release of their debut album, Alone, Alone (which was produced by Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley and put out on his Smells Like imprint), in 2000. The breakup hit Brooks hard, and he reverted to the name J.P. Shilo, then essentially withdrew from the music scene, emerging several years later studying Tibetan Buddhism at the Tara Institute in Melbourne. While at the institute he began setting musical ideas down on a four-track machine, and when Shelley heard them, he offered to release them on his label. The resulting album, As Happy as Sad Is Blue, appeared from Smells Like in 2006. Shilo recently began playing with another Australian band, the Black Eyed Susans.

Tags: 
Alternative Indie
Classic/Pop Rock
Link: 
website
  • 469 reads

Alice Skye

Sonic identity paired with storytelling ability is a combination held by only a small number of songwriters throughout the past century. This essential link between a primal sensory attraction and meaning created through spoken language gives us the magic found only in a great work of music.

The type of magic that affords the listener an understanding that their strange, unexplainable experience is somehow not theirs alone; the type of magic that allows you to think that maybe, though characterised in its own unique ways, there is a beautiful commonality in your sadness.

The type of magic that connects an everyday person with another who just happens to write some of the most-relatable, empathising songs you have ever heard. An artist with as much sonic identity and storytelling capability as country Victoria’s Alice Skye is truly a magician in their own right.

Growing up aside the sandstone mountains and wildflowers of the Grampians, Skye is inspired by her roots, though now calling Melbourne home she says, "I take great pride in my heritage, and to combine both music and my background brings me an unexplainable amount of pride and happiness." Alice Skye’s vital relationship between her music and own life experience remains at the core of her art, her body of work serving as a lens through which she continues to synthesise who, and what, her essence of being truly is.

Last.fm Tags: 
Rock
Indie Rock
Tags: 
Alternative Indie
Link: 
TicketMaster
  • 491 reads