So What’s Been Happening?

EP127 - So What's Been Happening? - James Harrison (Fleeting Persuasion)

EP127 - So What's Been Happening? - James Harrison (Fleeting Persuasion)
 
Fleeting Persuasion is the latest project of prolific Melbourne-based creative James Spencer Harrison who has also released several well-received albums, singles and EPs under the J M S Harrison moniker. The last of which, 2017’s Traced Out, was leading James towards a denser and richer full-band sound. That inspired a change of name and Fleeting Persuasion was born. In 2019 Fleeting Persuasion released the album Forever Caught, capturing a set of songs that possessed echoes of The Cure, tightly woven post-rock and Australian acts such as Bluebottle Kiss filtered through his own brand of heart-on-sleeve melancholia. It was certainly indie rock but the kind that resides in the shadows, always carving out new angles and creating interesting dynamics. Now, in 2023, there are a further two Fleeting Persuasion albums in the works. Splitting his time between Fleeting Persuasion and solo pursuits has established Harrison as a regular fixture on the live music scene, opening for renowned artists including Painters & Dockers, Steve Kilbey (The Church), Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss), Peter Fenton (CROW), Hermitage Green (Ireland), The Clouds, China Crisis and She Wants Revenge. "There is very much an early The Cure sparseness and melodic thrust, with a refrigerated edge that sends shivers up the spine." Backseat Mafia on 'Still Dark'
FOR FANS OF: The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, New Order, Swervedriver
Join us for a chat and a few LIVE tunes from 8.00pm AEDT on Thursday 14th March on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP126 - So What's Been Happening? - Football's Gravitron

EP126 - So What's Been Happening? - Football's Gravitron
 
Footy's Back and we step back inside one of Luna Park's greatest rides, the 'Gravitron' and discuss the trades and changes your beloved team has made and how they will go in season 2024. It's been a big off season, larger for some than others it seems. We dust off the couch and endeavour to morph into the best armchair critics we can be. Music festivals have been the rage again this summer, gigs and album releases have dropped since the start of the year.
Join us for a chat with a couple of special guests LIVE from 8:00pm AEDT on Tuesday 5th March on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP125 - So What's Been Happening? - Merry Christmas

EP125 - So What's Been Happening? - Merry Christmas
 
Merry Christmas everyone and love to all of your families. Be safe over the festive period and get some well earnt rest, it's going to be a big 2024. We discuss the recent passing of Melbourne Furniture icon from Brunswick and Footscray Franco Cozzo. We discuss some of the great moments of 2023.
 
Join us for a chat with a couple of special guests LIVE from 7:30pm AEDT on Thursday 21st December on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP124 - So What’s Been Happening? - Al Matcott

EP124 - So What's Been Happening? - Al Matcott
 
It was a period of many firsts for Al Matcott: his first time working with a producer; his first time recording in an established studio; and his first time collaborating with his live band - Brendan West (he/him; bass), Miranda Holt (she/her; drums) and Steve McLennan (he/him; guitar). Summer’s Coming was written over two years and recorded under the watchful eye of producer Wade Keighran (The Scare, Wolf & Cub, Elvis - music supervisor) between Head Gap Studios in Naarm/Melbourne, Golden Retriever Studios in Eora/Sydney and The Tender Joint in Colomatta/the Blue Mountains.
 
Join us for a chat from 8.00pm AEDT on Tuesday 19th December on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP123 - So What’s Been Happening? - Good Will Remedy

EP123 - So What's Been Happening? - Good Will Remedy
After their run of impressive singles, Brisbane alt-country band Good Will Remedy release their new album Sunshine State. Good Will Remedy have been serenading and rocking Australian audiences for half a dozen years now. In that time most bands might release a couple of albums, but the prolific and hard working GWR already have five albums under their belt.
Now they bring you their sixth full length release, Sunshine State. The title of the new album is "more a state of mind than location," explains songwriter, singer and bassist Will Lebihan. "The title track is an anthem to all things good and positive - oh and Queensland of course!" A hallmark of Sunshine State is the way GWR apply a wide stylistic palette to their songs.
From heartland rock to 80s alternative rock, Tom Petty to the Black Crowes, and a clear nod to home-state compatriots The Go-Betweens, Powderfinger and Halfway, the band absorb and acknowledge their influences, in the process creating their own musical identity at the junction of those twin pillars – country and rock.
Join us for a chat from 8.00pm AEDT on Tuesday 12th December on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP122 - So What’s Been Happening? - Big League

EP122 - So What's Been Happening? - Big League
Big League have been serving as one of the finest purveyors of indie-rock on the scene these last few years. Created over loungeroom recordings by husband & wife team Travis & Marie, the endearing quartet have fast found a name for themselves not just at home, but abroad as well. 2022 was the band's busiest year, with tours at home and in the USA.
The band's second visit to the USA had them playing to packed rooms while enjoying regular airplay on college radio, ending with their second album A Symbol Like A Cloud appearing on the yearly Top 100 lists of several stations. 2023 began with Big League heading into the studio to begin recording album number three (due early 2024). Opting for a more typical studio environment, this record marks a departure from the home studio lo-fi sounds of their previous album, instead embracing the sonic textures the group can conjure from years of playing together, all the while maintaining the rock edge and catchy melodies that make the band special.
With their male/female vocals, Big League present uplifting alternative pop-laced guitar rock that is sure to warm the hearts of even the most jaded music fan. Through their distinctive language of distorted melodies, Big League spin tales that celebrate the often unappreciated details of suburban Australia. FOR FANS OF: Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, The Clean, The Psychedelic Furs "This is raw and brutal indie at its most dynamic and invigorating, typical fare from a band that has built up an admirable reputation for visceral authentic rock." Backseat Mafia
Join us for a chat from 8.00pm AEDT on Tuesday 5th December on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP120 - So What’s Been Happening? - Jeremy Fish

