So What’s Been Happening?

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.

EP116 - So What’s Been Happening? - Mark Sinton

EP116 - So What's Been Happening? - Mark Sinton
Mark Sinton is a Northern Irish born, Melbourne based singer songwriter with 25 years of experience fronting guitar driven bands in Ireland, Australia, and the U.K. Having toured and recorded internationally Mark returned permanently to Melbourne to set up home and commence a lengthy sabbatical from the industry.
Inspired by an unexpected trip to his hometown, Mark’s song writing was reignited, leading to his stellar 2022 album ‘Change to Something New’ which explores mortality, grief, anxiety, love and hope through impeccable songcraft.
Mark’s music draws comparisons to Bowie, Lennon, Todd Rundgren and early Billy Joel. His live show sees him shifting between piano and guitar to deliver his timeless songs, with pitch perfect singing and the comfortable stage banter of a Vegas pro. Marks second release ‘Live at Headgap sessions’ was released through Shankly records in October 2023, a series of songs recorded solo with acoustic guitar, live to tape. 2023 consolidated Mark as a firm fixture in the Melbourne music scene, gathering a strong following through solo and band performances. Expect album #2 and plenty of live performances in 2024.
Join us for a chat and a few LIVE tunes from 8.00pm AEDT on Wednesday 8th November on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP115 - So What’s Been Happening? - Jamie Hutchings

EP115 - So What's Been Happening? - Jamie Hutchings
NSW artist Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss, Infinity Broke) releases his sixth solo studio album A New, ahead a run of national tour dates early in 2024. A prolifically creative musician, Jamie Hutchings has built a career in the Australian scene that stretches back to the early 1990s.
He first established himself as the cornerstone of noisy indie-rock auteurs Bluebottle Kiss before embarking on a solo career with the release of The Golden Coach in 2002. If that wasn't enough to satiate his musical curiosities, Hutchings also formed the band Infinity Broke, releasing the first of their three albums in 2014 and using the framework of the group to venture even further into angular guitar art rock, with a strong through-line of inventive and repetitive rhythms and percussion.
Earlier this year Hutchings released his most experimental solo album, Making Water, a collage of rhythm and noise, drone and abstraction that explored free jazz, Krautrock and the kind of terrain inhabited by The Necks and late period Talk Talk. As Hutchings tends to do, he has pivoted again stylistically, returning to a more traditional sounding solo album with A New.
FOR FANS OF: Bluebottle Kiss, Califone, Elliott Smith, Sparklehorse.
Join us for a chat and a few LIVE tunes from 8.00pm AEDT on Tuesday 7th November on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP114 - So What’s Been Happening? - Zoë Fox

EP114 - So What's Been Happening? - Zoë Fox
Described as a "Modern Blondie" and "Mary Poppins on Acid", Zoe Fox and The Rocket Clocks launch 'Flirting with Aliens' Spawned from an illegal picnic in Melbourne’s eastern greenery, ‘Flirting with Aliens’ is the first single to emerge since Zoë Fox and the Rocket Clocks’ rebellious intergalactic debut album ‘Clockwerks’. After an enforced lockdown on the night of her album launch, Fox strikes back with this new single, new band members, new space-age costumes and…an alien MC. Since establishing The Rocket Clocks in 2017, Zoë Fox has appeared at Falls Festival, NYE on the Hill and internationally. Over the years, she’s been described as “Syd Barrett goes to the disco,” “Modern Blondie,” and “Mary Poppins on acid.” Watch her ever expanding dream world come to life through characters, videos, costumes, and her curious connection with the world of word and discuss her launch at Howler in Melbourne from Oct 20, for the ‘Flirting with Aliens’ launch party.
We chat to Zoë Fox LIVE on 1st November at 8.00pm AEDT, join in the chat anytime.

