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

My music embodies the storytelling of a very indecisive person. It's shiny and sad and peaceful and folk-driven and roots based. I wanted to be a pop star at age 5, so I would write my own riddles and songs and sing them out to family. Over time I acquired a guitar & got really into folk/sadness/heartbreak. I think since high school has ended, I mostly still write about troubled things but in a tranquil way. 

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

90's pop icons, heartbreak, alienation, feeling too full after sushi and hangovers. 

What can punters expect from an Asha Jefferies live show?

Honesty is really important to me when performing. The songs I write are vulnerable and expressing them in an intimate and explosive way feels best. There feels no use in writing these songs unless I give the opportunity to vulnerably share and see connection in conversing on stage. 

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

 I sat down and had coffee with Emma Louise early last year. I remember her explaining how essential it is to write from your heart/unspoken part of you and let the mind fade. It's stuck with me ever since.

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

'The Ship Song' by Nick Cave.

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

'How to Make Gravy' by the Gravy Man (Paul Kelly).

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

I'm going to back myself with Miami Horror's 'Sometimes'.

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

I went and saw a 'Mustard' show presenting TOISOC, Caramel, Disco Indians & Lilian Vase last night. All coastal, psych-rock vibing bands. Honestly, it was great and it made me feel really cool contrasting with my 'i have a lot of feelings'-folk-shell. 

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

Oh my goodness! It is a joy and wonder to be surrounded in such a creative and inspiring community. Songwriters like Hazlett, Clea, Zefereli, Moreton and Daggy Man are just a few that I look up to immensely. 

What are your plans for 2018?

I'm going to buy a fish called Bullshit, go to New Zealand, release an EP, play some shows outside of Brisbane, wear my Birkenstocks, record new music and attempt to survive Brisbane humidity. 

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

First love for hip hop started after an opportunity I had, introducing Bliss N Eso to the crowd before one of their shows. So my initial introduction to the scene was at a super high standard. That led to following a heap of other Australian rappers, and from there my taste of hip hop began to expand. After a 6 month general trip through LA, New York and mostly Toronto, I returned back home with new inspiration from all over North America. Recently I headed back to Toronto to work with a local producer 'Otis Grey', so my taste for hip hop has expanded massively, bringing multiple aspects of hip hop from so many different artists. To summarise it, seeing as I'm only 21, I still think my sound is developing - But I feel there's an art to making it work as you journey through that. So I'm sweet to just wait and see where I end up!

You’re the winner of our Pyramid Rock competition and will be opening the main stage on New Years Eve - what can Pyramid Rock punters expect from the Dylan Joel live show?

Yeah, such an insane opportunity. So stoked to be rocking Pyramid this year. Never expected to be playing a show like this so early on in my career. Was always one of those 'dream to play' kind of gigs. - So my plan is to get a little creative on this set. Not every day you get to play such a sweet show, so we're planning on having some fun with it. New tracks, old tracks, few covers. I have 3 homies that back me up for my live shows, rocking live bass, drums and vinyls - So hopefully we'll be bringing a mad festival vibe to our set! Definitely not afraid to have a boogie. So expect some real funky, bumpin' tracks!

Tell us about the bands, producers and people in the Melbourne music communities who inspire you?

Ah flip. So many. Definitely gotta throw some love to my man Mantra. Have had the priviledge to catch up with him on a fairly regular basis and take the opportunity of having him mentor me through some of the journey. Such a phenomenal rapper. But the part that really inspires me, is his passion for helping others. From volunteering with youth hip hop programs such as 'Dig Deep' to just being a really considerate dude. He's been an amazing inspiration for keeping grounded and understanding where your real life fits amidst your music life. Nate Flagrant has been a huge help too, he has been pretty committed to seeing us develop our recorded sound and our live show. Also some props to M-Phazes and Cam Bluff, as I see them as some of the most talented producers in the country. Along with the big man Illy, for not only being (what I think to be) one of the best song writers in the country, but also for his support and respect towards the new gen of rappers. Big advocate for seeing artists stay grounded and keep true to themselves. Props.

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

Tough question! Couldn't pick some specifically as the best, but one quote that sticks out: "Don't have everything you want, but want everything you have." - from the trusty words of a fridge magnet. Good as.

What are your New Years resolutions?

No idea ha. Get better at FIFA, write more raps, get even better at FIFA... Na in all seriousness, I'm real keen to write/release an album, which we've begun to tee up some amazing producers for. To be honest, I'm just happy with what I'm doing now. Selling out some bigger shows and playing some more festival's would be dope too, but I'm happy just kickin' it and seeing where the year takes me.

