QandA with...Full Tote Odds

Full Tote Odds

Adelaide has become synonymous with the genre of music known as "Aussie Hip Hop," since the Hilltop Hoods made it big on the commercial scene with their hit single "Nose Bleed Section" (2003.) 

Since then, more hip hop artists have come to surface and the genre has been prolific; now a common feature on music festival line ups, and with sharp lyrics and catchy beats, are often the soundtrack to summer for Australian youths every where.

Now, a new group from the Adelaide Hills are making their own impact on the music scene. The four piece group, "Full Tote Odds" are regulars on radio stations both local and national and are showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. With the launch of their album "Place Your Bets" happening in a number of days, Levelheaded, Slats, Eslev, Ross Read and DJ Hacksaw took some time out to talk about their craft.

RTM: How did  Levelheaded, Slats, Eslev, Ross Read and DJ Hacksaw all get together to create Full Tote Odds?

FTO: Levelheaded, Slats and Hacksaw started Train Of Thought in 2000. They released a Demo in 02 and a full length LP Moving Heads in 04. Eslev and Mix Zagger joined in 09 and FTO was born.

RTM: Is there a story behind the groups name?

FTO: It's mainly about taking a gamble in music. We have invested a lot of time (10 years) and money into this art and we just hope it pays off... Kinda like gambling.

RTM: Aussie Hip Hop has blown up in the last decade.  What do you think it takes to stand out as an aussie hip hop artist?

FTO: Production quality. A lot of solid MC's aren't getting the recognition they deserve because their music is not at the level it needs to be to compete on the national stage.

RTM: How would you describe Full Tote Odds' sound?

FTO: Soulful, funky Hip Hop with a twist of boom bap.

RTM: Do Full Tote Odds' follow any formulas when coming up with new tracks?

FTO: Not really, every track is so different, they all come together randomly. The only formula is to continue working on a track until we love it. 

RTM: To someone who had never heard of 'aussie' hip hop, what would you say is its' core? How would you define it?

FTO: The core is truth. You need to be honest and tell it how it is...

RTM: What are the boys from Full Tote Odds' most looking forward to with the release of 'Place Your Bets'?

FTO: Getting out on tour.

RTM: Full Tote Odds are scheduled to tour early 2013 - what can people expect from your live shows?

FTO: Expect a big sound. We have 3 mcs, 2 singers, a DJ and a sound engineer ready to blow the speakers. We are headlining schoolies festival on the 18th and playing Hombake festival on the 8th December, followed by a full national tour in Feb/March 2013.

RTM: Where do you hope to see FTO at this time next year?

FTO: Touring extensively and punching out a new album.

Full Tote Odds are:

Levelheaded

Slats

Eslev

Ross Read

and DJ Hacksaw

Connect with Full Tote Odds on Facebook, Twitter and Triple J Unearthed

QandA with ... EGO

The best part about seeing your favourite DJ live is hearing for yourself their take on mixes and their interpretation of songs and beats - there's nothing like live exposure to these audio magicians who bless our ears with their skills and talent.  But why should the entertainment stop at one sense?

Ego takes this challenge head on, creating visual - audio treats for music and pop-culture lovers alike.  Having worked and performed as one half of the duo ' Nice and Ego, ' Ego is now working on his craft solo.  With a  video mixtape scheduled to drop very soon, EGO talks influences, methods and the crazy amount of time that goes into preparing for a live show.



RTM: What is the first thing you want people to know about DJ Ego?

E: That I'm not just a DJ, I perform with video too, some people call it AV DJing, some call it video DJing. But i basically play videos and music at the same time.

RTM: What can people expect at one of your live shows?

