West coast music will be well-placed to make plenty of noise in the nation’s east next week when the annual BIGSOUND music conference and festival takes over Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley once again.
The conference, which runs Tuesday to Friday, is a gathering of the music and creative industry’s leading figures by day, and at night a roster of more than 100 musicians from across Australia take to the stage.
South Summit will play two shows at BIGSOUND next week.Credit:Sarah Haleem
Alongside major acts like East Kimberley rapper Dallas Woods, up-and-coming West Australians South Summit, Dulcie, Ghost Care, and Siobhan Cotchin are readying themselves to perform before a host of industry figures and potential musician mates.
It’s exhausting just writing about it and Ghost Care singer and guitarist Beau Torrance shared the sentiment when WAtoday got him on the phone.
Not only is it the three-piece’s first time at BIGSOUND, it will also be their first time touring nationally, with several dates in Melbourne and Sydney following their Brisbane shows.
They’re flying out Monday and hope to get a bit of sleep in before the festivities kick off the next day.
Perth band Ghost Care.
“We’re super stoked to be heading over; it’s kind of been building for a while where we’re like, ‘I think we could do this now,’ but haven’t been able to,” Torrance said.
Ghost Care are riding high on the back of their latest single, Part Time Living, a personal track for Torrance covering his time in a Christian community after leaving high school, and the manipulation and pressure that led him to feeling as though he needed to leave and forge his own path.
“This is the song about being two places at once almost; being in this place but knowing that you need to separate yourself from it,” he said.
“I was kind of living a life half-time, it felt like it was only half of myself.
“[Part Time Living] was super personal, but it’s also a really kind of upbeat and fun song to play live.”
Torrance said the band members were looking forward to meeting other musos next week, and Sydney duo EGOISM was close to the top of their must-see list.
“I’ve been slowly checking out every artist as we go, but there’s a huge number,” he said.
It might not be Perth outfit Dulcie’s first BIGSOUND rodeo, but that doesn’t dull the excitement.
Dulcie.
“We were quite fresh when we first went over,” bassist and singer Timieka Denton said.
“And we played three times that year. So this time around, we’ve only got one show, which will be kind of nice, because we can just spend the other two days going and looking at other artists and seeing their shows.
“This year is so exciting for us, because we’ve incorporated our live sound as well as our produced sound, and we’re going to have backing tracks on stage as well.”
Another major cause for excitement? Taking to the stage before ascendant First Nations R&B star Budjerah, an opportunity Denton admitted was “nerve-racking”, but also “amazing”.
Away from the stage, the conference provides plenty more for Dulcie to get excited about.
Denton agreed the three-day conference and festival was great for exposure and networking – but most of all it was a good time. And like Ghost Care’s Torrance, Denton had an ever-growing list of artists she hoped to see.
“Some artists that I’m really excited to see, probably WIIGZ, I’ve been following them on Instagram for ages now and they are just insane, an absolute powerhouse duo,” she said.
“Definitely Budjerah, Phoebe Go, Blusher … there’s literally so many artists that are going over that are amazing, I can’t wait.”
BIGSOUND is only the start of a hectic touring schedule awaiting Dulcie; after a few weeks back in Perth they hit the road with Arnhem Land rock outfit King Stingray, a string of shows they’re understandably elated about, before some more gigs in Perth, and potentially new material.
Siobhan Cotchin.
The enthusiasm to get back to the nation’s biggest music conference shines through after the event went online in 2020 and was cancelled in 2021 due to COVID.
Siobhan Cotchin’s Fill My Cup, which the Perth singer-songwriter describes as “about being exhausted from life”, could be the salve revellers need after two years of a dearth of live gigs which has starved the music industry.
“This song is for anyone who feels a little lost and is struggling to find meaning in these insane times,” Cotchin said.
“It has been a crazy few years and I want people to know that they’re not alone.”
BIGSOUND audiences will have plenty of opportunities to catch Cotchin, who is playing three shows over the duration of the festival.
Follow WAtoday on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for handpicked selections of the day’s biggest local, national and international news.
Most Viewed in Culture
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article