Australian music is…?

...underrated.

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

I've been rapping quite some time now, ever since I was a lot younger just trying to get better and better at it. Over the past few years I've developed more of a interest in actual song writing and I think that's where I found my niche or style. Once I did that it all kinda began to take shape.

You we’re one of the winners of our NIDA video clip competition, and the clip made for your track 'Ride For Me (feat. Shadow Kitsune)' just premiered on rage. In it you channel Frank Sinatra, which looks fun. How did you find the experience of filming the video?

It was great fun, seeing a team of talented students all focusing on the one goal and outcome was pretty motivating. NIDA is a great institute, world class. It was a bit overwhelming arriving on set and seeing 20-30 extra's waiting to shoot their scene, I've definitely never had that before. I'm used to driving all my sets and props around in my car boot and shooting without permits. As soon as we started shooting it I knew it was going to turn out awesome, couldn't have asked for more.

What can an audience typically expect from a Ry live show?

Twerking (jokes), me performing any of my upbeat songs, some bad jokes from me and good ones from my DJ Jimmy, me rapping over a well known song by Phoenix or doing a Drake cover, then closing it all off with a tribute to Biggie Smalls.

What are you doing when you’re not making music?

Running my clothing label RYWS with my girlfriend, using my Dad's laundry to do my washing, or at my part time job awkwardly whispering voice memo's into my phone.

What else is coming up for you in 2013?

My new EP Amnesia comes out late October and then I'm off to the USA just for November. When I come back I'd love to tour a bit more and get straight into finishing off my album that's produced by Hamley!

Australian music is…?

Currently incredible. The music coming out of this country is just as good if not better than the worldwide standard and that goes for all genres. The sense of community has built as well and it's great to see artists crossing over and pushing the boundaries. It's exciting to be a part of it.

Tell us about your music. How did you develop your sound?
Elise and Rosie met during high school when they were 14 at an after school percussion program. During a Djembe solo we locked eyes and from that day, we knew we would make music together. We both studied classical percussion at University and Elise went on to study composition. Our love for rhythm and classical composition has definitely influenced our sound and how we create a Feels track. We have always loved electronic music and wanted to find the balance between using our classical composition and percussion skills to created serious beats and shredding synth lines.

What’s your greatest source of inspiration for making music?
Rhythm is definitely our greatest inspiration and usually the main focus for our tracks. We like to find simple patterns and find ways to disrupt and manipulate them. We both play percussion every day, whether it be tutoring high school students, or playing for dancers at WAAPA. Playing has always been a huge inspiration for our music. Our study of many different styles of percussion music and composition has also been influential on our music.

What can punters expect from a FEELS live show?
Live drums, electronics and tinsel jackets! Oh, and a surfboard.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who was it from?
“Don’t place too much importance on one track or a certain release, you never know what can happen” – (Tim Shiel).
“Don’t fuck it up” – (RuPaul).

What Australian track would you play to cheer up someone who was crying?
Miss Blanks – ‘Clap Clap’.

What Australian track would you play to someone to make them cry?
Stella Donnelly – ‘Boys Will Be Boys’.

You’re the DJ at a party. The dance floor is pumping. What Australian track do you put on next?
Lewis Cancut – ‘Body Querty’.

What was the last local gig you went to? How was it?
BIGSOUND! We saw so many local bands it was amazing! Miss Blanks was definitely a highlight for us. It was great to see such a diverse range of artists at the festival. Being from Perth, it was amazing to see such a large representation of our local music scene.

Tell us about the bands or people in the Perth music community that inspire you.
Earlier this year, we co-founded WOMPP (Women of Music Production Perth) a platform for female, transgender and nonbinary music makers to share and discuss music production. We have monthly meetings to discuss electronic music production, share tracks and prepare for our biannual showcases. Through the creation of this community, we have met some of the most talent and inspiring individuals in the Perth music scene. Over this past year we have seen so many strong electronic acts form and more established artists become even more confident. Artists such as Alex and Yell, Lana Rothnie, G*Rey, WYN, Mei Saraswati, Jana Jaya Ayres, Jamilla and many more, are helping to shape the Perth music scene and the standards we set for equal gender representation within our city.

What are your plans for the future?
We have our debut EP Emerald coming out in November with 2 more singles in between. We’re very excited! We are heading to Berlin in November to attend ‘Ableton Loop’, an international music summit. We will also be doing an Ableton studio residency in Sydney January 2018 in which we hope to start writing a new album. We are definitely wanting to do an East coast tour in 2018 and release more new music!

