Category: Australia

Airports Review: U FEEL IT 2

Posted on Posted in #ilivefor, 2020, Alternative pop, Artist Bio, Australia, Backstory, Chill, electronic, Emo Pop, Energy SoundTagged , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Airports

LPR Agency

@jocronin65

Editorial

Depression is like a snake haunting its meal in the middle of the night. Thoughts of not being good enough is the snake, and when you realize that you’re depressed is like that snake eating its meal.

As a mental health worker I knew that my field is heavy, and that’s why I go to a therapist on a weekly basis… That and for my anxiety and seasonal depression.

My seasonal depression began about 5 years ago, and when winter comes around I have recently found it hard to talk to my therapist. The past couple of sessions have been me just sitting there and not wanting to be there. That’s not like me at all, because on a normal day it’d be hard to get me to shut up.

Airport’s song, U Feel It 2, is about being trapped with your feelings or a vice. And those therapy sessions have definitely made me feel trapped. But I also know as a mental health worker that sometimes silence can help too. I don’t know why, but it does, so I allow myself to sometimes just sit in silence.

So maybe that’s what people who feel trapped need sometimes…

Silence?

Table of Contents

  1. Editorial
  2. Who is Airports?
  3. Inspiration Behind U FEEL IT 2
  4. What’s Next for Airports?
  5. Thank You Notes
  6. Links
  7. Conclusion

Who is Airports?

Aaron Lee is the mastermind behind Airports, the Sydney based DIY hip hop, punk, electronic, and pop artist who has garnered attention from independent streaming productions (including Triple J) and global music productions (including Universal Music and Capitol Records). He is an advocate for personal development in mental health, following two life-threatening illnesses and the rollercoaster of being a musician.

Through the journey, Aaron has garnered what he calls an “inspired and understanding” fan base. He says they are “people who understand the journey and want to be part of it!”.

After taking on two life-threatening illnesses and the ups and downs of being a full time creative, AIRPORTS is an avid voice for personal development in mental health. With his eyes set on influencing listeners while traveling the world, the Sydney dwelling artist isn’t afraid to take a non-conventional approach.

LPR Agency (Airports Press Release)

Inspiration Behind U FEEL IT 2

Airports mix of multi-genres are so different, unique, and… Different. Like you can’t put a finger down on who he sounds like.

I love the top 5 songs on his Spotify library, but I am interested to know more about what Mum is about. It’s most likely about his mom or a person who was like a mother figure in his life. Either way the song sounds very sentimental, but I still would like to know who it’s about.

Just about all his songs that I rated 5/5 below will be added to our Indie Unedited Spotify playlist, but I am still trying to figure out if I like Cheddar… My current opinion is it’s a really weird song… Probably going to add it EDM Unedited at some point…

The visuals for “U FEEL IT 2” were filmed during a unique time stamp in history where most of the world is in the same situation, so AIRPORTS decided to invite anyone and everyone to submit videos of themselves answering questions he’d given them about their personal loves and struggles. Aaron explains, ‘The intention of the video was to show that everyone walks the tightrope of this duality in their own lives, no one is exempt from happiness nor suffering.’ The heartfelt video emits a sense of unity and togetherness.

LPR Agency

What’s Next for Airports?

Right now, there are no known releases that are coming up, but future releases will have a little funk and punk in them.

The plan for now is to keep releasing music, and when the pandemic allows for shows then that will come next.

Thank You Notes

I would like to thank Lydia Reed (LPR Agency) for introducing me to Airports, he is an unique talent that has a very bright future.

Airport’s links:

LPR Agency’s links:

Unedited Music Blog’s links:

Conclusion

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend, and remember to be respectful of everyone. If you have to go into public, then wear a mask because we are still in a pandemic. Thank you for reading!

Party All the Time by Airports (2020)

Waiting for Smith [unedited] Music Review

Posted on Posted in #ilivefor, 2020, alternative, Alternative pop, Artist Bio, Australia, Backstory, California, Chill, Chill Rock, dream pop, dreampop, France, Good Vibes Only, Guitar, In-person, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, indie playlist, Indie pop, indie pop playlist, Indie Rock, Inspirational person, Instagram, Interview, Music, New Zealand, Pop, Pop Music, Pop Rock, Rock, Singer, Soft Rock, Soundcloud, Spotify, Sweden, UK, UKViral50, YoutubeTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Waiting for Smith

Independent Artist

@jocronin65

According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, in 2008 and 2010 thirty six lives were taken by avalanches. 36 is the most recorded deaths in one year.

