Honeybone: Behind The EP - Spits And Curses

Once again, the Melbourne music scene is showing everyone why they are up there with some of the best musical cities from around the world. DOPECAUSEWESAID has an EP that you absolutely need to check out, and we promise you won’t regret it. 

Originating in New Zealand, Drew Handcock (guitar and vocals), Peter Jermakov (bass and backing vocals) and Rachel Trainor (drums and vocals) make up the three-piece garage rock band Honeybone. The band originally formed in 2009 in Dunedin. 

From 2014- 2015, Honeybone was secretly writing songs for the May 27 release of Spits and Curses produced by Lee Jones, the former frontman of the Solicitors, turned producer. The 2016 album was recorded over one long weekend with the trio returning a few weeks later to lay down the final vocals.  

Tumultuous relationships and lost love are common themes transformed into the hard rock aura of Spits and Curses. The five-song EP features a dynamic and diverse selection of equally impressive tracks, and we can definitely see ourselves cruising down the desert highways of Las Vegas with some Ray Bands on to this EP. The first song titled “Lonesome” immediately dragged us in with the crazy vocal diversity of the singers and the musical composition from the lead guitarist. The best thing about this EP is how diverse the band proves to be, showing the multiple skills of each musician. A good example would be the fourth track titled “Shotgun”, where drummer Rachel Trainor takes over lead vocals and shows everyone exactly why she is the woman for the job. The dynamic between the powerful male vocals and ambient female vocals almost broke our ears (in the best way possible).

Fun Fact: Honeybone plays a fictional band in a yet to be released film called Marital Problems, and Rachel even gets to punch one of the main actors in the face. The track “Lonesome” will also be featured in the film, so keep your eyes out for it! DOPECAUSEWESAID does not condone violence, but I think we can all agree it makes for some interesting (and hilarious) content.

You can find the Spits and Curses EP and follow the band to see about upcoming projects on their social media accounts below.

Connect with Honeybone: Website   Facebook   Soundcloud   Instagram   Bandcamp

Nancie Schipper’s Debut Album: "Haunted House" Review

Nancie Schipper may only be sixteen years old, but the South West Victorian musician is showing the world why age is just a number with the release of her fourteen track debut album titled Haunted House. Nancie’s stunning talents have caught the attention of Australian music legends such as Shane Howard and Bill Chambers, prompting them to appear on the 2015 project, which is a diverse and exceptional piece of art.

Nancie began writing more serious music around twelve years old, but stuck to playing covers at fundraisers and council foyers. Eventually, the confidence she gained on stage began to pour into her music, and she was bewildered to find the audience loved her originals. At fourteen, Nancie decided she had the right amount of material and confidence to capture her songs permanently in the form of sound recordings, thus beginning the journey to Haunted House.

"I thought the project would take a matter of months.” stated Nancie. “Little did I know just how much work and commitment it would take to produce 14 songs, and the entire project took a full year! In November of 2015, we officially launched the album with a full band in front of an audience of 250 people. It was the most mind blowing experience of my life“.

The fourteen tracks on Nancie’s album are not ones you would ever imagine to have been written by someone her age, touching on real world topics with underlying tones of poise and maturity. The album even stands true to it's name by giving the listener a Civil Wars type feel through the use of minor chords and vocal inflictions, creating a somewhat haunting and shadowy feel. Her voice is flawless and folky, blending well with the overall small-town singer vibe of the project. If you're looking for an organic and easy-listening album, we definitely recommend you check this one out. 

So when you listen to her album Haunted House and fall in love, don’t worry. Even though Nancy is a bit reluctant to release too much information, she is planning the release of her second album in the near future, which will be recorded in Sydney by Australian producer Matt Fell in an intense ten-day session. Nancie is also in the process of planning an Australian tour as well as several appearances at major Australian music festivals. If Nancie has gotten this far and accomplished so much at just sixteen, one can only imagine where she will be in a matter of a few years.

