Tell us about your music. How did you develop your sound?

Well we have always loved techno, house and tech house music to some extent, just never really felt the inspiration to jump in - our sound pulls a lot of inspiration from all those genres but brings in the production approach from the heavier side of Luude, using synths and drums that maybe don't get used as much in house and techno.

What’s your greatest source of inspiration for making music?

The intial trigger is always being out on the rinse, and seeing how people react to a tune - there's nothing better than a crowd of people losing their shit - we try to take that energy and build something that's unique to us.

What can punters expect from a Choomba live show?

The longer term plan is for us to play a live show of all original music, with a really engaging production setup - but until then we want our shows to feel like insane house parties run by two idiots, even when we do build up to a bigger live show - we want to always be able to go back and DJ and just have mad fun. So yeah people can expect to see two different styles of show in the future hopefully.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who was it from?

Probably from my old footy coach Wazza, he told me "Tim you need to grow the f*ck up".

What Australian track would you play to cheer up someone who was crying?

'Smoko' by The Chats. If that doesn't lift your mood you might possibly have no soul.

What Australian track would you play to someone to make them cry?

I still call 'Australia Home' by Peter Alan.

You’re the DJ at a party. The dance floor is pumping. What Australian track do you put on next?

A hell cheeky edit of 'Home Among the Gum Trees' would get people fizzing like a bag of sherbert in a coke can. Can hear the big dusty open hi-hat on that already working a treat.

What was the last local gig you went to? How was it?

We went and saw a local band on the gold coast called Ivy, they are sick.

Tell us about the bands or people in the Gold Coast / Tas (you decide) music community that inspire you?

M-phazes is originally from the Gold Coast, which is a pretty big inspiration. Seeing someone coming from here, going all the way up the chain to producing music for some of the best in the world and being a proper professional about it all.

What are your plans for 2019?

We're writing heaps of music and just seeing where that takes us right now. Having a good time playing shows and traveling.

Tell us about your music. How did you develop your sound?

I developed a sense of storytelling and everything else kind of just fell into place. Ideas are always changing and growing and expanding so it's hard to tell when or how I developed a sound. I like to work in a cave when recording. I like to listen to very specific artists and draw inspiration from them. I learnt to trust my gut feeling a lot. I learnt to not be afraid to tell myself that something isn't right or isn't working, always remembering that things need time to simmer and to spice them up in the right way. And I keep trying to add things to tracks that are just for me and that no one may notice.

What’s your greatest source of inspiration for making music?

Greatest source of inspiration would definitely be other musicians and other artists. Just other people and their stories really. I'm reflecting on my own experiences and tying theirs together.

What can punters expect from a Didirri live show?

It will depend on whether they see me perform solo or with the band. They are definitely two very different experiences but I try to make it feel like I am always playing to each audience member one on one.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who was it from?

"If you have a plan B you don't realistically think you can achieve plan A. If you fail to achieve plan A, just make a new plan A and screw plan B" - Jack the Bear (Mastering Engineer).

What Australian track would you play to cheer up someone who was crying?

I always go back to Paul Kelly for inspiration. He's great to get over anything you're going through. 'Meet Me In The Middle of the Air' is the song by Paul Kelly that I would recommend.

What Australian track would you play to someone to make them cry?

'Boys Will be Boys' by Stella Donnelly.

You’re the DJ at a party. The dance floor is pumping. What Australian track do you put on next?

'The Cracks' by Peter Sonic.

What was the last local gig you went to? How was it?

Tom Walker and the Sick Individuals. Mesmerising.

Tell us about the bands or people in the Melbourne music community that inspire you.

Yes, yes, whatever... Hayden Calnin, Sonija Yves, Jordie Lane and Angie McMahon. They are all just being very, very real!

What are your plans for the rest of 2017?

MAKE SOME MUSIC!!! The EP is nearly done.

Tell us about your music - how did you develop your sound?

I don’t think there actually was much development; Dads was quite spur of the moment. I had acquired some new recording gear around the middle of last year, and I had a bunch of ideas lying around so I started recording them. I added to them over the following months, writing words, adding layers and re-recording bits I didn’t like and before I knew it I had an album’s worth of material.

How do you know when a song idea is for Dads rather than Big Scary?

When it sounds like the song will be less reliant on layered parts for it to come across well then I think it would be a Big Scary song. A lot of the Dads songs rely on there being lots of different parts, I actually think that the Big Scary songs are better because they are built on fewer, but stronger parts. Also, lyrically the Dads songs were a way of me dealing with a few things that were going on in my life last year that I don’t think would have been appropriate for Big Scary.

What are your earliest memories of seeing live Australian music?

In my early high school years I had a massive thing for techno, I think ‘Wild Vol 6’ was pretty much the only thing that got rotation in my discman. But I went to see a school battle-of-the-bands when I was about in year 9 and I still remember there was this energy from these bands and from the live music that I had never experienced before that really captivated and stuck with me. There was a lot less techno after that, a whole lot more Red Hot Chili Peppers, and I think I got my first guitar not long after.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who was it from?