E: A good time. Plus something really different to anything they've seen before, I splice movie samples, film clips, youtube memes and other visuals together with party tunes - it's

RTM: You've just wrapped up doing live shows as one half of Nice and Ego -including a visual audio spot at Splendour in a the Grass in July - how has it been?  Are you exhausted?*

E: Yeah touring was rad, every show was a blast but yeah Splendour was off the map, that's the first time I've played a stage like that, it was a total trip and the response was awesome. But yeah I've been knackered, though I've just taken a month off performing and been in the studio putting together a video mixtape and some fresh content for the solo shows so feeling refreshed and ready to hit it again.

RTM: How did you first get into doing Visual Audio projects?

E: Mr Nice introduced me to it, I've been DJing for years but I'm also a video producer so it was a perfect fit. We ran a couple of AV nights here in Melbourne for a while which were consistently awesome parties so we decided to take the show on the road.

Check out more of Ego's track on Soundcloud

RTM: Audio Visual DJing seems very much like the "chicken and the egg" conundrum; i.e. which comes first - ideas for the videos or ideas for the music?

E: Yeah totally, basically I get my ideas any way they come - if its a song that conjures up a solid visual then I go hunting for that visual sample, or if its a movie or other that I want to sample then I try and find a song that fits with the sample. But its most often music first, video second. Sometimes the connections are quite literal, sometimes they're contextual, sometimes it's just the vibe. But I make an effort now of sitting on an idea for a bit before barrelling into it, often a lot of good ideas don't really work on the dancefloor, so I stand back and assess how it might work into my whole DJ set.

RTM: How long does it take to prepare for a live show?

E: Forever. Seriously. Every song needs to have a visual treatment, sometimes that can take a few hours to whip up but more often it takes me weeks of digging for the right sample and playing around with ideas before then editing it together. There are bits of my set which are only say 2 minutes long but it took me seriously two to three weeks of work to put together. It's kind of dumb.

EGO's video mix tape is just around the corner

RTM: When mixing, is there a certain method or formula you follow?

E: I have a lot of favourite mixes, tracks which just sit really well together so I always have them up my sleeve but just try and bounce to whatever the crowd are vibing, though like I say, when every track takes forever to make visuals for it's harder to be impromptu doing an AV show than it is doing just an audio set.

RTM: Dance, Electric, D&B and Dubsteb have been very popular in mainstream markets recently - which DJs stand out to you?

E: There is so much awesome music being made, it's almost impossible to keep up with who is doing what anymore, there are rad producers popping up from everywhere. I guess for me guys like Diplo and A-trak who have stood the test of time and continued to be at the cutting edge of music and continually redefine dance music easily top my list. I love DJs who add their own spin to things, it's one thing to play all those popular bass genres and play them well but its another thing to sound original.

RTM: What genres and/or artists do you draw inspiration from?

E: I get a lot of my inspiration from local, Australian, guys who are pushing the envelope, guys like Cutloose, Sampology and the Surecut Kids. I try and listen to everything though, be on top of all genres and styles, I listen to a lot of podcasts to find out what's getting played in clubs overseas, as well as local radio to stay up with what's getting played here.

RTM: This year Nice and Ego mixed up Triple J's Hottest 100 which the people loved and ended up being aired on Triple J - do you have any picks for who might make the Hottest 100 in 2013?

E: It's often tough to pick, a lot of the songs I'd like to make it don't and songs which are huge at the start of the year lose popularity by the time the poll comes around. I imagine Flume will be well placed, he's just blown up which is awesome. Major Lazer's Get Free has been a huge anthem too. Grimes, Alt-J, Frank Ocean hopefully, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, The Presets are home town heroes. It's funny, before doing that mashup we kind of mapped out what we thought would be in it to be ready to get busy on it once it got announced, and we were pretty far off with some of our predictions!

RTM: When can we catch next catch Ego?

E: Hopefully I'll be hitting the road again soon. Once I release my video mixtape I'll no doubt be ready to get the hell away from my studio and back out performing.

Check out Ego on Facebook  or connect on Twitter

www.watchyourego.com

Drift away with Traveller and Fortune

As we head into Spring and leave August behind,  the high of the Adelaide International Guitar Festival is still lingering in the air.