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

The electronic world is still very, very new to me! Up until quite recently I’d been focusing on writing acoustic folky stuff, which I guess is now more of a side project. After producing ‘We Washed Texas’ for the Bon Iver Stems Project, I developed this newfound appreciation for dry beats and clicks. I couldn’t get enough of it, and I slowly started turning my acoustic songs into something more ‘glitchy’ and electronic. Everything came together really quickly after that; I’ve collaborated online with some great friends from all corners of the world, and together we’re working on my first EP.

What’s a St. South live show like?

Believe it or not I’m yet to play a live show! It’s really important to me that when I start gigging, I’m completely happy with my material and live set-up. Once my EP is complete, I’ll start wrapping my head around putting together a live show, with an electronic band and a full set list of original tracks. I think I’d get lonely up there with just my laptop!

Tell us about growing up in Denmark, WA. What are your strongest memories of that time?

Denmark has to be one of the best places to be a kid: my brother and I would spend our spare time going feral on the ‘back tracks’ of the bush, we’d take our bikes out for the day, build cubbies, and come back looking like little grubs. Music was definitely a huge part of my childhood. I remember dancing around the kitchen bench to The Pogues with my dad, and singing along to an old Tracy Chapman cassette with my Mum on the way to school. My earliest memory of seeing live music is packing a picnic and heading to Albany with my family to see the Waifs and Paul Kelly - all us kids would take off our shoes and run wild. No-one does live music like Denmark hippies.

What are some of the biggest influences on your music and why?

My biggest influences were the music my parents raised me on, because no matter where I am I’ll always feel a sense of nostalgia when I hear it, and I guess that’s one of those associations that builds your creative ‘personality’ the most. Nina Simone, Elvis Costello, The Waifs, Leonard Cohen: it’s an eclectic mix but they all inspire me for different reasons. As for my more current influences, I’m loving acts like Daughter, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Tiny Ruins, Frank Ocean, and Mama Kin, and am constantly finding new obsessions here on Unearthed. And it probably goes without saying that Justin Vernon can falsetto my socks off any day.

What’s coming up for you in 2013?

I’m working really hard to finish off my EP, which involves a couple of collaborations that I’m super excited about. But I guess my main goal is just to learn as much as I can. Rather than setting deadlines for myself, I think its important that I just take my time and enjoy the process!

Australian music is…?

…Koala-tea, not quantity.

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

I feel like my sound is still evolving and that maybe it’ll never stop evolving…and maybe I don’t want it to, either. It’s important to me to seek out something innovative, while still embracing the conventions of modern pop music, because pop music is my one true love!! I think I make Pop music, but Pop music that’s been like... plucked off the rings of Saturn, or dredged up from the bottom of the ocean. There’s something alien and spooky about it that I can’t stop chasing. 

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

Deeply human feelings and behaviour is the thing that truly inspires me to create, I think. I also love when those perfect poetic moments occur in real life - those things you could never dream of writing, but somehow the universe gifts them to you and it’s impossible not to frame them in a song. Like last year I was in America and I’d just said goodbye to someone I loved very much, and sitting in the back of an Uber, crying as though I was in a music video, Kissing Families by Silversun Pickups came on and it was just…perfect. It was so human and so miserable and I couldn’t believe my luck (lol).

What can punters expect from an EILISH GILLIGAN live show?

I think I put on a good show. It’s important to me to produce a true *performance* in every sense of the word. I love the drama involved in being onstage. I think if I’d had any tangible talent in the area I’d probably have gravitated towards acting. If I hadn’t been a musician. I’m really inspired by tearjerker films and also by the drag community. I think Lady Gaga said once “those women taught me how to serve,” which is the truest goddamn thing on this planet. 

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

There have been two instances where some extraordinarily pertinent advice has been given to me at exactly the right time. The first was from my wonderfully honest friend who, after patiently witnessing me bawl my eyes out on her hotel bed in Austin because I didn’t have the slightest idea where my sorry life was headed, said “You gotta do your own thing.” And I did. And she was right. The second bit of advice was from my Dad, who recently looked me straight in the eye and said “You must stop worrying. It’s going to kill you if you don’t,” and that scared me so much I must say I have really cut down on the worrying…

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

'Say Yes To Life' by Gang of Youths. This has worked for me approximately one trillion times. Also 'Better' by Mallrat. 

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

OK, this is definitely my forte. I think right now it’s a tie between 'Turning To White' by New Gods and 'Idiot Oracle' by Paul Dempsey. Both lyrically unbelievable and so so so miserable. Both superb!!