To say the least, I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of people injured caused by avalanches are higher than those deaths. Avalanches are probably one of the scariest and most unpredictable natural hazards.

Harry Lloyd was a ski instructor before he started his solo career. At some point he broke his back in two places during avalanche training. It was when he was airlifted by a helicopter when he decided to dedicate his life to music.

After spending a year in bed recovering and learning how to play the guitar, he started Waiting for Smith.

It all started at a Rolling Stones concert when Harry knew he was meant to be a musician. He joined his first band at age 11 with his best friend Danny.

Now he’s a singer-songwriter with fans across the world. VH1 featured Lines of Love at one point, and Song for Grace was featured in Vis a Vis on Netflix. His main fanbase seems to be in London, Sao Paulo, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Hamburg, and Amsterdam.

When these old dudes came on stage I looked at Danny and was like; what’s this all about? Then they starting playing ‘Get off of my Cloud’ and I was instantly hooked. The bouncer saw we were having such a good time, so he lifted me up to the stage and I high fived Ronnie Wood, the crowd went crazy! I will never forgot how loud it was, how they could bring joy to so many. As my feet touched the floor I knew I’d never be the same again.

Harry Lloyd (8/21/2020)

I genuinely really like listening to Harry’s music, because I find it different in a weird way that kind of pushes boundaries of soft pop and singer-songwriting.

I love the song Meditation, and honestly I am surprised it wasn’t either used in a TV or movie production. It has that sound that would be great in a modern western or action movie. I think a lot of his songs follow the same sound so I wasn’t surprised to hear that at least two have been featured in something like that.

I also really appreciate how positive these songs are, it’s been really hard to stay positive people across the world so I think this is music that is much needed now a days!

Most if not all his songs will be added into our Indie Unedited Spotify playlist.

It was very clear to me that music was what I should be doing the minute everything was taken away from me. I experienced this amazing sense of clarity. When you think you might not make it, it becomes so obvious what’s important. It’s not like you have time to go ‘maybe I’ll take up painting tomorrow’. 

Harry’s answer to why a near death experience inspired him to start making music again.

“I love lots of different styles, the next set of tracks have a bit of everything I like in there. But it always seems to come back to a strong desire to make people come away feeling hopeful,” he says about what the future holds for Waiting for Smith.

At the moment, Harry is planning to stay positive, “I believe our mindsets have a huge impact on everything.”

So for now he is going to live his best life, and help lift other people’s spirits…… “If that doesn’t work there’s always pizza,” he says.

I would like to thank Harry Lloyd for patiently waiting for this article, as indicated I interviewed him about 3 months ago so it’s been a while. If you would like to keep up to date with Waiting for Smith, then you can click any or all the links below!

Waiting for Smith’s links:

Unedited Music Blog’s links:

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and remember to respect each other out there, and if you have to go out into public then wear a mask please!

Lines of Love (2020) by Waiting for Smith

Overall: 4.9/5

Lines of Love: 5/5

Long Life: 5/5

So Much Love: 5/5

Peace in Greece: 4.8/5

Songs for People I Loved: 4.9/5

Windy Cities of the Sun: 5/5

Meditation: 5/5

Trade It In: 5/5

Monkeys in my Head: 5/5

Roma: 5/5

Top Song: Meditation (2019)

Nick Kingswell [unedited] Music Review

Posted on Posted in 2020, alternative, Alternative pop, ambient, Artist Bio, Australia, Backstory, Blues, Canada, Facebook, Folk Rock, Guitar, indie music playlist, indie playlist, Indie pop, indie pop playlist, Indie Rock, Inspirational person, Instagram, Interview, Music, Pop, Pop Music, Pop Rock, Soft Rock, UKTagged , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Nick Kingswell

LPR Agency

@jocronin65

According to Oxford Dictionary, homesickness is a “feeling of longing for one’s home during a period of absence from it”. The actual word was used often in the 1940s, but it is a more popular word used today.