EP113 - So What’s Been Happening? - Justine McAllister

EP113 - So What's Been Happening? - Justine McAllister
Justine McAllister is a muralist and contemporary artist. Her works are dynamic amalgamations of colour and chaos. Often creating motifs that are playful and theatrical, McAllister pairs objects and symbols with abstracted elements to explore ideas of identity and persona. She also utilises references throughout art history and brings them into a modern context. For the last 10+ years, McAllister has focused her practice around large-scale murals for the public art space. We will find out what makes Justine tick, earliest art memories, inspirations, influences and current projects all on the agenda.
Join us for a chat LIVE from 8.00pm AEDT on Tuesday 31st October on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP112 - So What’s Been Happening? - Jessica Luxx

EP112 - So What's Been Happening? - Jessica Luxx
Adelaide-based country/folk singer-songwriter Jessica Luxx comes from a long lineage of artists and musicians who have their roots deep down in the good earth of gospel and folk music. Her unique story telling and sing along choruses will leave you with a feel-good sense of nostalgia and sweet 'n' dusty vibes. Jessica stole our hearts away with her debut single, Heavy Lifting - a song that resonated deeply with listeners and is still featuring in community radio airplay charts nationwide.
She recently headlined Adelaide's iconic Wheatsheaf Hotel and wowed a jubilant full house with an inspired set. With a new single, The Temple, and accompanying video and promo tour, along with appearances at Summer Festivals and an eagerly anticipated debut EP on the horizon, the later half of 2023 and the new year is looking very busy for this enchanting songstress. "Jessica Luxx opened with a set of haunting country pop originals. Her voice is a powerful instrument, reminding at times of Angel Olsen, and always putting across real emotion with graceful melodies…" - Sonic Vandals For fans of: Lana Del Ray, PJ Harvey, Sierra Ferrell, Laura Marling, The Audreys, Little Birdy, Tami Neilson, Stevie Nicks, Nancy Wilson, Patsy Cline, etc.
Join us for a chat LIVE from 8.00pm AEDT on Tuesday 24th October on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP111 - So What’s Been Happening? - FONT

EP111 - So What's Been Happening? - FONT
Among many other things Melbourne rock quartet FONT are a testament to stickability. Like many musicians in the pandemic’s ‘Most Locked Down City In The World’, their pursuits were blocked and momentum halted, but with a kick in their step and no small amount of determination to see through on the band’s early potential, they have emerged through the quiet years with their debut album, the ever so aptly titled Coburg-19. Pretty Lately is accompanied by a video filmed and edited by FONT at Shogun Studios and follows the themes of time, place and mood inherent across the album.
Join us for a chat LIVE from 8.00pm AEDT on Tuesday 17th October on Facebook live and YouTube. Join in the chat anytime.

EP110 - So What’s Been Happening? - Emilee South

EP110 - So What's Been Happening? - Emilee South
Emilee South plays commanding and fervent rock music. Combining the raw edge of punk with the driving force of rock, South shout sun apologetically over chaotic guitar riffs and charging rhythms to themes of capitalism, feminism, privilege, and the power of community. With influences ranging from Grinderman and IDLES to Sharon Van Etten, the band transitions seamlessly from urgent hooks to unyielding power. South and band have released two EPs to sold-out crowds, performed at Bigsound, Americana Music Festival, St Kilda Fest and Brunswick Music Festival; and will appear at LuliePalooza as part of their stacked 2023 lineup. Emilee South has supported Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, The Teskey Brothers,Mo’Ju and Phil Jamieson, and has seen support from radio and press like RRR, PBS, Double J, Beat and The Music.
South's new single ‘ Weekend ’ is all about the rat race ! Corporate jobs, a cog in the machine, a rat on the wheel, working for The Man™ day in and day out. A rallying cry against the monotony and pressures of modern life, and a resounding anthem of defiance. Produced by Anna Laverty, ‘Weekend’ is out now, with a launch at The Old Bar on October 13 with Bad Bangs & Kate Alexander.
Join us for a chat LIVE from 8.00pm AEDT on Wednesday 11th October on Facebook live and You Tube. Join in the chat anytime.