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

'Get Me A Drink' by Alice Ivy, E^ST, Charlie Threads. Have you ever heard anything as unhingedly glorious as this song?!

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

The last one I can really remember was the Ceres Christmas show in December. It was my first time seeing Ceres live and it changed everything. I couldn’t believe the songs I had held so close to me so privately for so long meant so much to so many people in the same room!!

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

I’m really inspired by kindness, honesty and work ethic in this industry. I really look up to people like HTMLflowers, Gordi and Mallrat. They all exude a wonderful sense of pride in their work and a generous, positive attitude towards friends and colleagues and I just think they’re great. 

What are your plans for 2018?

Write heaps, hopefully play many shows, and embrace whatever it means to be completely vulnerably human as much and as often as possible. 

Describe your music.

If I were to describe what I hope my music turns out to be, I'd say pop-driven tunes that still have an interesting musical production aspect to it. Although I am a bit of a muso nerd, I've learnt some valuable lessons about songwriting, very importantly that you can easily overdo anything when it comes to creativity. These days I'm trying to write things that are catchy, easy to memorise and easy to tap your foot to.

Who’s been a big musical influence for you?

Different artists influence different songs I write, seeing as I am a bit of a genre hopper. For example, 'Backflips' I think has a lot of Ben Folds in it, while 'Two Sides' and 'Different' show my respect for Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams. In terms of personal musical development and how its been influenced, way too many artists come to mind. Everything from Jeff Buckley to Mike Patton. Lately I've been listening to a lot of drum programming people like J Dilla, ?uestlove and the Platinum Pied Pipers -hence my increase in confidence with my own programming.

How do you start writing your songs? On the computer? Guitar?

Cool riffs usually just come out on guitar or on the keyboard when I'm screwing around, so I try to record them straight away before I forget them. I program a quick drum beat, loop it and record my idea in time with it and this becomes the central 'hook'. I tweak and build on that, adding new sections as I go.

Tell us about the local music community in Brisbane.

I don't know if I'm being socially ignorant, but I think the Brisbane music community is TINY! Everyone knows everyone so its easy to network and meet people. Its very easy to help your peers and help yourself get a name out there. It feels like the degrees of separation are very few and everyone seems to also be hooked up to Myspace... which is totally killer for being a whore.

What have you got planned for the future?

I'm studying at the moment (aiming for the stable future), but for the long-term I plan to hone my songwriting and production skills to the point where it can support me financially. Who knows what will hopefully come...the path of the poor musician is a hard one to follow. As hard as winning the lottery.

Australian music is…

...not to be underestimated. We have many world class artists in our locale that are sitting there undiscovered. Get out there and check out stuff you havent heard before! Is there anything Australian's aren't good at?

Tell us about your music. How did you develop your sound?
I developed my sound probably though experimenting on Ableton at ridiculous hours of the early morning on school nights instead of doing homework, but that more or less evolved from being a singer songwriter playing acoustic gigs earlier on. I've always played instruments and always liked to muck around on different instruments, and especially with pedals to try and adapt sounds etc. So then that kind of transferred over to the electronic side of things when I started producing, and the sound was just built from there.

What’s your greatest source of inspiration for making music?
I'm not really sure where I gain inspiration from to be honest, I've always played and written music growing up, so I've never really thought about it that much.

You're one of our Laneway competition winners. What can punters at Laneway in Brisbane expect from the JOY. live show?
A lot of dirty trap horns. Well, probably not. My set up is just me on stage solo pressing hundreds of buttons and hoping everything goes well. But I have heard I might be bringing a few special guests out.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who was it from?
"You don't make friends with salad" - Homer Simpson

What Australian track would you play to cheer up someone who was crying?
Hayden James - Something About You

What Australian track would you play to someone to make them cry?
Montgomery - Pinata or George Maple - Vacant Space (bc so beautiful)

You’re the DJ at a party. The dance floor is pumping. What Australian track do you put on next?
Peking Duk - High (ft. Nicole Millar)

What was the last local gig you went to? How was it?
OZfest at the Gold Coast last night. Very crazy, hectic line up. The Creases, Allday, Kingswood, The Preatures and Illy played and their sets were all 10/10 epic.

Tell us about the bands or people in the Brisbane music community that inspire you.
There are lots of rad bands and people in the Brisbane community that inspire me. In particular my m8's The Cairos, The Creases and Vancouver Sleep Clinic. The Cairos are all lovely dudes, and mega talented song writers, I really look up to them. I really dig The Creases' sound, it's super refreshing and kawaii and lovely and they're all super cool dudes. Vancouver Sleep Clinic have totally nailed the whole soundscape vibe, incredible incredible polished sounds and just amazing vibes all round.

