Y
Genre:
Pop
Region:
Melbourne, VIC
Sounds Like:
Eurovision, celine dion, matchbox 20
Why Y? This is a band with smart songs. We were blown away with their interesting song structures, kick arse drumming and to top it off... awesome vocals.
Interview: 27 February 2007
Y are the winners of our VIC Push Over competition. Find out more about this competitonmore »
Who are you most excited about sharing the line up with at Push Over?
Well it would have to be the 2 biggies, Siverchair and Something for Kate. I love the new Silverchair single, and I think they were both Unearthed winners to start with weren't they? So it's encouraging the think where these things can end up!
What can the crowd expect from you when you hit the stage?
Well we've got a strong set of unusual rock songs, harmonies, and as the singer, I tend to do strange things with my limbs because I'm not holding an instrument.
Who's been a big musical influence for you?
I don't think I could say anyone in particular coz I have been a ravenous music glutton since childhood, I've been through every genre, have had psychedelic bands, electronic bands, and even played in an Balinese Gamalan Orchestra. Bren on Bass is into QOTSA, Tool, ACDC etc he's the rock pig, Adam on Guitar is into The Killers, Nick on Keys is into arty stuff like Bian Eno, Magnetic Fields, Bowie and Belle and Sebastion and Michiel, our newest member, on Drums, is into The Arcade Fire and stuff I'd never heard of before like Aereogramme, Dredg, and the Frames, coz he's from Utrecht, Holland.
What's the best thing about being in Y?
For a long time before I started the band, I worked alone in my home studio, writing and recording all the parts myself. Many lonely weekends at home putting in the hard yards to get enough material to start advertising for muso's to do it live. Now I love the experience of jamming and composing as a group, and the camaraderie of being in a team.
...and the worst?
When we spend hours negotiating song structures in a hot stuffy room! Ha ha. Also when we get bad foldback mixes that ruin the great time we should be having on stage.
What have you got planned for the future?
Well I'd love to recieve some support from a lable or something, coz we have albums worth of great material waiting in the wings to be recorded, and I'm not keeping up with it as artist and studio engineer and holding down a day job.
Australian music is…
Australian music, when it's not trying to fit in to overseas markets or directly ape them has a unique edge because it's so multi-sourced. We can pick and choose from all over, and as the theory of evolution might point out, distance can also produce new species altogether.
Y AT PUSHOVER
Find out what Y got up to on the day...
Arriving in style!
We managed to put a camera crew together for the day, and so had 4 video cameras following us around all day, I was still eating toast when I opened the door at 8.30am to a camera in my face, a la Today Tonight! We have plans to put together a mini doco. Anyway we got all our gear packed, which was a lot less than usual, as Pushover had a "Back Line" meaning that everyone would use the same drum kit, and amps to save time. (Our drummer will tell you that by the time he got to the kit it was trashed, so he had a struggle as it was falling apart as he played, but he did so well I didn't notice). We got all our gear to the venue but discovered there was no security, so we had to wait around for and hr till they arrived.
Being an all ages event, our rider consisted of water and fanta, ha ha, very rock and roll. Apart from Karnivool playing at the same time as us, Something for Kate, and Silverchair were doing their autographing so everyone was lined up down the other end of the venue. Oh well, we played as if we were on the main stage and gave it our all. The afternoon sun was shining right in our faces so I had to wear sunnies and forgot to take them off, unfortunately for the sake of the photo's. I think we played the best gig of Y's career so far, lot's of energy, and crazy antics from me, and on stage banter.
Well after the show we were exhausted from the exertion and the heat, and happily collapsed by the waterside for an interview and beautiful views.
Later I ventured out to see Silverchair and muck around with Y's new fans, who were so enthusiastic that it made my day. We're still chatting on myspace. Hopefully they'll tell everyone at their schools and by the time they are 18 we'll have a huge audience!!
This project is supported by the Australia Council, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body, through its Music Board Section.