Connect with Nancie Schipper: Website   Facebook   Instagram
 

Stream/Download "Haunted House" by Nancie Schipper

Bateau aka Melina Twyman is a Melbourne, Australia based Trip-Hop/RnB/Hip-Hop artist as well as a DOPE writer and friend of DCWS. You can follow her on Instagram at #bateauofficial or at bateauofficial.wordpress.com

Peter Bee Q&A: Short Advice for the Emerging Artist

Last week, I sat down with Peter Bee, an Australian musician and audio engineer who made quite a splash in the music scene worldwide.

Throughout his five-year career with former band Clairy Browne and the Banging Raquettes, Peter says he was able to see and experience things he never thought possible had it not been for the music. His band went on multiple tours, playing shows in America, Australia, Europe, and even as far as Tokyo. Their music videos racked up millions of views, and the attention attracted Vanguard Records and the Creative Artist’s Agency.  ABC Radio National named his band’s album, Baby Caught the Bus, as the 2011 album of the year.  Shortly after during the 2012 Olympics, Heineken released a commercial featuring one of their songs.

But before all of his success, who was Peter Bee?

Born in Canberra, the Capitol of Australia, Peter developed a love for music at a very early age. His mother only owned two albums, and no one in his family showed any interest in music. His father was in the Navy for the majority of his childhood, forcing Peter to move around Australia at least seven times before settling in New South Wales at the age of 12. Once 21, Peter went on to University and studied law for five years before moving to Sydney.

As a self taught audio engineer, Peter was soon recruited to the small South Australian town of Adelaide to produce an album for a local band. What started as a short-term project turned into a four-year stay, prompting him to seek change and relocate to Melbourne upon the album’s completion.

Working in a small café in the city, Peter crossed paths with a friend of a singer called Clairy Browne, who introduced the pair in 2009. He and Clairy began jamming over mulled wine in Peter’s apartment, writing songs and connecting through similar music tastes. The duo began performing in a soul garage every week, eventually putting together a band. The band’s first gig attracted the attention of a manager- and the rest is history. Even after the band’s wild success, the members decided to go on permanent hiatus in 2011 in order for Clairy to pursue a solo career.

Luckily, I was able to pick Peter’s brain and provide the interview below. If you are interested in the glamorous touring life, or want to make music your profession, I suggest you read on!
 
Q & A

What is the best aspect of touring?

Well, without touring I never would have been able to travel. I met so many amazing people and saw so many amazing places. I never felt homesick because I always had such an incredible time.

I Imagine touring can get a bit strenuous, what would you say is the most difficult part about it?

Money was a bit tight after a while, and that was a big issue. We also were too busy working to sometimes enjoy the places we played at. We would perform and spend about thirty minutes of downtime, only to immediately pack up our gear and drive two hours to the hotel. Space was tight and it could sometimes add tension between the band members. All of that aside, the whole experience was amazing.

Once the band began to take off, how did all the attention feel?

It was actually pretty crazy. We received fan mail, signed autographs, and were treated really well. One occasion we even partied with The Roots. It never became overwhelming though. There is no point getting into this business if you don’t want to please the fans.

What advice do you have for emerging artists who want to make music their career?

The term “music business” is exactly what it sounds like- half music and half business. If you’re serious about it, you have to get the business side taken care of first. Work out why you’re getting into the business. Always think about contracts and the relationships you have with other artists and management, etc. Be extremely professional and knock out the necessities early. On top of that, make sure you get everything in writing. If you’re in a band, make sure you talk about expectations and get on the exact same page from day one. But most importantly, don’t do it to prove anything to anyone. Don’t alter your life for anyone but yourself. You have to love your work. Being an artist can open up your vulnerabilities and leave you constantly searching for validation. Happiness comes from within, and being happy with who you are. The only acceptance you need is from yourself.

These days, you can find Peter in the heart of Melbourne working at his studio, Studio Bee. He has a comfortable life playing gigs and acting as an important member in the Melbourne music community.