According to an article by The Guardian, 1 in every 30 people (a total of 258 million people) were living outside their country of birth in 2017. By 2050, it was projected that there will be 405 million migrants.

An article by IESE Business School (University of Navarra), suggested that homesickness was present in all 45 people involve with a 2012 study done by Hack-Polay.

It’s well-known that homesickness is a part of readjusting to a new place, but it’s how people choose to adjust that is important to overcoming it.

Often people in my mental health career field tell me to take care of myself. If you’re feeling homesick, do some self-care as well. Keep your body healthy, and keep your mind happy.

At an early age Nick Kingswell learned how to play the guitar from a music teacher. The first song he learned to play was the House of the Rising Sun, and then from there he fell in love with music in general.

Today, Nick has an encouraging and supportive fan base spanning the world. They always show a lot of support for each new release that he produces.

A music teacher came to my school when I was 7 and said to bring whichever instrument you have at home and I’ll teach you how to play it. My mum had an old guitar in the corner… He taught me House of The Rising Sun and the rest is history. 

Nick Kingswell (8/14/2020)

I find Nick’s music as a collection perfect for fans of Ben Howard and early Ed Sheeran. It’s music that’s very chill but also very honest and vulnerability. His new song Homesick touches on the challenges of living in a different time zone then your loved ones.

“Homesick is inspired by my move to the UK from Australia and constantly battling the time difference when trying to reach family back home. Feeling Homesick can be tough but it isn’t constant, it seems to come and go,” said Nick Kingswell.

As a songwriter, I certainly have a big appreciation for musicians who choose to be vulnerable like Nick is. While writing songs can be very therapeutic, it’s when they are produced and released to the public that can be very scary for many.

Some of my favorite songs of Nick’s are Homesick, I Didn’t Try, Swim, Everest, and Undertow. Lastly, I just wanted to say, like I did about Tia Gostelow, Aussie music in my opinion is some of the best out there. I feel like every time I hear music from an Australian music I almost always say that.

(Moving to London from Australia) was liberating and I encourage anyone reading this to drop the safety net and go for it! So many amazing things wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t left Australia.

Nick Kingswell

After recently coming out with There’s No Cure and Homesick, Nick is looking forward to releasing a new album called Brontide on October 23rd. The album was made with James Bunton in Canada, and was recorded partly at Abbey Road. “Never in a million years did I imagine my music would end up where it has!”, says Nick.

For more information on more releases in the future, make sure you follow all the links below to get updated on his future!

I would like to thank Nick Kingswell for waiting for this article, and I would also like to thank Lydia Reed (LPR Agency) for connecting me with Nick in August.

Nick Kingswell links:

LPR Agency links:

Unedited Music Blog links:

Have a wonderful week, and remember to respect others and stay safe. If you feel sick then stay home, and if you go into public please remember to wear a mask. I know that I personally have been going out with my friends in Boston a lot more, but I often have to remind myself that the world is still in a pandemic.

Homesick by Nick Kingswell (2020)

Overall: 4.8/5

There’s No Cure: 5/5

Homesick: 4.7/5

I Didn’t Try: 5/5

Never Lost: 4.7/5

Everest: 5/5

Undertow: 5/5

Swim: 5/5

Top Song: Swim (2017)

Tia Gostelow [unedited] Music Review

Posted on Posted in #ilivefor, 2017, 2018, 2019 Pop Music, 2020, alternative, Alternative pop, ambient, Artist Bio, Australia, Backstory, Chill, dark pop, dream pop, dreampop, Edits, Emo Pop, Facebook, Indie, indie music, indie music playlist, Indie pop, indie pop playlist, Inspirational person, Instagram, Interview, Live Session, Lullabies, Music, New Zealand, Pop, Pop Music, Soft Rock, Soundcloud, Spotify, YoutubeTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Tia Gostelow | Psycho
Tia Gostelow | Photo taken by Jeff Andersen Jnr. (2020)

