STACK #147 Jan 2017

visit stack.net.au

MUSIC NEWS

this kind of sensory overload where people become more emotionally open and aware,” she explains. “One of the first inspirations I had for the record was the band Massive Attack. I saw them by accident; we played a festival with them and their shows are pretty overtly political. They have all these newspaper headlines in the background throughout the

T he film soundtracks of Red Dog and the recently released prequel Red Dog: True Blue collect together a swathe of timeless Aussie rock classics (think The Easybeats, Sherbet, Stevie Wright and Daddy Cool) with the panoramic and truly roadtrip-worthy original score of award-winning Australian composer Cezary Skubiszewski. Both soundtracks are available in JB right now, and for a short time purchase includes a limited edition calendar featuring priceless photos of the pooch himself – a must-have item for every true blue Red Dog fan. RED DOG TRUE BLUE

continued

INTERVIEW

whole thing. There’s just something about receiving that information while listening to beautiful music that it makes it easier to want to relate, or want to understand.” If there was a word that could crystallise the feeling of Future Politics ’ tracks it would be ‘hope’, and it comes out in different ways. Stand-out Beyond A Mortal has very Kid A -like opening – childlike and electronic like a baby robot, with short high key notes rippling and pulsing across the air. To

AUSTRA

T o use the word ‘politics’ in your album title is a bold move, but Katie Stelmanis, AKA the woman behind Canadian electronic project Austra, doesn’t eschew its connotations or hide her goal of prompting listeners to think about what it means. “It was definitely intentional,” she says. “What I’m saying when I say ‘future politics’

Future

Politics by Austra is out January 20 via Domino.

create it, Stelmanis sifted through a pile of very legit material. “I got a bunch of free samples from NASA,” she explains. “That intro was recorded in space! I think it’s noise from Mars, and rockets taking off… I’m always looking for really good white noise samples.” Utopia contains some incredibly delicate harmonies, which the musician created “on the fly” – she’s not as disciplined as their intricacy might suggest. “I never warm up, ever,” she says a little bashfully. “I [see] other artists do it, and I have a lot of respect for them. I kind of warm up on stage. For example, I could never sing Lose It in the first three songs. I try and make it so the first few songs are easier to get into, and by the end of the set I can kind of do anything."

is imagining the world and organising society in a long-form way.” The songwriter and producer sees the corporeal community of music as a radical thing, which can tie people together in meaningful ways. “I think the dance floor is

Red Dog and Red Dog: True Blue are out now via Decca/Universal.

FACTOID: The engineering and production credits on Austra's album Future Politics all belong to women: "It wasn’t intentional for it to be all women, but I had to fight to keep it that way. I didn't want to give that up."

THE McCLYMONTS Mollie McClymont chats to STACK about the very personal new album by herself and her sisters, Endless .

Q1/ Sam has said that telling your own personal stories within your tracks is very important – do you think that country music in particular is inclined to default to common themes (trucks, girls whiskey) or is that a misconception? I think it's just a perception that that is what country music is. The country I know has always gone a lot deeper...

Q2/ The idea that Andy

Mak has such a great connection with you guys because he understands the sibling dynamic (particularly in making music) was super cool. Do you think it’s something to do with trust and/or being able to be far more honest than you might otherwise be with somebody else? You need to feel 100%

Read the full interview online at stack.net.au

Endless

by The McClymonts is out January 13 via Universal.

someone, that's when you can open up and all the honesty comes out.

to write a duet. When the track was finished we all sat down and discussed who we could hear singing it with us, and Ronan was number one. We thought it would suit his vocal, and we had recorded with him before so we knew he would put his magic on the song. He put his own spin on the song and made it his own, which we couldn't have been happier about.

Q3/ Tell us about working with Ronan Keating – did you present him with the finished track ( When We Say It’s Forever ) or did he contribute any ideas? When sitting down to write this song, Brooke, Andy and Tom knew they wanted

Yes, there are songs about [those things]. but the country music I know and write about goes past that. We write about our own experiences, straight from the heart, and hope that our stories connect with the audience by them feeling we wrote the song for them.

comfortable with your producer and collaborator. Andy is a person we had an immediate connection with. He is insanely talented, the fact he makes music with his brother, the way he writes songs, finds different harmonies all make us drawn to him. When you are comfortable with

JANUARY 2017

04

jbhifi.com.au