Thank you immensely to Peter for sharing his knowledge and connecting with Dopecausewesaid.

Bateau aka Melina Twyman is a Melbourne, Australia based Trip-Hop/RnB/Hip-Hop artist and writer, as well as DCWS Editor-in-Chief. You can follow her on Instagram at #bateauofficial or at bateauofficial.wordpress.com

BLOG: Generation Walking Dead

Here's a new piece by Melina Twyman aka Bateau, the Houston based Trip-Hop/RnB/Hip-Hop singer-songwriter who always has some jewels to drop for the masses whether it be over an instrumental or on a computer screen via a blog post. This blog post in particular is entitled "Generation Walking Dead" and to an extent, the title is pretty self-explanatory, but it's deeper than that. Here, Melina examines this generation's obsession with the internet, immediate gratification, the need for social media acceptance and much more. Millennials, humble yourself and read on...

“Never before has a generation so diligently recorded themselves accomplishing so little”
-Unknown

This is 2016, the year where we sit behind a computer screen typing furiously about politics and social justice issues on Facebook and Twitter until our faces turn blue, replacing real action and progress with likes and shares. The media driven generation that refuses to fact check and do their research, spewing out nonsense and misinformation into the already growing monster that is the internet.

 The generation of Snap Chat and other social platforms that invite infidelity and secrecy.  The generation who would rather “Netflix and Chill” over getting to know someone organically and slowly. The generation that will send a flower emoji instead of showing up at a doorstep with lilies. The generation who is no longer interested in the chase, but has become desensitized with a culture of immediate gratification. We prefer to lurk Facebook or Twitter to see what our peers are up to, rather than talk over dinner.

We are a generation that no longer appreciates true art and music, expecting the artist to produce for free. We refuse to pay for anything without recognition of the hard work, time, and money that goes into the product we have incorporated into our every day lives.

This is the generation that glorifies lip injections over natural beauty. We would rather make our money selling Detox Tea on Instagram to millions of strangers instead of getting an education and making notable contributions for a more functional society. The generation that values fame and notoriety over worldly knowledge and intelligence.

We have made unhealthy living habits justifiable by shouting lifestyle acceptance, claiming to have been shamed by those who challenge us.

We live in a generation that follows tragedies blindly without recognizing the underlying seriousness and exigency of them. We see these tragedies as the popular things to care about in the moment, failing to recognize many of these things have happened in the past, are still happening, and will continue to happen. We live in a generation that would rather change our profile picture to a French flag temporarily, rather then spend our time, effort, and money helping victims.

We are the generation that refuses to look up from our phones. We crash our cars refreshing Instagram, miss important moments that only come around once, and have become so engulfed in social media we do not realize our lives are passing us by.

This is a generation that has demolished the First Amendment. We are no longer allowed to speak our minds without being called a bigot, receiving backlash, deaths threats, and being run out of our houses; Unless of course, we agree with the majority.

This is the “now” generation. The generation that wants everything, and wants it fast. The generation who lives for the moment, making choices without any consideration for their future. This is the generation who expects apathy instead of working hard with the cards they were dealt, justifying laziness with an increasing sense of entitlement. The generation that no longer celebrates hard work.

“Those are the people I like to call the Walking Dead. They’re living asleep, so they accomplish nothing. That is the difference between successful and unsuccessful people. Successful people aren’t afraid to take the risk and live the experience whether it be good or bad.”
-The Arkitect

We are too sensitive, and we expect too much. I am scared to live in a world where our potential leaders are turned off by hard work due to the fact that hard work is no longer recognized. I am scared to live in a world where our standards are lowered to coincide with a culture that believes everyone running the race deserves a trophy. If we get the prize no matter the outcome, we will have no motivation to win.

I am scared to be in this generation.

But mostly, I am scared to be in a generation that doesn’t recognize there is a problem.

- Melina