“Mr. Hutchinson, 36, had not been seen since the early morning hours on Wednesday (May 9th, 2018), when he left a hotel in South Queensferry after sending two cryptic messages on Twitter. He wrote: ‘Be so good to everyone you love. It’s not a given. I’m so annoyed that it’s not. I didn’t live by that standard and it kills me. Please, hug your loved ones,’ and ‘I’m away now. Thanks.'”…

“‘Depression is a horrendous illness that does not give you any alert or indication as to when it will take hold of you’ the (Hutchinson) family said. ‘Scott battled bravely with his own issues for many years, and we are immensely proud of him for being so open with his struggles.'”…

“Scott Hutchinson, the lead singer and songwriter of the Scottish folk-rock band Frightened Rabbit, was found dead on Thursday (May 10th, 2018) near South Queensferry, Scotland, the Edinburgh police confirmed, after a days-long search for the musician, who was said to be in a ‘fragile state’… The police could not immediately identify the cause of death, but said it was not being treated as suspicious”. ~New York Times (May 11, 2018)

I remember reading this article not too long after it was published, and I am almost in tears just revisiting that day. I knew Scott Hutchinson battled a lot of demons, but I don’t think any Frightened Rabbit fan or anyone close to him were or would ever be ready for that day he was found dead.

Scott stood for so much, and he meant just as much to every one of his fans, band members, and family. He will and should never be forgotten.

“I have to say I didn’t really know who Frightened Rabbit were when the offer came through, but I definitely learnt very quickly that they were very important for the music scene worldwide. They were such lovely people and it was really nice to tour with them and be able to appreciate watching them live,” says Tia Gostelow. 

On March 9th, 2017, Tia opened for Scott and his band Frightened Rabbit at The Triffid in Brisbane, Australia. 1 year and 1 day before he was found dead due to suicide in Scotland.

At around 7 or 8 years old, Tia was inspired at a young age by Taylor Swift. She taught herself how to play the guitar, since T-Swift played that instrument. “I remember just being so in awe of everything about her, how she looked, the music she made and how confident she is. After that I remember forcing my parents to sit down and listen to me play Love Story over and over again,” she says.

Taylor Swift’s fans have always been loyal and supportive, and fast forward to 2020 and Tia Gostelow has an equally caring and faithful fan base. “I feel like they’ve been with me for such a long time and are watching me grow as an artist and also as a person. I love messaging back and forth with them, it feels really important to have those connections,” she says.

“(Psycho) forced me to really think about the situations and relationships I’ve been in where I have experienced gaslighting and how it made me go f—ing crazy. I constantly thought I was the issue, that everything was my fault and I kept apologizing for things that I later realized weren’t my fault at all.”

~Tia Gostelow (6/17/2020)

I need to clarify one thing before I go forward, as emotional as that intro was on my end… It wasn’t necessarily meant to focus on Scott’s death. Instead, the last paragraph is why I wrote that whole introduction. It was a way to start connecting the dots between these two musicians I personally think mean a lot to the music industry.

I’ve always loved listening to the top modern musicians from Australia, such as Malrat, G Flip, 5 Seconds of Summer, Amy Shark, etc. One thing I find quite similar with most of these artists are their sound and songwriting, almost a chill pop sound with catchy but also mature and creative lyrics. Tia definitely carries this unofficial tradition amongst Australian musicians, especially with songs like Hey Friends (2018), Phone Me (2018), and That’s What You Get (2018).

At the start of 2019, Tia started writing Psycho with her friend Aidan Hogg. “Going into the session I felt like I really wanted to write a song about something that was really prominent in the media at the time and was also something personal to me,” she says.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, gaslighting is “manipulating (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity”. There’s a high chance that you probably will be gaslighted in your life, especially if you’re in a toxic relationship. Please do your research if you’re in a position that could make you feel gaslighted, some great articles to read are from Vox, Pyschology Today, and ABC.

“I felt like I was turning into this psycho person and it seemed like nobody else saw where I was coming from. However, seeing all of these other people speaking up about it, made me deal with my emotions that I had just ignored and I finally felt like I could put all of my anger and frustration and hurt into something that means something,” explains Tia. She hopes Psycho helps people the same way hearing others stories of gaslighting did for herself.