For those looking for that next hit of indie folk music and strummin' banjos, let me introduce you to Traveller and Fortune.

There's something both refreshing and familiar about Adelaide indie-folk group Traveller and Fortune. Their songs are beautifully constructed melodies and harmonies, with lyrics equally as thought out and just as touching. Each song by the band will take you away to a different place, and it's certainly somewhere you don't want to leave in a hurry.

With a growing fan base in their home town of Adelaide (South Australia), Traveller and Fortune are about to take their music over the borders to launch their new single "Little Plastic People."  With a fair bit lined up for the coming weeks, including performing at the BIGSOUND conference in Brisbane later this month,  Tom West from the band took some time out of packing his bags and harmonica to chat to Ran Type Music about the music, the single and the upcoming gigs...


RTM: In your own words, how would you best describe the music of Traveller and Fortune?

T&F: We like to have songs that sound a bit like stories, with ups and down. They're generally bittersweet and we like to use a lot of different instrumentation to create moody soundscapes. We like to showcase the song's lyrics that we hope are always interesting and tell a unique or unexpected story!

RTM: What are you looking forward to most with your upcoming tour?

T&F: We're most looking forward to playing some really fun shows in front of new crowds. We're also really excited for the BIGSOUND conference where we are playing two showcases and meeting up with some really cool industry people.

RTM: "Little plastic people" is your new single - what's special about this track to Traveller and Fortune?

T&F: Yep, its our new single but its actually quite an old song. It featured on our EP from a few years ago, but we've decided to re-jig it with the new band dynamic,  its a bit more hillybilly this time around. We still love the song cos its fun to play but we also like the 'idea' of the song.

RTM: What can people expect at one of your shows?

T&F: A diverse set, highs and lows and lots of harmonies.

Traveller and Fortune are touring as of September 8th; to find out more about when you can catch them check out their Facebook Page.   You can also listen to their music online on Soundcloud
and Triple J Unearthed.  I'll be at their gig on the 15th at Jive in Adelaide - See you there!

Traveller and Fortune are:

Ally - Vocals, Ukulele, Sax, xylo

Tom - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin

Emily - Vocals, bass, Keys

Ryan - Vocals, keys, drums

Todd - Bass, Banjo, Lapslide, Vocals

A huge thank you to Traveller and Fortune for their time,

Ran.

QandA with...Loon Lake

Three brothers and two mates make up the garage-pop band from Melbourne Loon Lake.  

Loon Lake - 3 bros and 2 mates

Since forming in 2010, "Loon Lake," - comprising of Simon, Nick, Sam, Dan and Tim, -  has become a well known name within the Australian music scene, with hits such as "Bad to Me" featuring regularly on national radio station, Triple J.   The group have also been prolific performers, performing at Big Day Out, Groovin' the Moo as well as touring with UK band, Kaiser Chiefs.

One day before they perform their sold out show in Adelaide, Simon from the band took some time out to answer a few quick questions about the music industry, the journey so far and what we can expect from their new EP "Thirty Three".

RTM: The band Loon Lake formed in 2010 and since then you have conquered everything from festivals such as Pyramid Rock and Big Day out right through to touring with artists such as Bluejuice and Kaiser Chiefs.  What have you learnt from performing alongside such seasoned performers?

LL: I think having the opportunity to play alongside those guys who have obviously been doing it for so long, shows how far you can take it and how much you can improve. One thing that I noticed with touring with the Kaiser Chiefs was the level of professionalism, every night and through every detail. They seemed to have a great amount of respect for their fans, every show they did was to their full capacity to what I could see. I think what you have to remember when being a live band, no matter where you play is that every time you can win one new fan over. And that's important, no matter what the gig is you should play like its your last, because punters can detect when you are not enjoying it or giving it your all. High profile bands are seasoned at that - they have played shitty gigs too, but they get to the position they are by persistence dedication and handwork.