What are your plans for 2015?
I will be embarking off around 'straya for plenty of shows soon, I am supporting the FLAMINGO boys on their national tour in a couple of weeks, followed by a couple of other small tours. In between shows I am planning to write a bunch of material and hopefully work on a big EP, or mini LP depending on how everything goes, and apart from that, I plan to eat lots of Pringles by the pool in the sun and not have to worry about going to university.

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

Well, I think I should first acknowledge I still have a great deal to develop. But as for this far… i think it's all about authenticity. Honest music is often the hardest to write, both instrumentally and lyrically. And that takes developing as a person, I'd say that's helped me the most. Differentiating what I think I should put out into the ether and what I actually want to. It's such an easy task to camouflage yourself safely in a "current" sound. I'd much rather run around in the open in a high-vis vest.

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

Just that! Music. It's a full circle really. You immerse and absorb only to create in hopes that your works may encourage the same process. Listening to incredible pieces lights my eyes up like nothing else.

What can punters expect from your live show?

Multi-instrumentalism and unnatural body movements.

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

It's more so unspoken advice than anything. But I've never seen someone practice and preach patience the way my father does, and that's something that has always resonated with me.

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

Sundream by RÜFÜS for sure. Or anything by Wave Racer.

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

Clair De Lune By Flight Facilities.

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

If it's early… Panamas remix of 'Cape Town' by Clubfeet. If it's late, like… really late - Pandora by Code Black.

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

The last one i went to was actually one i played with my band Ocean Grove. I was painted black, chucked on some steam punk goggles and yelled stuff into a sm58… it was awesome.

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

I've done the rounds in a few scenes in Melbourne, so there is no shortage of people or groups. Of course Chet Faker takes #1 for me. But just to palm off a few more people who have inspired me: Dream On Dreamer, I, Valiance, Harbours, Big Words, Benson, Remi, Dom Dolla, Art Of Sleeping, Fortunes., Will Sparks, Zac Waters, WKM just to name a few. It was also such a surprise to be hit up by triple J for things like Listen Out. But learning how welcoming and supportive you guys were really makes me excited for not only my future, but other Australian up and comers.

What are your plans for the rest of 2015?

Muscle every piece of energy I have into the live show and new music. I have over 100 songs in the "maybe" pile and counting! I can most definitely say there are some exciting things in store for the rest of the year!

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

A friend introduced me some years ago to a bunch of great lo-fi bands that came out of the centre of America in the 90's. All these bands were making some of the most fantastic music I'd ever heard. It was emotional and angsty but it wasn't "emo", the lyrics were poetic but it wasn't folk, it was pop sensible yet it was dark like indie rock or grunge. I started writing and recording really rough demos in my room trying to emulate those sounds.

Eventually I met Sean, our guitarist, and we liked the same bands so we started to help each other on our own musical projects until it made more sense just to work together. We worked on a heap of songs over a couple of years and last year it felt like we'd finally figured them out so we went into studio with Steven Schram who helped us record our EP.

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

My songs are quite personal so obviously a lot of the time the catalyst is my own experience but I find reading books and poetry another source of subtle inspiration for music. I can't force myself to write music so all the time spent absorbing books and poetry comes out in unexpected ways when inspiration finally does hit.

What can punters expect from your live show?

Our music is a blend of folk, rock and shoegaze. I think all of the best elements of those genres work well together. I try to write songs which have a strong narrative element which ties them together even though sonically they can be quite different. I think our live sets come off more emotional and a touch heavier than our recordings.

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

In regards to life advice my parents raised me to treat others as you'd like to be treated and this has had a big impact on myself. In regards to music my friend Carl (a disgruntled sound engineer) gave me the advice to always be nice to the sound guy.

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

Crepes - Cold Summers.

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

The Middle East - The Darkest Side.

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

I'm really not known for my DJ skills. So whoever made me DJ of this hypothetical party is completely out of their mind... I asked our guitarist Sean and he said Two Bodies by Flight Facilities.

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

The Rolling Blackouts launching their EP at the Old Bar in Fitzroy. It was amazing, they had the whole room pumping with their tight pop tunes.

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

There is so much talent at the moment coming out of the Melbourne music community. A few that spring to mind are the Outdoor Type and JP Klipspringer who actually supported us at our single launch the other week. Other bands we love are Hollow Everdaze, Crepes, Good Morning, Redspencer and Bored Nothing. Our good friends Jackson Phelan, LUCIANBLOMKAMP and Rosebud Leach are also incredible musicians that have always inspired and supported us.