It may not be advice, but I really enjoyed reading The Alchemist and in it there’s this nice line that says something like “When you want something, the world conspires with you to help you achieve it”. That said, I was brought up to think that I should be realistic about what I want to achieve, particularly with wanting to be a musician. So piecing those two together I think forms some pretty solid advice: to chase what you want, but also be realistic about it.

Tell us about the bands and people in the Melbourne music scene that inspire you.

There’s so much goodness going on in the Melbourne music scene, to be honest I really don’t get out and experience as much of it as I should. I guess Dads was kind of inspired by people who like to make great music just for the sake of it. Jarrad Brown from Eagle and the Worm for example is one of my favourite Melbourne songwriters, he made this beautiful album as Joe Neptune which kind of flew under the radar but he seems cool with it, just happy to keep making music, whatever its form, I like that. Other than that, I think one of the most exciting bands in Melbourne at the moment is Kins, so much talent and originality, there really is nothing else like it in this town, go and listen now!

What’s coming up in 2011?

We’ll release the full Dads album on May 13, but after that the rest of the year will be about Big Scary’s release, I feel like that’s got some of the best songs I’ve ever written on it and I’m really excited about it.

Australian music is?

Immense, endlessly interesting and waiting to be listened to.

Tell us about your music - how did you develop your sound?

I would describe my music as honest. My sound really developed over the last two years as I spent more time in my own headspace. Each week I would spend hours playing guitar and working out ways to better express myself and my music.

You’re the winner of our National Indigenous Music Awards competition. What most excites you about being flown to Darwin to play the awards?

It's very exciting to have the chance to rub shoulders with some of the most talented Indigenous musicians in Australia and the opportunity to connect through music with so many people. I find it very humbling that I was personally chosen out of so many talented Indigenous musicians.

Tell us about the bands, producers and people in the Brisbane music community that inspire you.

A band that really inspires me in Brisbane at the moment is The Trouble With Templeton. I think those guys are making some really amazing tunes. My best mate come producer Nathan Morrison also inspires me. I have been collaborating and working with Nathan for the last four years. He isn't afraid to tell me what isn't working and his musical abilities always inspire me.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and by who?

Mike Howlett who was an Associate Professor at QUT at the time told me just to make the type of music that I wanted to make, so I have been doing that ever since.

What else is coming up for you in 2013?

The rest of 2013 is looking to be a big year for me. I will be releasing my debut EP, playing live shows across the country and getting a band together.

Australian music is…?

…a multicultural community full to the brim with undeniably talented musicians. The artistry is among the best in the world and in the not to distant future I think you'll see Australian artists conquering the world in ways we are yet to see.

Tell us about your music - how did you develop your sound?

Over time, more and more factors are contributing to the development of my sound. A lot of direct and indirect musical influences, contemporary folk music, film scores, living in Scandinavia and the winter in the north... also my relationship with the studio environment. For this project particularly, I spent a lot of time in my home studio, just exploring and really working on creating a layered sonic landscape. It’s those small organic nuances that you stumble across over time that have really defined the sound of this project for me.

You wrote and produced a lot of your music in Sweden. What did you find most inspiring over there?

The thing that impacted me the most about living in Sweden was the physical environment. All of it.. It’s so different from everything we have here in Australia. The dramatic seasonal shifts, the colours and textures in the trees, the light... is softer or something. The winter, it’s so extreme, and because of that it’s so beautiful. It’s a hard thing to describe, but I found it really inspiring to be immersed in those places.

What other artists/musicians do you draw inspiration from?

I haven’t been listening to much music lately, but I do have some staples that I keep going back to: Laura Veirs, Max Richter, Great Lake Swimmers, Feist, Elbow, Tucker Martine. I try to be a bit selective too when in writing/production mode. I find it can be good to limit what I listen to, just to put some boundaries in place.

You’re preparing to play shows. What’s your vision for the live show like?

I just did the first gig on Sunday evening actually! I’ve been really focusing on bringing the important sonic elements from the recordings to the stage, but still keeping a sense of play and freedom in there. It’s a fine line, but these days there’s some great technology out there to work with! At this stage, it’s just a solo show, and I’ll be building it up as I go along.

What else is coming up for you in 2013?

The rest of the year is shaping up nicely. The next single is not too far off, I’ll be putting a fair bit of work into the live set and am now just in the process of booking some shows. I’ll have the next couple of video clips to produce, and then back to writing the next lot of songs!

Australian music is…?

…Evolving. I think now is a really interesting time for us. The internet has given Australians access to culture on a global scale, but often we’re positioned more as observers than major players. Because of this, it seems like there is some really interesting and unique music being created in Australia at the moment, and it has the ability to connect on an international level. I feel like we’re no longer culturally isolated from some other key regions of the world, and that’s reflected in the music we’re currently producing... It’s pretty exciting!