RTM: You are currently headlining your own tour, promoting the new Loon Lake EP "Thirty Three" - what can people expect at a Loon Lake gig?


LL: Every time this question gets asked I find it really hard to answer, as I guess I have never seen a Loon Lake gig. In comparison to our previous headline shows we have definitely stepped the production side of things up. We have spent more time and effort on presenting more of a 'show' to the punters. Within our limits though I guess - we don't have a revolving drum cage hovering above stage. Yet. Musically, we have definitely got some more treats in store, obviously with a new EP comes new songs to play, which is exciting for us. We are yet to play our song 'Cherry Lips' live yet, which will be fun for us to see how it goes down. I feel we are playing a lot tighter at the moment too.

The boys will be performing in Adelaide tomorrow night,
as part of their "Thirty Three" tour.

RTM: How would you describe Loon Lake's music to someone who had never heard it before?

LL: I would probably describe it is 'garage pop' music, that has a penchant for melodies and hooks. Not sure though, I think its best to listen to us and make up your own mind. People might hear it completely different to what I do. That's the good thing about music, it subjective. Some might like it, some might hate it.

RTM: Talk us through the name of the EP - Why "Thirty Three"?

LL: Ok, firstly that is the name of one of the tracks on the EP. In particular that song is about someone who has got to that age and sort of realised 'what am I doing in life? Do I need to change/settle down kind of thing?' Then after we recorded the EP, we realised there was kind of an underlying theme throughout the songs, basically it is about change, and getting to a particular point in your life and working out what you want and need. It was something we all agreed on and we felt that was an apt title.

RTM: Three brothers in the band...how is it traveling and performing together?

LL: It's all fine. We are good friends and we hang out a lot so there are no real dramas, and if there is they usually dismissed very quickly. There are obviously moments where you get under each others skin, but I think this is common within any close relationship. I guess you can't really hold a grudge for too long, as at some point in time you have to go home and hang out with the rest of your family. They don't want to hear your petty band problems.

  


RTM: I love the Pic of Last Dinosaurs singer Sean wearing a Loon Lake t-shirt!  Do you feel a sense of community in the Australian music industry - particularly amongst up and coming musicians?

LL: Yeah that was great hey. We played with them a couple of times and they are top lads, he really liked the shirt so we gave him one.  It was cool to see that he was wearing it in a press shot. They are a top band too, I really like some of the licks their guitarist uses. I do think there is definitely a sense of community amongst the young bands, everyone is appreciative of everyone and definitely trying to help each other out. At the same time I guess you are all doing your own thing and trying to pave your own road, but generally all the bands we come across are great to each other. You have to be as you run into each other all the time. I think the elder statesman in Oz rock are cool too. The Jebediah crew were some of the nicest dudes I've met.

RTM: After the "Thirty Three" tour, what's in store for the boys from Loon Lake?

LL:  After the tour we are really concentrating on writing more songs as we are thinking about our debut album. I mean the writing has already begun, but I think we really need to make a concentrated effort to work hard on making a very good and cohesive debut album. I feel the debut album is one of the defining moments of a bands career, it's definitely important to do the very best you can with that.

In terms of live shows, we have a couple of things like Bigsound and Queenscliff, we are obviously hoping for more summer festivals and supports and stuff. But generally that is where we will be for the next year, we may go a bit quiet as we concentrate on the album.

To find out more about where you can catch Loon Lake on their "Thirty Three" tour, head to their website.

You can also connect with the band on Facebook and Twitter.

Loon Lake are

Sam; Vox, Guitar, Keys

Sime; Guitar

Dan; Guitar

Timmy; Bass

Nick; Drums

Ran with Simon from Loon Lake

QandA with...The Cathars

They don't come as fresh as The Cathars - The Indie Rock Band formed early 2012 and in the short space of time since then, have featured on Triple J unearthed, released 2 singles and have begun working hard on their Debut EP which they hope the have released by next year.