Far before the release of her debut album Thick Skin she has attracted a massive audience from all around the world and even established her own record label (Lovely Records). 4 of her 5 top songs on Spotify hitting 2-10 million streams, and her newest release Psycho is certainly on its way to that milestone as well with close to 200 thousand streams to date. The Queensland Music Awards winner of Album of the Year for Thick Skin has certainly made her name heard, loud and clear.

“I really wanted this next record to be inspired by 80’s electronic music but still keeping my style in there. It’s definitely a lot more danceable than my previous music and I’m really excited about that.“

~Tia Gostelow

Fans should expect Tia’s next album, that’s coming out later this year, to be heading into a more indie-pop-electronic direction. It sounds like we should expect songs that Oh Wonder, Sylvan Esso, and Marian Hill would make. But I am not too sure, and I could be very wrong.

If you enjoy listening to Tia Gostelow, I encourage you to keep your eyes peeled to our social media for updates. I will keep in touch with Tia and her PR agents, and as soon as I get word of new music I will update everyone as soon as possible.

I want to thank Kershona Mayo of Mora May PR for connecting me with Tia Gostelow (Lovely Records)! She is such an amazing musician who I look forward to setting something up with when she comes touring through Boston.

You can follow Tia Gostelow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as stream her music through YouTube, Spotify, and SoundCloud.

You can follow Mora May PR Agency on Facebook, and Twitter.

You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and stream our playlists on SoundCloud and Spotify.

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable extended weekend in the States, and a happy 4th of July! To everyone else, have a great weekend and stay safe.

Psycho (2020) by Tia Gostelow
Psycho (2020) by Tia Gostelow

Overall: 4.9/5

Psycho: 5/5

Rush: 5/5

Get to It: 5/5

Thick Skin: 4.8/5

Top Song: Phone Me (2018)

Camarano [unedited]

Posted on Posted in Australia, Camarano, Indie Rock, SingerTagged Leave a comment
Camarano
Camarano (2018)
Facebook- Photos
Interview & Review 

      “Initially, it was just hanging out with friends and playing in bands…. The first thing was when I joined a cover band, or it was started as a cover band with friends. And yeah… I soon discovered singing and writing songs and… yeah… It grew from there really,” Mat Camarano reflects during our late January 2018 interview. Ever since that interview the breakout song (that lead me to reach out to him) called Somebody Else has now reached over 300k listens on Spotify… In the matter of under a year. This was after the release of Ashes, which now has over 150k listens. Having since released an EP and two singles, Mortal Man and Bloodlines, Mat has continued to be hard at work with EPs and music projects.
              Established in late-2017, Camarano started as a music project for Mat Camarano from Perth, Australia. But then it turned into something much bigger than a “project”; after releasing his two singles (as mentioned above) he quickly found opportunities to go forward with his work. Such opportunities come from Culture of Arts, WA from Western Australia who funded the making of summer 2018’s Somebody Else EP and Mortal Man (single) releases.
             The first thing I noticed with Camarano’s music, is how his voice is so accented… “I don’t have a good reason for that (laughs)… I guess I just watch too much TV… I actually used to have a stutter as a kid because my mom was trying to teach me Italian and English as I was growing up… And apparently, my brain couldn’t handle it. (Laughs)… (The accented singing voice) could be a side effect of that may be” Mat tells me.