EP120 - So What's Been Happening? - Jeremy Fish
Looking forward to a LIVE online chat with Jeremy Fish Artwork. We celebrate "Jeremy Fish Day" (yes it's a real thing) Jeremy Fish was born in Albany, New York in 1974 and relocated to San Francisco in 1994. Finding a balance between exhibiting his work across the US, and internationally in galleries and museums. While producing commercial illustration projects for a wide range of corporate and independent clients all around the world.
Exciting news is Jeremy will be in Melbourne for his solo exhibition "The Koalabee Champ" this week. “I will travel to Melbourne for my first solo exhibition in Australia. The work is a collection of 100 different screen prints from the last 15 years. Primarily artist proofs from sold out editions, and also some rare and new prints as well. As an artist who loves to draw animals, it is a thrill to discover and draw different species of critters I have never drawn before from down under. The title of the show involves two of those infamous Aussie animals, combined with a play on the name of me and the Ghostface Killah's favorite shoes. Hope to see you there!” Jeremy Fish
"The Koalabee Champ" On The Corner Gallery - 82 Stanley St, Collingwood, Melbourne, Victoria - November 24th-26th 2023
#jeremyfishmelbourne Join us for a chat from 8.00pm AEDT on Tuesday 21st November on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP119 - So What’s Been Happening? - Saint Victoire

EP119 - So What's Been Happening? - Saint Victoire
Introducing Saint Victoire (Vic-twar), the Melbourne-based act that burst onto the scene in the early days of 2021. Originally intended as a solo singer-songwriter project by front-woman Heidi Allison, Saint Victoire quickly morphed into a five-piece band, broadening the scope of the lyrically driven originals and capturing the imaginations of their newfound audience.
Saint Victoire's unique blend of Americana-folk-rock and heartfelt storytelling is sure to draw you in and leave you wanting more. Saint Victoire has been making waves in the live music scene since the release of their debut EP, "A Thing I'd Hate to Change," in 2021.
From captivating lyrics to chaotic-cathartic instrumentals, the band's music takes you on a journey of raw emotion and sonic exploration. With influences ranging from Sam Fender and Leonard Cohen to Bob Dylan and Charli Adams, Saint Victoire brings a fresh and authentic sound to the stage.
Their dynamic live performances are not to be missed, as they seamlessly blend their original material with covers that pay homage to their musical heroes. Headlining at the Gasometer, the Worker's Club and performing at a number of support shows, Saint Victoire has garnered a loyal following in Melbourne and beyond. With a slew of new originals to perform, they're ready to take their music to new heights and share it with the world.
Join us for a chat from 8.00pm AEDT on Tuesday 14th November on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP118 - So What’s Been Happening? - Matt Malone

EP118 - So What's Been Happening? - Matt Malone
Matt Malone is a singer/songwriter born in the goldfields region of country Victoria. He has formed his musical vision out of the blues, country, folk and gospel traditions of the American, British and Australian past. Malone’s commanding baritone and masterfully crafted songs have been compared to the archetypal Johnny Cash, African-American gospel preachers such as Blind Willie Johnson, poetic folk troubadours including Leonard Cohen and tenebrous lyrical princes Nick Cave and Mark Lanegan.
The new album For The Term Of My Natural Life is without a doubt Malone's most personal, autobiographical and accomplished work to date.
A pandemic-induced relocation from Melbourne back to Ballarat provided a psycho-geographical location for Malone to focus on the completion of the writing of the album's songs and find a central thread for their subject matter. “I also took the opportunity to reassemble myself after years of drug / alcohol abuse and exploration through Thelema / occult practice by going back to my religious roots and developing a deeper communion with nature through long walks and prayerful meditation,” Malone reveals.
Join us for a chat and a few LIVE tunes from 8.00pm AEDT on Monday 13th November on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP117 - So What’s Been Happening? - Al Carr

EP117 - So What's Been Happening? - Al Carr
MELBOURNE, VIC alt-country and Australian Americana artist Al Carr is proud to release his third album The Right Dereliction. Al Carr started playing in Sydney bands in the late 90s before a move to Melbourne in 2006 led to the start of a solo career that began in 2013 with his self-titled EP (featured guest appearances from Davey Lane (You Am I) and Louis Macklin (Jet), followed by the albums Gutter Truth (2017) and Empty Skies (2021) which included pedal steel by Shane Reilly (Lost Ragas).
Now Carr backs up those releases with his strongest set of recordings to date – the exquisite, diverse and poetic album The Right Dereliction. Written at home after a move to regional Victoria, these ten songs gestated for several years before Carr reunited with his band and long time collaborator Simon Maiden (guitar, keys), taking them into Aviary Studios in 2022 where Clinton Kraus (Something For Kate, The Peep Tempel, Mike Noga) produced and mixed the record.
FOR FANS OF: Tom Petty, The Band, The Replacements, Dan Brodie, Nick Barker
"The EP, six tracks of alt-country rock possesses a real late-night barroom feel – it sounds clean but rustic at the same time... his voice sounds like the bastard child of Mick Jagger and the Go-Betweens Robert Forster." Garry Westmore, Beat Magazine.
Join us for a chat and a few LIVE tunes from 8.00pm AEDT on Thursday 9th November on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.