With influences such as Bloc Party and Crowded House, The boys from Brisbane work with "the sole purpose of expressing ideas and innovation in the medium of songwriting." Full of energy, emotion and attitude The Cathar's 2 singles currently available for download.

The Cathar's have two tracks available
for download on Triple J Unearthed

The boys took time out of working on their Debut EP to chat to Ran Type Music about influences, changing the name of the band and what they see for The Cathars in the future:

RTM: Before 2012, members of The Cathars were performing as "Pools and Trumpets" - why the change and why now?

TC: The name change really reflected a bigger change within the band. Our music was evolving and becoming a bit heavier and rough around the edges, and we felt that ‘Pools and Trumpets’ felt a bit too twee and playful for the kind of music we were producing. We also associated the name with our first year of playing some lacklustre, dodgy gigs (with awful hair cuts to match).



RTM: How would you describe The Cathars sound to someone who had never heard your music before?

TC: On our bandcamp we use the words “slick” and “visceral” to sum up our sound, and I think these two words sum it up quite well. It’s always tricky to pin down your own sound, but a lot of people have said we sound like Bloc Party and Arctic Monkeys. I would describe the music us as having solid tunes with clever twists and a great rock riff here and there.

RTM:What artists or bands did you listen to growing up? Which musicians of our time do you hope your kids will listen to growing up?

TC: We all listened to different stuff growing up, Mitch listened to The Beatles and Crowded House and I (Ryan) listened to a lot of classic rock and 70’s progressive rock. Our later influences all overlap though, with all of us having an appreciation for bands like Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles, Bloc Party, The Shins, Kings of Leon (primarily their first two albums) and Bob Dylan. I hope my kids will be listening to a lot of the stuff that my dad listened to! Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, and other classics, although I do reckon that a handful of contemporary bands will stand the test of time.

 

Kanye: The Cathars do the best cover of ALL TIME!

RTM: Collaborations have been huge in recent months, particularly across genres...if The Cathars could work with anyone, who would it be?

TC: Kanye could appear on the cover we do of his song “Hell of a Life”, we’d get a kick out of that! Not sure if we’d welcome his constant interruptions though...

RTM: Who (or What) inspires The Cathars music?

TC: I know that Mitch is inspired by great melodies, the song writing process, and generally learning his craft, and Harrison is motivated by the success and accomplishments of our fellow local bands (Last Dinosaurs, DZ Deathrays). For me it is very much the privilege of being able to perform and share our own stories and experiences through songs and performance. Playing and listening to music has always been quite an intimate form of communication, and I think it transcends the kind of stilted and limited exchanges that we usually have with strangers on a day to day basis. I know that for all of us lads though, it’s really a labour of love all round, and having a drink and a laugh together at band practice is usually just as great as writing and playing the music itself.

Finish this sentence;

By this time next year, The Cathars will have...

TC: Released their debut EP, gigged profusely, written a tonne of new songs, and hopefully worked up quite a sweat.

RTM: The Cathars have just finished recording a couple of new songs - what can we expect from these new tracks?

TC: At the moment there is just one primary track we will be releasing within the next month or two. It’ll be called “Picnic and The Lightning” - think “Teddy Picker” by the Arctic Monkeys, with more abstract lyrics. Pop with attitude. 


RTM: Any upcoming gigs that we can catch you at?

TC: Nothing confirmed yet but we will be announcing a slew of upcoming gigs in the near future. Stay tuned!

RTM: Finally, What is the ultimate goal for The Cathars?

TC: We want to keep writing and performing music with a view to taking it (and ourselves) all around the world and, in a more immediate sense, have as much fun as possible while creating a memorable and high energy live show.

You can check out The Cathar's music on their soundcloud page, or download their tracks from triple J unearthed. Tweet at or Like the guys on Facebook for more information on when they may be gigging at a venue near you.