               Most of Camarano’s songs are based on made-up stories… “Most of the time they are what I’ve read or watched and I kind of nailed into my life, my friend’s and family’s life with these fictional tales. It usually ends up with a Frankenstein type…. It’s just stories (basically)” Mat tells me. However, upon asking a personal question like “is Somebody Else more of a personal song” I found that “at the time I just broke up with my girlfriend, and I tried to numb the feeling…. Try to fill that void with the reckless… Yea,h that was the original idea… The underlying reason behind that song. Then I extended it to being something not about me, I created a narrative behind that idea” Mat remarks. In a way, you could say that today’s generation could like personable and deep lyrics… Hence why musicians like The Chainsmokers and grandson are so successful nowadays.
      While Ashes and Bloodlines sound more indie alternative pop; Somebody Else, Mortal Man, and Food For the Worms sound more like chill indie rock. However, Mat likes to think of his music as “Indie… Old… Pop… Rock…”, but we both agree his music definitely sounds on the lines of indie pop rock. Either way, Camarano’s sound is more of his own sound… Something like a mix of the Broken Bells and Arctic Monkeys.
       Camarano just finished touring a couple of locations in Australia, but right now he is focusing on future releases. To stay updated, please keep an eye on this article because I will be posting updates further down the road!
         I would like to personally thank Mat Camarano for his continue communication, something I value for all my blog connections. It’s because of artists like Mat that I find the motivation to continue to blog for my own sake in spite of all the craziness nowadays. Again, if you would like to continue following his progress (apart from liking his page) please feel free to follow this website and Unedited Music Blog’s Instagram and Facebook pages!!!!
Somebody Else EP (2018)
Facebook- Photos
Overall: ★★★★1/2
Somebody Else (EP): ★★★★1/2
Top Song: Somebody Else (2017)
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Simon Irvine [unedited]

Posted on Posted in Australia, Experimental Electronic, Simon Irvine3 Comments
Simon Irvine
Interview & Review

                  When I first started listening to Simon on #MonsterThread, I couldn’t figure out his genre. “It’s interesting, when I started doing this seriously, I was writing traditional pop songs – with lyrics and all. However, I have made music in a range of genres, from dub through to rock. If you had to pin me down on what I am doing at the moment though, I would say that I am broadly exploring two genres – electronic dance music and trip-hop” Simon tells me. 
                           In the last 20 months, he tells me that his fan base has grown, and his influence to start developing and producing music is rather similar to a lot of other artists. “I was inspired to start making music by my first-grade teacher, who handed me my first guitar. I went to a very small school – only 12 kids – so everyone there was taught the two things that the teacher loved – guitar and chess. I pretty much started making my own songs right from the start but got more serious about writing in high school when I took up keyboards and got my first sequencer.” The fact that he first learned how to play the guitar is actually pretty similar to many artists I’ve talked to. In fact, I have even learned how to play the guitar…. I actually own a Fender and acoustic guitar!
                      “Lots of things influence my songs. It can be the weather, work or even what my young son is enjoying. For example, my boy is a huge fan of straight-up techno, so I wrote Song For Stirling as a piece for him. I am also influenced by what I hear. As I have listened to more and more independent electronic music, I have been inspired to explore a broader range of sounds and structures.”

                            My favorite song by Irvine, “Dubbleboc (A Collage)”, is very different than his songs like “Natsu” and “Experiment Number 6”. Simon tells me that “Dubbleboc (a collage) was written about a year ago and was the first track where I started to seriously explore more ‘pure’ electronic sounds and marked my first attempt to develop a kind of trip-hop sound. It’s different to everything else on my debut EP – Pluralism but is definitely something I have explored more recently. With dubbleboc, I was really trying to play around with texture – to build up heavy and light passages using treated vocals alongside synth pads.” Other songs I like are “Experiment Number 6” and “MOTS” because the first song (Experiment Number 6) has a Kohilo-like feel to it with the singing in it and the  MOTS has a good house feel to it. Simon also tells me that his Spotify EP (Pluralism) cover art was done by a New Zealand artist/photographer, Maiken Calkoen, who Irvine met when he was traveling South America. “My most recent single – which is currently available for purchase through QRates, has an awesome cover photo done by a local (Brisbane, Australia) artist, Rina Farlow. For my Soundcloud and Bandcamp releases, I do all of my own cover design.”
                  “I have recently started doing remixes. My first was for Pixel Rust, who has included the remix on a limited edition CD of his latest EP. And I have just completed a slow, triply remix of a song by Lemonade Kid that will hopefully see the light of day in the not too distant future.”
                             In five years, Simon is hoping to still be making music with much enjoyment and happiness. For future tracks, “ideally, I would like to eventually devote more time to making music and further my production and writing skills. So, to that end, I am going to keep working my backside off with the aim of reducing the amount of time I have to spend at my day job and earning at least a little of what I love doing the most.” The tracks are on its way as soon as possible.
Overview: ★★★★1/2
Pluralism: ★★★★1/2

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