The Cathars are:
Harrison Tang (lead vocals, rhythm guitar)
 Mitchell Laney (bass guitar)
Mervin Milburn (lead guitar, backing vocals)
and Ryan MK (drums, insults).


A huge shout out to The Cathars for taking time out to answer some questions for RTM :) If YOU know any musicians you think would like to have a profile up or answer some cheeky questions, email Ran at rantypemusic@gmail.com.

QandA with...Hey Geronimo

Hey Geronimo are a 5 piece indie-pop band hailing from Brisbane, sunny Queensland. With the recent success of "Why Don't We Do Something?" and their follow up hit "Carbon Affair", the boys were kind enough to put aside some of their time and answer some questions for ran.type.music about this, that and the other...

Hey Geronimo say they will never (not for one second!)
believe the hype.  Legends.

Hey Geronimo have won over listeners through Triple J's 'unearthed' initiative, which has also seen the discoveries of bands such as Stonefield, The Rubens and fellow Brisbane band Ball Park Music, - who the boys from Hey Geronimo say, have set the standard for local musicians.

Now a regular on the radio, Hey Geronimo's "Why don't we do something" has also caught commercial interest featuring on the soundtrack of the popular network television show "Offspring."

The band's music is indie-pop with lyrics sure to get stuck in your head, and not in a Carly Rae Jepsen kind of way!

Talented and passionate, the boys took time out of their schedule to answer a few questions for this little blog.

RTM: Thank you so much for taking time out to answer some questions for ran.type.music...first things first, how did the name "Hey Geronimo" come about?


HG: That's a good question actually! For about a day we were called "Hey Ho Geronimo" before scrapping the "Ho" and moving on in quick time. It's a hybrid between the "Hey Ho Let's Go!" chant of the Ramones and Osama Bin Laden's codename when he was being hunted by the US Navy Seals (the story was in the news when we were cooking up names). Convoluted, yes?


RTM: "Why don't we do something?" has been a hit on radio - It's a song that I'm really into and it got me thinking, in terms of sound and feel, does the song give fans a pretty good representation of Hey Geronimo's music generally?


HG: WDWDS probably does paint a decent picture. It's as pop as we get, but it does embody what we're about - having a good time!

Ball Park Music

RTM: Who are your biggest musical influences and why? And which current artists inspire you?
HG: We're inspired by big bands and small bands alike. Ross' writing is influenced by old-school bands like The Kinks, Pete is into Weezer's grunge-pop and Greg errs more towards the playfulness of a band like Dogs Die In Hot Cars. As a band we're probably trying to follow in the footsteps of local lads, Ball Park Music. The standard they have set for local musicians is on the top shelf and we think we could do worse aspiring to that type of quality.


RTM: What is something everyone should know about the guys from Hey Geronimo?


HG: Not for one second do we, have we, or will we ever believe the hype!

(qanda cont. below)

RTM: Finally, Hey Geronimo are touring throughout June and July - what can people expect from your live shows?


HG: You can expect us to put on a high-energy, fun show. We're still learning our craft, but we want everybody to have a good time. Have a few drinks and bring your dancing shoes!

To find out more about the guys from Hey Geronimo, check out their Triple J Unearthed page or 'like' the band on Facebook.  You can also catch them on their Twitter account.

Hey Geronimo are:

Pete Kilroy - guitar/vox

Greg Chiapello - bass/vox

Ross Pearson - guitar/vox

Andrew Stone - keys

Tony Garrett - percussion

Want to get up close and personal?  Check out the dates and locations below to see when
Hey Geronimo will be gigging near you.

Upcoming Gigs:

Friday, June 29 - Melbourne

The Grace Darling w/ Private Life & March Of The Real Fly

Saturday, June 30 - Melbourne

Espy Front Bar w/ Private Life & Them Swoops

Thursday, July 5 - Brisbane

Oh Hello w/ Oceanics

Friday, July 6 - Gold Coast

Elsewhere w/ Oceanics

Saturday, July 7 - Sydney

Upstairs @ Beresford